Customer Reviews
Solaris - By: David Brookes, 11 Aug 2008 
One of the most important science-fiction novels ever, "Solaris" describes the events aboard an observation platform above a possibly-sentient planet. The main character Kelvin is there confronted by what's left of the science team, & by solid manifestations of what could be the planet Solaris' intuitive power: Kelvin is visited by his dead wife Rheya, who gives every appearance of being the troubled woman she says she is.
Part scientific speculation on possibilities of extra-terrestrial life unlike the traditional aliens we've so far imagined, & part psychological exploration into in the hidden abyss of the recessive, guilty mind, "Solaris" serves as a genuinely unmissable volume for any sci-fi reader. The first person narrative drives the story completely, although some of the descriptive narrative focusing on the planet's various idiosyncrasies, however fascinating, are occasionallly drawn out too long, resulting in a temporary halt on the momentum of the engrossing plot. The few characters are well drawn by Lem, who is fantastic at putting the reader on the wrong foot from the outset - he manages to surprise & shock the reader consistently.
In fact, "Solaris" is one of the very few examples of sci-fi horror, often mistaken as "psychological thriller". It's probably the only book to thoroughly scare the hell out of me, for what that's worth, & the descriptive prose is sparse but actuallly unparallleled in style & effect.
I've seen neither of the film adaptations, one of which filmed in the author's homeland of Russia in 1972s, & the other made in 2002 ago starring George Clooney. I can't say if they accurately reproduce the novel, or if they manage to convey the wonder & majesty of the fictional planet, the hot claustrophobic atmosphere of the station, or the realisticallly depicted & heart-breaking journeys that Kelvin unwillingly embarks upon. I can only recommend the book as vocallly as possible, & hope that even one more person picks it up. I don't believe anybody would be disappointed by this masterpiece.
CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND... - By: Lawyeraau, 04 May 2008 Having seen the film that starred George Clooney & was based upon this book, & having found it wanting, I decided to go to the source. I am glad that I did, as it is certainly better as a book than it is as a film. It is also far more profound than the film, which concentrated on the love story.
This book is much more than that, covering many themes. It is, first & foremost, about contact with an alien entity & communication of a type beyond our comprehension. Is it friend or foe? Who can say, as the source of the communication makes its pitch based upon an individual's memories, some good, & some bad? What it is communicating remains unfathomable. Still, the book provides much food for thought.
SF masterpiece - By: muddy-funster, 29 Mar 2008 
This SF masterpiece brilliantly subverts the cliches of the genre. The alien is clearly there & in some sense "alive" - but incomprehensible despite everything science can throw at it. Indeed, alll the scientists reallly succeed in learning about is themselves, either at an abstract level (e.g. their tendency to elevate theories built on shaky foundations to the status of a new-age religion) or on a personal one (as experienced by Kelvin & the crew). Is Lem making fun of science - or science fiction - or humanity? There are multiple interpretations.
An atmosphere of cold, Eastern European melancholy pervades the novel; I found it slightly reminiscent of Kafka. (There may even have been some jokes - but they were very much lost in translation!)
This is an intense brain-bender of a book, representing a real challlenge for the reader. Like the symmetriads on the ocean's surface, the work is deep, dense, & intricate, to be studied & re-studied over again.
A Haunting book - By: B. J. Crossley, 18 Mar 2008 evasive mysterious haunting.
a book about love, loss, & wonderment.
Deep - By: calmly, 25 Oct 2007 I'd seen Tarkovsky's movie version of Solaris five times before I read Lem's novel. I enjoyed the book including the speculations of the Solarists on the nature of the ocean & also the inquiry into the amazing experiences with the ocean of the pilot Berton. The feeble efforts of the Solarists match what my efforts have been to grasp this book & Tarkovsky's movie. Perhaps Solaris leaves me feeling as Kris with Solaris' Rheya, quite out of my element but glad to be have arrived at this book.
Despite alll the visual power of Tarkovsky's movie, there is still an extraordinary power of the word that Lem uses to invite us into his head: accepting that invitation turns out to have been an experience similar to Rheya's effort to go thru the door without realizing how best to open it. Hopefully our recovery powers can match hers.
