Mr. Spaceman

I loved this book. Desi is as engaging a "character" as I've encountered in years. He's been studying us for 30 years and is preparing for a grand appearance on New Year's Eve of the new millenium. His wise and quirky ruminations are by turn funny, poignant, and sad. He discerns the yearning that drives humans, but he doesn't quite understand it -- just as we don't. He has fallen in love with Edna, a downhome girl from Alabama who enjoys cooking and nurturing the folks who have been beamed up to the spacecraft. So we wonder: Is this a love story? A sci-fi tale? A comedy? A study of the mysteries of language, of culture, of spirituality? However we classify it (if we even need to do so), I'd like to say that this work seems a more imaginative achievement than his Pulitzer-Prize-winning book (A Good Scent ...). What impresses me most about Butler's writing is his commitment to voice. He lives within his characters, granting them compassion and understanding. His works are literary entertainments, what any discriminating reader yearns to find.

I bought Mr. Spaceman because of the novelty of the plot. It sounded quirky and fun and I hadn't read anything by the author despite the fact that I have seen his work in quite a few bookstores. I am very glad that I picked it up - this was a very honest look at American life at the turn of the millennium. Lives seen through the naive eyes of an outsider. Well concieved and written. And while lives and cultures are being examined, the author makes no value judgements; he leaves it to the reader to interpret. Bottom line: great read.

Mr. Spaceman is an excellent book, and those interested in it should also check out Robert Olen Butler's earlier book, TABLOID DREAMS. The characters, Desi and Edna, come from a story in that book and it may help readers who are confused by the characters to read that story. The book is both funny and poignant, as we see Desi's struggle to understand humanity alongside narratives of abductees, including a veteran from World War II who is trapped in silence after witnessing an atomic test in the Nevada desert and Lucky, a Vietnamese American who embraces his American identity but feels little connection to his native Vietnam, much to the disappointment of his parents. A terrific read.

I really enjoyed reading this story. The writer knew how to attract me with his character "Desi" (Mr. Spaceman). Desi is a funny, sensitive creature; observe our planet not from his home planet point of view. But from his heart, He knows what wrong and right and how can he be helpful to these poor creatures that suffer (that would be us!). The story cover many issues and it has a colorful contents that proves how smart a writer can be. I don't know why I liked Desi, but he reminds me of me. I am sensitive and I have a good heart, but what I don't have is ... a free opinion on things. What I meant is that cultural constraints, traditions and even the community, sometimes, affect our own opinions and decisions. While we should free our-selves from all of them, and try to have a fresh look on everything around us. I have learned my lesson. It is your turn now.Enjoy reading the book.

Mr. Spaceman is an eloquently written novel about an alien perparing to make contact with Earth. The spaceman attemps to obtain a thorough understanding of humanity by sensing the "inner truths" of a variety of people. This entertaining book gives a wonderful perspective on humanity, our fears and desires, allowing both the spaceman and the reader to gleam a better understanding of humanity. This book should quickly be elevated to "literature" status, especially when so much science fiction is so poorly written.