"Suppose that the nature of contact is such that only the existence of extraterrestrial intelligence is confirmed, with no other substantive information. . . The impact would be magnified by the lens of human mass psychology and culture until it resulted in huge substantive influences on the progress of civilization." 
 The premise was difficult to understand at first, but it was just fascinating enough to pursue. Alien contact on a scientific level. The book deals with difficult physics concepts that may or may not be actual concepts and this makes it hard to follow. However, the complexity of the "physics" behind the novel is eventually explained in such a way that the rules of this world make sense. 
 Several characters are reacting to the Chinese Cultural Revolution, which sets the plot of the book in motion. There is an eerie, uncomfortable feeling that comes when reading the book. The slow burn of revelation is actually paced perfectly. Despite the heavy suspension of belief required to swallow what Trisolaris is and the explanation for everything that happens in the book towards the end, the payoff is actually satisfying. The motivating factors of the characters in the book are fascinating, from oppression, revenge, and/or conservation. Yet they all feel like two dimensional caricatures of people with brief glimpses of depth (thus no five stars). The truly captivating part of the book turns out to be the "science" and the premise of what contact with an intelligent alien society would come down too. I really enjoyed the book and the interesting questions it posed.