Reviews

I liked this a lot, especially after the first third? I found Orr very sympathetic and the whole thing very unsettling. There was a lot of ethics and philosophy for such a short text--compact!

My mind drew some parallels with L'étranger in that it's very focused on a "weak" loner man in a world that seems very difficult to understand and I just wish I'd had to read this three times over in school and university rather than Camus...! It would have given me way more I'm sure.

Also there are some delicious turns of phrase and humorous bits. Masterful.

But--there is also that dusty musty old feeling common to a lot of mid-20th century writing. Stuffy in a way I can't quite put my finger on. I don't love that atmosphere in a book so that pulls down the rating a bit for me.

weenyreads's review against another edition

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dark mysterious medium-paced

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

4.5

valetparkering's review against another edition

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5.0

As always Le Guin's writing is phenomenal. From the first lines I was captured by the beauty of her prose.

I really enjoyed the way she characterized Haber and Orr and the way the narration style changed with every perspective and iteration. I was constantly watching for inconsistencies when the dreams changed.

deanamethyst's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective tense 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? It's complicated

4.25

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