samskivert: Ender’s Shadow – Orson Scott Card (3)

28 January 2002

Though I didn’t enjoy Ender’s Shadow as much as Ender’s Game, it was still a satisfying read (I’m sure Ender is closer to my fantasy self than Bean). Though it had been sufficiently long since I read the first novel that I wasn’t able to make detailed comparisons, I like the idea of retelling a great story through the eyes of a different character. I felt that Card tried at first to recast Bean as the hero and then backpedalled later, introducing flaws into his character and overemphasizing the point that Ender remained the tragic, but still primary, hero. Had he planned to do both books before starting the first novel, the effect would surely have been more powerful, but it none the less resulted in engaging, enjoyable fiction.

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