The Sparrow Duology Asks Bold Questions For Readers to Answer | Literary Science Fiction
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- Опубліковано 26 кві 2023
- Mary Doria Russell's award-winning novel The Sparrow and its sequel, Children of God, are challenging and emotionally perilous reads that straddle both the science fiction and literary fiction genres. The books explore the intersection of science, faith and free will, among other themes, in the context of an alien first contact story.
0:01 Influences & questions raised
0:57 Plot overview
3:15 Biblical allegory
5:40 Themes
6:33 Caveats & criticisms
8:38 Recommendation
10:11 Other perspectives (see below for SFA links)
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Links to Amazon pages for the two books:
The Sparrow - amzn.to/3nc0E2c
Children of God - amzn.to/3n9KNB6
Affiliate disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I may earn commissions from qualifying purchases from Amazon.
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#sciencefiction #scifi #sfalliance #booktubesff #booktube
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I've had a copy of The Sparrow for years but always put off reading it. Guess this is the push I needed to finally start it. Great work as always, keep it up!
I think it's a worthwhile read, and as I mentioned in the video, it's improved by reading the sequel, Children of God.
Seems like a very interesting read. I was always told I was a slow reader in school and basically forsake books for fun since high school. But thanks to your channel I’ve worked up the wonder to read 7 books since early December and am now addicted. Currently on a Clive Barker and Dan Simmons binge.
Thank you for sharing that! I'm so happy my channel has had a positive impact on you.
You shouldn't worry about your pace of reading. In fact, I think there are distinct advantages to slow reading. I like to read slowly because it helps me to savor a story more thoroughly; to experience character emotions more deeply and realistically; and to appreciate the skill and artistry of the author's writing. I've never understood the appeal of speed reading (or treating reading like a race to maximize the number of books one reads in a given time period), because I've learned from experience that books lose some of their impact when consumed in such a compressed and rapid-fire way.
Once again, my silent vow to not add more books to my massive tbr pile has lost to your soothing voice 😅
The reference to _A Case of Conscience_ (which was clearly Russell's inspiration for _The Sparrow;_ she just ladled in some Le Guin and stirred vigorously) makes me wish that you would do a retrospective of James Blish's works.
Blish is unjustly forgotten today. Everybody talks about how Arthur C. Clarke "invented" the communication satellite; no-one remembers Blish coining the term "gas giant". _(Wah, wah.)_ But more significantly for the genre, Blish's bestselling novelizations of the episodes of _Star Trek_ had a huge, if now forgotten, popular impact. Those books allowed _Trek_ fans to own the series - to have copies on their shelf, so to speak - in the days before home video. And Blish's popular _Cities In Flight_ series was quite influential as well. (Exhibit A: Paula Scher's cover for Boston's first album.)
The thing Blish really brought into SF was a surprising intellectual heft. He was a brilliant man, incredibly well-read even for his time. He usually didn't wear it on his sleeve, but it informed everything he did - even those _Star Trek_ novelizations. In those, Blish, using an incredibly deft touch, often saw fit to quietly "correct" or subtly justify certain errors of science and logic in the show's original scripts - all the while carefully dropping in unattested character details to provide texture (like Kirk's tone-deafness).
Only in his _After Such Knowledge_ "trilogy" (which he only grouped as a series after the fact) did Blish really run his genius flag up the mast and let it fly. I will allow that the first book in that "trilogy" was the aforementioned _A Case of Conscience,_ which doesn't really come off as intellectually dense (though it is; oh, it is), since Blish carefully pitched it at a more general audience. (It worked: it won him his only big award, the 1959 Hugo.)
But the next volume in the "trilogy", _Doctor Mirabilis_ (1964), a historical novel depicting the life of Roger Bacon, is almost _too_ scholarly. Jeez, Jim, maybe try translating a little more of the Latin next time? _Mirabilis_ is written in such an archaic English that sometimes it's reminiscent of Tolkien's _The Fall of Gondolin_ - and Blish's novel was about a real guy!
