Customer Reviews

Lotus Caves

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I've lost count of how many times I've read this book. Before I went off to college, I used to read this to my little brother and sister, and everyone I've shared it with loved it. It really leaves you a lot to think about, long after you've turned the last page. The book explores a theme that is common in many of JC's books: what is freedom, and where does one draw the line between freedom and pleasant captivity? The issue is more complicated than it initially appears, and the reader is forced to ask where (s)he draws the line in her/his own life -- and, more importantly -- is this line correct in principle? It is this issue, as well as the very engaging storyline, that has kept me thinking about the book and reading it over again. I highly recommend this book to all people of all age groups. Also, if you like this book, you will most likely enjoy "The Guardians" by John Christopher, which further explores this issue of freedom.

Life on the moon is boring. People live in a constant, artificial environment called the Bubble, where nothing can afford to be wasted. Marty was born on the moon, and he had never been to Earth. He makes friends with a misfit called Steve. They steal a crawler and go joyriding outside the Bubble.

When the crawler crashes through the moon's surface they find a very strange world indeed...

This is an interesting book about life in the future, but it wasn't as action packed as the Tripods Trilogy. Maybe because there aren't as many characters, or there isn't as much variety with location.

The book was published the same year Neil Armstrong became the first person to set foot on the moon. The Lotus Caves is set nearly 100 years after that event.

It's an interesting idea that verdant beauty could exist beneath something so arid and featureless. But recently scientists discovered water beneath the moon's surface, so maybe John Christopher wasn't so wide of the mark with this story.

This story of two boys having an adventure on the lunar surface is a first-rate piece of science fiction. Like L'Engle's "Wrinkle in Time," though ostensibly for younger readers, Mr. Christopher's work is much deeper than it otherwise appears and can be profitably read by both children and adults. It is the rare and talented author who can pull that off successfully. The touchstone of fine science fiction, in any genre, is whether the story ages gracefully--hard to define, but you know it when you see it. Originality is also essential, nothing says cheesy quite like the umpteenth Star Wars ripoff; I am your father! Save understandably mistaken speculation on the future of Pan-Am and global telecommunications, Kubrick's 2001 could be released today over 30 years later and still seem fresh--both because it was original and because it was absolutely faithful to the world it purported to represent. So too is Lotus Caves, in fact, I'm hard-pressed to think of an analogous story--though perhaps there is a flavor of Forbidden Planet in the idea of unlimited available resources.

Lotus Caves presents the genie who can grant your wishes--whether the genie is an alien or advanced technology, the question remains as to whether we require adversity and hardship in order to thrive and experience true happiness. The story presents overlapping themes in this direction and the strength of the writing is evident in the degree to which the various characters' experiences reinforce each other.

Science-fiction is an excellent storytelling medium because the author can set up a world ready made for his plot. Here we have two young boys growing up in a lunar settlement--bored and looking for new experiences and adventure while at the same time pushing the limits of their freedom and the rules of the society in which they live. What they find is going to teach them something about having what you wish for.

What is even better is that you can give this great little book to a young reader and not worry about the profane dialogue and R-rated material that seems to infest more recent works.

I remembered reading this book when I was very young (or more likely, my dad reading it to me). Anyway, I'm 21 now, and I've just re-read it, and it really is a great book. It should definitely be back in print...It's quite a powerful story, despite seeming quite low-key, and, like most great books, leaves you with a lot to think about afterwards. Despite the main characters being children, I wouldn't say this was mainly a "children's book" - I think it is written in a way that can appeal to people of all ages. It also seems quite fresh and hardly dated, despite being written 30 years ago. I really enjoyed it, and had trouble putting it down.

I have read many books by John Christopher, but this one was by far the best. I love futuristic books, and The Lotus Cave takes place in a very believable future. I entirely recomend it for everyone and suggest it should come back in print.

It has been 25 years since I read this book, but it still reverberates in my head when I think about it. The most stunning thing about the story is the world beneath the lunar surface, the world of the PLANT...and the fact that even THINKING about escape becomes more and more difficult...a great read.

I remember checking this book out from the public library oh so long ago when I was a child. I loved this book and all of John Christopher's books when I first read them as a pre-teen and re-read them again and again as I was growing up. John Christopher's books are what made me a Science Fiction fan. I love stories of people living on other worlds or on this one altered a bit by some circumstance or another. This book and all of John Christopher's will make you look at the world and question the norm. Is freedom really freedom or is just a nice captivity?

I'm trying to gather all of his books so that my children can read them now...not so easy a task. If only I'd known then how difficult it would be to put all these pieces of literature together some day. After reading them so many times you feel that they will always be at your fingertips when you want to read them again. But sadly, some of them are rare and impossible to find.

Not as well known as John Christopher's other books (The White Mountains etc.), this is still a very satisfying read. The conflict and friendship between the two young protagonists is well realized and their encounter with the strange plant being under the luner surface is exciting. Should be back in print!

I sought this out because of the great admiration I have for Christopher's Tripod Trilogy. In fact, I'll pick up a book of his whenever I come across one.

Unlike "No Blade of Grass" (written for adults), "The Lotus Caves" is pitched to the same age range as the Tripod Trilogy.

It also features the disciplined style you saw there, but the story is not nearly as good. This is likely because "The White Mountains" hooks you early with the bizarre mystery of the capping and the Tripods, whereas in this one, the mystery takes a lot longer to get off the ground (i.e., p. 74-5).

Then there is the fact that the story doesn't really lend itself richly to allegorical interpretations, as the Tripods trilogy did, or at least "The White Mountains" did. Unless the moonbase is a metaphor for conventional society and the Plant a metaphor for what it's like to free yourself with drugs? I don't know. It was written in 1969.

Well, I liked the idea of how they lived up on the moon, and how they lived. It was neatly written and everything was good. But I didn't understand one part. I can't say it, but it didn't make sence. Still, this is a good book, and if you can find a copy, see if you can read it!