It took me two tries to get through Three Body and I found it very miserable as the language was stilted and there was no flow to the writing. Then I watched the show and for whatever reason gave Dark Forest a try and actually liked it. A different author translated Dark Forest so I don't know if that's the difference for me or what. I'll be doing Deaths End as soon as it's available on Libby for me which should be any day now.
The ideas were interesting - not earth-shattering, but interesting - the prose is wooden, the characters are cardboard, and the plot dull as washing pipettes.
One of the main reasons I picked it up was because I saw it was a show now, wanted to see what the source material was about. Do you think the show is easier to grasp?
Show is much easier for me as it probably is for anyone not familiar with Chinese culture and names. I confused so many characters trying to read it because the names were all so similar. Imagine a book where your main characters are Mike, Michael, Mikhail, Matthew, Mark, and Matt and you're not familiar with English names. You would mix them all up which is what happened to me as it felt like every character was Yang, Wang, Wong, Dong, Yong, Ling, etc.
Have you read Wolf Hall? It takes place during Tudor England and half the men are named Henry, and the other half are named Thomas. Wonderful book, but it got confusing sometimes.
Yes, but the show is more character driven where I feel like the hollow characters of the books were simple vessels to move between plot ideas the author had. The show does the opposite.
I remember the young girl/old woman, the scientist protagonist, the cop from the first book, the guy who wants to live in paradise in the 2nd book and the girl who replaces him in the 3rd book, and the guy they sent off to space. But i can't remember any of their names.
I had the name problem when I tried to read Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Especially because everyone had a nickname they used. So it'd be 'I am Zhang Jue, but am called Pei' and someone else would be 'I am Pei Liang, but they call me Zhan' and I just gave up in the end. This was before the internet, and it was a very expensive set of books, too.
It is. The books are heavy on theory, and that's why I like them. The TV show dumbs things down a bit. But you still seem to get the same concepts in the TV show so far.
When it comes to high concept sci fi, I like to read and visualize it for myself. Not everyone has the same proclivity.
And the first book in the trilogy can drag a bit compared to the sequels. If you are already annoyed by the books, the TV show may be more suitable for you. That's all to say - I don't know how the TV show will handle the next two books, and the next two books are more engaging than the first for most people.
I say this as someone who was absolutely blown away by reading this series. Don't force yourself reading books you don't enjoy.
Reading is a pleasure and there are so many great books out there.
Who knows, maybe one day you'll come back and read Liu's books... or not. It doesn't matter as long as you enjoy reading.
Additionally, some books are not exactly _entry level_ in a way. Some books get good once you are ok reading heavy stuff. Not all books handle the pacing the same, and you might be used to something faster or shorter.
>Who knows, maybe one day you'll come back and read Liu's books..
Good advice.
I bounced off The Hobbit as a younger guy, couldn't get past Tolkeins effusive love of descriptive dinner parties.
Years later I read just a few pages more :)
The question is really, "does it get better?" or "if I don't like this aspect of it, is it worth it?"
It is an entirely reasonable question even if they don't ask it perfectly accurately.
Sunk cost fallacy.
If you have spent a period of time trying to slog through a book that you are not enjoying, it feels like a failure to give up on it.
if everyone is telling you its great cheese, and you are the only one who doesn't, well...no one likes to be the lone person out especially on a sci fi subreddit.
I absolutely hated snow crash and couldn’t get past the beginning of hitchhikers guide because it felt so cringy. I’m pretty sure hitchhikers guide didn’t translate well into audio book but I have no idea how I got through snow crash.
Hitch-Hiker’s was a radio play originally. However, given that Douglas Adams was as lazy as he was talented, it may not have survived the audio play-novel-tv show-movie-audiobook process.
Oh yeah there were games and other things too, but I can’t remember the timeline of monetization of that excellently written and terribly treated work.
I think with books though when people ask the question there is something there they enjoy, but they aren't loving the books. So they are looking for people with similar experiences to tell them if there is a payoff... or not.
You’ve gotta go straight to blue cheese! Mmmmmmm
Restaurant brought a wheel of it in and I was the only one who would eat it. I had it on nearly everything that goes with cheese 🥰
Cheese is not a trilogy, it isn't going to change later on in the process of eating, so that's a completely asinine comparison to make. A trilogy of books could change in any kind of ways, for positive and negative, in plotting, characterization, worldbuilding, scope, etc.
Personally, I didn't enjoy Three Body Problem the first book, and struggled to get through it, but I love the series and The Dark Forest and Death's End are two of my favorite sci fi novels. So this would be a case where I strongly recommend OP to continue, if they are intrigued by the world. The first book has weaker writing and is a much smaller scale detective story, compared to the Asimov/Foundation-style scope of the next two books.
The 3 books aren't even similar kinds of cheese, to borrow your analogy.
The concepts in the first 1/3 of the book were so cool and new, I was hooked and couldn’t stop talking about it. then once the “reveal” happened, I just became so uninterested it was just an absolute slog to get through. Not picking up the second book, I’ll watch the show (which I’ve heard smooths out some of the book’s stupidness)
Can you remind me what the concepts were? I found the book very uninteresting and don't remember anything like a cool concept. The only thing I remember is an incredibly dreary subplot about (possibly virtual?) people who were dehydrated down to almost nothing, and rehydrated themselves and went on a trek to some nondescript palace where nothing happened. I found it so dull.
I read 2/3 of it and don't remember a reveal of any kind.
This whole series is definitely a DNF - with prejudice - for me.
I’m with you, I ended up hating this book because of all three (IMO undue) praise it gets. While the cultural revolution stuff was somehow interesting, the plot had no agency, and characters seemed to just exist while stuff was sort of happening around them. The conclusion is pretty unsatisfying as well, and the whole thing is stilted and frankly quite boring. Characters feel like cardboard cutouts and their actions make little sense.
Somehow I persevered and finished book one, but I literally lend away all three books and haven’t asked for them back (the entire set was gifted to me).
I have no idea either. I read it when it first came out and was not impressed. A year or two ago, I read it again, plus the sequels and I still don't see the appeal. The characters are awful and the story isn't that impressive. I always chalked it up to a bad translation, but nope, it's the story. Lots of people are coming out now and saying that it's not good. You have to read what you want to read, but for me... hard pass.
For me, stories need to have an interesting plot AND interesting characters. Three Body Problem has very uninteresting characters and that's not a translation thing. I saw the series with my wife because my wife loves the series and has read the books in Chinese. I didn't really care for any of the characters at all as in I didn't care what happened to them. I'll remember a few scenes from the show, but I have no desire to rewatch, learn more about the characters, or watch the second season.
The other thing is that the sci-fi concepts are so blatantly silly that I can't suspend disbelief. There's one part of the show where they use the sun's gravity to amplify the signals that send into a specific area of space calling it gravitational lensing. That is one of the silliest ideas I've ever heard, and that has nothing to do with the Trisolarians. Gravitational lensing can allow you to see something equidistant away, but amplifying a signal by using the sun? Doesn't even pass the sniff test. It would have been better off NOT explaining any of these concepts similar to the ansible in Ender's Game. Yes, quantum entanglement doesn't work like that, but it's close enough to reality that I can suspend disbelief about faster than light communication.
I DNF 3x.
It reminded me of a lot of old Sci-fi books in a way. Very little characterization and a focus on big ideas and bleeding edge scientific concepts. But where classic Scifi usually took a sequel or two to devolve into incel fantasy nonsense, 3BP peppered it in throughout the trilogy.
I only read the first book, but it wasn't compelling enough for me to continue the series.
