Customer Reviews

The Stone Rose (Doctor Who (BBC Hardcover))

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The Stone Rose, a 10th Doctor adventure is a much better effort, from Jacqueline Rayner, than Winner Takes All, a 9th Doctor adventure was. She has done an excellent job capturing the personality of the newly regenerated Doctor, an impressive feat considering these adventures were written largely from seeing only season 2 scripts and possibly the CHRISTMAS INVASION (which is referenced in this story). David Tennant brings a lot of traits to the role that a "generic Doctor" as written by Terrance Dicks would fail to do justice. Tennant's 10th Doctor is a times a quirky mad fool like Tom Baker and like a light switch, he can turn into the menacing presence of an angry headmaster. Rayner conveys this Doctor, very well, only dropping the ball occasionally. Rose, Jackie and particularly Mickey are written very well, although appearing only briefly in the story, Mickey delivers genuinely brilliant and moving spiel upon learning of Rose's apparent "death."

All characterization aside, this story has plenty to offer, nice pacing and a story following what seems to be an obvious clichéd storyline, only to twist just enough to pleasantly surprise any reader familiar with the genre. The story begins with Mickey leading Rose, Jackie and the Doctor through a museum, revealing a 2000 year-old Roman sculpture of Rose. Accepting this as an invitation the Doctor and Rose immediately proceed to ancient Rome where they respond to the obligatory cry for help. They rescue a man whose son has disappeared, then meet a slave, who is no Seer, but seems to have definite knowledge of the future. The Doctor and Rose learn the missing boy, Optatus, was last seen with the artist who has conveniently just finished a sculpture of the boy (oh really?) And the sculptor would like to have Rose model for him too (you don't say?) The Doctor and Rose seem locked into a series of preordained events ultimately leading to Rose's disappearance, the Doctor's imprisonment and fight for freedom in the Flavian Amphitheatre a.k.a. the Colosseum, even Roman gods with mystical powers (and then things get alittle weird.)

While I wouldn't wax poetic about the writing, I can say that this was a fairly fun and entertaining read (especially for those in need of a Doctor fix between seasons). I found myself wanting a bit more interaction between Rose and the Doctor - Rayner writes their chemistry quite well, but unfortunately doesn't indulge us as often as I'd like. Still, there are some good moments between the pair. While part of the plot is completely predictable, there is an interesting twist worked into the end. If you want brain candy (as I did) this is the way to go.

The book reads just like an episode on television, which is both good and bad. GOOD, in that it basically captures the spirit of the show and gives the characters an adventure with a few close calls, puzzles to figure out, and timelines to cross. BAD, in that this isn't a television show -- it's a book.

See, the best thing about novelizations is that they let you explore things that movies or TV episodes can't -- emotions, thoughts, motivations, etc. A book is a great chance to get to know the characters better: to insert memories, to demonstrate how they reason and think their way through events, to explore how what's happening affects them and why, to delve into their feelings for other characters. All the kinds of things that are difficult to show on TV, but which really fill out a novel, adding depth and texture and interest.

It appears to be aimed more at young adults than the adult crowd, which is fine, so long as you're not expecting anything deep or meaningful. No plunges into the inner workings of the Doctor's mind or examinations of his relationship with Rose, here. Basically, it's a good book with an interesting storyline, plenty of trouble for Rose and the Doctor to get into, and even a brief tour of ancient Rome. The characterization wasn't perfect, and it seemed a rather simplified adventure, even with all that happens. But that works very well for the younger readers it's written for.

"The Stone Rose" is worth buying and worth reading. I give 4 stars, only because it does lack the depth I expected from a novelization. Other than that, it's a fine book!

This Doctor Who novel starts out with so much potential. It opens with a delightfully clever attention-grabbing puzzle: a 2000-year-old statue of the Doctor's companion, Rose Tyler, in the British Museum. This of course leads to a promising trip to the old Roman Empire to solve the puzzle. Science fiction with a clever historical setting--quintessential Doctor Who, say no more. Once in Rome, more mysteries greet the Doctor and Rose (abruptly disappearing sons, inexplicably clairvoyant slave girls) amidst a finely layered and convincingly detailed evocation of everyday life in this specific time and place on Earth.

As the Fates would have it, though, things start going awry. The mystery of the disappearing son and the villain behind it and this situation's connection to the Rose statue swiftly becomes painfully dreadfully obvious and openly apparent to any but the most clueless reader, to the point that the Doctor (especially, and even Rose eventually) looks positively thick for not catching on. This is a serious lapse in writing; the Doctor may be bumbling and eccentric, but never oblivious and slow on the uptake. As the tale grinds on, the Roman setting starts losing its anchoring sense of reality (perhaps the novel's primary saving grace while it lasts) and the plot devolves from inspired quirkiness to cutesy silliness and then devolves again into something just short of muddled chaos.