Blish backed off a little for the finale of his "trilogy," _The Devil's Day_ - which, though published under that name in 1980, five years after his death, wasn't written as one book at all - it was really a duology of two short novels, _Black Easter_ (1968) and _The Day After Judgment_ (1971). Those books, about Magick bringing about the end of our world (sort of) are also incredibly dense, in terms of the concepts presented; but Blish applies them with a lighter touch. (Well, maybe not at the very end. I'll leave it at that.)
I suppose I can't really advocate that you make a video about James Blish your next priority. How can I take such a position, when Ursula K. Le Guin and Roger Zelazny should come first? But darn it, I'd really like to see a Blish retrospective, done in your illimitable style. Anyway, thank you for making this video, I really enjoyed it.
Thanks for the very thoughtful comment and strong advocacy on behalf of Blish! He's definitely on my list of future video retrospectives. My list is long, though, so it might take me a while to get to him. My first introduction to Blish was through his Star Trek novelizations. When I was about seven years old, two of the first books I ever bought with my own money were volumes one and ten of that series, and I read them (and others in the series) repeatedly.
As a spiritual person I found this book fascinating and gut wrenching all at the same time...great review
These books were so pivotal to younger me as a writer, which I read in my 20s, even if I've never felt the psychological fortitude to re-read them. Your review brought back all the best parts, strengths, and weaknesses (the time jumping around was tough for me too). Truly modern classics! I always enjoy hearing your thoughts on books like these.
Thanks! I think they're modern classics, too, although somewhat polarizing ones. For many readers, the themes, characters and plot elements resonate positively, while for other readers, not so much. For me, I think the writing and plotting were a little heavy-handed at times, but not enough to outweigh the thought-provoking questions and dilemmas presented in them.
Fantastic video! I love these books. And I'm glad there are more people who appreciate them too.
Thank you for the review, these are some of my favorite books.
Once again you've sold me on a series. From your description, The Sparrow seems to scratch every itch.
Excellent analysis! I looked for The Sparrow at the book store this weekend and didn’t see it, but I’m sure I’ll pick it up soon!
Thanks! I recommend reading both books in the duology. The Sparrow is only half the story (and the weaker half in my opinion).
Quality video!?! I read this book and love that you still include pieces I didnt know 😊 and you convinced me to read the second one! 😂
Thanks! Children of God tells a more straightforward story (despite some abrupt time jumps and shifts in perspective) and it focuses more on the anthropological aspects of the evolution of Runa and Jana'ata cultures in contrast to the heavy emotional catharsis and theological debates/ruminations/identity crisis in The Sparrow. I enjoyed both books, but I prefer the sequel.
These sound quite interesting. Thanks Bridger!
Great video. Thanks for including the sequel. While I don't think I'll get to it, it's good to get your introduction
Thanks, Michael. I actually preferred the sequel over The Sparrow. Where The Sparrow is heavy on emotional catharsis and theological questions, Children of God focuses more on anthropological questions, and it provides the other side of the story of events in The Sparrow (what happens to Emilio) from the Jana'ata's perspective, which adds welcome nuance.
This is a great review. I put this duology on my shopping list on a whim a little over a year ago. Now hearing you speak on it. I'm definitely going to read it. (Just not sure when. I'm reading WoT right now.)
Interesting sounding book! I will have to give them a look!
This is the first instance that I've been aware of, of the Alliance time-coordinating a review on the same book and must confess it's a great idea. TLL these books sound intriguing judging by your perspective and very different from the review by another Alliance member I saw last evening. The disparity points up the fact that SF is so literally subjective for each reader, which I find to be one of the more compelling aspects of this genre. Great post, review and presentation as always sir! Cheers.
