Story: 8 / 10
Characters: 8
Setting: 8
Prose: 8 ( )

This is the first Card I have read and I don't know anything about him, also I didn't realise this was third in a trilogy so could read this as a stand alone. The narrative is fairly compelling but the characters could be filled out more. The more philosophical aspects of the novel are mixed. His only measure of the worth of people seems to be achievement and that, he seems to think, can only be in the face of pain and suffering. I don't think either of these views holds up to scrutiny. And his portrayal of belief as purely a phenomenon of ignorance and mythology is poorly thought through. All in all, a mixed bag with some interest but overall disappointing. 15 May 2019. ( )

I am a huge Orson Scott Card fan. Ender’s Game is one of my “desert island” books. I’ve had this one on my shelf for years and never got around to reading it until NetGalley had the e-book up for review. Getting to read Card on my phone during my daughter’s soccer practice is my idea of a good time!

This is not one of my favorite Card books, to be honest. It’s just a little bit difficult to follow as we jump back and forth from Lared’s life to Jason’s memories—or his memories of the memories of others. (See what I mean?) I feel like Lared is rather poorly treated by Jason’s need to tell his story and “make things right”—although I completely agree with the decision that Jason and Justice make.

As so frequently happens with Card, this is more than a simple SF story. It deals with deep philosophical principles, like whether we can fully live if we constantly protected from pain and sadness. Latter-day Saints will recognize what Card talks about pretty quickly; those without the insight into LDS theology will still understand the principles in play.

Possible Objectionable Material:
Some violence perpetrated by people on each other, and accidental, such as falling into a fire. It’s science fiction—if you don’t like speculation on what the future could be like, don’t read this. A man is considered to be a god—could be disturbing to those who are strong in their beliefs that no other God can be considered other than the One God. Some people don’t like Card on principle, because of some rather politically charged statements he has made in the past.

Who Might Like This Book:
SF fans. Those who like to explore philosophical principles. There are strong female characters, but they are bystanders, not focal points.

Thank you, NetGalley, for finally getting me to read this one, even if I didn’t love it. ( )

The Worthing Chronicle by Orson Scott Card is a recommended, maybe highly, 3rd book in his original Worthing series. This title was originally published in 1983 and is now available as an eBook.

Lared is a sixteen year old boy who was there, along with his family, to experience the Day of Pain, the day everyone in his small village lost the outside protection of what some called angels and now experience pain. It is the day his grandmother, who had been dead and buried for a year, was found dead again in her bed. There were three deaths that day, a noteworthy occurrence anyway, but it is unbelievable that one was a strong man and another was a child. They both should have had years to live. Whatever happened that day, now people can experience anger, pain, minor cuts, burns and major injuries. Whatever protected them has left.

The Scribe who was staying at their family's inn and kicked by his mule is also dying. Before he dies, he gives his books to Lared, an amazing event and one that is mocked by his mother. It is also the day that the mysterious Jason and Justice arrived on the planet and approached Lared. The visitors speak to Lared and his little sister in their minds. Only Jason learns their language. As Jason works alongside Lared, he instructs Lared that Justice will send him a story in Lared's dreams, Jason's story, that Lared is to faithfully write down.

There are interesting ideas here that could be expounded upon to make a more complete novel, but The Worthing Chronicle itself reads more like a collection of short stories that are amassed to make a novel. It might make a difference if you were to read the whole Worthing Saga rather than this third installment of the story. Some of the stories in the second half are more engaging than others. A solid 3.5 stars. It is interesting that those who know the Book of Mormon can see a heavy influence from it on this novel.

Disclosure: My Kindle edition was courtesy of Endeavour Press via Netgalley for review purposes.

http://shetreadssoftly.blogspot.com/2016/03/the-worthing-chronicle.html ( )

As an avid fan of Orson Scott Card, this one has been in my library for a bit. The Memory of Earth Series was perhaps my least favorite of the works I have read to date (albeit, I don't consider his Mormon History pieces among the works I consider when I think of his name. _The Worthing Chornicle_ felt much like that series to me. Earth-that-was is no more. Earth-that-has-become has a series of downfalls that will be its undoing.

The recovery for this book is the path of the God figure, the prophet figure, and the scribe, and how these three individuals mesh to create one story that has the potential to live on.

The reason this gets a fairly low ranking for me is that it is an uneven novel. Pieces of the story are complete and detailed. Others are lacking. Others are too long-winded and almost lose me completely.

As is often the case with OSC, I have to wonder if this was supposed to be a series, and just never took off the way he had hoped. ( )