The Green Brain (Hardcover)

It was not a fun read because, though you do come to know the characters (and you do feel empathy for their desperate circumstances) you don't find yourself admiring them or respecting them. None of the three main characters (Joao, Rhin, and Chin-Lhu) are principled people and, in this respect, the book does not uplift.

Neither was the book insightful. Without giving it away, the main "message" (which is summarized in the last chapter) is quite underwhelming and is a bit of a stretch given the story that was presented to support it. Though the internal dialogue of Chen-Lhu provided one an opportunity to refect on Machiavellian doctrines, still, it was not necessarily uplifting or insightful. In fact, it was more frustrating than anything else (which may have been intended). But, if you intend to frustrate without providing insight, you are not giving the reader a very good reason to read your story.

I do not recommend that you read this book. The story will not go where you may anticipate it going. The beginning is very promising and the journey of Joao, Rhin, and Chen-Lhu is involving but the two segments of the book don't feel very well connected. A good amount of tension and anticipation is built for a resolution but the last chapter of the book feels so different from the rest of the story that it leave one feeling dissatisfied. Finally, there is a general lack of morality within the main characters and this cements my inability to recommend this book. Do not waste your time.

Oh no! A *CHIGGER* has appeared inside of the insect-free zone! By the way, the chigger is half a meter long and spits acid. Yes, I realize that that is technically impossible. Don't worry: technicalities like that are taken care of.

Anyway, it gets better. The insects have also managed to copy the human idea of INTELLIGENCE--hence the title of the book.

The introduction and exploration of these ideas are done admirably during the first half of the novel. Then, around the half-way point, the whole tone and direction of the story changes. And this is when it gets REALLY good. The final chapters are composed of pages and pages of description. Sound boring, does it? Not in the least. This is the best description I have ever read in my life. The mood is perhaps described best as "Poe-esque"--subtle psychological descriptions that pull you right into the story, make you really understand how the characters feel. It takes you right along with the characters, providing real empathy, fear, love, anger and understanding all the way. Of course, it's more than JUST description. The Master brings so much into the writing in ways that only he can do. There's just no way to describe it--like everything Frank Herbert, you need to read it for yourself to know what it's like. I didn't really like the very last chapter, but I suppose nine out of ten ain't too bad.

The philosophical theme of the story is basically deep ecology or something similar to it. Herbert really shows his conservationist side in this one. Also, a lot of it kind of reminds me of Nietzche.

This is a very short novel (208 pages), but every page Frank Herbert writes is worth ten pages written by a lesser author. If you are a Frank Herbert fan--or a fan of intelligent fiction in general--you should definitely check out this book.

In the best B-movie tradition, the first part of Herbert's
sophisticated nature/monster revenge tale sustains plot
and character development along a trail of action scenes that
are admirably realized. Unfortunately this pace stalls at the
halfway point (and this is actually a novella rather than a
novel, so the disappointment hits home quite soon!),
and the remainder of the story quite literally floats,
and floats... and floats away to a memorable
but ultimately unsatisfying and abrupt ending.

The Green Brian suffers from its sketchy conception and rushed,
slap-dash execution. This is a shame because the basic idea,
setting, characters and themes had so much potential.
Frank could also have availed us a small glossary
for all those Spanish/South American titles and terms he constantly used here.
Obviously his pot had boiled over in the middle 60's,
with so many projects cooking - not to mention the
incomparable Dune and its still nascent sequel.

Nonetheless,in the hands of a decent film script writer
(or is that an oxymoron?)
an updated and more fully developed version of this story's plot and characters would make a very interesting, intelligent and exciting science fiction movie...
Something rarely ever accomplished. So I suppose we should just
let that idea just...drift away too.