Stranger In A Strange Land
March 14, 1986
A review of "Stranger In A Strange Land" by Robert Heinlein.
Copyright © 1998 Property of Deborah K. Fletcher. All rights reserved.
Stranger in a Strange Land was published by Berkley Books of New York. It was originally published in 1961, and the fifty-fourth printing was in September of 1981.
Stranger in a Strange Land is a fururistic, Earth-based, science fiction novel which addresses socio-political issues of this age.
The main theme of this novel is that different races of humanity are basically alike, and they are capable of understanding each other and sharing each others' cultures.
The theme is presented by a man of human lineage and Martian rearing. This man, Valentine Michael Smith, is cast into Earth society in a bustling period little more than a quarter of a century after the founding of the first human colony on Luna.
Due to having an evolutionary cycle completely different from that of Earth, the Martians have skills, customs, myths, and societies vastly different from those of their human neighbors. Naturally, the orphaned Valentine, known as Mike, is taught the Martian way. Therefore, when he begins to associate with Earth-humans, he is very different from them.
As Mike learns to think in English, he begins to teach his friends, Jill, Jubal, Anne, Dorcas, and Miriam, to think in Martian. Thus do they discover that Mike's metaphysical "miracles," such as levitation and a method of disposing of items, consisting of turning them ninety degrees from everything, are simple techniques which he learned as an infant. He teaches the techniques to his friends, and the two alien cultures begin to merge.
Robert Heinlein's style of writing is, in my opinion, superb. He combines elements of political intrigue, familiar family life, the political and economic aspects of college admissions, social satire, and the Crucifixion to produce a well-rounded story with vivid scenes and characters who feel like old friends. Even the "bad guys" are not all bad; in several cases they are so likeable that it is difficult to tell whether they might not be intended heros.
Stranger in a Strange Land is written in a third person perspective. It permits the reader to form conclusions according to thoughts and moods, as well as dialogue.
The dialogue, in keeping with other aspects of the book, is generally superb. It is stilted only when the speaker intends that it be so. Otherwise, slang, colloquialisms, conversational metaphors, and standard hyperboles are used, and are seasoned with a liberal sprinkling of subtle - or sometimes not so subtle - statements about religion, politics, government, colleges, and other usually taboo topics. Also, the characters each have particular mannerisms of speech which add to their realism.
The satire in Stranger in a Strange Land is presented subtly, with one exception: Jubal E, Harshaw, LL.B., M.D., Sc.D., bon vivant, gourmet, sybarite, popular author extraordinary, and neo-pessimist philosopher. This unique character is not afraid to speak his mind, and does so on numerous occasions. The most memorable and significant of these instances involve doctorates, the concept of gratitude, table manners as applied to cannibalism (and vice-versa), religion, and politics.
Jubal Harshaw's view of doctorates is:
... when they began handing out doctorates for comparative folk dancing and advanced fly fishing, I became too stinkin' proud to use the title. I won't touch watered whiskey and take no pride in watered-down degrees.
This is clearly a small satirization of the degrees handed out today, though slightly exaggerated - very slightly.
Jubal's view of gratitude is:
Now let's get something straight: you are not in my debt. Impossible - because I never do anything I don't want to. Nor does anyone, but in my case I know it.... next you will be trying to feel gratitude - and that is the treacherous first step toward moral degradation.... "Gratitude" is a euphemism for resentment.... The Japanese have five ways to say "thank you" - and every one translates as resentment, in various degrees.... English can define sentiments that the human nervous system is incapable of experiencing. "Gratitude," for example.
This is not satire, strictly speaking, but it is a definite and significant statement about the human condition, which becomes satire when considered in all seriousness.
In attempting to explain religions to Mike, who has no cultural basis for any concept of "religion," Jubal touches on two standard religious topics, with little success. His view of Creation is not a quote from Jubal, but from the narration:
He decided to try another approach; God the Creator was not the aspect of Deity to use as an opening - Mike did not grasp the idea of Creation. Well, Jubal wasn't sure that he did, either - long ago he had made a pact with himself to postulate a created Universe on even-numbered days, a tail-swallowing eternal-and-uncreated Universe on odd-numbered days - since each hypothesis, whole paradoxical, avoided the paradoxes of the other - with a day off each leap year for sheer solipsist debauchery.
He said, on the topic of Truth:
... each religion claims to be truth, claims to speak rightly. Yet their answers are as different as two hands and seven hands. Fosterites say one thing, Buddhists say another, Moslems yet another - many answers, all different.
On the topic of Creation, I feel that Jubal's theory for handling the theories is quite sensible. It seems to be the only way to handle many explanations of the same thing. This ties in his statement about religious Truth; all religions claim to be right, but who is? Truth is the basis of facts, which produce and support truths. Therefore, I find that this cycle is either completely self-perpetuating or completely self-destructive.
The types of settings shuttle between hostile and salutary. The characters produce their own havens out of hostile places by filling them with people who believe as they do, and who are willing and able to love each other fully, regardless of conventional standards.
All settings, hostile or otherwise, contribute to Mike's progression toward maturity as a human. He learns from every situation, and cherishes even the bad things as part of his growing.
The tone of Stranger in a Strange Land is neither overly formal nor overly familiar. It is a comfortable tone, which allows the mind to form images as the reader absorbs the words.
The pace is swift, but not so swift that the reader gets lost. It moves along, allowing neither boredom nor high blood pressure. The story flows smoothly, and all aspects are linked together to avoid juts and jars.
Most of Heinlein's more colorful phrases are within the dialogue. His infrequent use of them elsewhere is refreshing, as they would saturate the work and make the reader feel bogged down.
I feel that this book was well worth reading, to the point where I have read it several times. Although it becomes predictable with multiple readings, it is always enjoyable. I, personally, plan to read it many more times.
I have great admiration for Robert Heinlein, which has increased since reading Stranger in a Strange Land. It is his crowning glory, far overreaching such of his novels as The Star Beast and The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag.
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