Citizen of the Galaxy

This is a great classic science fiction novel by the master, Robert Heinlein. Even though it was written as a juvenile novel, the story has aged well, with issues that contemporary adult readers can relate to including: slavery, social class, rolls of men and women, and inherited wealth. The narrator does a good job of varying his voice for the various characters. Give it a listen!

1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

Great story, although the ending was a bit weak. The book reads (listens?) a bit like a biography, as there isn\'t any overarching villain to defeat or world to save or the like, but it\'s a good book nonetheless simply because of the characters. I genuinely cared for Thorby and what happened to him, and the rest of the cast of characters were interesting and genuine too, even the minor ones. Narration was great, and I enjoyed the various accents and voices the narrator gave to the different characters.

Starts out with epic sweep, compelling characters and locations. It begins with a boy, thrust by circumstances beyond his control into great galactic drama, and ends with a corporate takeover that could have happened in 1957 America when it was written. Which is a shame. The first 3/4 of the book will have you not wanting to put it down. It is trully epic, it could have been one of the greatest science fiction books ever written. Then it doesn't really so much end as stop, somewhere between when "most things are wrapped up" and the "everything is wrapped up." The story is loosely plotted all the way through. It lacks a villain, a romantic interest, and even a problem to solve, but that looseness could have been a great virtue, if only... something.

Great Story - a bit dated.... When a star ship captain is using a slide rule to calculate anything, you know you are listening to an "old" story. Heinlein again seems to have trouble with his ending, which leave many things up to your own imagination. Some people like that....

Every Heinlein I've read (or listened to) has been worth it, and this one is no exception. The final plot twist was fairly predictable but I enjoyed it anyway.