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timinbc's review
4.0
Pow, you're dead. Shazam, you're in a river. You crawl ashore. You meet Mark Twain, and Napoleon, and Genghis Khan, and ... well, everyone that ever died. Now you have to figure out why, and how, and who, and what IS this place anyway? And how do you get along in this strange place?
If you saw the quite bad movie adaptation, read the book anyway - it's much better. The movie may have been reasonably faithful, but for me this is a story better left to the imagination.
If you saw the quite bad movie adaptation, read the book anyway - it's much better. The movie may have been reasonably faithful, but for me this is a story better left to the imagination.
goobdiddy's review
4.0
This was one of the better concepts for a sci-fi book I've come across in a while. Everyone who has ever died in the history of the world resurrected at the same time on an alien world. What could go wrong?
You could tell from the beginning that the author planned to write several sequels to this, and was pretty much using this volume to set the stage, but that's OK, I'm already hooked.
You could tell from the beginning that the author planned to write several sequels to this, and was pretty much using this volume to set the stage, but that's OK, I'm already hooked.
angus_mckeogh's review
3.0
What a strange read. Part historical fiction, part religious polemic. This weird novel has famous historical figures resurrecting next to a river after they’ve exhausted their lives on Earth, only to find that the afterlife has been erroneously foreseen by every major religion that mankind has created. Nazis, Romans, and others from a more distant future interact and repeat all the moronic tendencies from life as we know it. The creation of new religions for this new existence, war, jealousies, and social strife all resurface.
pshotts's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
nike_apparent's review
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
badseedgirl's review
3.0
1972 Hugo Award winner
1972 Locus SF Nominated
Added to TBR 05/2013
Back in 2010 I saw Riverworld on the SyFy channel. It was a failed series and I was intrigued and interested in the story. 13 years later I finally read the book. There are several books in the Riverworld series and I found the first book interesting enough to check out the next books at some point.
1972 Locus SF Nominated
Added to TBR 05/2013
Back in 2010 I saw Riverworld on the SyFy channel. It was a failed series and I was intrigued and interested in the story. 13 years later I finally read the book. There are several books in the Riverworld series and I found the first book interesting enough to check out the next books at some point.
grayjay's review
1.0
Richard Burton, a 19th century English explorer and a group of humans from different times and places wake up naked and hairless, resurrected in a strange empty paradise by a river.
The concept is interesting, but the plot leaves something to be desired. Halfway through the novel someone guesses what's going on and that turns out to be the case.
The other problem is that the main characters are all pulled out of times past with their racist ideas intact. The author tries to grapple with it, but we're still left with an unlikable cast of men.
The writing is pretty classically sexist and xenophobic. Even though everyone is naked, only the women's bodies are described by the narrator, and usually in terms of how attractive they are. Men's bodies are never described unless they are racially othered in some way. There is also a pretty homophobic moment.
The concept is interesting, but the plot leaves something to be desired. Halfway through the novel someone guesses what's going on and that turns out to be the case.
The other problem is that the main characters are all pulled out of times past with their racist ideas intact. The author tries to grapple with it, but we're still left with an unlikable cast of men.
The writing is pretty classically sexist and xenophobic. Even though everyone is naked, only the women's bodies are described by the narrator, and usually in terms of how attractive they are. Men's bodies are never described unless they are racially othered in some way. There is also a pretty homophobic moment.
hbar's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0