Praiseworthy Pages

Reader Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ (4/5 stars)

This book grabbed me by the shoulders and sat me down firmly in my science fiction era. What a fascinating novel! It captivated me from beginning to end, even though most of what I call the “deep science” stuff flew way over my head. I’d never heard of the three-body problem before, but this novel illustrated the phenomenon beautifully, and the way the science interacts with the plot…it’s done really masterfully.

I wish I could’ve read it in its original Chinese, because I’m sure that the writing style would not have felt as stilted to me as the English translation did. Unfortunately, the writing style did strike me as a bit choppy, but I chalk that up to the difficulty a translator has in taking a work of highly-acclaimed fiction and translating it into from one unique language and alphabet to another, entirely different (and annoyingly tricky) language. All in all, I highly recommend this book to any readers in search of an intriguing science fiction to get lost in!

Language: 7/10 (Mild/rare swearing).
Sex: 10/10 (No sexual content).
Violence and gore: 7/10 (Not detailed or extensive).

Plot: 8/10 (This book is almost entirely plot-driven. Very little of the novel is moved forward by character action, which is usually a really difficult perspective for me to feel compelled by. However, this novel worked for me, and I think it’s because the plot rumbled forward with greater speed than most plot-driven storylines. Plus, the characters interfered with the story at just the right moments, initiating bursts of momentum whenever the plot threatened to peter out. Very well done).
Characters: 5/10 (Because the novel is so plot-driven, the characters did fall pretty flat. The most interesting attribute that most characters had were their professions and what type of science they specialized in, because that type of science ended up contributing some sort of crucial role in the plot’s progression. The characters did not exhibit much dimension, with the exception of maybe one or two, and that kept the book from being a five-star read in my opinion).
Writing style: 6/10 (Like I said earlier, this book was originally published in Chinese, then later translated to English. I attribute most of my issues with the monotony of the writing style to the issue of translating from one complicated language to another. However, I do think that Ken Liu’s English translation still managed to create an absorbing read. I’m sure that the author would be satisfied with the overall outcome).

Genre: Science fiction, adult literature
Potential triggers: Murder, loss of loved ones, suicide, etc.
Is this book part of a series? Yes.
I would recommend this book to readers aged 18+.