From the Bookshelf of Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge…
Find A Copy At
Group Discussions About This Book
No group discussions for this book yet.
What Members Thought
I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this novel. I do know that I couldn't stop thinking about it for days after finishing it.
My experience of reading this was very similar to what I felt watching the play Sweat - a mixture of intense curiosity and mounting dread. Like the play, this story is told out of order, alternating before and after a pivotal confrontation: in this case, not a bar fight, but a Jesuit-led mission from Earth to the planet Rakhat. We know something awful happened, but the ...more
My experience of reading this was very similar to what I felt watching the play Sweat - a mixture of intense curiosity and mounting dread. Like the play, this story is told out of order, alternating before and after a pivotal confrontation: in this case, not a bar fight, but a Jesuit-led mission from Earth to the planet Rakhat. We know something awful happened, but the ...more
I recently received this book in a Goodreads giveaway. When I heard that I'd won, and the book was on its way, I read some of the posted reviews. Quite a polarizing book! I figured I was in for an experience.
The Sparrow did not disappoint. I loved the characters and wept over the deaths. I ached for the titular character — his struggles and longings were palpable.
I was reminded of the Taoist story of the farmer whose horse ran away, yet he would not commit to finding it lucky or unlucky until t ...more
The Sparrow did not disappoint. I loved the characters and wept over the deaths. I ached for the titular character — his struggles and longings were palpable.
I was reminded of the Taoist story of the farmer whose horse ran away, yet he would not commit to finding it lucky or unlucky until t ...more
A book about a Jesuit priest's devastating fall from faith. I loved how the futuristic setting didn't BECOME the book, but instead enriched it.
...more
This is an amazing book. It is gripping and definitely has very difficult and unsettling images, but it is a beautiful and amazing exploration of faith and science and what would happen if we encountered an alien species. Just a really powerful, really well written book.
Slow at the beginning, but really picked up as it sped to the ominous end foretold in the "current day" chapters. Not my favorite by a long shot but glad to have read this modern classic. Plenty to ponder with regard to religion, society, and compassion.
...more
A very interesting take on faith and exploration. Both the achievements and limitations of the two and their sacrifices and sufferings.
whoa. I finished it over an hour ago and I'm still...spent. This was an amazing story, beautifully told. ...and now I need someone to talk with about it. desperately!
...more
Jan 01, 2009
Maria
marked it as to-read
Apr 09, 2009
Anne
marked it as to-read
Feb 08, 2011
Mandy
marked it as to-read
Nov 03, 2015
Jillian
marked it as to-read
Dec 01, 2015
Linda
marked it as to-read
Jan 04, 2016
Carleen Huxley
marked it as to-read
Feb 18, 2017
Denise Cormaney
marked it as to-read
Oct 03, 2017
Lia
marked it as unread-books-i-own
Feb 02, 2018
Adjrun
marked it as to-read
Jun 13, 2018
CoCo
marked it as to-read
Dec 13, 2018
Kate
marked it as to-read
