First 50 pages of "The Cat Who Walks Through Walls" by Robert A. Heinlein

Few days ago I went to local library to select books to read. I had no particular idea which book to choose so I was browsing through shelves and after 15 minutes walking through book aisles I came to this book "The Cat Who Walks Through Walls" by Robert A. Heinlein (1985 ed).

I only read one other novel by Robert A. Heinlein (Stranger in a Strange Land, 1961 ed.) before and I liked it, so I thought this book will be interesting too.

I was mistaken. I only read first 50 pages of this novel and it was enough for me to give it up. First, its writing style is complex. It requires "too much attention" when reading. For sci-fi novel this type of writing is big no no, if you ask me.

Second, this is a sci-fi novel set in far future and still in one of the episodes about photo taking, the author could only imagine Polaroid/Kodak-type photography [when it takes few seconds/minutes for image to appear after camera shot]. Basically, Robert A. Heinlein's writing about photography in 1985 fails to anticipate that in very near future there will be a digital, truly instantaneous imaging capabilities available for usage.

These two factors were sufficient for me to say thanks and stop reading this novel. I am reading sci-fi novels for their simplicity in writing, for their fun [nice to have it] and for their breadth of imaginations, so when sci-fi novel lacks these components there is only one thing left to do.

David Usharauli
   

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