science fiction

Limbo - Bernard Wolfe Book Review

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"Limbo"
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Review Summaries
"Martine returns from self-imposed exile after the end of a World War to find that his cynical and satirical musings about society in his diary have been used as a blueprint for the rebuilt society. Disarmament has been taken literally with men volunteering to have one or more limbs amputated. This movement has split into two factions: one which remains helpless - paraded in baby carridges by their wives or mothers; another that replaces me missing limbs with more powerful artificial limbs. Martime finds himself the hero and founder of a society he finds despicable, and one which is restarting the Cold war that led up to the last one, with each side trying to use him for its own ends."
S2124C, Resident Bernard Wolfe Scholar


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Overall Review
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot

Composition of Book
Descript. of chases or violence - 10%
planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 10%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 50%
Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 30%




Tone of book - cynical or dry-wit
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION? - science fiction story
Repressive society story Yes
Repressive because: - strict rationing of freedoms/goods
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Who's a slave/repressed? - men are slaves

Main Character
Identity: - Male
Profession/status: - doctor
Age: - 40's-50's
Eccentric: Yes
How sensitive is this character? - middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - average physique

Main Adversary
Identity: - society
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - throughout most of the book.
How sensitive is this character? - mean, arrogant

Setting
Takes place on Earth? Yes

Style
Person? - mostly 1st
Accounts of torture and death? - explicit references to torture
scientific jargon? (SF only) - a lot of techical jargon
Sex in book? Yes
What kind of sex: - use of artificial tools
How much dialogue? - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).
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