Interesting story

Am I getting so picky that when I have such a brilliantly written, fascinating, page-turning read, I only recommend it for my school bookshelf and not higher because it wasn't as good as the one that came before it? Or, if I'm going to put it that way, I even agree with the way the story turned out all the way through, and I wouldn't change anything of it; yet I still demote it from the shelf that its predecessor earned? The simple answer: yes, yes I am getting that picky. But let me get something straight: as far as I'm concerned Orson Scott Card and George Orwell are the two smartest writers of our modern times. I've yet to read any author that can truly reveal the innermost workings of the human mind better than they can (if you've read my reviews of their other works, you're probably tired of hearing me say just that thing ... but it's so true and it amazes me each time that I have to keep on repeating it). This book is no exception, and if I were to compare it to any other author in any other genre, or having read it as a stand alone, it would probably receive much higher praise from me. But I am not so blessed in my view. I read the first book in the series, and I've read plenty of other Card books, so I am a bit jaded. Yet, I still recommend it. The situations are really interesting, the twists and turns exciting, the discussions are very sophisticated, and in the end, the story wraps up in a compelling and appropriate finale. Probably the reason that it feels a bit anticlimactic is that it is a middle book in a five book series (I believe). Also, while the situations were interesting and discussions sophisticated, that is about all the story offered. There was a whole lot less action that this book offered than the first one. I like an intelligent discussion as much as the next academic, but hey, give me the chases, close calls, and physical action in-between to keep me jumping from one scene to the next (I'm somewhat shallow that way, I know). Undoutedly, I will pick up the third book in this series, and for more reasons than just the fact that it says "ships" in the title (though that, alone, would be reason enough for me).

P.S. There are a few scenes, perhaps one in particular, that are as such that I would only recommend this story for a more mature audience.

So...I didn't listen to the first part, but it was still entertaining enough...big picture revalations inserted fairly regularly into a decent plot.

Enjoyable enough to listen to, but I won't be looking for more, and happy not to have read it.

I was disappointed in this installation in the series. Although it had an unexpected ending, I feel like a lot of the plot points dragged on for WAY too long without resolution. Several themes became painfully repetitive (such as the brothers all hating the main character, constantly trying to kill him or undermine him purely out of spite or jealousy. These repetitive scenes quickly made the overall story arc much less enjoyable in my opinion.

I think that Card could have easily condensed the first 2 books in this series into one book; about half this book could have been removed and it wouldn't have affected the general plot at all.

I really did not like the story. I had to stop reading it. The series is just a fantastical account of the Book Mormon stories. Not my thing, even though Card is an amazing author. He should stick to more "Ender" books.

Reasonably entertaining and thought provoking. Interesting concepts laced with pretty typical sub-plots.

Cabe decir que me gusto más que el anterior por el hecho de que todo el marco de la historia ya está definido y esto da lugar a que el libro pueda centrarse en la trama y su desarrollo. Más que nada porque es esta ocasión entra en juego un nuevo personaje que toma un papel central en la historia y complica las cosas tanto para el Oversoul como para sus elegidos. Sin hablar de que llega a las puertas de Basillica a la cabeza de un ejército.
Continúo recomendando esta saga.

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Card's world building on Harmony continues in his second book of the Homecoming series. The Call of Earth starts immediately where The Memory of Earth left off. Basilica, the city of women, is breaking with Wetchik in his self exile, Gaballufix's death at the hands of Nafai, and Gaballufix's militia beginning to rebel against an order that has been in the city for centuries. Along comes a "hero" who is there to clam this storm but really to make Basilica his own.

In this book the main character of Nafai plays not a lesser role but is written about less than the previous book. The Call of Earth focuses more on the Wetchik's family ties and other surrounding characters that the Oversoul is affecting to accomplish its plans for a return to Earth.

The Call of Earth is the direct continuation of The Memory of Earth. It continues to use the Oversoul as a stand in for God. Card does a great job showing the struggles that a person has with God and the questions a person asks in times of happiness and in times of sadness. Ultimately I think that one of Card's messages in the book is that you cannot escape the will of God even if you defy God.

Reread 12-12-2009. As with book #1, was fixated and devoured it, and (much more unusually for any book) was constantly impatient throughout any activity of the day to get back to it.

Possibly most of the original three I read as a pre-teenager (I could bear to read #4 and #5 until I was older; I found them threatening just from the back blurbs) I think I missed the most in the first read, maybe even skipped things which I now find amazing and riveting.



Reread 06-28-2011

n  n    n  n

After being so disappointed with n  The Memory of Earthn, I'm surprised I gave the second volume in the Homecoming series a chance. I figured Orson Scott Card could have got things on track by this book, getting rid of all the unnecessary fluff and useless ramblings. Instead, The Call of Earth made it clear to me that I will not be continuing this series. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.

I think part of the problem with this series is how it's written. Having recently read an eye-opening book on identifying "Show versus Tell," it shocked me how much of this book was written with "Tell" language. Granted, a lot of science fiction and fantasy books have to do this to explain interesting magic or technologies. The Call of Earth, however, spent another whole book stuck in this pseudo-Roman society that most people can easily visualize. I'm still convinced he threw this series together to meet a deadline, because it has never felt that inspired.

What's most frustrating is knowing that it could be better. I was expecting this book to be about leaving their planet in search of Earth. Instead, they merely talked about it for 10 hours. None of the characters stood out to me, and whatever plot was there was so forgettable, I don't even care to look up what it was. I get that not every author is going to have all their books be amazing or thought-provoking. But two in a row doesn't give me much hope that the other three books in this series will be any better.

Another disappointing entry in Card's Homecoming series, I give The Call of Earth 2.0 stars out of 5.
 

Well...I didn't even finish this book. A little too graphic and icky for me and my sensitive spirit. I thought that of the first book too but it's my secret crush - why would he ever write something that would hurt me like this??? Why Orson, WHY!?!?!?!? Plus - it's a little weird to read something that I love reading in the Book of Mormon. Hmmmm...Needless to say, I will not be finishing this series. Oh Orson.

The second volume in Card's Homcoming series about the events on planet Harmony. Macropolitical struggles between different cities are matched by micropersonal intrigues, principally centering on who is to marry whom, while the overarching problems of the decline of the Oversoul program casts an ominous shadow over the future of these people and their planet. Again, engaging espcially in terms of his characterizations, and supposedly based on the early historyu of the Mormons in western America.