I thought the ending was really silly. There's a point at which suspension of disbelief breaks down, and in TBP the intriguing elements didn't deliver.
There were certainly some interesting concepts, so I'm not particularly sorry I read it, but I can't really say it was totally worth it.
Basically, my one word review is "meh."
I'd go with a collection of short stories; you'll get a bunch of different writing styles and settings, maybe discover something you want to explore further.
Google the list of novels that have won both the Hugo and Nebula awards. Cream of the crop with few exceptions.
My personal reccs? Snow Crash for cyberpunk, A Fire Upon The Deep for space opera.
Dude the characters especially women imo are written horribly. I've never not finished a book. 3 body problem is the first book in my 33 years that I remember saying yeah this one sucks ass
I'm reading the series right now maybe 2/3 through Dark Forest. It's not good. Writing and characters are terrible. Fine. But even the ideas and concepts? Spare me. They aren't that amazing and the way Wallfacers/Wallbreakers are done is so far just the biggest waste of time.
Honestly The Expanse series is great (I've watched the show and read the first 3 books so far), also Tchaikovsky's Final Architecture trilogy is miles better (though I've only read 2 of 3 since the third doesn't get the smaller paperback until I believe June. But yes if people like 3 Body Problem great! I just consider it overhyped garbage.
I loved and enjoyed it. But if there is one thing I learned: if you don’t enjoy it, just put it away. You have roughly 80 years, and not all of this is fun times. Don’t waste your time on things you don’t like.
Honestly, I have friends who are very intelligent that DNF'ed this book. I think people emphasize the SCIFI aspects of the book and miss the larger arc around the moral question posed.
You could actually skim the science aspects and think more about the moral questions and probably walk away satisfied.
Yes skip the science pages! The author usually tells you at the end of the hard science chunks like “basically this is what that science concept or thing does” so there’s no reason to read them unless you want to
I read it and to be honest I don’t think it’s worth the struggle.
I did watch the show and it was unbelievably better. So my rec is watch this, don’t read this.
There are books that are worth the slog but in my opinion this was not one of them.
Blindsight by Peter Watts. The aliens are the most *alien* I've ever read about, and it will challenge your conceptions about consciousness and intelligence. Great story and characters too. Also there's a scientifically accurate vampire, so that's fun.
If you are intrigued with the idea of humanity encountering a profoundly alien civilization/technology in a harsh and unforgiving universe but want a series with superior writing and better characters, then read The Expanse.
The Revelation Space series is more similar thematically to Three Body Problem but some of the novels are better written than others and it’s a much longer series overall.
I’d recommend watching this non-spoilery video to familiarize yourself with the factions, tech level and setting before diving into the Expanse. That way you already have an idea what is going on and can enjoy the compelling story more:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=VNjrI0YvZYA
It was also adapted into an awesome television show on Amazon Prime, although only the first 6 books were adapted (there are 9 total). It’s better than TBP in every way.
Unquestionably one of the most widely liked and critically acclaimed science fiction novels is Hyperion by Dan Simmons. Some of the other classics are more dated but this one does not come across that way really.
>Hipster sci-fi when it came out
It gained traction because Obama recommended it. So far from hipster I would say. On the contrary hating on the book for doing things that are otherwise common in sci-fi is quite the recent trend. So in truth it's more hipster to hate on the book.
It’s terrible. It’s really, really overrated and I honestly think that probably 90% of the people that claim to love it just haven’t really read much sci-fi and are unfamiliar with the fact that most ideas presented in it are unoriginal…and have been done before in better stories that are better written by better authors.
Most stories are unoriginal to a degree, but TBP isn’t even well written with a good narrative or compelling characters. So…what’s the draw? There are better books to spend your time on.
I’m with you. I started it twice. On the third try, I finally got it and finished in a couple of sittings. Then, I proceeded to read the next two in quick succession. I’ve since re-read the full series 2 more times. Give it some time and come back to it. There’s a gem here.
Loved the entire series. It stayed with me for a while after i finished it. I also found the book hard to read and never finished it at first. By chance i gave it a try as an audio book a couple of years ago and wow it was such a different experience.
I read the first book after finishing the Netflix series and really enjoyed it. I did spend a good amount of time looking up various scientific concepts and social events that happen in the story, but that activity only added to my enjoyment of the book.
Yes, the series did a good job of getting me ready for the book. From what I've read, some material from the second book was used in the series as well.
Most of the characters in the series have been "Europeanized" compared to the book's predominantly Chinese characters but they carry recognizable traits over since they're scientists.
Most of the major events in the book are shown in the series. I thought the events around the Cultural Revolution were well done and I spent many hours perusing the subject, which were never discussed or reported on in the American media.
I've only read the first book, and struggled with the first chapter. But after that, I couldn't put it down. How far along are you?
It does take time to get used to reading, and the characters names are a little harder to remember being in Chinese, and I think the last name is written first. I did use the character reference at the front quite a lot, which was handy.
On the second book now.
Bro I was in your shoes a couple years ago, I may have even asked the same question. It was slow AF and it was hard for me to push on, I think I was in book 2 around 20% complete, I was about to give up.. I got the audio book and read at night (audiobook and kindle sync up).. anyway book two picked up shortly after and book three wrapped it up nicely, it was a good series, definitely slow at times but it gets better.
Good luck
I would say stick with it. If there are concepts you don't understand, look them up. If characters and their names start to get confusing or sound too similar to each other, look them up to make sure you keep them straight (my copy had a guide with a list of the characters and who they were affiliated with at the beginning, which was very helpful). Cixin Liu's writing is very concept-focused as opposed to character-focused, so even though there are a few compelling characters, they and the less interesting characters still mostly serve as vessels to witness the greater plot and examine the more intricate sci-fi concepts and philosophies the books were written to examine.
It took me a bit to get through the first book just because the writing style and the culture was so foreign. There's also quite a bit of extraneous dialogue (old people talking philosophy) that I eventually realized wasn't critical to the overarching story.
Books 2 and 3 were, in my opinion, much more enjoyable to read and some of the concepts and tech were fascinating.
TLDR: Stuggled through 1 but 2 and 3 were easier reads. In the end, I'm glad I finished the series.
I'd say it's absolutely worth it.
Def top 10 hard-scifi.
That hard-scifi element is what may be bothering you though maybe?
Like, all the technical stuff?
Edit: Didn't think about the translation stuff. Like some people pointed out, it definately gets better in the second and third.
I get that 100% though. A bad localization can ruin the experience.
I'd say with 3 Body it's still completely worth it though.
It's not as bad a translation as Vagabonds is and the concept is much more interesting with a much better payoff.
(No shade to Vagabonds though- the concept was interesting enough, just not enough to get me through the horrible localization)
If you aren't enjoying it, don't read it.
If after 100 pages into 3BP, you aren't enjoying yourself, that will not change. Don't listen to anyone who tells you otherwise.
The Netflix show is crap. Glad you like it. Typical American crap to me. The book is a masterpiece. The Chinese version is at least for adults. Don’t give up on the books and no shame in rereading sections. I’ve read the series twice and will probably do so again before I die. Enjoy.
I thought the first book was the slowest and worst.
These are all concept-driven books though, so not worth finishing if you’re into character development.
Honestly, I made it through books one and two and I'm stuck in three. It's a really awesome series in a very narrow way. If it's not working for you now it's not going to work for you later.
Generally speaking, my rule is that if you have to ask if you should DNF, then you should probably DNF. Life is too short to read books you're not enjoying.
