I do have to say that I wasn't surprised by the ending — and, yes, this is the time when those of you who don't want to be spoiled should probably move along. It is possible that this is the original of the "not dead! actually real!" surprise endings in the genre, but I had it figured out fairly early on that the old war hero, Mazer Rackham, was going to make an appearance as Ender's teacher and that the battle would be fought without Ender even knowing he was doing it. (This particular aspect in fact seems prescient, rather than dated, in an era where armies put out video games in the hope of enticing recruits.)
I actually liked this enough to read the sequels, which is high praise considering I read this book for SF literature context, rather than its own merits.
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.