The Sparrow: A Novel (Ballantine Reader's Circle)

Where's this book been?
by Mary Doria Russell | Science Fiction & Fantasy |
ISBN: 0449912558 Global Overview for this book
Registered by wingGoryDetailswing of Nashua, New Hampshire USA on 9/1/2016
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1 journaler for this copy...
Journal Entry 1 by wingGoryDetailswing from Nashua, New Hampshire USA on Thursday, September 1, 2016
I got this fair-condition softcover from the ongoing library sale at Wadleigh Library in Milford NH, and was glad to have another release copy.

I first read The Sparrow as part of a book ring - see that book's journey here - and liked it very much. It's a very involving story, with a premise that was intriguing and a bit humorous: a motley group of friends and colleagues happens to be on the scene when the first verified evidence of life on another planet is received, and - in a "let's put on a show!" kind of way - they decide to see if they can pay that planet a visit. Oh, they do take several years to get things moving, and they get funding from the Jesuit order which helps. I loved the concept, and could easily imagine the shock and horror that the military and government agencies would express when they discovered that a handful of civilians and priests were going to be the first ambassadors to a new civilization...

The story is told in two time-streams: the past (from 2019 through the trip to Rakhat), and the present (from 2059 on), in which the sole survivor of the expedition, Jesuit priest Emilio Sandoz, has returned to Earth and is being debriefed by his superiors - or at least, they're trying to debrief him, but his fragile physical and emotional state prevents this. Since we discover within the first few pages that Sandoz has been brutally maimed, that none of the rest of his party survived, and that he was discovered by members of the follow-up mission under circumstances that have apparently been interpreted as - and broadcast to the world as - scandalous and vile in the extreme, it means that for the reader the majority of the book is "how did things get to that state?". It also means that every lovely little exchange between the group of friends has a tragic note: yes, they're laughing now, they're having a wonderful time now, they're falling in love now, but some appalling doom awaits them... Made reading the book very stressful, I can tell you.

And I did love the characters. What a wonderful group... bright, good-hearted, able to accept each other's limitations and biases with understanding - and yet with just enough flaws that they don't seem too good to be true. I wanted them to succeed, to find happiness, and I dreaded finding out just how each of them was going to fall.

The book as a whole was an excellent read, and could inspire all manner of fascinating discussion topics - from the role of religion in interspecies contact to the "prime directive" [in "Star Trek"-speak] and whether it's even possible to visit another planet without violating that directive in some way. But when I reached the end I felt a bit cheated... [Spoilers follow: select the blank area to see the text.] It seemed clear to me from the very first description of the circumstances in which Sandoz was found that he'd been grossly victimized and abused, and while the details weren't obvious until he finally recounted them himself, I found it hard to believe that so many of his fellow Jesuits seemed to have bought the initial interpretation - the incredibly unlikely scenario that he had chosen to become a prostitute and was wallowing in iniquity. Shouldn't his physical condition alone have tipped them off? Between his crippled hands (the description of what was done to his hands will linger in my nightmares forever; {shudder!}) and the signs of violence to his body - signs so severe that the physicians on Earth could still tell how savagely he'd been used, even after he'd had months and months to heal - it should have been apparent to anyone that he was the victim, yet many of his inquisitors and, apparently, the world press, had been given the story that he was a criminal and a fallen priest... I did appreciate that the author explained Sandoz' reluctance to speak; his pride and unwillingness to ask for help was mentioned on many occasions, in both time-streams, so it was clear that a man of his background and nature would find it very difficult to admit to having been raped. But even without his admissions, the other evidence should have left plenty of room for doubt; I just didn't believe that so many people would have demonized him like that.

That, and the fact that so many of the radio reports had apparently been suppressed, struck me as sour notes in an otherwise tight story. Oh, and one other thing: given that the team had been attracted to the planet because of the beauty of the songs, I found it very odd that they waited so long and so patiently to find the singers. It made sense to introduce themselves gradually, sure, but they seemed to settle in to a bucolic life too easily, and never even questioned why the locals hated music while the ones who had broadcast the songs obviously loved it. Even after they made contact with the other race on Rakhat, and were allowed to visit a city, they did not pursue the songs. If only they'd worked harder to translate the music and realized just what was being sung about, things might have gone very differently - although from the moment they arrived they were already triggering major change on the planet. [One of the most poignant moments came near the end, when Sandoz said that some of the more recent songs from Rakhat "are about me"...]

While I can't say that I found all these actions or omissions unbelievable - there are plenty of examples of people making odd decisions, ignoring evidence, and choosing to believe in scandal rather than wait for the facts - I did think that, as presented, with the characters as described, I thought it went a bit too far; basically, plotholes.
[End of spoilers.]

Despite those issues I found the book engrossing and utterly memorable.

[I've read the sequel, Children of God, and found that it added layers to the already-complex plot; recommended. Oh, and there's a TV Tropes page for the book, with some interesting comments - do beware of spoilers, though!]

Journal Entry 2 by wingGoryDetailswing at Cornerstone Square (see notes) in Westford, Massachusetts USA on Thursday, September 1, 2016

Released 7 yrs ago (9/1/2016 UTC) at Cornerstone Square (see notes) in Westford, Massachusetts USA

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

I plan to leave this book on a bench or window ledge somewhere in the square while on my way in to lunch at Evviva Cucina. Hope the finder enjoys the book!

*** Released as part of the 2016 September Sapphire release challenge, for its mostly-blue cover. ***

*** Released as part of the 2016 You're Such an Animal release challenge. ***

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