Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Novel ideas but a traditional message, February 22, 2002
My reaction to this book seems to be a little different than that of others. Had I not read others' favorable reviews, this book would have frustrated me. The second running commentary about a "modern" family and its neighbors did provide a little humor but mainly just served to interrupt the flow of the main story. I expected some kind of grand ending which would embrace the secondary story and clearly show its meaning and purpose, but the ending did not really accomplish that to my satisfaction. As far as the presentation of homosexual themes in this story, I found nothing very controversial or nontraditional in its presentation. Our "homo sap." protagonist Charlie Johns encounters homosexuality, is confused by its practice, and actually delivers a biting criticism of that kind of lifestyle; he in fact goes so far as to say that over 99% of the men in his world would want to destroy the Ledom just because they accept and practice homosexuality. In an even larger sense, the utopian aspects of Ledom society seem to be overstated by some reviewers and certainly by the guy who wrote the words on the front and back covers of my rather old copy of the book. While Charlie Johns is seemingly very impressed by Ledom society at one point, I didn't really understand why he suddenly felt that way. Moreover, his views quickly change as his guide Philos shows him some of Ledom's secrets. I can't really go into the heart of this matter without giving something away to the future reader, so let me just say that clearly all of the Ledom are not blissfully happy nor do they even claim to be an ideal society. This book does succeed in delivering a powerful ending. While I expected a late twist, I did not really expect the ending Sturgeon gave me, and this largely made up for the dissatisfaction I felt regarding the secondary "modern life" story. The ending makes this book the classic it is, but the main story is thoroughly enjoyable throughout. A man is somehow snatched from his own world into that of a strange new world inhabited by a small, largely sexless society which purports to keep all its citizens equal, happy, and free. In return for a trip back home, Johns agrees to study the society objectively (objectivity being something the Ledom lack); the new society rather quickly reveals a layer of conflict and isolated unhappiness hidden behind a mask of equality and utopia. Interestingly, Charlie Johns (and the Ledom) learns more about home sap. society than he does Ledom society. In essence, the book serves not as a critique but more of a study of human life, honing in on two issues: sexuality and religion. Sturgeon offers a number of interesting ideas on society, but these seem to me to be ideas only and not prescriptions or even suggestions. To my mind, Sturgeon actually lauds the greatness of human society despite whatever ills it certainly possesses. Venus Plus X is an important, influential, successful example of social science fiction, proving that science fiction is at its best when it deals with the large, abstract issues of mankind rather than focusing exclusively on the technical aspects and believability of a future or alternative science. You can learn something about yourself by reading this book, and that is a grand accomplishment indeed for any writer in any genre.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
contemporary context, July 26, 2000
The most important thing about good speculative fiction is that it can push the boundaries of common preconception; it can cause a reader to really examine their thoughts and values and think 'what if?' Venus Plus X was probably more significant in its message 40 years ago when it was written, but taking its premise in context of it being written in 1960 makes reading it extremely worthwhile today. This book is most often compared to The Left Hand of Darkness (another fine book!). This is a fair comparison - both novels deal with an intense examination of gender roles. However, The Left Hand of Darkness was written nearly 10 years later. A lot happened in the intervening time. Venus Plus X was even more stand-apart in its theme for its time. Today's reader will probably not feel the message as strongly as an original reader. BUT! we have an advantage. We are able to read this magnificent book AND see 40 years into the future at the same time. We can see that we have not progressed as far as we probably should have - this book is not insignificant in its message even today. Recommended. PS - Thanks to Vintage for rereleasing classic scifi works by such greats as Sturgeon and PKD!
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Hallelujah!, June 13, 2000
By A Customer
My copy of "Venus Plus X" is old: priced on its cover at 40 cents, if not a first edition then close to it, a paperback whose brittle pages have all separated from the spine and cover and had to be turned with the greatest care lest some unwary movement reduce the entire book to a handful of leaf litter. But I love the book - I have read it three times and every time enjoyed it, from the fantastic world of the Ledom with its bright overcast sky and its buildings like architecture by Dali, to characters like the enigmatic Philos or bewildered Charlie Johns himself, to Sturgeon's conversational-poetic language . . . for that matter, almost everything about the book! So I am incredibly happy to see it back in print: I can now read "Venus Plus X" without fear of accidental destruction! Also I can now recommend it to all my friends and know that they'll read the book - as they should. Because although Ursula Le Guin's "The Left Hand of Darkness" may be the most famous work of science-fiction dealing with an androgynous society, as well as contemporary gender issues, "Venus Plus X" is every bit as good and occasionally a great deal weirder. Part of this is the style. The perspective, when it deals with Charlie Johns in the world of the Ledom, is outsider-only: the reader knows only what Charlie Johns knows and must believe only what Charlie Johns believes. When Charlie Johns' world is turned inside-out and upside-down, so is every single (pre)conception that the reader has held about the Ledom since the book's opening. It's wonderful. And although at first I wondered why Charlie Johns' story was periodically interrupted by the life and times of some random middle-class suburban family living on Begonia Drive, there is a very definite reason for their inclusion in the story, and it's wonderful too. More than that, I probably shouldn't say: part of the fun of "Venus Plus X" is the discovery. (Not that the book doesn't work a second time around; it's just a better read if you go along without any idea of what's ahead. That way you're nice and unsuspecting when Sturgeon pulls the rug, not to mention the floor, out from under your feet.) And what kind of wacky title is "Venus Plus X" anyway? It's explained - later on, of course. Just read the book. It was a classic when it came out, it deserves to remain a classic now. (And now you don't have to worry about pulverizing your copy with a sneeze . . .)
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
|
|
Most Recent Customer Reviews
|
