Finished: May 9, 2023
Why I read this
(Sorry about the order of the posts in this series as I try to catch the blog up with my reading for the year) I read this book once in high school and I remember it being an absolute page turner, then when I progressed to the second book I lost interest quickly and never returned to it. I have grown a lot since then and my choice in reading material has definitely matured. Long portions of text dedicated to philosophy, description, or instruction did not interest me compared to long sequences of action or adventure. I remember hating The Picture of Dorian Gray for this very reason even though it wasn’t a long book. Finally, as an adult falling back into the habit of reading I saw the third book by Orson Scott Card in the Ender series Xenocide for only a couple of books at a used book store. I decided to pick it up and re-read the first book and try the second book another time.
What I learned
Reading this book a second time at a different stage of my life was an absolutely enlightening experience. I remembered the main plot and characters, but I was completely lost on the depth of the psychology and human aspect the book provides. The insights into leadership, interpersonal relationships, and even politics on a macro scale were to me extremely realistic and thought provoking. I saw before this book as a children’s novel, whereas the second read I realized the depth of topics such as the ethics of genocide, the challenges leaders face regarding isolation, or similar concepts of international politics such as when a country with an enormous army wins a war, what will they do with it?
What I didn’t like
I will struggle to find a strong criticism of this book; however I would have enjoyed some additional perspectives from the other characters of the book. I understand that later another book was written from the perspective of Bean, but in this one, none of the other battle school children are heavily represented which I feel was a slightly missed opportunity. For example, seeing the fight between Ender and Bonzo from the perspective of Bernard would have added some to the feeling of the scene.
Also, generally when it comes to sci-fi and to fantasy, I have a large challenging letting go of unrealistic topics. To me science fiction should be as scientifically accurate as possible, with of course some world building differences such as the Ancible in the Enderverse. This leads to all sorts of challenges about explaining how these technologies work or are discovered or developed, which this book generally handles very well. All except the gravity of the battle school which in my opinion was a bit ridiculous that the author could just ignore this detail for the sake of “technological advancement” such as with the hooks.
Questions I asked
How far is too far to win a fight?
What level of isolation does a leader need to effectively lead their organization?
Would humans ever be able to truly accept an alien force that is equally or more intelligent than ourselves?
My Favorite Quote
“Remember, the enemy’s gate is down.”
Ender Wiggin
Books I liked like this one
Dune: Frank Herbert (For its similar feel and depth of setting and world building)
Song of Fire and Ice: George R.R. Martin (For the complex relationships between characters)
Book Reviews for Mom 