Far Rainbow
May 21st, 2023
Spoiler alert — on the last page of this book everybody dies… All the colonists on a faraway planet meet their doom when a planet fights back against this common human aliment and pastime — messing with equilibrium in and of nature, in the name of science and progress. And one of the main protagonists — a goofy and inoffensive guy becomes a coward and an irredeemable asshole you just want to slap hard across the face.
And no matter all that — that small book written sixty years ago is an unputdownable page-turner. And quite more than just that. It is one of those books when I slow down my reading speed as I get to the end — just to savor each page for longer. The moment I finished reading, I got up from my chair and walked around the house for a while to gather my wits. I felt elated — calm and excited at the same moment. My thoughts were bursting with images and scenes from this book and questions and ideas were germinating right and left in my mind as well as I had an insatiable need for more. I think that is the highest prize I can give to a book — or any work of art, be it a painting or song or a film — that from the moment I take it all in, I keep thinking and analyzing and remembering it anew. It stays with me, gives me a burst of energy, and fills me with amazement at human creativity and imagination.
That elation I feel when faced with a work of art or any work of human ingenuity and scholarship keeps me going. It keeps me searching and discovering yet another gem — time after time. It makes my time worthwhile and fulfilling. It gives me continuous hope for humankind.