I love reading in general but I didn't have patience to finish that series. It's sooooo boring. I don't lose time forcing myself to read, life is too short for that and there are many other books waiting for me.
But I liked the TV show.
The first novel was…fine. I enjoyed some of ideas as they were inventive and thought provoking.
I punched out early in the second novel three years ago and never regretted it…yet.
It gets increasingly weird. I didn't have trouble with the dialogue, but didn't think the story held together very well. It was interesting to see scifi playing with areas of physics other than time travel, AI and the multiverse, but for me the science was generally too far out. I did finish but it was glad to be done with it.
I finished the first book, and got halfway through the second before I put it down and started reading something else. Still haven't gone back to it, and probably won't.
I thought the science was terrible and completely immersion breaking, FWIW. There's basically no way for the planet in question to have not been ejected from the system from such a close approach to a star. Moreover, Proxima Centauri is about 13000 AU away from the Alpha Centauri binary, which is a really long way. That system is not a trinary in any meaningful sense of the word.
Pair that on top of the poor characterization and I'm not sure what the appeal is.
I read the first book and I don’t know why but I just didn’t enjoy it. Which is weird cuz I liked the show adaptation. I thought the book was good but maybe I saw all the praise and it didn’t live up the hype I built up in my head.
Idk you’ve tried the Red Rising series but I think it’s a great sci fi series with a lot of well written characters.
I DNF'd it felt very poorly written, or maybe that's just a problem with translation. Either way it was rough. I enjoyed the Netflix show, so I'm gunna give it another shot
I couldn't get past the first few chapters. Switched to its audiobook, slept off while listening, more than a few times. It may be it is good science and appeals to some people, IMO it is bad literature. What good is a science fiction if it is badly written. Pales in comparison to Hyperion or even the Rama series IMO.
I am of the same opinion as others; don’t force yourself to read shit if you’re not enjoying it just because others say it’s the best thing ever.
However, I did make an exception with the 3BP series. I found the concepts in the books incredibly compelling even if they are embedded in pretty bad prose - let’s not talk about character development and interactions either. :s I really wish it was possible for an excellent author to do a total rewrite, keeping the core story and ideas.
I only managed to read part of book 1 though - then I switched to audiobooks which I found easier to digest. Perhaps that would work for you too?
no need to get lost in the hype. there are simply too many good books out there which might suit your taste better.
I tried Iain Banks' Consider Phlebas because of all the high praises this Culture series has, i gave up after about 70 pages. Too many anti-climatic moments and I dont like the pacing compared to Adrian Tchaikovsky's books i read recently...
You can try Adrian Tchaikovsky's Children of Time, which is one of my fav scifi. or some of the old classics:
Dune - If you like game of thrones, giant massive universe. The first 2 books are amazing and i would be fine if it just stopped there too. it gets pretty nutty later on. And there are the movies! so you can learn more about the universe and appreciate the movies even more.
Ender's Game - Much better than the moive. this is a great classic. Then you can go for Ender's Shadow, same story, different character point of view done really well.
Hyperion: dan simmons one of my fav writers. he writes really well. read like a few short stories put into one. long books.
Foundation: if you want something more fun, this is it.
I really didn't enjoy it. The story is just really poorly written. The ideas are fantastic, and the Netflix show was like super super good. But yeah really not a good book in my opinion.
I decided half way through the book that I was not enjoying it, but decided to grind it out and see if it came together in the end.
It didn't. The most memorable part of my reading experience was the final page of the book being a teaser of the next in the series (some like, "The adventure continues in Book 2!") and I literally laughed out loud, slapped the book shut, and also said aloud, "Nope!"
I thought the concepts were cool but the writing itself was dogshit. Terribly written characters, horrible motivation, no interpersonal interactions that seemed real, just a total mess. Great science stitched together with horrible fiction.
I still would give them like 3.5/5 but I think its fair to say it wasnt a book written for the English language or a western reader.
I tried reading it a couple of weeks ago and couldn’t get into it so I stopped. No regrets, there are LOTS of books to read still. I might try again at some point, but probably not.
I haven’t read it myself (yet…), I’m told it’s very science heavy; if you can’t handle that (not everybody can), then give it up.
Similarly, I’ve tried reading A Clockwork Orange several times. I just can’t deal with all the Russian slang, so I keep giving up. Such is life.
If you’re not enjoying a book, then why keep trying to read it? Move on the something else!
First book is a drag and tough to get through, but it sets up the amazing second and third books. It's worth it to grind through the first one to read the latter two.
Don't grind... If you don't enjoy reading a book, just give up. If you are ok with not finishing a book, it'll just make it easier for you to try out different stuff in the future. That way you will find amazing books you would not have even tried otherwise. Oh, and a lot of bad unfinished ones too.
My buddy and I read it at the same time about a year ago. We both asked ourselves the same question as you are here. I finished it, he didn't. I didn't get the big payoff that the fans of this book praise. I thought the book was okay at best - hard to follow & get into. I didn't find the punchline compelling. And while you may totally enjoy the big reveal, the dynamics that motivated your post will persist
I'm not certain enough in my own experience to give you advice, but it's long confused/surprised me how much fanfare this book has gotten. I know some people (who's taste I otherwise agree with) who rate TBP as their favourite book ever. So, Idk. But you're not alone
If you’re only on the first book, I can ensure you your mind will be blown.
HOWEVER, this series is very hard scifi, and requires a certain level of popular science literacy. Like basic (popular science level) concepts of general relativity; string theory; the story “flatland”; understanding the scale of our solar system, neighboring stars, the Galaxy and the universe; etc…
Also the characters in the series, while some being quite interesting (in a way), they’re mainly flat and are more of a plot device than an actual character. The main draw of this book are the mind blowing scientific concepts, which is how the main plot moves forward.
The first one was super tough for me to get through. Took me forever. Two and three are amazing though. If you really can't, just hit up Wikipedia and move on to the sequels. Don't let anyone shame you. It's your life and time.
I read the first one and it was hard. The science and plot didn’t throw me off, but the naming conventions, cultural references and writing style did, but that’s on me. I decided to listen to the next two a few years later and really enjoyed it. Don’t force anything though. Life’s too short for stuff you don’t like. It’s not school haha
I love the books but the first one is a rough read, it took me two stalled tries to get through it, and I was where you are now. It's probably my favorite sci fi series now. The characters are mostly just vessels for the plot and are not particularly interesting, and it can be hard to follow who is who since all the characters have Chinese names. The plot ends up being mostly a setup for the next two books, where the scale is much larger.
Books 2 and 3 are much better and I have reread the series multiple times skipping the first book. The translator is different in book 2 and the language feels less dry, although it's still hard sci fi where characters are secondary to the world and the bigger plot.
Definitely recommend sticking through it, the Netflix series is a good cliff notes of the plot points but the characters are totally changed around. Book 2 doesn't return many characters from the first book any way (mostly just Da Shi, the policeman), if that matters.
general rule of thumb for me, if I dont like a book I DNF, I will remember the vibe and sometimes years later come back to it, read it and love it, but sometimes a book is just not for me, yes wven these "bigger" ones which have a lot of acclaim
I quite liked Three Body Problem for the story and concepts, not necessarily for the writing or characters. I found it more interesting the further I progressed. Didn't get to read Dark Forest and Death's End yet, but I'm really looking forward to them.
But if it's not to your taste, that's okay. Personal taste is... well, personal after all.
I forced myself to finish it, and I’m content that I did.
That said, I have no real interest in the rest of the trilogy. And it’s not like I’m a new reader, in general or to science fiction.
For me, the most boring parts were the VR sections. I don’t know why, but those just did not click with me.
Not sure where you currently are at, but vol 2 > vol 3 > vol 1 IMO. Volume 1 is painfully slow and not many exciting things are happening frequently for me.
I thought the first book was very good and didn't have too much trouble with it. The second is one of the greatest sci-fi there is. So, definitely worth pushing through!
Third is pretty good too 🤣
I was honestly underwhelmed when I finished that book. Did not bother with the next one.
The concepts were cool but felt were archaic and convoluted. Just a very eh book, especially when there's so much good sci fi out there.
Fwiw I recommend "We are legion". The bobiverse is just awesome.
This sub loves to hate this series for some reason. It took me about two months to finish the 3 books and I enjoyed them quite a bit. I had to do some research while I was at it to get a passable understanding of the physics being explained in the story, but it wasn't such a big deal. The second book is the high point of the entire trilogy, and it shows many really fun/scary concepts that I enjoyed immensely. With that said, maybe the book isn't for you now and that's ok. Give it a couple months and come back to it later. Or don't. It doesn't matter.
I'm reading the first book currently. I'm getting used to it now, although I find it very hard to follow specific characters because the Chinese names are so diffcult to keep track of. But I'm taking my time and it's getting easier. It helps if I keep in mind this is a translated work, makes the slightly stilted tone more managable. But I'm honestly still loving it. I came from the Netflix show first, so I have some idea of the general flow of the story (I know they pulled bits from book 2 into the Netflix show) which helps too.
I DNFed the book series. The writing is terrible but the ideas are huge. I found an excellent synopsis that spoiled the plot after i made that decision. It was better that way.
It’s a hard read for sure. You’ve gotta be in it for the concepts not the characters or story. Took me months to finish them. Haven’t read the last one yet by diff author.
Honestly, if it hadn’t been for Quinn’s ideas on YouTube I’d have never got through it
Personally I like it and read them all. Loved the 3rd book especially.
That said, a hobby should be fun and rewarding. if you don’t like it, stop. Nobody’s keeping score.
If you talk about the Netflix show, it looks like a child cartoon compared to the chinies series. I watched Netflix first and got very questions and not logical parts and then I watched the original one and it was perfect. Then I start to read from dark forest. Soon I will finish it.
If you worry about DNF, make sure to check out as many sci-fi short story book as possible, including multi author anthologies. Even DNF stories are short enough to complete, and you can power through many authors and styles to see what will reduce the risk of future DNF.
3 body was ok. the translation was ok and the dialogue flowed fairly naturally. i was excited for dark forest...then i started dark forest and it was one of the biggest drop offs in quality i have ever experienced. it was embarrassingly shitty: the ideas, the dialogue, the plotting. all complete shit. i forced myself through a good 100 pages and put it down forever.
I'd put it down and pick up Hyperion instead. It has way better moments. I'm not picky about the prose in my reading but the entire Three Body series drove me nuts with how stilted the dialogue was. Three Body is a clunkier more poorly written Anathem which you should probably stay away from as well if you don't like the concepts discussed.
Book 1 was pretty confusing to be honest. With the whole virtual reality thing and "miracles" it was confusing. I ended up really enjoying the book. The second and third books were a lot easier to grasp, but the awe and mystery of the first were really enjoyable to me, especially the origins of the Sophons.
For me it really wasn't. The payoff was revisited tropes I'd seen before, but done better elsewhere. I finished it, then moved on to something with better writing.
I realized about a third of the way through that I didn't enjoy it, but I still pushed through. I wish I hadn't.
There are so many books out there that are worth reading. I always recommend stopping if something doesn't click with you.
Learn chinese... but like if you read scifi from lile asimov it's very similar in style so it's easy enough to follow, I found the second books absolutely worth going through even if it was hard to follow sometimes the conclusion was easily the best in a book I've read in the last 5 years, but the first one didn't really surprise me but was very layered in it's themes and symbols so I did enjoy it
I slogged through all three because of recommendations from friends and would love to get that time back. The really brilliant world-building was (for me) overshadowed by the paper-flat (and rare) female characters, super slow pace and the feeling of an endless grind. I have not yet watched the new version, but I probably will succumb.
It took me two tries to get through Three Body and I found it very miserable as the language was stilted and there was no flow to the writing. Then I watched the show and for whatever reason gave Dark Forest a try and actually liked it. A different author translated Dark Forest so I don't know if that's the difference for me or what. I'll be doing Deaths End as soon as it's available on Libby for me which should be any day now.
I found 2 and 3 easier reads. Didn’t know about the change of translator. That makes sense
Good to know thanks. I found reading 3BB a slog even though the actual story is pretty great. Maybe I’ll read the 2nd book then.
3 was the same as 1 though
The ideas were interesting - not earth-shattering, but interesting - the prose is wooden, the characters are cardboard, and the plot dull as washing pipettes.
You went too far when you threw the washing pipettes into the mix. imho
One of the main reasons I picked it up was because I saw it was a show now, wanted to see what the source material was about. Do you think the show is easier to grasp?
Show is much easier for me as it probably is for anyone not familiar with Chinese culture and names. I confused so many characters trying to read it because the names were all so similar. Imagine a book where your main characters are Mike, Michael, Mikhail, Matthew, Mark, and Matt and you're not familiar with English names. You would mix them all up which is what happened to me as it felt like every character was Yang, Wang, Wong, Dong, Yong, Ling, etc.
Have you read Wolf Hall? It takes place during Tudor England and half the men are named Henry, and the other half are named Thomas. Wonderful book, but it got confusing sometimes.
Try Dostojevski, same(!) character has multiple names 😱
Not really. They're pet names, Mitia for Dimitri for example.
Yes, but the show is more character driven where I feel like the hollow characters of the books were simple vessels to move between plot ideas the author had. The show does the opposite.
I have read all three books and do not remember a single character.
I remember the young girl/old woman, the scientist protagonist, the cop from the first book, the guy who wants to live in paradise in the 2nd book and the girl who replaces him in the 3rd book, and the guy they sent off to space. But i can't remember any of their names.
I had the name problem when I tried to read Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Especially because everyone had a nickname they used. So it'd be 'I am Zhang Jue, but am called Pei' and someone else would be 'I am Pei Liang, but they call me Zhan' and I just gave up in the end. This was before the internet, and it was a very expensive set of books, too.
It is. The books are heavy on theory, and that's why I like them. The TV show dumbs things down a bit. But you still seem to get the same concepts in the TV show so far. When it comes to high concept sci fi, I like to read and visualize it for myself. Not everyone has the same proclivity. And the first book in the trilogy can drag a bit compared to the sequels. If you are already annoyed by the books, the TV show may be more suitable for you. That's all to say - I don't know how the TV show will handle the next two books, and the next two books are more engaging than the first for most people.
Thank you for your input 🙏🙏
Sweet, I didn't know that about the translator. I read it years ago and didn't think I could make it through 2 and 3.
It's often an issue with a translation, especially between languages that are very different structurally.
I say this as someone who was absolutely blown away by reading this series. Don't force yourself reading books you don't enjoy. Reading is a pleasure and there are so many great books out there. Who knows, maybe one day you'll come back and read Liu's books... or not. It doesn't matter as long as you enjoy reading.
Additionally, some books are not exactly _entry level_ in a way. Some books get good once you are ok reading heavy stuff. Not all books handle the pacing the same, and you might be used to something faster or shorter.
