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grayjay's review against another edition
4.0
The Changeling doesn't remember much but it knows it's been living in the ocean, taking the forms of whales and sharks for a long time. In the 1930s it come to land and takes the form of a human for the first time. It takes people's lives and shapes as it learns more about humans, trying to figure out what it is and where it came from.
It's a fairly violent novel that features a lot of murder, and several off-scene rapes.
It struck me that it was very similar to some of Anne Rice's novels, with immortal characters living and adapting through history, but this was like the Science Fiction version of that.
It's a fairly violent novel that features a lot of murder, and several off-scene rapes.
It struck me that it was very similar to some of Anne Rice's novels, with immortal characters living and adapting through history, but this was like the Science Fiction version of that.
dragonlilly's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
3.0
The book was maybe a bit too long with lots of detail, but at the same time I enjoyed the huge scientific attention to detail. Overall, a very interesting and cool story. The last scene seemed too fast, but Russ' final decision made for a very fun ending, and now I wish Jan had seen it all. I really sympathized with the changeling's desire to tell Russ everything, but at the same time its strategy was well done. It just took a while for the story to speed up.
blairconrad's review against another edition
2.0
There are two alien shape-shifters on earth, and a very dense spaceship that’s linked to one of them.
There. I saved you 304 pages.
There. I saved you 304 pages.
haazex's review against another edition
2.0
A bit too crude and gory for my taste. It had some interesting ideas about shapeshifting aliens with amnesia, but the book seems to be more of an unfinished draft rather than a complete novel. There are many passages in which the author takes the opportunity to examine 20th century history from an alien observer's perspective. This aspect combined with gory violence, sex and "contact" make up the bulk of the novel. I certainly expected more from this Nebula awarded novel. It was similar to watching a B movie and I am leaning towards 1.5 stars rather than 2.
brentbk31b's review
4.0
I struggled with how to rate this novel. There was so much about it that I loved and found fascinating. It got my mind turning and thinking about so many different things. However, in some ways, it feels more like an outline for a great novel than the novel itself.
I’ve read similar books and watched similar movies that deal with the opportunities and consequences of being immortal and witnessing the history of humanity. It lends itself to many ideas concerning human nature and psychology. While a little of that is explored in this novel, it wasn’t as much as I had hoped for, nor as insightful.
Another frustration is the lack of character development. There is a character arc for the Changeling, but like most other emotional developments, it feels more like we’re told about it instead of shown it and allowed to feel it. The narrative can be abrupt.
That being said, it was a great page-turner and I never found myself getting bored. Although it wasn’t the novel I ultimately wanted, that doesn’t make it bad. I’d still recommend it, but not as a starting point if you have never read anything by Joe Haldeman (go first to the brilliant “The Forever War”).
I’ve read similar books and watched similar movies that deal with the opportunities and consequences of being immortal and witnessing the history of humanity. It lends itself to many ideas concerning human nature and psychology. While a little of that is explored in this novel, it wasn’t as much as I had hoped for, nor as insightful.
Another frustration is the lack of character development. There is a character arc for the Changeling, but like most other emotional developments, it feels more like we’re told about it instead of shown it and allowed to feel it. The narrative can be abrupt.
That being said, it was a great page-turner and I never found myself getting bored. Although it wasn’t the novel I ultimately wanted, that doesn’t make it bad. I’d still recommend it, but not as a starting point if you have never read anything by Joe Haldeman (go first to the brilliant “The Forever War”).
niels_bom's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
3.5
spellmannn's review against another edition
2.0
The concept was great but the whole book just fell so flat. The sex was unnecessary. The relationships absolutely not believable. The WW2 part was incredibly long and overwritten. The end.. a 1 page wrap up after the "climax" made me want to scream in frustration.
pangalactics's review against another edition
4.0
It’s definitely not the best prose. I haven’t checked the date on this but the gender stuff is appalling. That being said, the story gripped me. A literal page turner.
edit: it’s from 2005. well, it reads like it’s from the 70s.
edit: it’s from 2005. well, it reads like it’s from the 70s.