Along the way, it turns out that Foyle is in fact something of a genius, as he learns quickly and climbs up the social ladder in the space of just a couple of years in the pursuit of his goal. And even after that, that he has skills and knowledge which make him more valuable to the world than as merely a man on a mission of revenge. Thematically, then, the novel is arresting. On a more mechanical level, it's less successful. As with Foyle's salvaging of Vorga , the maddening rate at which Foyle evolves is hard to believe, and his sudden transformation in the second half from little more than a street thug into a erudite and crafty aristocrat is shocking, at best.
Stars seems to fly out into space, ending with a somewhat-forced rebirth allegory.
Although I certainly admired and enjoyed much of the ride Bester carried me on through the novel's pages, I found in the end that although there was much to appreciate about The Stars My Destination , there was also a lot I didn't care for. 378 hits since 13 August 2000.