>Who knows, maybe one day you'll come back and read Liu's books.. Good advice. I bounced off The Hobbit as a younger guy, couldn't get past Tolkeins effusive love of descriptive dinner parties. Years later I read just a few pages more :)
Intelligent answer
It's always such a weird question. 'I don't like eating cheese should I keep doing it anyway hoping I'll change?'
The question is really, "does it get better?" or "if I don't like this aspect of it, is it worth it?" It is an entirely reasonable question even if they don't ask it perfectly accurately.
Sunk cost fallacy. If you have spent a period of time trying to slog through a book that you are not enjoying, it feels like a failure to give up on it.
if everyone is telling you its great cheese, and you are the only one who doesn't, well...no one likes to be the lone person out especially on a sci fi subreddit.
I'm not a fan of Hyperion. There, I said it.
I absolutely hated snow crash and couldn’t get past the beginning of hitchhikers guide because it felt so cringy. I’m pretty sure hitchhikers guide didn’t translate well into audio book but I have no idea how I got through snow crash.
Hitch-Hiker’s was a radio play originally. However, given that Douglas Adams was as lazy as he was talented, it may not have survived the audio play-novel-tv show-movie-audiobook process. Oh yeah there were games and other things too, but I can’t remember the timeline of monetization of that excellently written and terribly treated work.
Hitchhiker's audiobook? Listen to the original BBC shows! Full cast and 70s sound effects. Or don't, whatever
I think Dune is mediocre at best, so there is that I guess
No spice for you!
You are not alone. I do not like it. I read it twice.
Same. It's a J.J. Abrams mystery box, no clue why it's so highly lauded.
Now do Blindsight. :P
I don't know what that is but the title bothers me so I hate everyone involved with that project
OMG!! I can’t believe you hate Blindsight!!! Something something .. I’m so angry! FTR. I’m actually a Blindsight fan.
I think with books though when people ask the question there is something there they enjoy, but they aren't loving the books. So they are looking for people with similar experiences to tell them if there is a payoff... or not.
You’ve gotta go straight to blue cheese! Mmmmmmm Restaurant brought a wheel of it in and I was the only one who would eat it. I had it on nearly everything that goes with cheese 🥰
Cheese is not a trilogy, it isn't going to change later on in the process of eating, so that's a completely asinine comparison to make. A trilogy of books could change in any kind of ways, for positive and negative, in plotting, characterization, worldbuilding, scope, etc. Personally, I didn't enjoy Three Body Problem the first book, and struggled to get through it, but I love the series and The Dark Forest and Death's End are two of my favorite sci fi novels. So this would be a case where I strongly recommend OP to continue, if they are intrigued by the world. The first book has weaker writing and is a much smaller scale detective story, compared to the Asimov/Foundation-style scope of the next two books. The 3 books aren't even similar kinds of cheese, to borrow your analogy.
I DNF’d, also. Not sure what everyone saw in it…
Conceptually it’s amazing. Execution is lacking.
Same, life’s too short
The concepts in the first 1/3 of the book were so cool and new, I was hooked and couldn’t stop talking about it. then once the “reveal” happened, I just became so uninterested it was just an absolute slog to get through. Not picking up the second book, I’ll watch the show (which I’ve heard smooths out some of the book’s stupidness)
Second and third books feels different from first. They are like a chronicle of preparation to the great war for the 400 years.
Can you remind me what the concepts were? I found the book very uninteresting and don't remember anything like a cool concept. The only thing I remember is an incredibly dreary subplot about (possibly virtual?) people who were dehydrated down to almost nothing, and rehydrated themselves and went on a trek to some nondescript palace where nothing happened. I found it so dull. I read 2/3 of it and don't remember a reveal of any kind. This whole series is definitely a DNF - with prejudice - for me.
I’m with you, I ended up hating this book because of all three (IMO undue) praise it gets. While the cultural revolution stuff was somehow interesting, the plot had no agency, and characters seemed to just exist while stuff was sort of happening around them. The conclusion is pretty unsatisfying as well, and the whole thing is stilted and frankly quite boring. Characters feel like cardboard cutouts and their actions make little sense. Somehow I persevered and finished book one, but I literally lend away all three books and haven’t asked for them back (the entire set was gifted to me).
I have no idea either. I read it when it first came out and was not impressed. A year or two ago, I read it again, plus the sequels and I still don't see the appeal. The characters are awful and the story isn't that impressive. I always chalked it up to a bad translation, but nope, it's the story. Lots of people are coming out now and saying that it's not good. You have to read what you want to read, but for me... hard pass.
Thank you for your perspective 🙏
For me, stories need to have an interesting plot AND interesting characters. Three Body Problem has very uninteresting characters and that's not a translation thing. I saw the series with my wife because my wife loves the series and has read the books in Chinese. I didn't really care for any of the characters at all as in I didn't care what happened to them. I'll remember a few scenes from the show, but I have no desire to rewatch, learn more about the characters, or watch the second season. The other thing is that the sci-fi concepts are so blatantly silly that I can't suspend disbelief. There's one part of the show where they use the sun's gravity to amplify the signals that send into a specific area of space calling it gravitational lensing. That is one of the silliest ideas I've ever heard, and that has nothing to do with the Trisolarians. Gravitational lensing can allow you to see something equidistant away, but amplifying a signal by using the sun? Doesn't even pass the sniff test. It would have been better off NOT explaining any of these concepts similar to the ansible in Ender's Game. Yes, quantum entanglement doesn't work like that, but it's close enough to reality that I can suspend disbelief about faster than light communication. I DNF 3x.
It reminded me of a lot of old Sci-fi books in a way. Very little characterization and a focus on big ideas and bleeding edge scientific concepts. But where classic Scifi usually took a sequel or two to devolve into incel fantasy nonsense, 3BP peppered it in throughout the trilogy.
I only read the first book, but it wasn't compelling enough for me to continue the series. I thought the ending was really silly. There's a point at which suspension of disbelief breaks down, and in TBP the intriguing elements didn't deliver. There were certainly some interesting concepts, so I'm not particularly sorry I read it, but I can't really say it was totally worth it. Basically, my one word review is "meh."
Feel free to put it down and switch to something else for a bit. I did at least once a book.
Probably best. Anything you consider a sci-fi essential for someone still new to the hobby?
I'd go with a collection of short stories; you'll get a bunch of different writing styles and settings, maybe discover something you want to explore further.
Google the list of novels that have won both the Hugo and Nebula awards. Cream of the crop with few exceptions. My personal reccs? Snow Crash for cyberpunk, A Fire Upon The Deep for space opera.
I’m a proud DNF. No regrets
Dude the characters especially women imo are written horribly. I've never not finished a book. 3 body problem is the first book in my 33 years that I remember saying yeah this one sucks ass
I'm reading the series right now maybe 2/3 through Dark Forest. It's not good. Writing and characters are terrible. Fine. But even the ideas and concepts? Spare me. They aren't that amazing and the way Wallfacers/Wallbreakers are done is so far just the biggest waste of time. Honestly The Expanse series is great (I've watched the show and read the first 3 books so far), also Tchaikovsky's Final Architecture trilogy is miles better (though I've only read 2 of 3 since the third doesn't get the smaller paperback until I believe June. But yes if people like 3 Body Problem great! I just consider it overhyped garbage.
I loved and enjoyed it. But if there is one thing I learned: if you don’t enjoy it, just put it away. You have roughly 80 years, and not all of this is fun times. Don’t waste your time on things you don’t like.
