It's probably because of these ideas that I was most interested in Admiral Graff, of all the characters in the book. (Most interesting moment: When Valentine is questioning him, and he begins to explain, before declaring "I don't have to defend myself to you.") Ender was like tofu; his point was to pick up the flavours of the environment. This meant that all of the secondary characters in the book are the ones with quirks and pasts and personalities. Most of these are left undeveloped (though I hear that some of the unanswered questions are answered in the sequels) but the hints we get about them make them intriguing. How did Graff wind up where he did?; he seems as ambivalent as me, and I know I am not general material. And then there is Bean; what makes Bean so plucky? (This question, I know, is answered in the sequels.)
While many of the secondary characters are intriguing, I have to admit that I was somewhat uninterested in the subplot involving Ender's Battle School reject siblings, Peter and Valentine. Woven in among the scenes at the school, we see the Peter hatching a plan to manipulate the political climate and Valentine (one of two characters with clunky signposts for names, kept company by Ender's first friend, Alai) follows along in spite of her initial misgivings. Was this subplot simply designed to set up a sequel or is there a point that I missed? The only thing I took away from it was maybe that if you have the skills, and they aren't harnessed by something like the military, you will find a way to use them on your own?
Battle School is a formidable training ground, full of careful manipulation in the name of creating great soldiers. One of the main training methods is through what are, essentially, virtual reality games. This is the kind of speculative technology that can quickly make a book seem dated. Ender's Game does not suffer that problem, however. It's been 20 years since the book was published and the technology still holds up, although some of the politics in the book are frozen in the Cold War era. Still, the political references are never so much to make the book feel old. I never had flashbacks to the 80s as I read.
Article comments
1 - Gordon Hauptfleisch
Wonderfully-written review--cohesive, insightful.
2 - Vern Halen
Theh two parallel Ender series are endlessly diverting. The first folllows Ender as an adult into his future, where via the processes of relativity he has aged 20 years while his society has aged thousands, and he gets to see his childhood as a historical event.
The second series picks up right where Ender's Game finishes, and focuses on his battle school comrades, particularly Bean.
Card's a great writer - might even be remembered as one when all's said and done.
3 - Madison
Hi my name is Madison and I go to a high school located in San Diego. I had the opportunity to read the novel, Ender's Game, because it was mandatory for my English class. I assure to you that I am a credible student qualified to comment on this particular book because I have read and overall evaluated it along with my classmates.
Every one person has his or her own opinion on different books, in general. I for one, had both likes and dislikes on Ender's Game. I liked this book because it was an easy read, very interesting, and understandable. For example, when Card wrote scenes about Ender winning battles with his army, it was so easy to paint that picture in your mind, to understand the scenario. However, there were a few dislikes about the book as well, and that was because it was a sci-fi. I don't normally like sci-fi books because of the fact that its not real; and compared to a non-fictional or even a fictional book, it makes it harder to relate to in the real world.
I postulate that Orson Scott Card paced his book smoothly and evenly. There were a few chapters that were a bit lengthy but only to help keep the reader guessing and wanting more. Once you got into this book, it seems as if you didn’t ever want to put it down. And this only made it that more enjoyable to read. The characters kept a stable personality in which concluded in more of a boring connection to the audience. So the audience always knew how each character would react before it happened. Take Valentine for instance, people are always saying how she is so sweet and thoughtful. I would say that I somewhat resemble her because I am always trying to be nice to others and put them before myself. Valentine is a caring character who is polite to everyone she spends time with, especially Ender.
Card explicably uses many literary techniques in his novel to help emphasize meanings. One obvious technique is incluing, which he describes a different world other than Earth, where Ender goes to battle school. Throughout the story people, like Graff, are constantly saying how Ender is their only hope for killing the buggers and being the best soldier ever; this is the hyperbole technique. Card also shows some personification for the buggers; even though they are aliens, they have emotions of how their entire species will become extinct. In addition, Card uses a lot of conflict, especially with Ender and Peter; who are competitive brothers who always fight.
I am sure that many people would love this book. But specifically I believe Card targets kids who love science fiction, who are into "fighting off bad guys." Also it could be intended for those who are unsure of themselves and need better self-security; finding out who they are and what they will become in life. I think people who won't like it are those that dislike the imaginary and futuristic approach in books. There is a lot of violence in this book, so if you don’t like aggression, then you wouldn’t like it; but also this is a warning to parents of allowing or disallowing their kids of reading this particular novel.
4 - Adam
The enemy's gate is down.
5 - Dave
To say the least, this is my favorite book. It is an action packed book that will keep you guessing. I first read this book when I was 12 and loved it, I'm not sure if I fully understood the meaning behind it, but after 2 years of reading this book I finally understand it. Like I said before, my favorite book.