We (the Alliance) hope to do more of these type of videos in the future. Matt at Bookpilled had a pretty harsh take on The Sparrow. We clearly had different preferences and expectations, as well as different degrees of tolerance for the book's flaws. I share some of Matt's reservations about the writing in The Sparrow, but where those flaws seem to have been fatal failings to him, I was more willing to forgive them because of the strength of other aspects of the books. Also, I prefer the sequel, Children of God, to The Sparrow, as it adds more nuance to the story and focuses more on the anthropological aspects of the alien societies and cultures. My review was really of the combined duology and not just the first book.
Love that Fleabag references. Keep it up.
I read The Sparrow and blew me away, I loved it. But i am hesitant in reading the sequel because i have heard that it is not that good. But after your review I am curious to know how the story ends. Great video as usual!
I enjoyed both books, but I slightly preferred the sequel, Children of God. The Sparrow is more emotionally charged, but the sequel tells a more straightforward story (despite some disjointed time jumps) without the repetitious 'bait and switches' of The Sparrow, and with more robust and interesting worldbuilding on the planet Rakhat. It also provides an ending to the story that offers a glimmer of hope.
@@thelibraryladder Great! Then i guess i will get CoG and reread The Sparrow to refresh my memory (Havent forgotten the shocking parts thou!). Thanks and good job on all your videos! Take care
Great review. I was told by someone in the know that Russell taught at a Jesuit founded university in the USA. She consulted a lot with a Jesuit professor she knew. Also talked to other Jesuit professors she knew. Apparently after Sparrow was published his Jesuit colleagues asked him if he’d ghosted the novel…no, he said. And the Jesuits then asked “Are we that obvious?”
I hadn't heard that story. Thanks for sharing it!
Not enough people talk about The Sparrow and Children of God. Excellent books.
Loved The Sparrow, didn't get past page 50 of Children of God, not because I didn't like it, probably got distracted by another book. Thanks for another great video.
This is a really good and informative video. I think that I’ll check out this Sparrow duopoly after watching it. I just wanted to let you know that I really like your videos and if you take recommendations for video ideas, I would really recommend making a video about The Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe. It’s a science fiction tetralogy that is well known for its very dense prose and unconventional narrative structure, and it has underlying religious themes like the books in this video. I would really like to see your take on that book series if you can do that.
Thanks! You're in luck. Wolfe is a favorite of mine, and I'm planning an overview of his works early next year. I intend to discuss his BoTNS in it, but my primary goal will be to shine a light on his many other novels and short story collections that rarely get mentioned on BookTube. Thanks for the suggestion!
Thanks for sharing as always as I'll probably get these books as I wouldn't mind going to church on sunday now to atleast keep up with tradition. Its nice to see people in the local area for us all to gather and sing at least one day a week, on top of a pint afterwards ;)
I do wonder weather priests have read these books and at least appreciate what Mary was doing .
I feel strongly that you'd be a great story teller of the Bible because of your incredible smooth calm but confident voice :)
7:35 whats that picture from out of interest??
Thanks! The picture is fan art of the dominant alien species in the books.
I have added this to my reading list.
Great! Note that the two books are really one long novel. Many readers stop after finishing The Sparrow and thus don't get the full story. I encourage you to read both. The Sparrow gets pretty dark in its themes and tone, and Children of God provides a more positive balance to the story.
Thanks for mentioning the sequel to The Sparrow. I wondered why it is rarely mentioned and assumed it must be bad. Still, I have been curious about it, especially now that you said it isn't as dark as The Sparrow.
I actually preferred the sequel (although I enjoyed both books). The focus and narrative style are different in each book. The Sparrow focuses more on theological questions, while Children of God focuses more on anthropological and political questions. And Children of God provides a better ending to the story than does The Sparrow.
There is no sequel, really. It's one novel told over two books. I cannot imagine reading the first book and not reading the second.
Well...now I have Depeche Mode stuck in my head. Thanks.
Never heard of these books but they sound very intriguing my tbr continues to get out of hand 😂
Great video like always. Greetings from Poland! I love your channel!
Perhaps I need to reread The Sparrow. I liked its daring when I read it (in 2019, since the novel is mainly set in that same year), but I didn’t quite get into it and so some of the revelations at the end fell flat with me. You’ve made a case for a more unique spiritually/doctrinally-complicated structure that didn’t occur to me at the time. I’ll have to meditate on that.