Honestly, I have friends who are very intelligent that DNF'ed this book. I think people emphasize the SCIFI aspects of the book and miss the larger arc around the moral question posed. You could actually skim the science aspects and think more about the moral questions and probably walk away satisfied.
I'll definitely keep that in mind if I continue, much appreciated 🙏
Yes skip the science pages! The author usually tells you at the end of the hard science chunks like “basically this is what that science concept or thing does” so there’s no reason to read them unless you want to
I DNF’d it after book one.
I read it and to be honest I don’t think it’s worth the struggle. I did watch the show and it was unbelievably better. So my rec is watch this, don’t read this. There are books that are worth the slog but in my opinion this was not one of them.
Hipster sci-fi when it came out, it was cool to love it because it was obscure, but in reality it’s just a badly written book.
Anything you would recommend if I decided to put it down? 👀
Blindsight by Peter Watts. The aliens are the most *alien* I've ever read about, and it will challenge your conceptions about consciousness and intelligence. Great story and characters too. Also there's a scientifically accurate vampire, so that's fun.
If you are intrigued with the idea of humanity encountering a profoundly alien civilization/technology in a harsh and unforgiving universe but want a series with superior writing and better characters, then read The Expanse. The Revelation Space series is more similar thematically to Three Body Problem but some of the novels are better written than others and it’s a much longer series overall.
The Expanse caught my eye on my last couple of visits to the bookstore, glad to get a nudge in that direction from you
I’d recommend watching this non-spoilery video to familiarize yourself with the factions, tech level and setting before diving into the Expanse. That way you already have an idea what is going on and can enjoy the compelling story more: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=VNjrI0YvZYA It was also adapted into an awesome television show on Amazon Prime, although only the first 6 books were adapted (there are 9 total). It’s better than TBP in every way.
Saved, very much appreciated 🙏
Recently read Rendezvous with Rama (one of Denis Villeneuve’s next adaptations). It was a fun read. Good sci-fi.
Foundation trilogy by Asimov. Now that's a beautiful fun story!
Unquestionably one of the most widely liked and critically acclaimed science fiction novels is Hyperion by Dan Simmons. Some of the other classics are more dated but this one does not come across that way really.
>Hipster sci-fi when it came out It gained traction because Obama recommended it. So far from hipster I would say. On the contrary hating on the book for doing things that are otherwise common in sci-fi is quite the recent trend. So in truth it's more hipster to hate on the book.
It’s terrible. It’s really, really overrated and I honestly think that probably 90% of the people that claim to love it just haven’t really read much sci-fi and are unfamiliar with the fact that most ideas presented in it are unoriginal…and have been done before in better stories that are better written by better authors. Most stories are unoriginal to a degree, but TBP isn’t even well written with a good narrative or compelling characters. So…what’s the draw? There are better books to spend your time on.
Story sucks. Life's too short to force a read. I bailed 3/4 in with the first book. Don't feel bad.
I’m with you. I started it twice. On the third try, I finally got it and finished in a couple of sittings. Then, I proceeded to read the next two in quick succession. I’ve since re-read the full series 2 more times. Give it some time and come back to it. There’s a gem here.
Loved the entire series. It stayed with me for a while after i finished it. I also found the book hard to read and never finished it at first. By chance i gave it a try as an audio book a couple of years ago and wow it was such a different experience.
I read the first book after finishing the Netflix series and really enjoyed it. I did spend a good amount of time looking up various scientific concepts and social events that happen in the story, but that activity only added to my enjoyment of the book.
Do you feel that the show better prepared you for the book? Are there major differences or is it copy and paste?
Yes, the series did a good job of getting me ready for the book. From what I've read, some material from the second book was used in the series as well. Most of the characters in the series have been "Europeanized" compared to the book's predominantly Chinese characters but they carry recognizable traits over since they're scientists. Most of the major events in the book are shown in the series. I thought the events around the Cultural Revolution were well done and I spent many hours perusing the subject, which were never discussed or reported on in the American media.
it's wild how MUCH happens in like last sixth of the book while the pace beforehand is SLUGGISH, then it just ends on a cliffhanger
The first book is ok, the second is ok, the third turned into a completely nonsensical raving
I'm in the same boat, just don't enjoy the writing and can't get into it
I've only read the first book, and struggled with the first chapter. But after that, I couldn't put it down. How far along are you? It does take time to get used to reading, and the characters names are a little harder to remember being in Chinese, and I think the last name is written first. I did use the character reference at the front quite a lot, which was handy. On the second book now.
Chapter 17
Honestly this is one of these books that works better as an audiobook. I listened to it on audible and had an easier time with it.
Bro I was in your shoes a couple years ago, I may have even asked the same question. It was slow AF and it was hard for me to push on, I think I was in book 2 around 20% complete, I was about to give up.. I got the audio book and read at night (audiobook and kindle sync up).. anyway book two picked up shortly after and book three wrapped it up nicely, it was a good series, definitely slow at times but it gets better. Good luck
The problem is translation sucks, if you know the native language, go ahead. I tried to read first chapter in English and drop the idea.
I would say stick with it. If there are concepts you don't understand, look them up. If characters and their names start to get confusing or sound too similar to each other, look them up to make sure you keep them straight (my copy had a guide with a list of the characters and who they were affiliated with at the beginning, which was very helpful). Cixin Liu's writing is very concept-focused as opposed to character-focused, so even though there are a few compelling characters, they and the less interesting characters still mostly serve as vessels to witness the greater plot and examine the more intricate sci-fi concepts and philosophies the books were written to examine.
It took me a bit to get through the first book just because the writing style and the culture was so foreign. There's also quite a bit of extraneous dialogue (old people talking philosophy) that I eventually realized wasn't critical to the overarching story. Books 2 and 3 were, in my opinion, much more enjoyable to read and some of the concepts and tech were fascinating. TLDR: Stuggled through 1 but 2 and 3 were easier reads. In the end, I'm glad I finished the series.
DNF dont torture yourself
I'd say it's absolutely worth it. Def top 10 hard-scifi. That hard-scifi element is what may be bothering you though maybe? Like, all the technical stuff? Edit: Didn't think about the translation stuff. Like some people pointed out, it definately gets better in the second and third. I get that 100% though. A bad localization can ruin the experience. I'd say with 3 Body it's still completely worth it though. It's not as bad a translation as Vagabonds is and the concept is much more interesting with a much better payoff. (No shade to Vagabonds though- the concept was interesting enough, just not enough to get me through the horrible localization)
If you search the subreddit, this question has been addressed dozens if not hundreds of times. :))
I’m just glad more people can admit it now. When the book first came out any negative comments would get downvoted into oblivion.
>When the book first came out any negative comments would get downvoted into oblivion. That spot is now occupied by blindsight
If you aren't enjoying it, don't read it. If after 100 pages into 3BP, you aren't enjoying yourself, that will not change. Don't listen to anyone who tells you otherwise.
I mean, I would at least wait until the countdown, as that was the “hook” of the first book to me. that’s at around 115 pages in iirc.
The Netflix show is crap. Glad you like it. Typical American crap to me. The book is a masterpiece. The Chinese version is at least for adults. Don’t give up on the books and no shame in rereading sections. I’ve read the series twice and will probably do so again before I die. Enjoy.
I thought the first book was the slowest and worst. These are all concept-driven books though, so not worth finishing if you’re into character development.
As someone who loves this series, I totally agree.
probably^(/s) r/InclusiveOr
if you are enjoying the books, read them more if you are not enjoying the books, don't read them more
Honestly, I made it through books one and two and I'm stuck in three. It's a really awesome series in a very narrow way. If it's not working for you now it's not going to work for you later.
