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Most Helpful Favorable Review
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
A Diamond in the Rough
This book, one of hundreds that I own, is by far the most grubby, beat up, and torn on my shelves! Russell has crafted a truly compelling and moral tale of love, faith, and humanity. And even with all of the deep material contained within its pages, The Sparrow is als...Read More
This book, one of hundreds that I own, is by far the most grubby, beat up, and torn on my shelves! Russell has crafted a truly compelling and moral tale of love, faith, and humanity. And even with all of the deep material contained within its pages, The Sparrow is also a fantastic thriller; one to keep a reader gripping its covers too tightly while reading on a rainy day. The characters are superb; very relatable and real. The situations, though some are outside of our current reality, also seem realistic, and I found myself wondering how I myself would deal. A emotionally stunning read, one I recommend highly.Show Less
posted by SydneyH on February 18, 2009
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1 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
Degrades the human spirit!
I read this book several years ago and because it degraded the human spirit I could not pass it along for anyone else to read. People who try to find something profound in this story may be misguided. It is such a horror that it belongs to the "horror" catagory not sci...Read More
I read this book several years ago and because it degraded the human spirit I could not pass it along for anyone else to read. People who try to find something profound in this story may be misguided. It is such a horror that it belongs to the "horror" catagory not science fiction. Science fiction takes our humanness into consideration but when intelligent life is raised for consumption by another intelligent specie, and our Father Emilio Sandos is raped repeatedly by a male creature of
this intelligent specie, the story has nothing to do with religion either ours or theirs. The author may want to take cover in religion but no one will believe her. This story line still bothers me and I have always felt that I have been diminshed just by reading this book.Show Less
this intelligent specie, the story has nothing to do with religion either ours or theirs. The author may want to take cover in religion but no one will believe her. This story line still bothers me and I have always felt that I have been diminshed just by reading this book.Show Less
posted by SusanVT on December 22, 2008
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SydneyH
Posted February 18, 2009
A Diamond in the Rough
This book, one of hundreds that I own, is by far the most grubby, beat up, and torn on my shelves! Russell has crafted a truly compelling and moral tale of love, faith, and humanity. And even with all of the deep material contained within its pages, The Sparrow is also a fantastic thriller; one to keep a reader gripping its covers too tightly while reading on a rainy day. The characters are superb; very relatable and real. The situations, though some are outside of our current reality, also seem realistic, and I found myself wondering how I myself would deal. A emotionally stunning read, one I recommend highly.
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous
Posted March 8, 2010
I Also Recommend:
READ THIS BOOK
THE SPARROW is incredible, as is the sequel. The character development was better than in anything else I've read. The writing style was unique and delicious, and Russell's way of alternating between two plot lines, two times, made it painfully suspenseful. This book is clever, touching, thought-provoking, at times deeply funny, and at times heart-wrenching, just heart-wrenching. It will challenge any reader's beliefs, and make him/her think long and hard. Unforgettable plot, unforgettable characters. Best sci-fi ever written. Unforgettable.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous
Posted July 9, 2007
A reviewer
This is one of my favorite books of all time, as rich and fulfilling on the 10th read as on the first. Wonderfully- drawn characters, a fascinating topic: I feel guilty even attempting to describe this as science fiction when it is clearly so much deeper, so much more. This is a book about the very nature of belief, a career-making accomplishment for the author, and great good fortune for any of us likely to discover it. Read it. Do not miss the opportunity.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous
Posted August 27, 2003
The Sparrow stirs Heart, Mind, and Soul
Four years after reading this book it remains one of my all-time favorites. I loved spending time with the characters and the plot moves on big ideas. Even though the angst seemed sometimes overwritten, I was moved to tears and profoundly touched. An extraordinary portrait is also drawn in the sequel. The author's intellectual grounding merits a large and loyal readership.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous
Posted February 29, 2004
Wonderful!
