Review: To Be Taught, If Fortunate, by Becky Chambers
by
Stuart Holland
It’s not often that I read a whole book in a single day, even a reasonably short one like this.
Remarkably well written, the characters come alive very soon after this story gets started. Ariadne is a great protagonist and the crew overall make a great team. They’re believable collaborative problem solvers with tough problems to solve. Seeing them work through things is a joy on the page.
Their all-the-way light touch morality about exploring other planets is very interesting. I agree with them in general, though they take it farther than I would. And there are some specific decisions that I disagree with quite strongly. But their making those decisions did seem to match their character very well. And I disagree in the most “they’d be welcome to do this if they wanted to” kind of way.
And that says a lot about the quality of the story. They’re people, well formed and believable enough for me to disagree with.
I won’t spoil any of the events of the story, suffice to say that it’s both fast paced and covers a lot, but lingers on the important moments. The majesty of nature. The limitless cosmic universe. Being the real first human to ever do something.
Strongly recommend. I’d love to see more
