Bad me, I put my reading list on the back burner for a while. I got caught up in work and catching up with my movie list, but I am happy to say that I have finally finished my sixth book! I really enjoyed Starship Troopers, so I decided on another one of Heinlein's works: Have Spacesuit - Will Travel. Technically it's a young adult and a sci-fi novel and it definitely had a lot more action than Starship Troopers, but the novel was still well-developed and thought-provoking. The two main characters are Kip, an 18-year old who won a genuine spacesuit and Peewee, a spirited 12-year old who was kidnapped by an alien race termed the "Wormfaces." Having such young heroes definitely adds appeal to a younger demographic, but readers of all ages can appreciate these two terrific characters. Throughout the entire novel Heinlein provides moments that show that, although the novel's heroes, Kip and Peewee are more than one-dimensional stock characters, such as when Kip catches a typically positive Peewee crying into her doll, Madam Pompadour. Similarly, there's a point in the novel in which Kip is stuck in a cell with two human traitors, "Fats" (aka "Jock") and "Skinny" (aka Timothy). Although the two are generally foul characters, Kip's hatred for Fats wanes a bit as they start talking with one another. Near the end of their time together, Kip began to see a shred of humanity in Fats, even if the rest of him was deplorable. Of course, we cannot forget the Mother Thing, whose mysterious identity is revealed piece-by-piece. It's funny to think of her as a type of intergalactic juvenile officer, but that was one of the many unexpected twists in the novel. I appreciate that Heinlein was capable of making such easily likable characters so complex as well.
Additionally, the philosophical themes presented in Have Spacesuit - Will Travel aren't just randomly thrown into different scenes throughout the novel, but are best seen in the words and actions of Kip and Peewee. From the very beginning, Kip was an embodiment of personal growth, self-assertiveness, and self-responsibility. I admired his devotion to repairing Oscar, especially since it took his entire summer to do so. He and Peewee were incredibly resourceful and always thinking of ways to get their freedom back, all the while never forgetting to watch out for each other and the Mother Thing. Of course, Heinlein's ideas most obviously appeared during the trial of humanity, but even that was done well. Kip didn't attempt to make gigantic speeches or sugarcoat the truth about humanity. Mankind was exposed in all of its forms: violent, self-serving, and cruel, but also smart, young, and with the possibility of change. Most importantly, this novel highlights the hope we all have that one day humanity will have evolved past our worst attributes, and this is best shown in the positive qualities of Kip and Peewee. Anybody else who reads this novel would definitely agree that there should be more Kips and Peewees in the real world!
Rating for Have Spacesuit - Will Travel: 8/10
Books Read: 6/75
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