@RUTGERS.ARPA:ZSTAMIR%WEIZMANN.BITNET@WISCVM.ARPA (04/03/85)
From: Tamir Weiner <ZSTAMIR%WEIZMANN.BITNET@WISCVM.ARPA>
T H E N U M B E R O F T H E B E A S T
by
Rober Heinlein
The original request for comments on this book came from
Dave <sjuvax!iannucci@topaz.arpa>
and at the begining of last week a reply came in from
maxson%vaxwrk.DEC@decwrl.ARPA (VAXworks dtn 223-9408)
> ...If you were wondering about the
> quality of this story, I have disappointing news for you.
> Namely, it Bites the proverbial Big One.
>
I had written to Dave personally to reccomend that he read the
book, as I had enjoyed it very much. I didn't want to do a formal
review of the thing, cause it had been awhile since I had read it.
So this is not a review so much as just a mini-flame to counter Maxson's
comments which were published in issue 105 of the digest...
> It's awful. Wretched, not worth the paper, and so on. I am a great
> fan of Heinlein, and I guarantee no sane human could like this book.
> Heinlein suffered a stroke and wrote this book as therapy during his
> recovery - and it stands as a tragic depiction of muddled thinking,
> ranting, obsession and mania.
>
Although I wasn't aware of Heinlein's stroke and therapy, which in
part explains some of the strangeness of this book (and certainly
it's non traditional bent, I enjoyed it, I too am a Heinlein fan, and
I'd bet other Heinlein fans have also enjoyed it. It's a bit strange
in the second part of this book, but so then was Stranger in a Strange
Land. That didn't stop its fame and fortune!
What gives with this book? I'd say that at first the book moves well
like any other traditional Heilein Novel. The beginning takes
off like a rocket. I enjoyed the first part of the book the most.
He gets into some interesting ideas on AI and computer programming in
this story. Later towards the end the book takes some unexpected turns.
I think that he ended up philosophizing about the nature of fiction,
and what is real and what is imaginary in all his worlds, in books, etc.
The end of the book is a bit strange sometimes comical, definitely weird.
I don't really want to tell you too much
but if you're a Heinlein fan usually, I'd say it's definitely worth the
read time. And if nothing else much fun.
>
> It was a great joy to us Heinlein fans when "Friday" appeared,
> signaling the recovery of RAH, the Dragon who Would Not Die.
>
> If you read it, don't let your impression of Heinlein become
> tarnished. Number of the Beast is a fluke, and clearly an exception
> to the other excellent works Heinlein has given us.
>
Ok here I can agree with "maxon"'s comments. Certainly FRIDAY was
a return to Heinlein's old style and a terrific read. I'd say that
FRIDAY is certainly my next favorite work of his (next to his
Lazerous Long stuff). Regarding THE NUMBER OF THE BEAST -- in a
nutshell I'd say: Read it, and don't take the end too seriously.
Marc (ZSTAMIR@WEIZMANN.BITNET)
"ever wonder if you've met an AP recently??"
Acknowledge-To: Tamir Weiner <ZSTAMIR@WEIZMANN>