I just finished reading this book and it was one of the most engaging, interesting, and moving books I have come across. I have read hundreds of sci/fi fantasy books as well as a wide variety of historical fiction. This is NOT just for the sci/fi fan. It is very charater driven and truly about the human condition. What is most interesting to me in about the above literary genres is world building and the description of other cultures and how they are different from us. I am also an atheist who has a very dim view of the ethnocentrism of missionary work as well as a mistrust of organized religion in general. But there was something about how Mary Russell wove this tremendous story that transcended a religious view and made it a story about people in a very basic way. Even Emilio who is so enamored with God and this quest does not descend into sterotype. The mistakes he makes seem understandable and forgiveable. I too, was thinking 'prime directive' when they landed on Rakhat and because that idea is so prevalent in our culture now I found myself to be surprised that people would act differently. But these are not people on the Starship Enterprise. They are 'real' people acting like pretty much every group that made inroads into a new culture on earth--they could not wait to share ideas and things that they personally value with someone who does not already have the 'benefit' of it. Ironically as humans we seem surprised time after time when our contact with new cultures ends in tragedy. Perhaps these characters were a bit innocent of possible repercussions but when you are reading the book their actions are so amazingly believable and logical that you don't even question the things they do. And that is because you really have become to know them. I was surprised to read a few reviews that found the characters one dimensional. They are so real you feel you know them and each loss was a heartbreak. You know throughout the book that you are going to loose them all save Emilio and as I neared the end and most all were still living I questioned how it would all happen--would it just be an afterthought? The ending was so wrenching but so amazing that I was astonished by the author's courage. It almost felt like she HAD to do it that way because she could not bear to loose them either and had to do it quickly. I am still reeling. I would recommend this book to everyone.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous
Posted May 5, 2003
science fiction meets religion
This book as proved to be inspirational and thought-provoking as much as it was disturbing. Russell truly brings her characters to life in a fascinating and dimensional manner making them all too human and sympathetic. The main character can either be Emilio Sandoz, a Jesuit Priest and talented Liguist, or God himself. Sandoz goes from reluctant priest to Saint to mutilated skeptic. If anyone has the right to question God, it's Emilio Sandoz. The story is fast-paced and fascinating. Russell's story-writing ability is precise and musical. Nothing feels remotely deliberate or contrived. There are a few jumps in time that could be explained but does not take away from the story in any way. Highly recommended and has quickly become one of my all-time favorites.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous
Posted December 8, 2000
The Sparrow and Children of God depict the first steps of ET contact as accurately flawed.
I found this book to be a wonderful story of the first steps of extraterrestrial contact by humans in the near future. The characters are flawed (as opposed to the story), and demonstrate that although we may have our sophisticated toys, we often still miss the big picture. Emilio Sandoz and his colleagues are hopelessly human, as they repeat the same well-intentioned mistakes that have been repeatedly made by missionaries for centuries on this planet. But the book is really about accepting responsibility for one's own faith and spirituality, (hence the title). The sequel, Children of God, ties the package up neatly, showing that everything happens for a purpose, and when one sees what suffering has wrought, the path to forgiveness is easier to tread.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Degrades the human spirit!
I read this book several years ago and because it degraded the human spirit I could not pass it along for anyone else to read. People who try to find something profound in this story may be misguided. It is such a horror that it belongs to the "horror" catagory not science fiction. Science fiction takes our humanness into consideration but when intelligent life is raised for consumption by another intelligent specie, and our Father Emilio Sandos is raped repeatedly by a male creature of
this intelligent specie, the story has nothing to do with religion either ours or theirs. The author may want to take cover in religion but no one will believe her. This story line still bothers me and I have always felt that I have been diminshed just by reading this book.1 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous
Posted August 23, 2008
Best read...until you read Children of God
Really loved this book once it got start. I took me until the 2nd/3rd chapter to really get into and then I was hooked! You will enjoy all the characters once you get into it. And the main character gets more interesting the longer you read.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous
Posted July 29, 2008
great read
I stated out thinking this was going to be ok at best but soon found myself not being able to put it down and ended up staying up until about 4am so I could finish it in the first night. This book takes you to a new world not unlike our own so to speak, you quickly become intrigued in the story and will not be able to put it down.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous
Posted March 1, 2008
Raping a Priest! I don't think so!
Whatever this book has to offer, it has escaped me. The rape of a priest by a totally alien specie does not qualify for science fiction. Is there religious value here? Not so much.
