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4.28 AVERAGE
4.28 AVERAGE
“I haven't seen it on any of the lists of Books-You-Must-Read-While-Trump-Is-In-Power-And-The-Ice-caps-Are-Melting, and that surprises me. For all its strangeness, it seems to describe a recognisable world, the place we're in now or soon will be. Read it and marvel, and worry. Read it and look up at the sky.”
(In ‘Introduction’ by Roddy Doyle, p. x)
“He would always be one for whom the return was as important as the voyage out. To go was not enough for him, only half enough; he must come back. … You shall not go down twice to the same river, nor can you go home again. That he knew; indeed it was the basis of his view of the world. Yet from that acceptance of transience he evolved his vast theory, wherein what is most changeable is shown to be fullest of eternity, and your relationship to the river, and the river's relationship to you and to itself, turns out to be at once more complex and more reassuring than a mere lack of identity. You can go home again, the General Temporal Theory asserts, so long as you understand that home is a place where you have never been.”
(p. 48)
(In ‘Introduction’ by Roddy Doyle, p. x)
“He would always be one for whom the return was as important as the voyage out. To go was not enough for him, only half enough; he must come back. … You shall not go down twice to the same river, nor can you go home again. That he knew; indeed it was the basis of his view of the world. Yet from that acceptance of transience he evolved his vast theory, wherein what is most changeable is shown to be fullest of eternity, and your relationship to the river, and the river's relationship to you and to itself, turns out to be at once more complex and more reassuring than a mere lack of identity. You can go home again, the General Temporal Theory asserts, so long as you understand that home is a place where you have never been.”
(p. 48)
Excellent novel. Really explores our society from an anarchist's perspective , and even includes how an anarchist society may function. Le Guin is a little unfair to state communism likely due to the failures and propaganda surrounding the Soviet Union, but it doesn't hurt the novel significantly. This book does what Le Guin does best with her sci-fi -- examine current human society and how it affects people.
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Third time reading, and this is still a masterpiece. I find new lines and new passages that stand out to me each time.
Inspiring and introspective at once.
Inspiring and introspective at once.
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Thought-provoking and engaging.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A masterpiece. Le Guin dissects anarchism both as a political philosophy and a school of thought, exploring the question: “what does it mean to be free?”
For we each of us deserve everything, every luxury that was ever piled in the tombs of the dead kings, and we each of us deserve nothing, not a mouthful of bread in hunger. Have we not eaten while another starved? Will you punish us for that? Will you reward us for the virtue of starving while others ate? No man earns punishment, no man earns reward. Free your mind of the idea of deserving, the idea of earning, and you will begin to be able to think.
As someone hoping to go into research, Shivek’s allegiance to truth above all, to people, to freedom, is inspiring.
I hope to return to this book again and again.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes