http://nhw.livejournal.com/494509.htm...

I have seen a few seconds of the film of this book starring David Bowie; the novel was published in 1963. It's a bleak picture of an almost-human alien from an undiscovered planet in our solar system, sent to Earth to try and save his people. He becomes an alcoholic, goes blind and gives up. Depressing. ( )

Brilliant. This a deceptively simple story, told in simple, uncomplicated prose, but with unexpected depth and relevance. It might come off as slightly trite now, as with most mid-20th century fiction set in "the near future" (the late 1980s, of all things!), but I'm sure in 1963 it was truly a sign of the times. What I'm sure hasn't lost its charge over the years is the tint of sadness, of individualized despair, that permeates the book and ultimately embitters the characters. No one escapes their self-destructive fears - not the American government, not the curious scientist, and most especially not the titular visitor who comes to save his world but can't even save himself. The film version, starring David Bowie, is far more surreal and symbolically charged (and, as with any Nicholas Roeg film, obsessed with sexuality), but the plot is almost completely the same, and anyone who enjoys one version of the tale should enjoy the other. Definitely worth seeking out. ( )

The film was a stylish gnostic parable. I haven't yet read the novel, so I am unsure if this is quite so evident in the book.

Cool but I'm not sure why the alien didn't save his people. I'm sure that's a major part of the book too. Aged well. ( )