Helpful Score: 4
Not an easy read but interesting. Very heavy allegory.
Phillip R. (Pro-Nomos) reviewed Out of the Silent Planet (Space Trilogy, Bk 1) on + 23 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
An excellent read! When I read the book I almost felt that the planet Lewis talks about is out there. It seems very real and logical that this planet or some planet with similar characteristics could in fact exist.
Well worth the time to read the book.
Well worth the time to read the book.
Helpful Score: 2
I love it. What Lewis did for fantasy in Narnia, he does for sci-fi in Malacandra, the setting of "Out of the Silent Planet." Its truly a sci-fi to enjoy, not to terrify as so many classics do. With a rich environment, you can really explore the wonders of space in a novel very different from others in the genre.
Fantastic ending!!!!!
Fantastic ending!!!!!
Nathanial D. (Nate) reviewed Out of the Silent Planet (Space Trilogy, Bk 1) on + 9 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
Intriguing Sci-fi from the author of Narnia, This is a fascinating look at life on Mars through the lens of early 20th century England, and also through the eyes of a Christian apologist. Well Worth the read!
Lori C. (theshrone) reviewed Out of the Silent Planet (Space Trilogy, Bk 1) on + 37 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
This is different than his Narnia series. It is the first part in a triology. The story is rich in detailed descriptions. The final chapters make the "moral of the story".
Helpful Score: 1
Early in the book a man named Ransom is travelling from town to town in search of lodging. Ransom is a professor of philology, an academic discipline where words, phonetics, and other linguistic constructs are observed. Ransom comes across three men fighting, and through a twist of fate is kidnapped by two professors who are going to explore a planet called Malacandra.
After their touch down in Malacandra, Ransom is blown away by the vast differences between Earth and Malacandra. The three men are confronted by giant ghost-like creatures. Ransom runs for his life, and becomes stranded alone on the strange planet. This is the story of his adventures and exploration of the planet Malacandra.
The main reason I give this four stars is probably because I haven't read the rest of the trilogy yet, but the story is very exciting once the plot is set up about a third through the book. I can't tell you more than what is above for concern I might give away something.
Unfortunately, some of my favorite parts of the book fall into that category of stuff I can't give away. However, what I can say is this. Science fiction often encourages our philosophical and theological imagination. The effectiveness with which Lewis does this is significant. I highly recommend this book.
After their touch down in Malacandra, Ransom is blown away by the vast differences between Earth and Malacandra. The three men are confronted by giant ghost-like creatures. Ransom runs for his life, and becomes stranded alone on the strange planet. This is the story of his adventures and exploration of the planet Malacandra.
The main reason I give this four stars is probably because I haven't read the rest of the trilogy yet, but the story is very exciting once the plot is set up about a third through the book. I can't tell you more than what is above for concern I might give away something.
Unfortunately, some of my favorite parts of the book fall into that category of stuff I can't give away. However, what I can say is this. Science fiction often encourages our philosophical and theological imagination. The effectiveness with which Lewis does this is significant. I highly recommend this book.
Helpful Score: 1
The Space Trilogy. An amazing trilogy that I absolutely loved reading. It was utterly unlike anything I expected, yet still managed to far surpass any expectation and pre-conceived notion about the text.
Each book in the trilogy can be read separately, or in the larger unit, which is what I did.
Out of the Silent Planet was very interesting and made me think about humans in a different light. The fear of humans is largely addressed in this book. And such descriptions!
"...the stars, thick as daises on an uncut lawn, reigned perpetually with no cloud, no moon, no sunrise to dispute their sway."
"There, totally immersed in a bath of pure ethereal colour and of unrelenting though unwounding brightness, stretched his full length and with eyes half closed in the strange chariot that bore them, faintly quivering, through depth after depth of tranquility far above the reach of night, he felt his body and mind daily rubbed and scoured and filled with new vitality."
"They had the experiences of a pregnant woman, but magnified almost beyond endurance."
"Suddenly the lights of the Universe seemed to be turned down. As if some demon had rubbed the heaven's face with a dirty sponge, the splendour in which they had lived for so long blenched to a pallid, cheerless and pitiable grey."
"He saw nothing but colours - colours that refused to form themselves into things."
"Nothing could be more disgusting than the one impression; nothing more delightful than the other. It all depended on the point of view."
"Bent creatures are full of fears."
I have a general review here with more quotes - it really is breathtaking how amazing Lewis is with words.
...
Really all of the books were wonderful and I highly recommend them. Middle school-aged and above should be able to appreciate the Space Trilogy. If you can only read one of them, for some reason, I would suggest Perelandra, mainly because of the depth of thought in that book. I would recommend Out of the Silent Planet if you want to reawaken a sense of wonder, and I would submit That Hideous Strength to you if you were interested in modern development and a modern good vs evil in a somewhat more applicable way as it deals post-fall instead of pre-fall as in Perelandra.
