Thanks again to “Matt”:http://livejournal.com/users/crackmonkey/ and “Melissa”:http://livejournal.com/users/filmstar/ for orginally recommending this series to me.
I finished “Ender’s Game” some time ago, and loved it. So, I bought a few other books from the series, but haven’t had the time to crack one open until yesterday. And then I read 250 pages.
I used to read constantly. However, as time went on, and more of my reading occured online, I learned that it was often faster to “skim” than it was to read, despite the fact that I read very quickly. And, unlike other people I know, even though I read quickly, I comprehended and retained almost every word I read. Now I hardly read at all any more. And, when I do try to read, and not skim, I’m not nearly as fast as I used to be. So, 250 pages is a lot for me to read in one day.
Needless to say, I couldn’t put the book down. I’m a little more than half way through it now. I had intended to bring it to work and read a bunch more on my lunch break, but, it turns out, I left it at home.
Technically speaking, these books are classified as “Sci-Fi”. But don’t hold that against them. The “Sci-Fi” aspect of them really only provides the background… the place for the important stuff to happen in. Really, the books, so far, are about discovering one’s self, finding out the truths of the world, dealing with isolation and “differentness” while, all at the same time, trying to find a place to fit in — a place to belong. Orson Scott Card is an amazing writer whose words captivate you within the first few paragraphs. There’s just enough “fluff” to paint a pretty picture, and just enough “action” to keep you interested while a truly meaningful and important statement is being made. If you’re looking for a book to read, I highly recommend both of these.
You can read “Speaker for the Dead” without having read “Ender’s Game”. The author does a good job of summarizing the important information from the previous book when it is mentioned. These summaries provide enough to let you keep reading this story, but not enough to keep you from reading the first. If you’re going to read them both, I recommend, however, starting with “Ender’s Game”. The second story will mean so much more if you do.