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tinatian's review
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
jackalexdale's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.25
zoediangelo's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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? No
5.0
I can somehow connect with the world that was created in this book and I also love the description complexity of the feelings and the events in the story.
annashiv's review against another edition
4.0
My library only had the BBC audio production of this book, and I wonder how much I missed out on. It was well produced and entertaining, but I think I might have given it 5 stars if I had read it for myself.
I really think there are some great ideas in here and despite suspecting I might be missing stuff and didn't get to sit with the ideas long enough, I did enjoy it.
I really think there are some great ideas in here and despite suspecting I might be missing stuff and didn't get to sit with the ideas long enough, I did enjoy it.
lidotchka's review against another edition
4.0
★★★★☆ - Je pense que le moins que je puisse dire, c'est que c'était particulier (mais pas dans le sens déplaisant du terme.
[b:Solaris|95558|Solaris|Stanisław Lem|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1498631519l/95558._SX50_.jpg|3333881] est effectivement un livre plutôt particulier : il vaut mieux savoir dans quoi on s’embarque avant de démarrer sa lecture et personnellement j’avais une petite idée d’à quoi je devais m’attendre vu que j’avais déjà regardé le film de 1972 adapté de ce livre (oui, je sais, c'est pas bien de regarder les adaptations ciné avant de lire les livres, mais bref).
J’ai beaucoup apprécié ma lecture même si la science fiction n’est pas DU TOUT mon genre de prédilection d’habitude. Mais vraiment pas du tout puisque les romans SF que j’ai lu doivent se compter sur les doigts d’une main.
Seulement, ici, on dépasse presque le stade du simple roman SF justement. Je trouve que Solaris est même plutôt un genre d’essai un peu philosophique sur l’inconnu et les possibilités de communications avec d’autres espèces (extraterrestres).
Par contre, si jamais vous cherchez des réponses à vos questions dans ce livre, vous pouvez immédiatement passer votre chemin car vous n’en trouverez vraiment aucune (ce n’est pas le but du livre de donner des réponses).
Mon seul reproche en fait c’est que le roman peut parfois être vraiment très lent et il y a globalement peu d’action tout au long de l’histoire. Donc, ça peut facilement être décourageant au niveau de la lecture par moment.
Au final, est-ce que je recommande ce livre ? J'ai envie de dire oui, il est excellent malgré quelques longueurs. Et je vous conseille par la même occasion de regarder également le film soviétique de 1972, il est vraiment très cool aussi.
[b:Solaris|95558|Solaris|Stanisław Lem|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1498631519l/95558._SX50_.jpg|3333881] est effectivement un livre plutôt particulier : il vaut mieux savoir dans quoi on s’embarque avant de démarrer sa lecture et personnellement j’avais une petite idée d’à quoi je devais m’attendre vu que j’avais déjà regardé le film de 1972 adapté de ce livre (oui, je sais, c'est pas bien de regarder les adaptations ciné avant de lire les livres, mais bref).
J’ai beaucoup apprécié ma lecture même si la science fiction n’est pas DU TOUT mon genre de prédilection d’habitude. Mais vraiment pas du tout puisque les romans SF que j’ai lu doivent se compter sur les doigts d’une main.
Seulement, ici, on dépasse presque le stade du simple roman SF justement. Je trouve que Solaris est même plutôt un genre d’essai un peu philosophique sur l’inconnu et les possibilités de communications avec d’autres espèces (extraterrestres).
Par contre, si jamais vous cherchez des réponses à vos questions dans ce livre, vous pouvez immédiatement passer votre chemin car vous n’en trouverez vraiment aucune (ce n’est pas le but du livre de donner des réponses).
Mon seul reproche en fait c’est que le roman peut parfois être vraiment très lent et il y a globalement peu d’action tout au long de l’histoire. Donc, ça peut facilement être décourageant au niveau de la lecture par moment.
Au final, est-ce que je recommande ce livre ? J'ai envie de dire oui, il est excellent malgré quelques longueurs. Et je vous conseille par la même occasion de regarder également le film soviétique de 1972, il est vraiment très cool aussi.
mandalor3960's review
2.0
It's a very interesting novel and if it were not for the dozens of boring pages on the actual structure of the planet, the book would score a perfect ace. It's got an interesting storyline with a gloomy and fulfilling ending.
Rating Update 4/5/19- 4 stars to 2 stars. I believe I have mixed up my feelings for the Soderbergh film. I loved the film but the book drones on and on. Even when the most critical parts of Kelvin and Rheya are detailed, I was bored. I can only remember brief moments when I enjoyed the story. Other than that, I hated reading books within Solaris on the planet. In the end, I previously rated this book on the feelings conjured from the film, none of which resounded in the novel.
Rating Update 5/16/2019- 2 stars to 1 star. In reflecting my new policy of 1 star rated books including books that the majority of the content was 1 star with little 3 star content, I have lowered the rating of "Solaris". "Solaris" is a really boring sci-fi book (1 star) with little good content (3 stars).
Rating Update 3 June 2019
With the adoption of my new rating system, a two star rating is befitting. Part of the two star rating is based on the April 5, 2019 rating update highlighting how I idealized the book as being similar to the film version and how much of the volume did bore me. What keeps this book at a two star rating and not a one star rating is the "gloomy and fulfilling ending", cited in the original review.
