Review: Machines Like Me by Ian McEwan

Did Not Finish Machines Like Me by Ian McEwan.

I am in a bit of a fix when writing this review. Because I am not quite sure if I should give this book a star rating or simply a Did Not Finish rating. I like the book title and the book cover of a humanoid robot intrigues me so. Together, they entice me to read the story. But often, liking a book visually may not be enough to sustain the interest to devouring the whole book. This book is exactly that. While I want to like this book, it is difficult to finish reading the entire book. The story starts off well and fair enough, but after reading sufficient pages, I know it is not a book I want to spend more time on and I start to skip chunks and chunks of it.

The story is about artificial human, about having a machine as a companion, both a friend and helper who can help with washing dishes, making beds and... thinking.

How will it be like to own a machine that has an operating system as well as a human nature and personality? It certainly makes an interesting topic and has much potential for a great storyline. I will say that in devising an improved modern version of ourselves, the author has brilliantly invented a technical miracle. Unfortunately, only the first few chapters captivate my attention. After that, the story loses its focus on artificial intelligence and instead, side track onto other sub plots and developments which can be disjointed and confusing at times.

I like that the story mentions the First Law of Robotics by Isaac Asimov. To quote "A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm." Perhaps this is what I feel most comfortable when reading about stories dealing with AI, because only by laying down such a rule that humans can follow our desires and create machines that can think like humans. Otherwise, it is scary to think about the consequences of human's infatuation with technology. Humans may even end up doing the bidding of machines.

Having done some serious thinking, I finally decide to go with Did Not Finish. As disappointing as it is, I have read the opening chapters, the ending and then some, but I think it is only fair to say I did not finish reading as I have skipped way too many pages of the book to properly considered it read.


Publisher: Jonathan Cape; 1st edition
Publication date: 18 Apr 2019

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Machines Like Me occurs in an alternative 1980s London. Charlie, drifting through life and dodging full-time employment, is in love with Miranda, a bright student who lives with a terrible secret. When Charlie comes into money, he buys Adam, one of the first batch of synthetic humans. With Miranda’s assistance, he co-designs Adam’s personality. This near-perfect human is beautiful, strong and clever – a love triangle soon forms. These three beings will confront a profound moral dilemma. Ian McEwan’s subversive and entertaining new novel poses fundamental questions: what makes us human? Our outward deeds or our inner lives? Could a machine understand the human heart? This provocative and thrilling tale warns of the power to invent things beyond our control.
*Blurb from Goodreads*

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