C.S. Lewis is just an amazing writer. I have never read something of his I did not enjoy. Not that I've read everything he wrote, but I have read a decent portion of it. If you ever want to be challenged and read something understandable and well written, pick up C.S. Lewis.
(originally published: http://sophiesmindset.blogspot.com/2007/11/space-trilogy.html)
Each book in the trilogy can be read separately, or in the larger unit, which is what I did.
Out of the Silent Planet was very interesting and made me think about humans in a different light. The fear of humans is largely addressed in this book. And such descriptions!
"...the stars, thick as daises on an uncut lawn, reigned perpetually with no cloud, no moon, no sunrise to dispute their sway."
"There, totally immersed in a bath of pure ethereal colour and of unrelenting though unwounding brightness, stretched his full length and with eyes half closed in the strange chariot that bore them, faintly quivering, through depth after depth of tranquility far above the reach of night, he felt his body and mind daily rubbed and scoured and filled with new vitality."
"They had the experiences of a pregnant woman, but magnified almost beyond endurance."
"Suddenly the lights of the Universe seemed to be turned down. As if some demon had rubbed the heaven's face with a dirty sponge, the splendour in which they had lived for so long blenched to a pallid, cheerless and pitiable grey."
"He saw nothing but colours - colours that refused to form themselves into things."
"Nothing could be more disgusting than the one impression; nothing more delightful than the other. It all depended on the point of view."
"Bent creatures are full of fears."
I have a general review here with more quotes - it really is breathtaking how amazing Lewis is with words.
...
Really all of the books were wonderful and I highly recommend them. Middle school-aged and above should be able to appreciate the Space Trilogy. If you can only read one of them, for some reason, I would suggest Perelandra, mainly because of the depth of thought in that book. I would recommend Out of the Silent Planet if you want to reawaken a sense of wonder, and I would submit That Hideous Strength to you if you were interested in modern development and a modern good vs evil in a somewhat more applicable way as it deals post-fall instead of pre-fall as in Perelandra.
C.S. Lewis is just an amazing writer. I have never read something of his I did not enjoy. Not that I've read everything he wrote, but I have read a decent portion of it. If you ever want to be challenged and read something understandable and well written, pick up C.S. Lewis.
(originally published: http://sophiesmindset.blogspot.com/2007/11/space-trilogy.html)
Rachel W. (hrossa) reviewed Out of the Silent Planet (Space Trilogy, Bk 1) on + 50 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
The first book of a trilogy - this is an excellent story about a man, Ransome, sent to a planet populated by truely strange aliens. As good as his other writings and well worth reading . . . more complex and thought provoking than the Narnia books, but just as good.
Original and captivating in content and ideas. Loved reading this book. High level word choice by the author meant I got to expand my vocabulary a lot!
Ransom is kidnapped by Weston and Devine and taken to Malacandra (Mars). Weston is interested in conquering the planets for Earthlings to go when Earth is old. Devine is only interested in the gold on the planet. Ransom is intrigued by the 3 species (pfifltriggi, sorn and hrossa), history and philosphy of the planet. The eldil seem like angels and Oyarsa seems like God (god). I found the book very interesting ... even though I struggle with the language (foreign words) a bit ... and had a bit of trouble wrapping my imagination around the extraterrestrial descriptions.
Cindy M. (RenascenceC) reviewed Out of the Silent Planet (Space Trilogy, Bk 1) on + 77 more book reviews
I left off half a star only because *Perelandra* is my favorite! Such an important trilogy (with *That Hideous Strength*) and such a delight to read!
Lewis's writing, as always, is somewhat dry in this piece. Lewis describes a man's journey from Earth (the Silent Planet) to Mars, where he meets the natives and learns their ways. By living with them, he learns that much of what man believes about the universe is wrong and what is right. Interesting read about a Utopian society/planet.
Hannah F. (InklingMuse) reviewed Out of the Silent Planet (Space Trilogy, Bk 1) on + 25 more book reviews
First book in the Space Trilogy.
The story follows Doctor Ransom who is abducted by a megalomaniac physicist and is taken via spaceship to the planet of Malacandra. The kidnappers are in need of a human sacrafice, and Dr. Ransom seems to fit the bill quite nicely....
The story follows Doctor Ransom who is abducted by a megalomaniac physicist and is taken via spaceship to the planet of Malacandra. The kidnappers are in need of a human sacrafice, and Dr. Ransom seems to fit the bill quite nicely....
Because we liked C.S. Lewis' Narnia books, I was interested in seeing what his Sci-fi attempt was like.
Linda M. (sammonro) reviewed Out of the Silent Planet (Space Trilogy, Bk 1) on + 21 more book reviews
I didn't read it, but it is supposed to be really good.
Stephanie P. (Alniah) reviewed Out of the Silent Planet (Space Trilogy, Bk 1) on + 12 more book reviews
I unfortunately did not read this book.
