Customer Reviews

There and Back Again

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The plot is, of course, The Hobbit In Space but the story is told in such a way that you never have the time, nor the desire, to sit back and dissect the similarities. Rather you'll find yourself half a page into a fabulous retelling of one of Bilbo's adventures when suddenly it hits you.

Murphy manages to assimilate the feel of good old-fashioned Space Operas with modern SF conventions and up-to-date science. I bought this book Sunday afternoon and finished it on Tuesday evening... it sweeps you along with norbits, wormholes, clones, pataphysicians and space pirates (!) and all-around good humoured adventure.

(As for the Max merriwell angle, I'd recommend checking out the author's website for a more coherent explanation than I could give)

Yes, there are some Hobbit-y tendencies in this book; Murphy is quite deliberate in her homage-- BUT as one of the afterwords points out, what the story really relies on is the same thing that Tolkein did-- the heroic quest myth wherein the inexperienced novice encounters adventure, learns to test him/her self, gets helped out by wider-adepts, grows & aquires wisdom, and then, with newly gained wisdom, helps his/her community grow & change....

The book is the perfect length for a night on the couch with hot tea and an afghan over your knees-- (something the story's hero would like as much as you, gentle reader).

I really grew to like Bailey-- and his companions in adventure (especially Fluffy). If you liked The Hobbit, Star Wars, the Narnia Books, Harry Potter, The Odyssey, The Robert Jordan "Wheel of Time" Series, King Arthur's tales, or *any* other "hero myth" at all, you should also like this book.

My 12 year old son received this book as a Christmas gift. I picked it up on Dec. 26 and finished it two days later. My son then stayed up all night and read it in one sitting! The busy, page-turning plot pays homage to The Hobbit in all the essential details, but adds new charm and new adventures. We liked both the retelling of the classic adventure and the confidently presented details of what humans might be like as they move beyond the solar system. There was just enough biology and physics to make the plot details plausible, but the writing never bogged down, and Bailey won our hearts not just as a Bilbo-clone, but on his own merits. Readers of all ages who love The Hobbit will enjoy this book, but my son feels that reading this book first and then The Hobbit would also be a great way to approach this tale.

I am a fan of Tolkien's work, the Hobbit and the Rings trilogy. When I initially became aware of this book, I was a little skeptical that the author might be using Tolkiens great story as a crutch for a mediocre writing style. Despite my reservations, I picked it up.

And I was glad I did. This author definitely has her own style, which is solid and distinguishable from Tolkien's. The story does not run parallel to the Hobbit in all ways, which is good.

All in all, this is a good, fun read for sci-fi and fantasy enthusiasts alike.

Reminiscent of J.R.R. Tolkien's Hobbit is this story of asteroid dweller Bailey, who is snatched from a lazy and safe life in his limited home by clones with a thirst for exploration. Bailey only longs to return home; but when he realizes home has become impossibly changed he is faced with new space adventures and challenges of his own in this warm, absorbing story. Tolkien readers will especially relish the similarities and differences in plot and characterization.

Pat Murphy (writing as Max Maxwell, for no reason I can deduce) has taken the plot of Tolkien's The Hobbit, and set it as far-future science fiction. I'll let future Murphy scholars dissect it for its literary merits... I just had a whole lot of fun reading it! Those who have not read The Hobbit might still find it a fun read, but those who spent a large part of their youth re-reading Tolkien's epic will find it fun to try to predict where she is going with the story. I recommend it whole-heartedly.

Pat Murphy's new novel, _There and Back Again, by Max Merriwell_, purports to be a space opera by one Max Merriwell, who Murphy in an afterword suggests is a 50ish SF writer from a sort of alternate timeline. There's also an afterword by "Merriwell", in which he acknowledges the obvious fact that this book borrows its plot very directly from _The Hobbit_, as signaled by the title. It's a very enjoyable book, though rather light. Some have complained that it takes the ambiguous and dark aspects of _The Hobbit_ and nicens them too much. This is a valid criticism, but perhaps it asks more of the book than Murphy intended. It is what it is. It's not as good as Tolkien, it's not as true as Tolkien, but I think it does what its trying to do. To that end, the parallels with _The Hobbit_ work as a game for the reader, though perhaps not a very difficult one: they are thumpingly obvious. And indeed, Murphy does back away from the darker implications: her Ring-analog is not nearly as dangerous as Tolkien's Ring, her Gollum-analog is only briefly onstage. But it is fun to see her ways of making science fictional parallels with the elements of the Hobbit: for example hobbits become norbits (people who live "in orbit") while the Shire becomes the homey Asteroid belt. There are also nice references to Lewis Carroll's poem "The Hunting of the Snark": Murphy uses quotes from the Carroll poem as chapter headings, and builds the plot around a search for a particular Snark, which is the term used in her future for the mysterious and valuable but dangerous artifacts of the "Old Ones" (vanished aliens).

Briefly, the story is about a norbit named Bailey Beldon, who becomes involved with an expedition of clone sisters from a powerful clone family to the Galactic Center. One of their other sisters has found a wormhole route to the Galactic Center and evidence that a trove of Snarks awaits there. The expedition meets a number of dangers on the way: Reconstructionists (a scary bunch), pirates, space spiders (natch!), warring factions, and of course a Boojum. Much is made (to some good use) of the effects of time dilation on space travellers; some jokes are made at Bailey's expense, many interesting characters are encountered. I quite enjoyed the book, and took the various sillinesses (the super crowded asteroid belt, the implausible space spiders, etc.) as part and parcel of the light package.

I first heard about There And Back Again last year and as soon as possible I bought a copy of the book. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of reading it. Although the Hobbit connections are there, they are not usually obvious until you get right up on them or have just passed them. A well-tutored Tolkien reader can still find himself wondering, "Is this in The Hobbit?"

But DON'T DO THAT!

Pat Murphy is an excellent writer. What she shares in common with Tolkien is the love of telling a good tale and keeping the reader captivated and wanting to turn the page. The style is pure Murphy, through and through, but the story is as timeless as Tolkien's own vision of a carefree little man who gets drawn into a greater adventure without losing himself in it completely.

Faerie has indeed moved into outer space. This book is a great gift for anyone who loves Tolkien and is a good introduction to quality space opera for young adults.

Maybe I am getting cynical in my old age, but it seems to me that when dealing with cut throats, some throats should be cut and gore splashed on the walls and ceilings. The concept that would go on a quest and all the disagreeable people you meet and the monsters you fight are just misunderstood victims of an oppressive universe, just sets my mouth in edge. Don't get me wrong this is a pretty good book. The plot is first rate. The problem is that the characterization is just not too good. The central hero goes through massive travails and comes back almost unchanged.

Pat Murphy, Nebula Award Winner has done it again! Caught me by the hairs of my chinny, chin, chin & led me right along, nose to the page, to the very end! Excellent job of interweaving that which we guess about science & what we hope about science, all written with a plentiful dose of humor. Highly recommended as a fun read! For my full review & eInterview with Pat Murphy do check out my site [...].