Ender's Game

I wasn't so sure about this one until I got about halfway through it. I was having difficulty seeing past the characters ages and felt like maybe Ender in particular was just a little too conveniently genius y'know? “Oh of course he understands this while nobody else does, he's the main character after all and only gets bullied for being so smart and perfect.”

Once I hit 50% though, something clicked and I could kind of resonate with the kid. Sure he didn't struggle in class but he struggled in practically every other factor imaginable. Constantly pushed, stressed, moved around and away from any friends he finally managed to make and into the arms of some new bully. Suffering from isolation, from nightmares and dark thoughts of becoming just like his brother, always being younger and weaker than everyone else and looked down on, he actually went through a lot more than I initially gave him credit for.

The last quarter of this book wouldn't let me put it down and I was thrilled with how everything turned out. Incredibly satisfying ending in my mind and will really sit with me even after I read several other stories. Originally I thought of putting this one down or finishing it just to give it over star but I'm so so glad I sat it out, this is probably one of my favorite reads now!

I listened to the audiobook version. This book was so engrossing that I actually looked forward to my commute where I could listen undisturbed. In many ways, it felt like watching a (good) movie. I really enjoyed the characters of Ender and Valentine. The ending is superb. However, conquering the world via blogging is a little silly, but I'm willing to accept it as having been believable in 1994. Having read [b:Speaker for the Dead 7967 Speaker for the Dead (Ender's Saga, #2) Orson Scott Card https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1295660894s/7967.jpg 2327777], I can see that everything in this book is necessary to build up to Speaker for the Dead, which is an even better novel.

It's hard for me to put into words how powerfully I love this book. It is not an easy read, but it is a meaningful and engaging read. I just finished listening to the audiobook (brilliantly voice acted). I was completely drawn into the world and characters. I felt as Ender felt. I cried deeply and felt a dull ache. It was the kind of book that bothers you in exactly the right way to make it unforgettable and an instant favorite. I love this novel.

Amazing book. Another SF classic that passed me by when I should have read it. Having finally done so with the perspective of an educator who has spent her entire adult life learning how to work with young minds, I'm deeply impressed by Card's impression of them. The children in the story all feel like very real children despite their intellectual advantages. Real children who have seen and experienced far more than they are supposed to have done. The idea of applying playground psychology to interstellar war is absolutely brilliant, and I understand why this book is as famous as it is. Not sure if I'll get to the sequels. There are a lot of them and my catch-up list is very long, but even without them ths book holds its own.

Many people* (men) have recommended this to me as their favorite book — emphatically, as it shaped their worldview — so even though I typically don't like science fiction, I thought I might enjoy this one. Wrong!In fact, I struggled to finish and skimmed most of the last 50 pages. I know this is a young adult book from the ‘70s but my god is it sexist. Only a precious few girls (only one mentioned) make it into this school, presumably because they aren't good at strategy and math. And the most fleshed-out female character of the book, Valentine, is of course portrayed as beautiful and selfless and ultimately powerless, the way every man would imagine a perfect woman to be. *vomit Also anyone else feel like Ender's relationship with his sister was a sub for a romantic plot line and maybe just a little messed up? Maybe?

Not only that, but I'm supposed to buy into the fact that this kid has these kind of mature, nuanced thoughts as a 6-10 year old? I get the whole precocious kid thing, but that's been done in fantasy books a million times over and far more believably. Just because it's sci-fi or fantasy shouldn't mean I have to suspend belief. If kids in this world (presumably ours, in the future) are that fucking smart, you need to make me REALLY believe that. Whereas to me it felt ridiculous.

That and the plot just dragged on through tons of dumb battles. It was like reading a play-by-play of action scenes, or watching different levels of a video game. Which I truly don't give a shit about. I'm just not compelled by battle/action scenes. Not in movies, not in books. They have no substance for me. And the characters were just as flat — no growth, no development (which maybe makes sense if you have the internal life of a 50 year old man as an elementary school child? Like what the heck!).

Oh and lest I forget the dialogue! Just terrible.

Anyways I can see how a middle school boy would eat this up but as a grown woman, I think this is a pretty terrible book.

