Customer Reviews

Out of the Silent Planet

5 star:		(120)
4 star:		(47)
3 star:		(18)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

STORY: Dr. Ransom is kidnapped by two other scientists and wisked away to the world of Malacandra. His wouldbe kidnappers think they are brining him to be a sacrafice to the beings of that planet. What happens is an adventure of discovery and facing the truth about human nature, which forever changes Ransom.

MY FEEDBACK:

1) SETTING - C.S. Lewis just shines in his descriptions of new, exotic places and the beings that live there. His vivid details allow the reader to create a wonderful mental image of a world totally different from our own. Very, very nicely done.

2) CHARACTERS - The cast of characters consists of Dr. Ransom, Dr. Weston, Dr. Devine and the various beings found on Malacandra (sorns, hross, pfifltrigg and Oyarsa). Every character has a purpose and is allogoric of something greater, which is sometimes clearly demonstrated and at other times left to the reader to interpret. At no point was I bored or upset at stereotypes when reading about these characters. Even if you don't see the allogories they represent they are still intriguing and unpredictable.

3) STORY - I read somewhere that this story is a retelling of the Christ story from the Bible. I didn't see that. Yes, there were some similarities such as the Bent One could be Satan and his fall from heaven. Otherwise, just reading the first book I didn't feel like I was bring preached out or given a Bible Study of any type. It was an intriguing sci-fi story of discovery.
Also, like many secular sci-fi books written prior to 1950, this book makes clear commentary on human society. In other words if someone puts this book down because of the social commentary then that reader is unfamiliar with such literary trends as mentioned. I did prefer this author's handling of social commentary more than other authors of the time that I've read.
Lastly, the book is written very well. Many times I felt like I was reading poetry instead of a sci-fi novel. C.S. Lewis' professional handling of the written prose is very, very enjoyable and appreciated.

OVERALL - I can't think of anything wrong with this story. It had action, a mystery, suspense, discovery, aliens, space-flight, characters true to their nature, social commentary, allogory AND all this squeezed into less than 160 pages. In many ways this books ends with most of the story resolved so there doesn't seem to be an immediate need to read the rest of the trilogy. BUT...if you like this first book like I did then you'll find very little reason not to rush out and continue reading right away. A very enjoyable sci-fi read.

The C.S Lewis Space Trilogy (of which Out of the Silent Planet is first) was recommended by a friend, and I found myslef immediately inthralled by the book itself, as well as Lewis's style of writing. The book is told in such a way that tries to convince the reader that this actually happened, or at least could, and it was able to convince me. As the character Ransom walked across England I felt I was there beside him. When he visited Mars, even with the bizzare scenery it seemed so real in my mind. Lewis also has a gift for making strong points in his novel (about Christianity in particular) without making the reader feel guilty, because he uses such human characters that are filled with normal and relatable flaws. Even with the protagonist's name he sends a message, becuase as you read this book, you will see how his name comes to play. Despite the strong Christian undertones, I feel that a wide variety of readers will enjoy this book. The story is catchy, the imagery is incredible, and the characters are fully round and fully enjoyable. I recommmend it to all! But I warn, even though this book is good on its own, after reading the first you will innevitably want to read the rest of the trilogy!

Lewis said that he wrote this book to "exorcise" science fiction. He devoured H. G. Wells when he was younger, and Lewis obviously shows a Wells style in the first few chapters. Dry though the beginning is, don't stop! Keep reading, because once Lewis finds his own voice, this novel takes off.

Lewis presents Christian themes in ways that most theologians can't dream of. How does a pure and innocent being understand evil? It can't, but it can understand the nature of being "bent." And, of course, the whole concept of the "Silent Planet" is pure brilliance.

Once you reach the middle of the novel, you won't be able to stop because Lewis creates one of his best good vs. evil battles. If you're looking for a simple Narnia tale, you won't find it here. Instead you'll find an insightful and entertaining adventure that looks into the true nature of humanity. Highly recommended.

I grew up reading about Narnia, and as I grew older I wanted more. How pleased I was when I discovered the Sapce Trilogy! CS Lewis does not disappoint the reader, as he continues to use his excellent writing style to tell the story of the battle between Good and Evil from a science fiction perspective. Out of the Silent Planet tells the story of how evil falls upon a planet which has existed in harmony for many years. Ironically, it is the earthlings who bring the evil and pain to the planet, and another earthling who must guide himself and fight the evil to try to undo the Great Harm. The book takes off a bit slow in the first chapter, but captures the reader into the space fantasy after the first few chapters. This book is the first book of the trilogy which becomes very intense and thought provoking in the last book: That Hideous Strength. You will find many interesting parallels between this story and the story of our own history in fighting evil and realizing our faith and mission.

