Book #14

"The Caves of Steel (Asimov's Robot #2)" by Isaac Asimov

3.5 stars out of 5

Amazing world-building. Reading about the "caves of steel" in which Earth's population locked itself gave me a very claustrophobic feeling. As someone who lives in the country, it was hard for me to grasp the instinctual agoraphobia of these people and its description gave me a very creepy crawly feeling.

I liked R. Daneel Olivaw a lot and sometimes it was hard not to forget that he was actually a robot. Well, until he was willing to let Elijah take the fall to serve the "Greater Good", that's when it really hit me that, as likable as he was, Daneel was still a robot without feelings. Elijah, on the other hand, was a bit too emotional for my liking, perpetually afraid or angry. Also, as an agnostic/borderline atheist, I didn't like his obsession with the Bible, it felt really... preachy in places.

Still, a great book, exactly the kind I like - a sci-fi that's about exploration, not just shooting at each other.

Rumpole and the Man of God

Rumpole and the Man of God is a BBC afternoon drama staring Benedict Cumberbatch as the young Rumpole and you can listen to it here. The summary says: "Rumpole defends a shoplifting clergyman with a kleptomaniac sister, exposes a former arsonist to her besotted fiance and appeases a very unhappy Hilda."

What really made me laugh was that Rumpole called his wife Hilda "She who must be obeyed" XD And the clergyman's sister was "His lady of divine intervention"! And when he was thinking of having a child, that part was hilarious!