2/5 stars

Though I finished Ender's Game three days ago, it feels like ages since I read it. In all honestly, I finished this book while curled up in a chair at the library, where the only sound was the ocassional footsteps and the birds flapping past the windows. So when I think of Ender's Game, I think of the peacefulness that I felt as I read the last 50 pages or so. And it isn't a feeling most people would get when reading this kind of book, but in all honestly this wasn't quite the book for me.

I'm not a heavy science fiction fan, and most of this book felt like the exact same scenes over and over again. I grew tired of the consistency and the blatant hints of the author's personal beliefs. Also the lack of strong female characters really left a hole in this book that was impossible to fill. I understand why this book is so loved, but it's just not my kind of book. I only read this book because I loved the movie, and honestly I think I might actually prefer the movie.

i nearly stopped reading this because of how Petra was mistreated. The parts with the siblings and the nets were so ... boring. i felt like they really didn't add much to the story. i did enjoy this book though and it was miles better than the lost gate and it's sequel.
i didn't feel much for ender, he's very ‘Gary stu' which makes it a little hard to root for him. i wish there were more between him and his buddies at school to make us feel something. The scene with alai really stands out in my mind, it was very touching. i wish the other kids (and even ender, lbr) had more personality. i noticed this in his other books but characters, especially children, seem to be very one dimensional
and the ending... HMMMMM
i will need to digest this a bit more to see how i feel about it... i think it's a 3.5

Ender's Game was the first true book I've ever read. It made me want to read more books, where previously I had no interest. I couldn't possibly imagine how could there be a story so good, and I was not aware of it.

Although not heavy on Science Fiction, it also surprised me that I could be interested in a genre other than Fantasy.

Ender is an intelligent and reasonable character. The book does not offend your intelligence with stupid situations

I first read this book 6 years ago, and then re-read it to find out what I missed the first time after hearing so many people citing it as a great work of science fiction. I don't get it. While it was entertaining enough to hear about the innovative and creative tactics for me make it to the end twice without rejecting it, I was annoyed the entire time.

First problem, a minor one, is the clunky and trite dialogue. Especially the dialogues at the beginnings of the chapter. They made my eyes roll. “Is that an order?”

Bigger problem: I don't care how precocious a six year old is. He's not going to act like the kids in this book. I was looking for ways to give the author the benefit of the doubt. Perhaps they're not human? Maybe their ages aren't being measured in earth years? No. Kids don't act like this. Not even if you put them in situations like in the book. I never bought it, and that doubt stayed with me through the whole book.

Ender's game is a book that is simple in its language, and grand in its story. Ender is the protagonist in a world where an alien invasion (in 2 phases) has shaped the outlook on the world. Fear of a third invasion shapes the world in a unique political reality: unity among the nations with one common enemy: the buggers.
The story revolves mostly about a young boy (Andrew “Ender” Wiggins) that is broken down again and again to be used as the ultimate weapon in the fight against these aliens.

The book really excels in hooking the readers and creating sympathy for the empathetic and strong Ender. A riveting read that you will devour in no time.

The only thing that confounded me was the intelligence of all the Wiggins children. Where did it come from? From the story it seems that the father is a daft simpleton, and the mother is not really a very important character.

I'll leave you with this beautiful quote:
In the moment when I truly understand my enemy, understand him well enough to defeat him, then in that very moment I also love him.

[Audio book]

3.8 stars

Actually looked forward to all commute this past week because I'd listen to this. Starts to decline after 70% though. Would have loved to see more of the Demosthenes/Locke storyline - it's introduced yet hardly built upon.

Found the author's note at the end very engaging as he talks about the origins of the story.

This was really good book with a very interesting turn that you don't expect. I did find it a bit hard to remember that this is a young boy that is the main character. But then I remind myself that he is considered a prodigy. His manner of speaking is so adult as is many of the boys around him. Some are childish and bullyish which brings you right back to the age level that they are. When I found out that they were actually doing real war games against an enemy was dumbfounded and then understood why they were so hard on Ender. But I felt so sorry for him for he had no childhood.