But not too soon. I’ve already got Zelazny’s Lord of Light on my shelf and ready to go once the semester wraps up, so that’ll be my next piece of classic sci-fi (or science-fantasy) I’ll be reading. But Russell is there on the same shelf, so maybe….
You might also give the sequel, Children of God, a try. It provides a different (alien) perspective on the events in The Sparrow, and it focuses more on anthropological questions than on theological ones. In the meantime, Zelazny will give you plenty of food for thought. Enjoy!
I was gonna say Moid uploaded a video of the Sparrow today too lol (until I saw the ending)
What is this unexpected video bonanza - yay! 🥳
I've had very mixed luck with science fiction. My favourite SF authors are:
Ursula K Le Guin
Octavia E Butler
Jeff Vandermeer
Margaret Atwood (though she would hate that term, speculative fiction it is!)
Flowers for Algernon is an all-time favourite as well.
Is this worth a try? It sounds really interesting.
I liked Dune but most space stories have not worked for me.
It sounds like your preferences lean toward the literary end of the SF genre. If so, I think you might enjoy the two Sparrow novels. They're very much a hybrid of (i) science fiction's big ideas and futuristic settings and (ii) literary fiction's focus on characters, relationships and the challenges of finding compatibility and understanding in them. The first book is more of a theological thought experiment, while the second book is more of an anthropological one. Both are compelling (despite a few minor annoyances I had with the author's storytelling).
@@thelibraryladder Thank you so much for the kind, insightful response. I am going to give it a go. 🙏🏽
Your voice is amazing. I have to ask, did you ever work as a voice actor/narrator?
Thanks! I was encouraged by viewers to record a couple of classic short stories for Halloween last year. They're uploaded here on the channel. I hope to do more in the future across a variety of genres.
Sounds interesting. I've recently started to read all the books I've collected. I've actually read four weird fiction books in the last two months.
You might want to pace yourself with the weird fiction. I find that too much at one time can warp one's perception of reality. :)
@@thelibraryladder You've jogged a memory. Never written about this. I was a medic in Iraq. 3ID. Drove a M113 in support of the Armor platoons. There was a rainstorm one night. Yeah, a rainstorm in the desert! Drove back to the aid station tent and realized it had been a flash flood. Sgt. Turner was knee deep in water and olive drab medical equipment chests were floating around him. That's crazy. A flash flood in the midst of combat.
Having spent time in that part of the world (not with the military, though), I can imagine how unexpected a flash flood was for you. I encountered sandstorms more frequently than rainstorms while I was working in the region.
@@thelibraryladder It was just so surreal. Not the actual rain but driving back to the aid station tent and it be flooded.
@@thelibraryladder Another surreal moment was when we contacted enemies at 0100-oddly visible dark skies. I hear all the chatter on my headset, see tracers and the hear the dull thuds of rounds fired. I looked to the right from drivers hatch of the M113 and in just that instant saw El Greco's sky in "View of Toledo."
Great review . This along with the Fit 2Bread video . As i have opine the religous aspect in SF has been ignored(?) . Yet authors as Lewis , Blish , Clarke et al have used it in their works . How about Dick and James Marrow . Although the latter seem a bit....anti ? . As always my informed and bias opinion . Thank you .
Science and religion often struggle to coexist in science fiction, but there are some great examples of them working well together, and I think this duology is one of them. Thanks for watching and sharing!
do you do audiobooks?
I narrated a couple of short stories for fun last Halloween and uploaded them here on my channel. I hope to do more in the future in a variety of genres. Thanks for asking!
@@thelibraryladder no problem! Your voice is really calming and cool lol you should do more audiobooks
I don't have enough book shelves to keep up with you!
