Out of the Silent Planet

Locations
Call Number: Adult Book / Fiction / Science Fiction / General / Lewis, C S.
On Shelf At: Pittsfield Branch

Location & Checkout Length	Call Number	Checkout Length	Item Status
Pittsfield Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Fiction / Science Fiction / General / Lewis, C S.	4-week checkout	On Shelf
Traverwood Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Fiction / Science Fiction / General / Lewis, C S.	4-week checkout	Due 05-13-2024

REVIEWS & SUMMARIES

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Excerpt
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COMMUNITY REVIEWS

Better than I remembered submitted by pkooger on January 31, 2011, 4:10pm I read this book for the first time when I was about 15 years old. I remember thinking it was very dry and more than a little dull. After having it show up on a few different reader's advisory lists that I subscribe to, I decided to try it again. I'm glad I did because I really enjoyed it this time! Lewis vividly describes the alien world and its three (well, four if you count the humans) major intelligent species, and their various personalities and cultures. I was surprised to learn that despite this being a relatively tiny book, many other science fiction writers have used Lewis's Malacandrian (Martian) species in their own stories of Mars. Apparently I'm not the only one who was fascinated by the world described in this book. A word of warning though; don't pick up this book if you are turned off by overt allegorical symbolism.

A Richly Painted Book submitted by thesrays on July 26, 2018, 3:23pm Lewis paints a rich picture of Malacandra and its inhabitants. He is very descriptive and colors the landscape with vivid word pictures until it almost seems that you have joined the main character on his amazing journey to Mars. Some may find it a bit slow, but I enjoyed the rich depth of description that Lewis puts into his book.

Beautiful, but Distant submitted by steeny17 on August 13, 2018, 9:51pm As always, Lewis conveys feeling and beauty with eloquence, but it lacks the emotional engagement of his other books. It's more about the plot than the growth of the characters, which was disappointing for me. Not bad, but easily my least favorite of his books/series.

Such a great read! submitted by inewton on July 8, 2019, 3:22pm This book was awesome; it's a great read for many ages and takes you on a really wonderful journey. The imagery is stunning and you really feel transported to Malacandra right along with Ransom and company. Can't wait to read the next installment.

Creative! submitted by KatieD on August 19, 2021, 11:46am I loved the Chronicles of Narnia as a kid so I was so excited that to learn that C.S. Lewis wrote an adult science fiction series. It has a bit of a slow start, and the science is definitely dated, but the story is really creative! Once it starts picking up, I became really engaged. There are some hilarious parts at the end too! I was cracking up reading it at the library.

Out of the Silent Planet submitted by leighsprauer on July 18, 2022, 1:15pm Lewis' Out of the Silent Planet is a short novel about a philologist, Ransom, who is abducted by two men and taken to Mars. Here they encounter various species of Martians, who, he is surprised to find out, are not only rational but can give insight to what are apparently universal philosophical and religious problems.

I admit that I started it with very little enthusiasm. I do not like most sci-fi novels (with the exception of some of Michael Crichton's, mainly because the 'sci' is biology and not astronomy), and I'm lukewarm at best about Lewis' fiction, or at least his fantasy. I read it solely based on the Simcha Fisher's essay about the Webb telescope images (https://www.simchafisher.com/2022/07/12/stars-thick-as-daisies-on-an-uncut-lawn/?fbclid=IwAR3vcoRDNJtejJpiDh1fDmiX4dkE_hQahNq5XQcwuqFRKK3iYZy064xh36c)
and honestly I don't know if I would have appreciated the book as much without her highlighting and interpretation of the passages about 'the heavens;' I may have just read them quickly without much thought had she not pointed out how glorious those descriptions are. For those alone, I would recommend the book.

Aside from that, the book is worthwhile in its exploration of anthropology, philosophy, religion, and true to Lewis form, sin and redemption. The Martians know Christ and God (although under different names), as well as angels, but live in a world without Satan or sin. (There is apparently no illness, and death occurs peacefully at a predetermined age for each person, although occasionally a person is killed by a wild animal. This, for me, raises a few questions that Lewis doesn't address.)