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A review by imrehg
The Caves of Steel by Isaac Asimov
4.0
The books [a:Isaac Asimov|16667|Isaac Asimov|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1286862859p2/16667.jpg] belong to my high school years, when with a group of friends read and discussed a lot of them. I do think they formed my way of thinking a lot.
Now re-reading after about 15 years. I think I look at it now with completely different ises. I cannot remember any of the storylines, really, or many almost any details for that. But things still feel familiar. Also, this time I'm not reading it in translation but in original language. And with the times have passed, now I have more knowledge and experience to put the book more into context.
When I first read this book, it was "just" a great story. Now I put it more in the context of how the world looked in the 1950s when it was written, and also look at how far we have came. The world of 2011 in some ways more futuristic than this book. In some other ways it is just as "modern", with the wrongs sides of modernity.
Many accuse Asimov of being too simple, for me the world in this novel invited that simplicity, with the complexity lurking just below the surface just like in the story. One can read it literally as a murder mystery, or as an almost pure utopia. I think, in a way The Caves of Steel is on par with [b:Brave New World|5129|Brave New World|Aldous Huxley|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1165517734s/5129.jpg|3204877], and will definitely go to re-read that one after this.
Now re-reading after about 15 years. I think I look at it now with completely different ises. I cannot remember any of the storylines, really, or many almost any details for that. But things still feel familiar. Also, this time I'm not reading it in translation but in original language. And with the times have passed, now I have more knowledge and experience to put the book more into context.
When I first read this book, it was "just" a great story. Now I put it more in the context of how the world looked in the 1950s when it was written, and also look at how far we have came. The world of 2011 in some ways more futuristic than this book. In some other ways it is just as "modern", with the wrongs sides of modernity.
Many accuse Asimov of being too simple, for me the world in this novel invited that simplicity, with the complexity lurking just below the surface just like in the story. One can read it literally as a murder mystery, or as an almost pure utopia. I think, in a way The Caves of Steel is on par with [b:Brave New World|5129|Brave New World|Aldous Huxley|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1165517734s/5129.jpg|3204877], and will definitely go to re-read that one after this.