September 3, 2019
Update
I had previously colored the two star-rating in yellow, but I feel that I must color it black now. I do not recall the entirety of this book, even when reading a synopsis, and I do not recall my emotions to the book, and whether I reached a point of disliking. I believe I did not dislike the book, except for being a boring read, so a two star-rating is a safe choice. Having said that, I will leave the color at yellow.
September 14, 2019
Update
I have changed the color to grey (black) since I cannot recall my emotions to the book, despite reading the synopsis.
December 28, 2019
Update
I must emphasize the last sentence of the original review: "It's got an interesting storyline with a gloomy and fulfilling ending". I do recall finishing the book and being slightly gloomy and depressed. However, I do not recall finding the ending to be fulfilling. The gloomy and depressed aspect would qualify as a three star-rated section, however, it's still not enough to raise the rating of the book.
March 2, 2020
Update
The update from September 14, 2019, supported a grey with grey outline colored rating but the color of the rating is currently yellow. I believe that is because, despite all the missing information as the update from September 14, 2019, uses to support a grey with grey outline colored rating, there is now enough support for it without needing to know the finer details of the novel. I have also become more comfortable with the two star-rating choice, so the rating color has changed to yellow.
April 10, 2020
Update
I have wondered if the "gloomy and fulfilling ending" reaches a three or four star-rating. I believe the three star-rating is most appropriate.
I have created the 2.5AB rating type for this book, a variation of the original 2.5A rating type that is only distinct from it because of the addition of the following sentence: "It is not mentioned that the ending is three star-rated for being “gloomy and fulfilling”.
May 13, 2024
Update
I’ve changed the empty and green colored “exact rating” cell in the “Goodreads 5.0.xlsx” spreadsheet to yellow and with the number “2” inside it, to reflect the slight uncertainty and current choice of rating expressed in previous updates. Even though the book type seems to be two and a half stars as explicit in its book type title, the description of the book type title refers only once to it falling in a “2.5 middle standing”, while in the rest of the description it gives the book two stars, so I have chosen the latter. Also, as has been mentioned with books of similar distance from when I first read them to the present (“legacy ratings”), I wonder if it should have a rating at all because of the uncertainty, but all the evidence, especially the early updates in this review, support mostly retaining a two star-rating.
Rating Update 4/5/19- 4 stars to 2 stars. I believe I have mixed up my feelings for the Soderbergh film. I loved the film but the book drones on and on. Even when the most critical parts of Kelvin and Rheya are detailed, I was bored. I can only remember brief moments when I enjoyed the story. Other than that, I hated reading books within Solaris on the planet. In the end, I previously rated this book on the feelings conjured from the film, none of which resounded in the novel.
Rating Update 3 June 2019
With the adoption of my new rating system, a two star rating is befitting. Part of the two star rating is based on the April 5, 2019 rating update highlighting how I idealized the book as being similar to the film version and how much of the volume did bore me. What keeps this book at a two star rating and not a one star rating is the "gloomy and fulfilling ending", cited in the original review.
September 3, 2019
Update
I had previously colored the two star-rating in yellow, but I feel that I must color it black now. I do not recall the entirety of this book, even when reading a synopsis, and I do not recall my emotions to the book, and whether I reached a point of disliking. I believe I did not dislike the book, except for being a boring read, so a two star-rating is a safe choice. Having said that, I will leave the color at yellow.
September 14, 2019
Update
I have changed the color to grey (black) since I cannot recall my emotions to the book, despite reading the synopsis.
December 28, 2019
Update
I must emphasize the last sentence of the original review: "It's got an interesting storyline with a gloomy and fulfilling ending". I do recall finishing the book and being slightly gloomy and depressed. However, I do not recall finding the ending to be fulfilling. The gloomy and depressed aspect would qualify as a three star-rated section, however, it's still not enough to raise the rating of the book.
March 2, 2020
Update
The update from September 14, 2019, supported a grey with grey outline colored rating but the color of the rating is currently yellow. I believe that is because, despite all the missing information as the update from September 14, 2019, uses to support a grey with grey outline colored rating, there is now enough support for it without needing to know the finer details of the novel. I have also become more comfortable with the two star-rating choice, so the rating color has changed to yellow.
April 10, 2020
Update
I have wondered if the "gloomy and fulfilling ending" reaches a three or four star-rating. I believe the three star-rating is most appropriate.
I have created the 2.5AB rating type for this book, a variation of the original 2.5A rating type that is only distinct from it because of the addition of the following sentence: "It is not mentioned that the ending is three star-rated for being “gloomy and fulfilling”.
May 13, 2024
Update
I’ve changed the empty and green colored “exact rating” cell in the “Goodreads 5.0.xlsx” spreadsheet to yellow and with the number “2” inside it, to reflect the slight uncertainty and current choice of rating expressed in previous updates. Even though the book type seems to be two and a half stars as explicit in its book type title, the description of the book type title refers only once to it falling in a “2.5 middle standing”, while in the rest of the description it gives the book two stars, so I have chosen the latter. Also, as has been mentioned with books of similar distance from when I first read them to the present (“legacy ratings”), I wonder if it should have a rating at all because of the uncertainty, but all the evidence, especially the early updates in this review, support mostly retaining a two star-rating.
arianappstrg's review
challenging
dark
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
patiolinguist's review against another edition
3.0
This one was so hard for me to get through, I don’t think I would’ve even finished it if it weren’t for my bookclub. The author lost me at the cryptic, inane dialogues, the chapters dedicated to lengthy descriptions of formations appearing on the ocean surface, and the narrator’s recounting of the numerous scientific volumes written about the planet Solaris.
singofthemoon's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5