RAH Reading Group - The Moon is a Harsh Mistress

[Connavar]

Im reading this book again after having had problem with my first copy. Some of pages had words bleached out. Wierd for a new edition of the book.

A very good and interesting story. I adore Manny's wit and the way RAH writes all the characters.

One thing irks me on this cover i attached. Those things in the cover are Authority complexes like the one Mike is in or ships or something? I know Lunar City is underground if i understand early parts of the book correctly. It nags me like i missed something.

P.S have read only about 80 pages.

[Timewalker]

This particular cover makes it obvious that the artist did not read the story. I can't think of anything in this novel that would lead to such a visual depiction of what happened.

[Connavar]

Usually i dont care to look more than once at the cover. But i have trouble picturing the locations in the early parts of the book.

I understand they live underground and have to use P-suit to be in surface for travel or work right? . Why use p-suit at all if they live in underground city ? The bus ride Wye was talking about i geuss was on the surface cause of the suit and uncomfortableness.

The story ideas and everything is so well done that, i have only had trouble picturing the locations. RAH dont spend much time to describe the locations.

[ghost8772]

they are on the moon. most people wander around and work etc... in street clothes, but a number of people have p-suits, for work outside the domes, or for transit where their mode of transport has a danger of encountering vacuum. also in the event of bombardment style attack it is a prudent course to be somewhat immune to the effects of explosive decompression.

[j. d. worthington]

Not to mention that, in some newer parts of the city (or those under construction), there's the danger of 'quakes disrupting the seals, leaving an unsuited worker or inspector (or refugee?) slightly dead.....

[Connavar]

I have read 70% of the book now and RAH paints a clear picture of the locations later on. I picture that the domes are underground. Cause Manny told Stuart first time he met him, he will take him up on the surface to show their farming. Plus they talk about Tunnels like to talk about thier homes. Davis Tunnel and so on. Plus The Authority were talking about what will they do holed up in their holes?

I must say storywise its a book much more complex than my first book of him ST a juvie.

Mike,the revolution,line marrige,Luna costums,the judge system etc very complex and interesting thing.

I smiled at the idea that the women have all the power you cant touch a women just like that or you will get in trouble like Stuart the tourist almost getting eliminated.

[panopticon]

I'm about 1/3 of the way currently, with the cells getting well underway and Wyoh is living at Manny's family farm. I like the idea f the "line" marriage - took a moment to figure out how the structure worked. My only problem is, because of the RAH portray's Manny's speech, I keep hearing him in my head talkig like the guy off Rogue Traders doing his eastern european accent! A bit distracting...

[Connavar]

The russsian words confused the hell out me in the begining but you get used to it.

Heh took time for me to get the idea of line marriage too. It sounds like better to me for Luna people than the clan ones. I like it alot how they created thier own way of life. They didnt just translate Terran ways to Luna.

[ghost8772]

Heinlein plays fast and loose with marriages, like he was trying to think what the perfect marriage situation would be. another place where the other possible marriage motifs comes in is discussion in "Friday". my take on the layout of (yikes too long since I've read) Johnson City(?) was the old dome (which was built as habitation) then the warrens were dug from there.

[j. d. worthington]

Actually, various types of marriages play a large role in many of Heinlein's works, from Methuselah's Children on. Relationships, love, the differing sexual roles, were all things he found endlessly fascinating, and explored in throughout his career, in part because of his own personal views and relationships, and in part simply because he (quite rightly) felt that they are extremely important parts of the human experience....

[Connavar]

I think that is very refreshing cause many of the SF i have read old and new dont think marriages,relationship realistic ones,sexual roles etc arent so important.

Its good to see a story that focus on things like that. Looking forward to see what he will do witht the theme in his other books.

[panopticon]

Well I finished the book last night - an excellent read Loved all the section with Manny and the Prof on Terra - especially being arrested for Polygamy!

Maybe it's because I'm a girl, but I found the end truly sad

[Connavar]

Hey im a guy and the end made me really sad.

I didnt know you could feel loss for a computer like i did in the end of this book.

What happened to Prof in thier moment of glory, what happned to poor Mike. How the Yammerheads never listened to the many good ideas of Prof for the goverment instead just created a new version of what they fought to get free from.

Amazing book, i liked Mike,Manny,Prof most. The trip to Terra and the planning for War after it till the end of the war was my fav of the book.


Manny said it best : " Seems to be a deep instinct in human beings for making everything compulsory that isnt forbidden"

[panopticon]

One thing that really impressed me was the depiction of the battles at the end; a lot of space battles etc can get bogged down in the details and read off as a report. But these were very immediate, and really carried you along with the fear that the surface had been breached, no one was ready, and everybody fought... very stirring stuff.

[Connavar]

Yeah Heinlein is good at scenes like that. To make you feel the emotions of the battle scenes. Not the glory of heroes and action but real people fighting and dying.

I remember ST and the battles against the bugs, heck it felt like the bugs was coming to surface under my feet :P

I have read some great SF writers that cant write action or battles scenes well.