I find it helpful to have bookcases that are deep enough to double- and sometimes triple-shelve books. :)
@@thelibraryladder Sorry to sound stupid, but where would you recommend to purchase such bookcases? I have had a tough time finding good quality wooden bookcases. :(
@@xXLunatikxXlul Finding high quality bookcases for a reasonable price is a challenge. The Ikea Billy bookcases are great value, but aren't deep enough to have two rows of books on a shelf unless they're mass market paperbacks. They also aren't very durable -- their particleboard shelves (on the wide bookcases) will sag over time if fully loaded with large hardcover books, and transporting the bookcases poses a lot of wear-and-tear challenges because of the particle board and laminate construction.
For holding large hardcover books, look for solid hardwood (e.g., cherry, walnut, oak, maple, mahogany, teak -- but _not_ pine) or plywood construction. Double-shelving hardcovers works best if the bookcases are at least 15 inches deep.
I own several solid wood, stackable folding bookshelves from The Container Store (www.containerstore.com/s/storage/shelving-furniture/java-solid-wood-stackable-folding-bookshelf/12d?productId=11001303). They're durable, portable, relatively affordable, and don't require assembly. Their only significant drawback is that they're 12 inches deep, so double-shelving only works with smaller format books (I use them for my children's book collection).
I'm also a fan of Bassett Furniture's Forsyth collection of modular bookcases and cabinets. I've had several of them for almost 20 years. They're very deep and solidly constructed. I just checked the Bassett website and unfortunately their Forsyth line has far fewer options now than when I purchased mine (and the prices are a lot higher now too).
Crate & Barrel has some interesting bookcase options, many of which are deep enough for double-shelving. The prices aren't cheap, though.
Finally, Wayfair.com is a good place to look for solid wood bookcase bargains, as they take overstocks and discontinued inventory from other furniture companies and sell it at a discount. Their selection of bookcases changes periodically and their supply can be limited, though.
Oh my god it was so non-linear which is hard to follow on an audiobook that doesn't announce new chapters. It's also very weird the way it jumps past big plot reveals. Jumping around is fine but it should work up to a plot point. The way it's done feels like spoilers.
I agree with you that the non-linear narrative structure of The Sparrow saps some of the suspense from the story. Fortunately, the second book in the duology relies more on POV shifts rather than time shifts.
Your lead in didn't scare me off, Bookpilled's review did.
I share some of Matt's reservations about the book, but taken as a whole, I found the novel much more worthwhile and enjoyable than he did. I think some of the flaws that were fatal for him were much more forgivable for me (such as the dinner party dialogue, which is intended to generate sympathy for characters whose demise has already been foreshadowed by the author). I also think it's important to read both books in the duology, because the storytelling in the second book is more polished and it adds significant depth to the questions the author raises in the first book.
@@thelibraryladder Well, the reality is that I don't like SF books which include a lot of religion in the story. Heck, I've never read Dune, even though I was reading SF when it first came out. I suspect that the messiah element of the story turned me off to it. Nor am I a first contact fan, so these books would not appeal to me, regardless of the Bookpilled review. But I do like hearing about books, even the ones I have no interest in reading myself, so thank you for that.
@@chucklitka2503 That's a perfectly understandable preference. Thanks for watching and commenting despite your reservations. :)
Damn, that voice is made for podcasts.
But maybe ease a little up on the vocal theatrics. Your voice is great as it is. You don't have to force an "ASMR" on top of it.
Thanks! It’s actually my normal speaking voice, but I have to limit my loudness because of the room’s terrible acoustics (lots of hard, reflective surfaces that create reverb) and the extreme sensitivity of the shotgun mic I use. No ASMR intended. :)
I'm not religious so I missed all Genisys symbolism. But I thought it was idiotic of the main character to question god for something happening to him that happens every day to others.
When i die, I expect to find him laughing
Nice! :D
But will he be laughing joyfully like Gandalf, or maniacally like Palpatine?
Lost me with an interstellar craft financed by the Catholic Church 🤦
Even if you are a atheist you shoud read the bibel its a historical epic with grate life lessons
It also has some weird life lessons. Kind of a mixed bag overall