While I do not think that this series is anywhere near as good as the Narnian Chronicles (with the exception of Perelandra, which is perhaps my second favorite Lewis book behind only Till We Have Faces), it is still incredibly good.

I noticed that a previous reviewer said that "His major defect is that he can never quite succeed in suppressing his didactic Christianity." Why on earth would you think that he had even been trying to suppress his Christianity? I think what you mean is that he does not repress his Christianity as you wish he would have. A piece of advice: if you read something by C. S. Lewis, expect it to be Christian. It is absurd to excpect him to write non-Christian novel; that would be like expecting a blue pen to suddenly let loose a flood of red ink. Lewis meant for his books to be Christian. Parts of this book are obviously alligorical (i.e. "the Bent One", etc.), and I do not think that Lewis had any intention of hiding this. For my part, I am very happy that he did this, as it not only provides good, fun reading, but also provides valuable truths to be gleaned from it.

I was going to give this book 4 stars, but then I couldn't think of anything bad about it (other than perhaps a bit of misinformation about outer-space, but we can hardly fault Lewis for that, since he wrote this long before any man-made thing had ever been to space), so I changed my rating to 5 stars.

I highly reccomend this book, if for no other reason that to get to the second in the series, Perelandra, which is amazing.

Hey, C.S. Lewis actually wrote other stuff! Fancy that! For those who only know him as the author of those books with the big cat, the kids and the closet entrance into a fantasy world, he's got lots of other stuff out there. This is just one of those other works, I think the really only important SF work he ever did (it's actually the first part of a trilogy, but I think those are less SF). It's great fun, really, definitely reminds me of H.G. Wells in its calm tone when describing the utterly fantastic and impossible, except that Lewis has a slightly better gift of description to make up for his only slightly lack of imagination (but only when comparing him to Wells, mind you). Basically Dr Ransome winds up being kidnapped (really through no faunt of his own) by two others and winds up on a planet that turns out to be Mars. Ransome winds up meeting the local people and learning their ways while trying to survive and his sure scientific tone in the face of something hardly comprehendable is the bedrock on which this novel rests, no matter how afraid or excited he is, he stills displays an unwavering confidence in detail and exacting observations. Which makes the narration compelling in its subtle beauty of detail. The folks of Mars are interesting, a far cry from the warlike being of Wells' famed novel, and there's probably some overt commentary that I'm missing (Lewis was a devout follower of Christian beliefs and I think those color the other two books more than this one) but what the heck, it's fun and entertaining and that's what count. People tell me they don't like to read Lewis because he tends to be "preachy" and talks down, but there's nothing like that here. The trial scene towards the end with all the Martians is absolutely fascinating and complicated at the same time. The only overt Christian thing I found was the reference to Earth as the "silent" planet (ie. fallen), something which I think is developed more in the two books. But for me this has all the classic attributes of good old fashioned SF, a calm reasonable tone, the narrator's attention to science and detail, a general disregard for science if it gets in the way of a good story (we know Mars doesn't have people and it'd take a heck of a lot longer than twenty eight days to get there, but who cares . . . I'm not basing a scientific paper on it) and unreserved creativity. A fast read that'll probably stay with you, it's definitely worth a shot.

This, the first of the Space Trilogy books by C.S. Lewis is a compelling tale that weaves the greatest of all conflicts - that between good and evil - into an entertaining and thought provoking web. To sum it up in a few words, it is a meld of Science Fiction and Philosphy with a decidedly Christian bent. Like many good yarns, it takes an unbelievable situation (The main character is abducted while on a cross country hike, and taken to another planet) and then provides us with believable reactions and motivations.

As in almost all Science Fiction, this book has a light, escapist side. It is set in surreal surroundings and peopled by fantastic characters, with philosophies that are somewhat - but not exactly- human. At the same time it challenges readers to examine themselves and to look at things in a different light.

In a compelling way, startling for its clarity and insight, many topics including athiesm, pride, greed, and the desire for immortality flesh out the story. In keeping with his deserved reputation as one of the greatest Christian apologists (read "explainers") Lewis sets forth the Christian Ideal against believable and determined adversaries who embraces the attractive and desirable nature of evil - not only without realizing it, but while rationalizing their actions to be just and full of honor.