The characters of the Doctor and Rose as they were at some indeterminate point early in the second series/season (Doctor Who - The Complete Second Series) are skillfully and accurately portrayed for the most part. The plebian goodness of Rose is spot-on, and the casually frenetic manner of the Tenth Doctor is distinctly drawn most of the time, though some cringe-inducing moments have him dropping out of character and behaving like the hero in a romantic drama. And this is just a personal nitpick, perhaps, but the Doctor HAS been to Rome before (Doctor Who: The Rescue / The Romans (Episodes 11 & 12)) and a brief passing reference to this fact would have been a pleasing wink n' nod to old time fans like myself without unduly confusing newcomers, I think. Otherwise a host of reasonably defined but rather uncomplicated supporting characters also populate the tale, of course, as well as plausible though slightly caricatured portrayals of Rose's family and friends from the show.

To make a long epic short, if "The Stone Rose" were fan fiction posted online by a teenage girl with a huge crush on David Tennant for the free edification of her peers, it would be an impressively talented example of its genre. As a professionally written work of science fiction, though, it is a somewhat entertaining but inexcusably flawed work saved from total mediocrity only by the author's acknowledged long and abiding interest in Roman history and perhaps the favor of blind fortune.

I have read online fan fiction that better captures tension, characterization, and thrill of Doctor Who than this disappointment does. It feels hastily written, choppily edited, and rushed out to capitalize on the market value of the then-new Tenth Doctor. The root idea of this book is full of promise, but it just doesn't follow through in a way that justifies my hard-earned book money.

Mickey Smith finds an ancient Roman statue of Rose in the British Museum, dressed as a Roman goddess. So naturally the Doctor and Rose pop off to Rome, where they immediately encounter a father in desperate straits, a sculptor whose uncanny skill has made him an overnight celebrity, and a seeress whose predictions are unaccountably accurate. For starters.

Problem is, the book is a bunch of bait-and-switch. The sculptor is wrapped up in the early chapters, the father fumbles around like the author wasn't sure what to do with him, and the seeress is so extraneous that I didn't realize she'd disappeared for something like sixty pages. And finally, in Act III, it's revealed that the story isn't really about any of these anyway.

This book's concept shows such potential, but the execution is disappointing. It reads like the outline to a longer, better book. Author Jacqueline Rayner needs a firm editor to sit her down and say, "This is level one. Now let's push it to level three." I'm going to stick this on a high shelf and watch my DVDs, which are tightly paced and robustly plotted. Thanks anyhow.

I have only read 2 doctor who books from the tenth Doctor and this was rather slow and not many plot twists. the characters were flat. I think it was only my want for a new who story that kept me reading it. I hope the other who stories are better then this one....Yeah not buying the Doctor in a Toga either.

Normally I am not into novels that are TV tieins as so many are off the mark. As a new fan of Dr. Who, especially of David Tennant and Billie Piper, I have to say The Stone Rose is marvelous. Jacqueline Rayner has captured the spirit of the new show and of the main characters.

It is obvious that the author has read enough good time travel fiction in the past to know about the problems with paradoxes and other such situations. Also how to blend fantasy and myth into being science, though not necessarily hard science. It is a fun read and I recommend it for all ages. So impressed am I that I am buying the CD version for car listening when taking grandkids on our next long trip.

Having never cared for the earlier shows, sorry Who fans, I can't vouch how good The Doctor's associates were. However, even in the novel, Rose Tyler rules. She is not just a helpless sidekick, she is easily the equal of The Doctor.

I will be gettinng other novelizations and can only hope those authors can measure up to this one. That can be a problem when more than one person tries to write novels based on a well known show and is why so many Star Trek novelists have failed.

I have several issues with this novel:

--There was more focus on Rome than the Doctor and Rose

--The Doctor was wearing a toga. It may sound like something silly to get upset over, but the Doctor is always in his suit in Doctor Who and not having him in is suit, just made the story seem all that more unreal.

--Major issues supposedly had no solution, but the reader knows the TARDIS is the solution. The author doesn't even consider the TARDIS as a solution when it's obvious to us that the TARDIS can easily fix this problem

--There was a jump in the plot that was handled very poorly and thus came off as confusing and poor writing

--This novel is mediocre fan fiction, not up to par for a Doctor Who episode and just passing for an okay novel

--There were only one or two interesting action parts; however, the villain had potential that was never lived up to

--There was meant to be suspense through most of the novel, but I never felt it

--I don't want to give away the novel so I'll say it like this: Rose is alone with someone who they haven't figured out is a bad guy (even though it is pretty obvious that he is) and something bad is going to happen to Rose that she just figures out before/while it's happening. The reader figured out this plot point a few chapters ago

--The author greatly underestimates the reader's ability to figure out her plot

--The bottom line is that this novel wasn't that interesting, especially when you're expecting a Doctor Who quality episode piece of work

If you don't have very high standards for a Doctor Who novel and just want something to read, then by all means read this novel, but don't get your hopes up

I won't go into the plot since others have done that beautifully already. First off I Love the show Dr. Who, and I have read both the old books and the new ones. In fact, I loved Monsters Inside by Stephen Cole. However, I was disappointed by this one, it started out alright, but then went horribly wrong. In the beginning I loved the Roman angle and the statue of Rose mystery. What I did not like was the last half, it was poorly written. As through the author did not understand about time paradoxes and yet was still trying to write about it. I still gave it three stars only because a day reading about a Doctor Who adventure is always better then not reading about a Doctor Who adventure. I would read this one when you have finished with the others and there is nothing left to read.

The story was interesting, the characters are dead on, like the show. The best way to get more Dr. Who in your life!