Title: The Sparrow
Author: Mary Doria Russell
Copyright Date: 1997
My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars ( interesting)
Back-cover Description
There isn't a true back-cover description, but a collection of review quotes which give the outline of the story. I've removed the opinion sections of the review quotes.
"If you have to send a group of people to a newly discovered planet to contact a totally unknown species, whom would you choose? How about four Jesuit priests, a young astronomer, a physician, her engineer husband, and a child prostitute turned computer expert? That's who Mary Doria Russell sends in her new novel, The Sparrow. This motley combination of agnostics, true believers, and misfits becomes the first to explore the Alpha Centuri world of Rakhat with both enlightening and disastrous results ... < review wrap-up > "
"<intro to review> Father Emilio Sandoz [is] the only survivor of a Jesuit mission to the planet of Rakhat, 'a soul ... looking for God.' We first meet him in Italy ... sullen and bitter.... But he was not always this way, as we learn through flashbacks that tell the story of the ill-fated trip.. < review wrap-up>"
My Thoughts
The Sparrow was an interesting book in both story and construction. The storyline kept me engaged with a good mixture of well-developed characters, meaningful dialog, well-timed drama and just a bit of suspense.
I was most impressed with the anthropological aspects of the alien creatures in The Sparrow. The same attention to detail provided for the human characters was also applied to the aliens and their world. The only issue I had was the seemingly shoe-horned in personality flaws of the aliens to set up the climax, but it was fairly easy to look over that and appreciate Mary Doria Russell's alien Rakhat.
Mary Doria Russell builds the elaborate story from both ends, constantly swinging from the year 2016 before the mission started and characters are introduced, to 40 earth years later in the aftermath. Each time the pendulum swung, it would inch its way towards the climax of the story which occurs roughly halfway through if told chronologically. Although much is known about the tragic outcome of the mission to Rakhat, Father Sandoz's physical and mental state only help to provide mystery and suspense to the story of the trip to the planet with three suns.
I would categorize this book as theological science-fiction, however, the theology isn't preachy. The character's individual faiths are used as a lens through which we see them, but it isn't imposing, which I liked. There are occasional interesting theological debates between the characters, and not just between the atheist and the priest, but even between characters of the "same faith". However, these debates are not the central narrative motivator.
I was most impressed with the anthropological aspects of the alien creatures in The Sparrow. The same attention to detail provided for the human characters was also applied to the aliens and their world. The only issue I had was the seemingly shoe-horned in personality flaws of the aliens to set up the climax, but it was fairly easy to look over that and appreciate Mary Doria Russell's alien Rakhat.
Mary Doria Russell builds the elaborate story from both ends, constantly swinging from the year 2016 before the mission started and characters are introduced, to 40 earth years later in the aftermath. Each time the pendulum swung, it would inch its way towards the climax of the story which occurs roughly halfway through if told chronologically. Although much is known about the tragic outcome of the mission to Rakhat, Father Sandoz's physical and mental state only help to provide mystery and suspense to the story of the trip to the planet with three suns.
I would categorize this book as theological science-fiction, however, the theology isn't preachy. The character's individual faiths are used as a lens through which we see them, but it isn't imposing, which I liked. There are occasional interesting theological debates between the characters, and not just between the atheist and the priest, but even between characters of the "same faith". However, these debates are not the central narrative motivator.
However, The Sparrow isn't without flaws. I did find some of the characters shallow in construction. In general, the Jesuit Priests had character and depth, especially Sandoz. Mary Doria Russell obviously put a lot of thought and detail into each characters lives, which made two of the characters stick out from the rest; the idealistic genius married couple. The wife is both a cultural anthropologist and medical doctor and the husband is a retired engineer who can build anything. They live in an ideal equal-footing marriage in which each is one-hundred percent supportive of every twinkle in their morally superior thoughts, words and deeds. The couple was welcoming, warm, and happy to entertain any and all guests, and can make anyone laugh at any time. I wanted to strangle them at times. Did I mention they were the atheist/agnostics of the group? I couldn't help but think they were written that way to help balance the theological debates about the goodness of man and the role in which religion plays in keeping humans from turning into violent hedonists.
Character flaws aside, The Sparrow was a really good book with only a few minor glitches that prevent this from being rated higher. I would recommend this to most anyone looking for and entertaining read with some human depth.
sounds like an interesting read. i may have to get a copy of this one. nice review.
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