Lorayger
An important point before reading: This is an independent novel. But if you are interested in reading Robots series and Foundation series, definitely start with this one because its ending is the prologue (Check out the list on my profile for more info.)
Asimov wrote his stories mostly in dialogues. The process of his stories often feel like sitting on the edge of your seat in case of brilliant ideas and getting disturbed while reading about characteristics of men, descriptions of women and the whole relationships among characters. But also, when you tolerate and bite through to the end, the big relveals come flooding your way and sweep you off your feet. Maybe he thought that this kind of writing would make the modern reader give him a discount and ignore the fact that he had very weak characters, especially female ones.
In this novel, the story is not like a third person point of view, instead, we see everything through the eyes of Harlan, the main protagonist, who is separated from his time when he was 15, when was supposed to have puberty and learn about relationships and maybe even have sex. In Eternity, he only meets men because women are not allowed to work there. He is a virgin and as a Technician, he must conceal his emotions. Therefore, we get a typical male protagonist: sexist, arrogant, reactive, not handsome or charming at all. Just like how most of the audiences/readers were at the time. Those times were not the times where change for men was demanded. So, Asimov just did not try to complain about Harlan's behaviors and characteristics in the narrative or interrogate it. I think his way was very subtle and not for the average male reader who would worship him. Harlan gets told he has misunderstood many things, and he refuses to accept. Well, we don't expect him to change in the moment because he is a tool in this great plot, but I expected him to show some humane change at the end. What makes it worse is that a competent and beautiful woman like Noys, one of the very active roles of women in Asimov's stories, STILL falls in love with this Harlan. I know I am looking at this from a person's pov living in 2026 and has complains on this matter and women's roles. I am aware that most of male authors of that time wrote in this way and thus attracted the majority of people having similar point of views. I know many read his novels because of the science fiction parts but I don't believe that his sucking-at-writing-proper-human-relationships has not affected those readers' pov and/or worse, resonated with them. The ending is giving those virgin incels the hope and the fantasy, that no matter how not-handsome, unlikeable, unchangeable, aggressive and shitty they are, there will be a woman who is so perfect and is ready to leave everything from her time and home and be with them.
That aside, I love every bit about the sci-fi plot: Eternity, Reality, Reality possibilies, future possibilities and its knot to the greater Robot/Foundation series.
An important point before reading: This is an independent novel. But if you are interested in reading Robots series and Foundation series, definitely start with this one because its ending is the prologue (Check out the list on my profile for more info.)
Asimov wrote his stories mostly in dialogues. The process of his stories often feel like sitting on the edge of your seat in case of brilliant ideas and getting disturbed while reading about characteristics of men, descriptions of women and the whole relationships among characters. But also, when you tolerate and bite through to the end, the big relveals come flooding your way and sweep you off your feet. Maybe he thought that this kind of writing would make the modern reader give him a discount and ignore the fact that he had very weak characters, especially female ones.
In this novel, the story is not like a third person point of view, instead, we see everything through the eyes of Harlan, the main protagonist, who is separated from his time when he was 15, when was supposed to have puberty and learn about relationships and maybe even have sex. In Eternity, he only meets men because women are not allowed to work there. He is a virgin and as a Technician, he must conceal his emotions. Therefore, we get a typical male protagonist: sexist, arrogant, reactive, not handsome or charming at all. Just like how most of the audiences/readers were at the time. Those times were not the times where change for men was demanded. So, Asimov just did not try to complain about Harlan's behaviors and characteristics in the narrative or interrogate it. I think his way was very subtle and not for the average male reader who would worship him. Harlan gets told he has misunderstood many things, and he refuses to accept. Well, we don't expect him to change in the moment because he is a tool in this great plot, but I expected him to show some humane change at the end. What makes it worse is that a competent and beautiful woman like Noys, one of the very active roles of women in Asimov's stories, STILL falls in love with this Harlan. I know I am looking at this from a person's pov living in 2026 and has complains on this matter and women's roles. I am aware that most of male authors of that time wrote in this way and thus attracted the majority of people having similar point of views. I know many read his novels because of the science fiction parts but I don't believe that his sucking-at-writing-proper-human-relationships has not affected those readers' pov and/or worse, resonated with them. The ending is giving those virgin incels the hope and the fantasy, that no matter how not-handsome, unlikeable, unchangeable, aggressive and shitty they are, there will be a woman who is so perfect and is ready to leave everything from her time and home and be with them.
That aside, I love every bit about the sci-fi plot: Eternity, Reality, Reality possibilies, future possibilities and its knot to the greater Robot/Foundation series.