Reviews with content warning for Racism - The Word For The World Is Forest

Reviews tagging 'Racism'

The Word For The World Is Forest by Ursula K. Le Guin

38 reviews

evehowell's review against another edition

adventurous hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

absolutely incredible book, one that gets ever more relevant with time. tells us so much about humans and how we will lose everything - i wish everybody in the world had read it so they could understand.

i was driven largely in my reading of it by the introduction’s statement that it tells of what happens to a colonised people’s morality in the aftermath of defending themselves, and i saw this message very expertly woven throughout the narrative. politically, this book is a masterpiece - an easy 5/5.

outside of its “real world” implications, the book is also fantastic. the characters are brilliant - davidson’s pure evilness is compelling (although it almost sent me spiralling in rage at times), lyubov both admirable and pitiable, and selver the unlikely antihero - what can you do but root for him?

the most compelling part for me, which will haunt me for weeks to come, was lyubov’s reaction to selver’s warning about the attack on Central. the very small admission that he knew what it meant and didn’t allow himself to act on it, in itself an act of both sacrifice and betrayal, is haunting. selver’s acceptance of lyubov being victim of the attack, but the everlasting impact of accepting this fact, gives perfect and realistic weight to the reality of the situation.

i could talk about this book for hours. it’s true that having read it has changed me as a person, and for that i’m very grateful.

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nyxlikesbook's review against another edition

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dark reflective sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

Content Warnings

elliotyork's review against another edition

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challenging dark reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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waqupi's review against another edition

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challenging dark tense

Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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morenowagain's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark informative fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

A very appropriate read for what's going on in the world right now.

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itsnotsarah's review against another edition

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challenging dark reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated

3.0

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trailmixraisins's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This Ursula K. Le Guin classic is a short and bittersweet parable-like story. She uses vivid and explicit depictions of colonialism in the setting of an alien planet years in the future where humans have developed the technology to travel through space. Selver, an Athshean man, and his society are irrevocably changed after humans settle the planet to harvest wood to be sold on Earth. Though ultimately hopeful, the toll of human violence and hatred on the non-violent society puts its continued existence in jeopardy.

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