The End of Eternity - Bad name, good book.
Written: Dec 10 '02 (Updated Dec 10 '02)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Brilliantly unique premise, well-written protagonist.
Cons: May be too cerebral for some; some flat characters.
The Bottom Line: Don't judge a book by it's cover. Asimov's The End of Eternity is one of the greats of science fiction.
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| sshhaarroonn's Full Review: Isaac Asimov - El fin de la eternidad/ The End of ... |
Personally, the name The End of Eternity conjures up images of cheap drugstore romance novels in my mind. The back of the cover reads, "Andrew Harlan was special. Until he committed the one unforgivable sin - falling in love!" This put me off the book for a while, since I can't imagine crossing a fluffy romance with Asimov's science-fiction outcast stories. However, I finally caved in and bought the book at the second hand bookstore down the street. I was not disappointed.
The plot...
Andrew Harlan was only fifteen when he was selected to become one of the Eternals. Eternity is the lofty title given to a group that act as Earth's temporal police. Their job is to make sure that humanity does not annihilate itself, by changing the past and future. Andrew Harlan, a technician, makes sure nothing goes wrong during these reality changes. Sometimes this means that people must die; at times, it means some are not born at all. Though most people accept that Eternals are necessary to maintain the safety of Earth, they are hated for their job. Andrew, in the face of this, becomes introverted, and seemingly unfeeling.
Strangely, there are quirks in Eternity that not even the Eternals understand. Women cannot become Eternals without disrupting the timeline. Any changes the Eternals make only last a few centuries. Most puzzling of all, the Eternals cannot travel higher than the 100 000th century. None of this concerns Andrew until he meets a brilliant woman named Noys. She is a mystery; and Andrew is compelled to figure her out. However, his curiosity leads him to some horrifying conclusions about Eternity and what it has worked for.
What I disliked...
Andrew Harlan's character was so well-written that a few of the other characters seemed flat. Noys, as such an integral character to the story, could have been fleshed out more. It's also quite difficult to find copies of the book. I found mine in the bottom of a box at a second hand book store in the middle of nowhere. Don't even bother reading the paragraph on the back of the book.(Due to circumstances within our control...TOMORROW WILL BE CANCELED!!! it reads)
What I liked...
As always, Isaac Asimov writes the angst-ridden, bitter social pariah perfectly. The way others recoiled at Andrew's Eternal status brought home the reality of what the Eternals did. His belief in the importance of his work and the anger he felt towards humanity clashed with the his morals. Throughout the story, he painfully struggles with his beliefs. Though the book dates from 1955, Noys' character is both independent and intelligent, and could easily be mistaken as any woman from the present. The addition of the anthropological perspective (if you've read my other reviews you'll know I'm an anthropology major) - That species only adapt to a change in their environment was a great addition! It's good to know my classes have taught me something. The unlikely romance between Harlan and Noys was imperfectly realistic. Both characters had their own issues to deal with, and their own biases. It was also intriguing to see how Asimov used our own history to forward the plot of the book.
But should you actually buy it?
The ending was also beautifully written. It was definitely an excellent read, better than Nemesis, and yet another to add to the list of Asimov's great page-turners. I would definitely recommend you pick it up if you get a chance.
(just to note, don't get the idea I hate Harlequins - I don't, they just don't have a place in science fiction)
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
sshhaarroonn
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Location: Restaurant at the end of the Universe...
Reviews written: 28
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