I would highly recommend this book to the reader who would like delve into philosophy, but is hesitant because it is dull,dry, too complicated or too difficult to read. The book is very nutritious, and fairly easy to digest. It should be enjoyable to both the novice to philosophy, as well as for someone more advanced. While it is some work to read, it is not heavy lifting.

After reading "Out of the Silent Planet", you will doubtless want to read the other two books in the series "Perelandra" and "That Hideous Strength". Like the first book, they are entertaining,riveting and thought provoking. For the non-believer, the books will provide insights which will cause you to re-examine your doubts. At the conclusion, the trilogy comes to a climax that makes the hair stand up on my neck even now.

A thoroughly enjoyable read, a You won't regret the time you spent with this book in your hand.

here's the deal. i loved this book. it really makes you think towards the end and addresses alot of interesting topics. very interesting, imaginitive, spiritual, challenging, all the great c.s.lewis characteristics.

my one and only beef (and the reason you should NOT purchase this book) is that the publication is absolutely horrible. there are so many typos, i want to cry. i seriously can't find another publisher who still carries this book. i dearly wish i could, because i am ashamed to own it, and i hate that, because the book is marvelous. but when you are reading along and every apostrophe is replaced with a quotation mark and vice versa, and simple words like "the" and "that" are mixed up, i feel that c.s.lewis must be rolling over in his grave. if you can find another publication of this book (ie, NOT by scribner / simon & schuster), DO IT. don't buy from this publisher, but DO buy the book.

Out of the Silent Planet is science fiction in the sense that, in order to create a fantasy for adults, Lewis had to send his hero and villains to a world far enough for a re-imagining, but near enough that they could plausibly go there from here. Lewis not being a scientist, and this book being sixty years old, the plausibility of Lewis' idea of space travel wears quite thin by now, though of course he didn't mean to be taken seriously on that count even then. A more serious problem Lewis set himself to solve was, "What might an unfallen world look like?" And also, "What might a society in harmony with God and nature look like?" or "What is the nature of rationality and soulishness?" I find some of Lewis' ideas unsatisfying. (Paradise and survival of the fittest are difficult concepts to reconcile; if the Malacandrians are all at peace, how did they evolve, as Lewis apparently thinks they did? And how does the ecosystem avoid being overrun with critters?) Still, this book is a great fantasy with many insights, and a lot of fun to read. No one I know combines so fertile an imagination with such philosophical depth and psychological acuity as C. S. Lewis. All these are in evidence here.

The planet is a beauty. Among Malacandra's cauliflower highlands and tourquoise canyons, its philosopher bird-spectres and tribal seals, Lewis enacts an exciting story. His readers will find some familiar images and themes: island paradise, the cultural dynamics of tribes and Greek philosophers living side by side (see Till We Have Faces for more), the wind-bag philosopher posing as scientist posing as philosopher. (The passage in which Ransom translates Weston's defense of planetary imperialism and genocide into "Malacandrian" then, for our benefit, simple English, is a classic blend of linguistics and philosophy. See George Orwell, Politics and the English Language, for an essay from that period that, in effect, explains what Lewis is doing with that deceptively simple passage, and why it desperately needs to be done. See also Abolition of Man.)

This is the tightest and shortest of Lewis' three "sci-fi" novels. You can read it in a few hours. Lewis was probably wise to shift to frankly supernatural means of locating his heroes to other worlds, in later fantasies. Still, don't miss this wonderful tour of Mars for the world.

author, Jesus and the Religions of Man

This is the first book in C.S. Lewis's amazing Space Trilogy. These books are far less known than Lewis's Narnia series or even his Mere Christianity or The Screwtape Letters, yet it is just as good as any of those writings and goes to show the versatility of Lewis as an author.

This first book begins with our hero, Dr. Ransom, out for a walking tour in the countryside, dressed in that shabby way for which professors are renowned. His foes are his former schoolmates Devine and Weston. These men believe they need a human sacrifice, and by capturing Ransom they have their victim, for they have made a spaceship and are taking Ransom to Malacandra the red planet.

Once on Mars, Ransom escapes his captors, meets many species, and finds out that on Mars there has been no `Fall' and Ransom from Earth or the Silent Planet is a bit of an oddity. People from earth are considered to be `bent' in nature, from the original sin of the fall.

Follow Ransom as he treks across a strange world, and must find the courage to risk it all to save not only an alien race, but also, possibly his own soul.

This is a first book in an amazing series. Try it - you won't be disappointed.