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ovoigt's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
fbroom's review against another edition
5.0
This book was different than the usual science fiction books in that we are not supposed to understand this alien of interest, the ocean on the planet Solaris. Throughout the book, Kris Kelvin a Solarist who was sent to Solaris, reads through research and more research done by humans to make sense of Solaris that didn’t lead anywhere. Some scientists thought that Solaris is just an organic cell, while others thought that it's highly intelligent and way beyond our ability to make sense of it. Kelvin himself admits that we are still at the same point of not knowing anything really about Solaris. So this was definitely a cool concept and definitely pushed me to think about some things in my life that I simply don’t have the power to comprehend yet.
This book is about Kelvin’s trip to the station right above Solaris and what happens there with coworkers, scientists Snaut and Sartorious and also the “others". Admittedly, some chapters were extremely difficult to go through (the ones about identifying and categorizing the cells in the ocean) but I think it was designed to be this way, confusing to us to further show how little we know about Solaris.
Silly notes https://github.com/strncat/books/blob/master/solaris.md
This book is about Kelvin’s trip to the station right above Solaris and what happens there with coworkers, scientists Snaut and Sartorious and also the “others". Admittedly, some chapters were extremely difficult to go through (the ones about identifying and categorizing the cells in the ocean) but I think it was designed to be this way, confusing to us to further show how little we know about Solaris.
Silly notes https://github.com/strncat/books/blob/master/solaris.md
ryan_reads_alot's review
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
briang213's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
jamesadams0's review against another edition
3.0
I almost finished it but found it pretty hard to stay interested
hereticburger's review against another edition
Too much explanation and not enough mystery for my taste.
trilbynorton's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
He reached the conclusion that there cannot now, nor in the future could there ever be, talk of "contact" between human beings and any non-humanoid civilization. In this satire against the entire species the thinking ocean is not mentioned once, but its presence, in the shape of a contemptuously triumphal silence, could be sensed underlying virtually every sentence.
Solaris is clearly about the impossibility of communication between human and totally alien intelligence (bringing to mind Wittgenstein's talking lion). A planet-covering ocean moves with seeming purpose, produces complex structures, and sometimes even appears aware of the human scientists studying it, and yet the question of its own consciousness is never satisfyingly answered. What struck me most about Lem's novel, however, is his fabrication from whole cloth an entire academic field surrounding the "thinking ocean". Protagonist Kris Kelvin muses occasionally on the study of the planet Solaris and details a whole history of scientific endeavor, complete with orthodoxies, schisms, and fringe pseudosciences.
Solaris is clearly about the impossibility of communication between human and totally alien intelligence (bringing to mind Wittgenstein's talking lion). A planet-covering ocean moves with seeming purpose, produces complex structures, and sometimes even appears aware of the human scientists studying it, and yet the question of its own consciousness is never satisfyingly answered. What struck me most about Lem's novel, however, is his fabrication from whole cloth an entire academic field surrounding the "thinking ocean". Protagonist Kris Kelvin muses occasionally on the study of the planet Solaris and details a whole history of scientific endeavor, complete with orthodoxies, schisms, and fringe pseudosciences.
psoglav's review against another edition
4.0
UKUPNA OCENA (overall rating) ★★★✫ 3½/5 stars
Radnja (story) ★★★✫
Ideja (plot idea) ★★★★✫
Okruženje (setting) ★★★★
Pripovedanje (writing style) ★★★✫
Likovi (characters) ★★★
Pozitivno (pros) - SF filozofski roman; prepoznatljiv stil pisanja slovenskih autora.
Negativno (cons) - SF filozofski roman, verovatno dosadno za tipičnog današnjeg čitaoca.
Radnja (story) ★★★✫
Ideja (plot idea) ★★★★✫
Okruženje (setting) ★★★★
Pripovedanje (writing style) ★★★✫
Likovi (characters) ★★★
Pozitivno (pros) - SF filozofski roman; prepoznatljiv stil pisanja slovenskih autora.
Negativno (cons) - SF filozofski roman, verovatno dosadno za tipičnog današnjeg čitaoca.