1 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous
Posted May 21, 2006
Deep
This is a great book. I am not much of a science fiction type person but this was not just about science there was a different meaning. It makes you think about God and your position with him. The character Emilio was very complex and a little hard to understand. If you get alittle lost with the flashbacks don't worry you'll get use to it.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous
Posted February 13, 2006
Great Characters, Good Plot, So-So Ending
This is something of a rarity among all the science fiction titles published every year: it's a highly intelligent work of literature. That said, plot still counts for something, and endings can make or break books. The fact that this remains a cult classic despite its uneven plot and weak denouement is due to the cast of vivid characters and the strength of ideas expressed, which (ironically) only serve to make the 'what the...?' ending even more disappointing. And those characters! One of the reviewers here said she would like to talk to the entire crew hell, I want to go with them. (Although I don't want their typical fate at the end.) The depth of religious and philosophical discussions and ruminations nearly makes up for the other flaws, and sets this book well above standard sci-fi fare. If the ending had been stronger, this would have been a five-star book. Another intelligent new book for your consideration: An Audience for Einstein. Set in the near future, Mark Wakely's book chronicles the 'rebirth' of a genius by questionable means, in a highly entertaining and surprisingly touching story that (like The Sparrow) will stay with you.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous
Posted November 30, 2005
after 50 pages it was awesome
That is how this book is. It made you think in many ways you never thought possible. Yes it deals with religion and time travel but all in all this book combines both with a sense a truth you would never believe. It is a wonderful read. I never read science fiction books or anything close to it, but this came highly recommmended. I read and loved it.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous
Posted August 17, 2005
Great! It's makes you think...
From the first pages to the last, The Sparrow had me hooked. Writing the story in two plot lines was probably Mary Doria Russel's smartest move. It creates suspense and excitement, as well as rounding out the plot. Some people may find certain events disturbing, but it's written with such an emphasis on faith and perseverance that it isn't as bad as it could've been. My only complaint is that the characters seemed too perfectly fitting into their niche, although they still pull at your emotions. I strongly recommend this book to people who aren't afraid to read a novel that is very thought-provoking! The story really sticks with you. And there's a bonus- it's science fiction that lovers of any genre can appreciate!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous
Posted October 1, 2005
I give 5 stars to the seque
The sparow is an intriguing book about faith and circumstance. The sequel is totally awesome!
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous
Posted July 30, 2005
Um, I don't think so.
I'm sorry...but am I supposed to engage in a theological argument after a priest is raped and sodomized by aliens in Alpha Centauri? There was absolutely no need to torture/maim/rape the main character in order to make readers think about God, which was supposed to be the author's main idea. There are other ways, less disturbing ways, less outrageous ways to write a science fiction story. Also, I can't believe the book's editor: Over half the Spanish is wrong! I'm a native Spanish speaker and to see Spanish that was grammatically incorrect was very irritating (the author confuses the verbs 'ser' and 'estar'...an embarrassing beginner's error). Third of all, let's all travel on an asteroid (what?) to a nearby planet. Yes, that seems like a very good idea. There is no science basis to this idea to qualify this book under science fiction. More like science nonsense. Can't we at least get a space shuttle, spaceship, something that's more science fiction? Finally, a lot is said about the author's religious studies in the last few pages. Yet, the book doesn't distill any sensitivity and profundity that you would associate with such an author's background. On the contrary, we get a furry alien poet (with a tail!) raping a Jesuit priest...later this alien poet will write songs about the excitement of raping the priest with his fellow alien poets and these songs will reach Earth through radio waves! I'm sorry, but no. NO.
1 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous
Posted January 27, 2005
No
There are no perfect words to describe my reaction to this book but horror, disgust, disbelief are right up there at the top. I have NEVER felt so thoroughly cheated by an author before and she will not get a second shot at my wallet. If I'd had my way, I'd have given this a minus star...
1 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous
Posted April 17, 2002
What a great bookclub book!
This is a completely engrossing book once the characters get to Rakhat. The author draws the reader in, puting him/her in the characters shoes. The twists and turns are surprising but believable for the cultures on the planet. Definitely read the sequel.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous
Posted December 14, 2001
Thought Provoking
I read this book for a book review group and found it to be one of the most creative pieces I've ever read. I followed it up with the sequel, 'Children of God'. In our discussion group there was no middle ground -it was either hated or loved. We all agreed that one has to pay special attention to the first 100 pages or so, to get a sense of the characters firmly established in order to fully enjoy the book. It wasn't an 'easy read', but well worth the effort. I have read several books since reading 'The Sparrow' and yet I am still thinking about it.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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