Book Review - The Silver Metal Lover by Tanith Lee

Title: The Silver Metal Lover 
Author: Tanith Lee
Year: 1981
Page: 304
Genre: Fiction - Young Adult, Fantasy / Sci-Fi

FTC Disclosure: Borrowed from the library

Summary (from goodreads.com):
Love is made of more than mere flesh and blood....

Tanith Lee is one of the most thought-provoking and imaginative authors of our time. In this unforgettably poignant novel, Lee has created a classic tale—a beautiful, tragic, erotic, and ultimately triumphant love story of the future.

For sixteen-year-old Jane, life is a mystery she despairs of ever mastering. She and her friends are the idle, pampered children of the privileged class, living in luxury on an Earth remade by natural disaster. Until Jane's life is changed forever by a chance encounter with a robot minstrel with auburn hair and silver skin, whose songs ignite in her a desperate and inexplicable passion.

Jane is certain that Silver is more than just a machine built to please. And she will give up everything to prove it. So she escapes into the city's violent, decaying slums to embrace a love bordering on madness. Or is it something more? Has Jane glimpsed in Silver something no one else has dared to see—not even the robot or his creators? A love so perfect it must be destroyed, for no human could ever compete?

First Sentence:
I grew up with my mother in Chez Stratos, my mother's house in the sky.

My Thoughts:

Why this book?

• I was browsing in the library, and came upon a book called Metallic Love. I was going to try reading some fantasy/sci-fi type of books and this caught my eye - "the legend of their tragic romance lives on". It wasn't until I got home I found out that Metallic Love is #2 in a series, and that Silver Metal is #1, so I thought I'd better read the first book first.

First thought:

• Probably liked it better if I read it as a teen...

Cover Art:

• Not something I'd pick based on the cover, but fitted the story well. 

Title:

• Like the cover design, not something that'd attract me but fitted the story.

Writing:

• Easy to read. 

Plot:

• For a moment, I was a bit crept out - what, in love with a robot? Ummm... but as I was reading the book, it kept reminding me of Twilight. Well, if it's okay to have a relationship with vampires or werewolves, then why not a robot? This book was first published back in 1981, so definitely not copying Twilight's concept of the forbidden love.

• The story line was fine, I kept reading to find out what happened and didn't guess the ending. Though I felt like it's something I'd have enjoyed reading more as a teen when idealistic was more important that realistic :)

Characters:

• Jane, the main female protagonist, definitely reminded me of Bella in Twilight - at least in the crying and whining aspect :)
   
• And Silver, was just like Edward - he was more perfect than human! 

• I found Jane and Silver's relationship interesting though because Silver kept reminding Jane (and us) that he wasn't human, and won't experience the same emotion that human did, for example, he won't get hurt by the things Jane said. Made you wonder what it's like if we were emotionless

Ending:

• I liked how the story end. 

Emotion:

• I probably would have cared more about Jane/Silver had I been younger. I felt about them the same as I felt about Bella/Edward - I know others would be touched by their love but it was not the epic love story for me

What I Learned:

• I feel old as I read YA books :p

PS:

• I decided not to read Book 2. I didn't mind giving this a try, but that's enough robot love for me

Read this Author again?

• Would depend on the story. The author primarily writes fantasy / sci-fi /horror and they aren't my usual genre.

Overall Rating:
2.5 Stars. Not a bad read, just not really for me.

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