Reading the Three-Body Problem trilogy was kind of like climbing a mountain for me – hard work, and I wondered if I’d make it to the top, but so rewarding when I did (plus I get bragging rights!). I even paused it because I went on a cruise with my husband’s three siblings and their partners and thought it would be fun to read something light and set on a cruise (I went for A Cruise to Murder by Dawn Brookes, and it was like pausing in the middle of a Michelin starred taster menu to have a bite of a big mac – don’t get me wrong, big macs can be yummy, but A Cruise to Murder was totally outclassed by Death’s End, and I dropped the burger and returned to the gastronomy).
The whole series is quite bleak and sweeps across eons (hibernation and the difference in relative time when travelling vast differences meant one of the main characters at least made it right to the end).
I did find some comfort in how the series ended – there was a small glimmer of light in the darkness and for that I’m grateful. Since finishing I’ve read a couple of books (I’m always late getting around to writing up my reviews!) including Blake Crouch’s Recursion, and while it was a much faster paced and easier read, several times I felt that the science wouldn’t stand up to much scrutiny, whereas I never felt that reading Cixin’s books – given my albeit limited understanding of physics and science generally, the plot of The Three Body Problem books always seemed terrifyingly plausible if pessimistic.
Sarah Wray Writer 