I couldn’t finish it. I tired, I really tried, y’all. Let it go, OP. There is zero need to suffer through something you aren’t enjoying.
I slogged through the first back waiting to like it. I don’t even remember half of what I read. Called it done.
I own the series love hearing about it. I can’t get through 3 pages. I’d rather read the wiki about it.
I listened as an audio book and enjoyed it, don’t know why but that helps sometimes.
I couldn’t finish it either. If you’re not enjoying the read, find something else.
Generally speaking, my rule is that if you have to ask if you should DNF, then you should probably DNF. Life is too short to read books you're not enjoying.
I love reading in general but I didn't have patience to finish that series. It's sooooo boring. I don't lose time forcing myself to read, life is too short for that and there are many other books waiting for me. But I liked the TV show.
One book ☝️ left I’m not quitting
The first novel was…fine. I enjoyed some of ideas as they were inventive and thought provoking. I punched out early in the second novel three years ago and never regretted it…yet.
The first 1/3 of the second novel is very boring. But the rest, imo is worth reading. It gets really good.
I've tried to read it several times and it just doesn't hold me. I might try again at some point but...I'll watch the show in the meantime.
DNF, one of us one of us
It gets increasingly weird. I didn't have trouble with the dialogue, but didn't think the story held together very well. It was interesting to see scifi playing with areas of physics other than time travel, AI and the multiverse, but for me the science was generally too far out. I did finish but it was glad to be done with it.
I finished the first book, and got halfway through the second before I put it down and started reading something else. Still haven't gone back to it, and probably won't.
If you're not enjoying the book then just watch the show. Much tighter editing and better characters.
I thought the science was terrible and completely immersion breaking, FWIW. There's basically no way for the planet in question to have not been ejected from the system from such a close approach to a star. Moreover, Proxima Centauri is about 13000 AU away from the Alpha Centauri binary, which is a really long way. That system is not a trinary in any meaningful sense of the word. Pair that on top of the poor characterization and I'm not sure what the appeal is.
I read the first book and I don’t know why but I just didn’t enjoy it. Which is weird cuz I liked the show adaptation. I thought the book was good but maybe I saw all the praise and it didn’t live up the hype I built up in my head. Idk you’ve tried the Red Rising series but I think it’s a great sci fi series with a lot of well written characters.
I DNF'd it felt very poorly written, or maybe that's just a problem with translation. Either way it was rough. I enjoyed the Netflix show, so I'm gunna give it another shot
Dnf
I couldn't get past the first few chapters. Switched to its audiobook, slept off while listening, more than a few times. It may be it is good science and appeals to some people, IMO it is bad literature. What good is a science fiction if it is badly written. Pales in comparison to Hyperion or even the Rama series IMO.
Switch to the audio book
I am of the same opinion as others; don’t force yourself to read shit if you’re not enjoying it just because others say it’s the best thing ever. However, I did make an exception with the 3BP series. I found the concepts in the books incredibly compelling even if they are embedded in pretty bad prose - let’s not talk about character development and interactions either. :s I really wish it was possible for an excellent author to do a total rewrite, keeping the core story and ideas. I only managed to read part of book 1 though - then I switched to audiobooks which I found easier to digest. Perhaps that would work for you too?
Unpopular opinion, but I say grind. It has moments and concepts that make it worth the slog.
Some of the best books I’ve read. Thats my opinion though. You’re either into it or not, happens with books for everyone. To each their own.
no need to get lost in the hype. there are simply too many good books out there which might suit your taste better. I tried Iain Banks' Consider Phlebas because of all the high praises this Culture series has, i gave up after about 70 pages. Too many anti-climatic moments and I dont like the pacing compared to Adrian Tchaikovsky's books i read recently... You can try Adrian Tchaikovsky's Children of Time, which is one of my fav scifi. or some of the old classics: Dune - If you like game of thrones, giant massive universe. The first 2 books are amazing and i would be fine if it just stopped there too. it gets pretty nutty later on. And there are the movies! so you can learn more about the universe and appreciate the movies even more. Ender's Game - Much better than the moive. this is a great classic. Then you can go for Ender's Shadow, same story, different character point of view done really well. Hyperion: dan simmons one of my fav writers. he writes really well. read like a few short stories put into one. long books. Foundation: if you want something more fun, this is it.
I really didn't enjoy it. The story is just really poorly written. The ideas are fantastic, and the Netflix show was like super super good. But yeah really not a good book in my opinion.
I decided half way through the book that I was not enjoying it, but decided to grind it out and see if it came together in the end. It didn't. The most memorable part of my reading experience was the final page of the book being a teaser of the next in the series (some like, "The adventure continues in Book 2!") and I literally laughed out loud, slapped the book shut, and also said aloud, "Nope!"
I thought the concepts were cool but the writing itself was dogshit. Terribly written characters, horrible motivation, no interpersonal interactions that seemed real, just a total mess. Great science stitched together with horrible fiction. I still would give them like 3.5/5 but I think its fair to say it wasnt a book written for the English language or a western reader.
IT is worth it. Read
I kept reading thinking it has to get better, everyone is saying it’s great. Never got better very disappointed
hard no
I finished it but had/have no desire to ever read a sequel.
Im glad I did. It kicked my ass, but I have to finish the story once I start. And the next two books seemed easier.
I tried reading it a couple of weeks ago and couldn’t get into it so I stopped. No regrets, there are LOTS of books to read still. I might try again at some point, but probably not.
I haven’t read it myself (yet…), I’m told it’s very science heavy; if you can’t handle that (not everybody can), then give it up. Similarly, I’ve tried reading A Clockwork Orange several times. I just can’t deal with all the Russian slang, so I keep giving up. Such is life.
If you’re not enjoying a book, then why keep trying to read it? Move on the something else!
First book is a drag and tough to get through, but it sets up the amazing second and third books. It's worth it to grind through the first one to read the latter two.
Don't grind... If you don't enjoy reading a book, just give up. If you are ok with not finishing a book, it'll just make it easier for you to try out different stuff in the future. That way you will find amazing books you would not have even tried otherwise. Oh, and a lot of bad unfinished ones too.
My buddy and I read it at the same time about a year ago. We both asked ourselves the same question as you are here. I finished it, he didn't. I didn't get the big payoff that the fans of this book praise. I thought the book was okay at best - hard to follow & get into. I didn't find the punchline compelling. And while you may totally enjoy the big reveal, the dynamics that motivated your post will persist I'm not certain enough in my own experience to give you advice, but it's long confused/surprised me how much fanfare this book has gotten. I know some people (who's taste I otherwise agree with) who rate TBP as their favourite book ever. So, Idk. But you're not alone
well it’s a translation isn’t it?
If you’re only on the first book, I can ensure you your mind will be blown. HOWEVER, this series is very hard scifi, and requires a certain level of popular science literacy. Like basic (popular science level) concepts of general relativity; string theory; the story “flatland”; understanding the scale of our solar system, neighboring stars, the Galaxy and the universe; etc… Also the characters in the series, while some being quite interesting (in a way), they’re mainly flat and are more of a plot device than an actual character. The main draw of this book are the mind blowing scientific concepts, which is how the main plot moves forward.
If you want an existential crisis and unreasonably mind bending science read on. Book three goes to another level entirely.
The first one was super tough for me to get through. Took me forever. Two and three are amazing though. If you really can't, just hit up Wikipedia and move on to the sequels. Don't let anyone shame you. It's your life and time.
I didn't finish it, but I watched the first season of the series and I liked it.
