Book 6 - I, Robot

I, Robot, by Isaac Asimov, is a novel that I was looking forward to reading since I have seen the movie, of the same title.

I, Robot is a story about a futuristic world governed by robotic mechanics and highly-advanced "machines" that regulate the world as a whole. This concept is very interesting and it made me think about what it would be like if such was the case. Would we be gradually exposed to such changes and hence would not really notice? Or would our world be dominated by robots in a short period of time? This novel allowed me to explore such questions and quench my curiosity.

For some odd reason, I once again preferred the movie to the novel from which it was based, albeit in this case it was very loosely based on said novel. Thus far, it seems that whenever I see a movie prior to reading the book, I prefer the movie. Perhaps this is because I have a very active imagination so when I see the movie beforehand I cannot image the characters, landscapes and scenes the way I would if I had never seen it represented. Either way, the book was a good read, but I found it to be missing some key pieces to make the plot and likewise the novel complete. I would have liked a more intense ending. Furthermore, in some instances I would have liked more details and more explanations regarding the ongoing scenes.

My Rating: Terrible < Poor < Acceptable < Good < Very Good < Excellent

Book 5 - Pride and Prejudice

Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen, was a novel that I was eager to read. I could not wait to read it since I was expecting it to be at least as good as the movie, one of my favorite movies of all time, which would make for an excellent novel indeed.

Fortunately, I was not disappointed. I enjoyed everything about this novel: the characters, the dialogues, the sisterly affection between Elizabeth and Jane, and more specifically the customs of the 1800's. It is simply fascinating to me to learn about the manners of that era and to realize how civility to ones relations extended far beyond anything that we could observe in our modern times. I was most astonished to learn, as I understand was the custom, that when someone when to visit their family or friends, it would often be for a several weeks and even months at a time, as opposed to a day or two as is often seen in our present society. A story about love, friendship, morals but mostly, about the pride and prejudice of individuals from different societal statuses, Pride and Prejudice is a great novel.

If I am not mistaken, it is the first time that I find a movie better than the book from which it was derived. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely loved Pride and Prejudice the novel, but the movie was just something more. It made me appreciate even more how it was like in those days, and how civility and even marriage were considered as one's duty. The actors, costumes and decor were simply stunning. However, it is also the first time that I have watched a movie prior to read the novel used as inspiration for it, so perhaps that is another explanation of why I preferred the movie. As I was reading along in the book, I would think back to the corresponding scenes in the movie and unconsciously compare both, most times preferring the version from the movie.

I am looking forward to reading other novels by Jane Austen, expecting, or at least hoping, that they will be as good as this one.

My Rating: Terrible < Poor < Acceptable < Good < Very Good < Excellent