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trin's review against another edition
3.0
The Doctor Who novel that was recently adapted as 'Human Nature/Family of Blood.' It's available free online [http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/classic/ebooks/human_nature/index.shtml]—very convenient. I was unfamiliar with both the Doctor (Seven) and the Companion (Bernice Summerfield) the novel is about, and to be honest I'm really mostly invested in Ten (although now also in Martha. Martha is amazingly awesome. *beams*) so this was really mostly intriguing in terms of what had/had not been changed between book and screen. The only other thing that really struck me was that the Doctor stated unequivocally that he's not capable of "small" love—"big" love for humanity, yes, but not romantic love. That's certainly something to ponder (especially since I don't think it's true).
Anyway, I suspect this is only interesting if you are really into Doctor Who right now. Which I am.
Anyway, I suspect this is only interesting if you are really into Doctor Who right now. Which I am.
nincrony1's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
My first Doctor Who novel in nearly 20 years (…) and also the first of the (in)famous VNA series I’ve read. Most know this was adapted into a rather good two-parter for 10 and the source novel is also equally good (though I might prefer the TV adaptation, sure me). That said, Human Nature stars 7, who is easily one of my favourite takes on the character and Paul Cornell completely nails the voice of the character, even with the majority of the novel spent with the John Smith persona. I’m aware of Bernice Summerfield but this is my first encounter with her. I liked the character ok enough and I’m curious about how she fits into the wider series. I also knew to expect darker, more graphic content (the VNAs appealed to a more adult audience during the Wilderness Years) and it more or less works here. In particular, I liked its portrayal of Britain sleep-walking into WWI. The concept of The Doctor as Human is explored very well and his relationship with Joan is sweet and heartbreaking. I can completely understand why they wanted to adapt this for the modern series, which the more personable romantic take on the Doctor. The plot at times got a little muddled for me though and (whilst not the fault of the book), the new Cornell introduction does warn new readers not to understand all the references to the wider VNAs series. Still, this was an enjoyable breezy read even if I felt liked I’d stepped in mid-season (again, not the book’s fault).
daicongrrl's review against another edition
adventurous
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? It's complicated
3.0
patti_pinguin's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
4.0
zimb0's review against another edition
5.0
So much of 12, I realize was from Cornell. Love this novel, even though the ending sorta confused me.
vikingschism's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
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
5.0
ladynerd's review against another edition
3.0
This was an enjoyable read with a much better Human!Doctor than the TV show episode. I loved that the minor characters were fleshed out as much as possible and Bennie in particular was a very interesting companion. All in all, this was a good story with a lot more useful details implemented in the right places.
philosopher_kj's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Child death, Bullying, Cannibalism, Gun violence, Violence, Gore, War, and Mass/school shootings
Moderate: Racism
philosopher_kj's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25