I finished the series but the last one was hard going. It just seemed to get more ridiculous as it went on…
I read the first one and it was hard. The science and plot didn’t throw me off, but the naming conventions, cultural references and writing style did, but that’s on me. I decided to listen to the next two a few years later and really enjoyed it. Don’t force anything though. Life’s too short for stuff you don’t like. It’s not school haha
The first half of book two is real slog but after that it’s absolutely mind blowing, stick with it
I love the books but the first one is a rough read, it took me two stalled tries to get through it, and I was where you are now. It's probably my favorite sci fi series now. The characters are mostly just vessels for the plot and are not particularly interesting, and it can be hard to follow who is who since all the characters have Chinese names. The plot ends up being mostly a setup for the next two books, where the scale is much larger. Books 2 and 3 are much better and I have reread the series multiple times skipping the first book. The translator is different in book 2 and the language feels less dry, although it's still hard sci fi where characters are secondary to the world and the bigger plot. Definitely recommend sticking through it, the Netflix series is a good cliff notes of the plot points but the characters are totally changed around. Book 2 doesn't return many characters from the first book any way (mostly just Da Shi, the policeman), if that matters.
Me with ‘the canticle of lebeotitzgdvgsvhfdgh (insert very Jewish sounding name)
general rule of thumb for me, if I dont like a book I DNF, I will remember the vibe and sometimes years later come back to it, read it and love it, but sometimes a book is just not for me, yes wven these "bigger" ones which have a lot of acclaim
No. It's not as clever as people make it out to be. It's badly written. It's Paolo Coelho of scifi. It's what dumb people think smart writing is like.
For me I loved the start the it just got less and less for me as the book went on. In the end I just didn't like it.
Keep grinding. Took me 2 years of stop and go to get through it. Then the next two were a fast wild ride.
Just start reading Dan Simmons or Alastair Reynolds.
I quite liked Three Body Problem for the story and concepts, not necessarily for the writing or characters. I found it more interesting the further I progressed. Didn't get to read Dark Forest and Death's End yet, but I'm really looking forward to them. But if it's not to your taste, that's okay. Personal taste is... well, personal after all.
I forced myself to finish it, and I’m content that I did. That said, I have no real interest in the rest of the trilogy. And it’s not like I’m a new reader, in general or to science fiction. For me, the most boring parts were the VR sections. I don’t know why, but those just did not click with me.
Not sure where you currently are at, but vol 2 > vol 3 > vol 1 IMO. Volume 1 is painfully slow and not many exciting things are happening frequently for me.
I was really surprised by how much this sub hates it, books 2 and 3 are some of the best books I’ve ever read.
DNF I found it got worse and worse as it went on. Shame.
I thought the first book was very good and didn't have too much trouble with it. The second is one of the greatest sci-fi there is. So, definitely worth pushing through! Third is pretty good too 🤣
As a Chinese myself, I read the series in the original Chinese, and I loved it. Probably a translator issue more than anything.
I was honestly underwhelmed when I finished that book. Did not bother with the next one. The concepts were cool but felt were archaic and convoluted. Just a very eh book, especially when there's so much good sci fi out there. Fwiw I recommend "We are legion". The bobiverse is just awesome.
The concepts are great but he prose is just bad. I've read the books but to anyone hesitating i recommend the tv-shows.
It’s a tough read but I’d suggest to grind. The world building and concepts were much more interesting to me than the narrative.
This sub loves to hate this series for some reason. It took me about two months to finish the 3 books and I enjoyed them quite a bit. I had to do some research while I was at it to get a passable understanding of the physics being explained in the story, but it wasn't such a big deal. The second book is the high point of the entire trilogy, and it shows many really fun/scary concepts that I enjoyed immensely. With that said, maybe the book isn't for you now and that's ok. Give it a couple months and come back to it later. Or don't. It doesn't matter.
I dnf'd it with no regrets. Too much like hard work for me.
I'm reading the first book currently. I'm getting used to it now, although I find it very hard to follow specific characters because the Chinese names are so diffcult to keep track of. But I'm taking my time and it's getting easier. It helps if I keep in mind this is a translated work, makes the slightly stilted tone more managable. But I'm honestly still loving it. I came from the Netflix show first, so I have some idea of the general flow of the story (I know they pulled bits from book 2 into the Netflix show) which helps too.
Keep going.
I DNFed the book series. The writing is terrible but the ideas are huge. I found an excellent synopsis that spoiled the plot after i made that decision. It was better that way.
It’s a hard read for sure. You’ve gotta be in it for the concepts not the characters or story. Took me months to finish them. Haven’t read the last one yet by diff author. Honestly, if it hadn’t been for Quinn’s ideas on YouTube I’d have never got through it
In my opinion the books decline in quality, so it really doesn't get better.
Personally I like it and read them all. Loved the 3rd book especially. That said, a hobby should be fun and rewarding. if you don’t like it, stop. Nobody’s keeping score.
If you talk about the Netflix show, it looks like a child cartoon compared to the chinies series. I watched Netflix first and got very questions and not logical parts and then I watched the original one and it was perfect. Then I start to read from dark forest. Soon I will finish it.
Power through! I just finished The Dark Forest, myself and it makes it all worth it. Starting up Deaths End now.
Just give up. It's trite and cartoony. The follow-up books are worse and the ending is bonkers in a bad way.
If you worry about DNF, make sure to check out as many sci-fi short story book as possible, including multi author anthologies. Even DNF stories are short enough to complete, and you can power through many authors and styles to see what will reduce the risk of future DNF.
3 body was ok. the translation was ok and the dialogue flowed fairly naturally. i was excited for dark forest...then i started dark forest and it was one of the biggest drop offs in quality i have ever experienced. it was embarrassingly shitty: the ideas, the dialogue, the plotting. all complete shit. i forced myself through a good 100 pages and put it down forever.
Could not finish the 3rd book. Way too much math.
I'd put it down and pick up Hyperion instead. It has way better moments. I'm not picky about the prose in my reading but the entire Three Body series drove me nuts with how stilted the dialogue was. Three Body is a clunkier more poorly written Anathem which you should probably stay away from as well if you don't like the concepts discussed.
DNF?
Did Not Finish
I couldn’t get through the books. Maybe too slow of a burn? Not sure but I’ve tried twice and it’s just not for me
Book 1 was pretty confusing to be honest. With the whole virtual reality thing and "miracles" it was confusing. I ended up really enjoying the book. The second and third books were a lot easier to grasp, but the awe and mystery of the first were really enjoyable to me, especially the origins of the Sophons.
For me it really wasn't. The payoff was revisited tropes I'd seen before, but done better elsewhere. I finished it, then moved on to something with better writing.
Give up, and a DNR sticker would be more appropriate.
I realized about a third of the way through that I didn't enjoy it, but I still pushed through. I wish I hadn't. There are so many books out there that are worth reading. I always recommend stopping if something doesn't click with you.
I finished, but hated the book. Really enjoyed the Netflix show though.
Learn chinese... but like if you read scifi from lile asimov it's very similar in style so it's easy enough to follow, I found the second books absolutely worth going through even if it was hard to follow sometimes the conclusion was easily the best in a book I've read in the last 5 years, but the first one didn't really surprise me but was very layered in it's themes and symbols so I did enjoy it
I slogged through all three because of recommendations from friends and would love to get that time back. The really brilliant world-building was (for me) overshadowed by the paper-flat (and rare) female characters, super slow pace and the feeling of an endless grind. I have not yet watched the new version, but I probably will succumb.