You may be forgiven for thinking that "Ender's Game" is a comedy, or a self-parody. After all, a group of children saving the earth from "the buggers"? A recipe for humour, you'd be sure - and in this instance - terribly wrong. Ender's Game is a very dark novel about innocence and morality.
On the one hand, the book is set up on a number of obvious forced constructs, that sometimes make little sense - not least that only children are capable of saving earth. This is more remarkable as adults have already defeated the buggers - so that the whole concept of using children makes little sense excepting as a forced device to explore the morality theme. I found this further flawed by the fact that I never found the children very convincing portrayals of the intended ages.
On saying that, though, these are essentially superficial criticisms that can be thrown at most book-reviews - and are usually easily forgiven by the reader. This is especially applicable in the instance of "Ender's Game" because the novel is otherwise very tightly and masterfully written. Plot devices are used to proper effect, and Orson Scott Card ensures that reader sympathies are immediately locked to the character of Ender early on. Although there's little sense of world-building in the book, the required environments for character interraction are very well devised. The plot also progresses logically and with required atmosphere - and when Orson Scott Card delivers key moments he never fails to affect us.
"Ender's Game" takes familiar concepts and re-examines them from less familiar angles, and overall succeeds in doing something that few novels actually can do, and that's to have an emotional impact on the reader. Ultimately, "Ender's Game" is a disturbing read, but a very fulfilling one.
On the one hand, the book is set up on a number of obvious forced constructs, that sometimes make little sense - not least that only children are capable of saving earth. This is more remarkable as adults have already defeated the buggers - so that the whole concept of using children makes little sense excepting as a forced device to explore the morality theme. I found this further flawed by the fact that I never found the children very convincing portrayals of the intended ages.
On saying that, though, these are essentially superficial criticisms that can be thrown at most book-reviews - and are usually easily forgiven by the reader. This is especially applicable in the instance of "Ender's Game" because the novel is otherwise very tightly and masterfully written. Plot devices are used to proper effect, and Orson Scott Card ensures that reader sympathies are immediately locked to the character of Ender early on. Although there's little sense of world-building in the book, the required environments for character interraction are very well devised. The plot also progresses logically and with required atmosphere - and when Orson Scott Card delivers key moments he never fails to affect us.
"Ender's Game" takes familiar concepts and re-examines them from less familiar angles, and overall succeeds in doing something that few novels actually can do, and that's to have an emotional impact on the reader. Ultimately, "Ender's Game" is a disturbing read, but a very fulfilling one.
