The Longest Way Home - Robert Silverberg Book Review

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Review Summaries

" Eos, Jul 2002, 25.95, 294 pp. ISBN: 038097858X Fifteen years old Joseph Keilloran has lived a life of privilege with his destiny of one-day becoming the Master of House Keilloran. Currently Joseph is ten thousand miles from home visiting relatives at Getfen House when a massive civil uprising occurs against the local Masters. Bewildered by the uprising of the Folk, Joseph feels foolishly safe since he belongs to another House far distant from the revolution led by estate Foreman Jakirrod. Chambermaid Thustin persuades Joseph to flee if he wants to live because Jakirrod's followers are killing all the Masters and anyone loyal to them. Joseph treks through a wilderness that is as alien to him as anything he has encountered, but he knows that if Jakirrod's troops find him he is dead. The youth struggles to find food and shelter in the wilds after spending his life always being pampered and served. He meets strange beings, traveling THE LONGEST WAY HOME in order to survive. Though he offers nothing radically new, Robert Silverberg provides science fiction fans with an exciting coming of age adventure with a teen hero who must adapt 180 degrees if he is to survive his quest home. The story line is action-packed and provides just enough description and references to support the alien life forms that Joseph will encounter on his journey. This epic trek will please the myriad of Mr. Silverberg's fans while sending new readers on a trek to find other novels by one of the genre's Masters. Harriet Klausner

Crested sapwood supportable noradrenaline runout. "
Harriet Klausner, Resident Robert Silverberg 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 - 50%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 30%
Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 10%

Tone of book - suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION? - fantasy world/fantasy past
Coming of age Yes
Youngster becomes - an adult (general)
Explore/1st contact/ enviro story Yes
Plotlets: - surviving natural elements on planet - roaming fantasy world, battling hostile monsters
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book

Main Character
Identity: - Male
Profession/status: - champion of justice
Age: - a teen
How sensitive is this character? - middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Strong but gentle sense of humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - average physique

Main Adversary
Identity: - society

Setting
A substantial portion of this book takes place on a non-Earth planetary body: - humans in a futuristic society - very controlled society
Planet outside solar system? Yes

Style
Person? - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment
scientific jargon? (SF only) - a fair amount of scientific explanation
How much dialogue? - significantly more dialog than descript

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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).

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