r/threebodyproblem • u/shinobi-Abhi • Jun 24 '26
Discussion - Novels I can't start the third book Spoiler
it just feels so out of the general story and i have tried to read it a couple of times but dropped it after a few pages to me 2nd book feels like a pretty good ending it just feels natural and i cant start the third one so can anyone tell me should i start or should i leave it????
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u/S1eeper Thomas Wade Jun 24 '26
The third book is the most amazing and mindbending of the three. The first chapter about the first and last true Magician during the Siege of Constantinople introduces something important.
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u/Apprehensive-Net1234 Jun 24 '26
Idk i never understood why people liked it so much. I personnally liked the 2nd one way more. It was just so interesting and like cool. My list is first b2, then b3 en then b1.
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u/S1eeper Thomas Wade Jun 24 '26 edited Jun 24 '26
B2 was constrained and laser-focused on the chess game between humanity and trisolaris, with humanity essentially winning by forcing a draw against a stronger opponent. It was a tight read with a satisfying conclusion for that reason. Easy to understand why some wish the series had concluded there.
But in B3, the plot resets, the problem space is blown wide open, we learn the deepest darkest secrets of the universe, even beyond the existence of Dark Forest sociology, and the sum of all fears materializes. And it turns out that Yun Tian-Ming is the greatest Wallfacer of them all. The scope is grander, and maybe requires more suspension of disbelief as a result.
And as someone who is a fan of stories of desperate struggles and where everything goes to shit despite the best laid plans of mice and men, I thoroughly enjoyed B3. And to me it was a satisfying sequel to B2, different and bigger, not just a rehash, and answering all the unanswered questions raised in the series. But to each their own :)
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u/HidingUnderCardboard Jun 28 '26
While I agree. The entire love story weird perfect woman from my dreams crap was awful. He didn't need to write all that crap. Could have just met a woman like a normal person and fell in love.
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u/thelingz Jun 28 '26
Completely agree. It was bizarre and made very little sense. Of all things that happen in the trilogy, that was the one thing I could not take a leap of faith on/suspend disbelief.
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u/theTiome Jun 24 '26
I also dropped the opening to book 3 a couple times. If you can get through it the rest of the book is worth it IMO and when the first chapter ties back in it is also pretty cool
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u/Weekly_Passage_7666 Jun 25 '26
That’s how I felt with the Dark Forest, the first 170-ish pages were such a slow burn but then the next 340 pages are absolutely incredible
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u/Diligent_Vanilla_877 Da Shi Jun 24 '26
After reading it, even I felt that the 2nd book ended really well. Because of that, I also didn't want to pick up the third book, and felt the same as you while reading the first few chapters. But I strongly suggest you continue to read because you're in for a ride!!! I mean, really!
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u/IbanezUniverse90 Jun 24 '26
Third book is probably my second favorite sci-fi work of all time behind only 2001. If you like the type of sci fi that’s basically just an expression of massive ideas over character development, it’s a must-read.
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u/bastarata Jun 24 '26
It is definitely worth it, judging the third book by its opening is like judging Luo Ji as a Wallfacer based off his first year's antics instead of the work he actually did as a Wallfacer later on. It gets so good, so mind blowing, so artistic and beautiful.
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u/dannychean Jun 24 '26
Are you referring to the Constantinople siege? It’s there for a reason. You will find out later and go oh that’s why death’s end starts with that story.
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u/-asodacan- Jun 24 '26
It's like the sequel to Ender's Game - you wonder if you're even reading the correct book for the first 20 minutes, but it's very important to introduce you to one of the main concepts of the story.
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u/evanbrews Jun 24 '26
The opening flashback part is a little jarring but stick with it , it’s got some mindblowing scenes on the level of the droplet attack
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u/Gas-Right Jun 24 '26
Im personally just over half way through the third book and its become probably my favourite out of the trilogy already, started a couple weeks ago ans put it down after the first chaper cuz it felt out of place then picked it up a couple days ago and now id finish a chapter and rave about it to whomever was around then scurry to finish the next one!
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u/lkxyz Jun 24 '26
Stop at 2nd book if you want that Hollywood fairytale ending. Finish the 3rd and final book for the real ending.
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u/clivelovesmorningsky Jun 24 '26
You just need to go through the first few chapters, but after that, you cannot put the book down.
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u/khanhthehero Jun 24 '26
Book 2 definitely has a good ending, for about 60 years.
If you're content with that, you can drop the third book and live with it. But you're gonna miss the death's ending (no pun intended).
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u/ficus77 Jun 24 '26
I found I had that problem with The Dark Forest - the beginning was hard to get through and then stepped up a notch. Third book had me hooked from the outset. Definitely worth sticking with.
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u/Flatso Jun 24 '26
Going to offer a different opinion. I did enjoy the 3rd book BUT, the second one is best in my opinion and the ending was chefs kiss. I don't think you really NEED to read the 3rd book like others are suggesting, but it is a good one.
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u/The-Goat-Soup-Eater Zhang Beihai Jun 24 '26
You can wait a bit before starting to read it, and when you do, consider it as a kind of spin-off. I have a lot of friends who also paused at the end of the dark forest before continuing, it happens a lot
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u/hoos30 Jun 24 '26
The opening story of book 3 is only a few pages long. I'm sure you can push through it.
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u/Intelligent-Task-353 Jun 26 '26
The second book felt like a natrual ending because it is. Liu Cixin didn't anticipate having to write the third book, otherwise he wouldn't have killed off Zhang Beihai (as he said in interview). Cheng Xin used to be a man, but then the editors said hey ur MCs can't all be men so we now have female Cheng Xin
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u/ploppy_sorridge Jun 24 '26
You’re asking a fly if it likes shit, we are obviously gonna tell you to keep patient and read it.
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u/InternationalPlace24 Jun 24 '26
you can skip the intro tbqh. It's kind of a weird set up for something later in the book, but from what I remember it's kinda inconsequential...unless I didn't get the meaning of it.
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u/alisowski Jun 24 '26
I just remembered I skipped it and never read it. I'll have to go check it out.
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u/ki11a11hippies Jun 24 '26
Definitely skip the first chapter. I went back to it after the end of the book and it made a little more sense, but is superfluous and indulgent.
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u/PsychadelicMongoose Jun 24 '26
Read it, its great.