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books_and_keys's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
whisperfox's review against another edition
3.0
[6/10]
Some of these stories were connected to worlds I knew from LeGuin, and some were only thematically related, so I'll admit I wasn't as deeply invested in these as in the others of the cycle that came before. But the thought experiments that were set up here were definitely worth the read, and I thought new thoughts because of these stories.
Interesting and well-told, each story here did grab and hold my attention. I was definitely more meaningfully connected with certain narrators and tales. Some of the narrators made choices that I found frustrating, which affected my reactions to some aspects of their stories. But there were also moments where my emotions were perfectly in flow with the characters' experiences, and those moments were marvelous.
I will say, LeGuin seems to really like to explore love and sexuality in unconventional contexts. A lot of her previous forays into these areas were very effective for me, and made me examine my own related ideas. I'm not sure why it didn't work as well for me here, but I did find myself wearying of the way those things were explored in these specific stories. I think my experience of these stories was also somewhat diminished by the fact that these stories were not fully coherent as a collection. But of course, they were all exquisitely written and thought-provoking, so I did enjoy the journey in spite of these things.
Overall, I feel this was a rather hopeful and optimistic note to end on, and I'm grateful for that. My experience with LeGuin's Hainish cycle was a very positive one overall, and I look forward to voraciously consuming her Earthsea series in the future.
Some of these stories were connected to worlds I knew from LeGuin, and some were only thematically related, so I'll admit I wasn't as deeply invested in these as in the others of the cycle that came before. But the thought experiments that were set up here were definitely worth the read, and I thought new thoughts because of these stories.
Interesting and well-told, each story here did grab and hold my attention. I was definitely more meaningfully connected with certain narrators and tales. Some of the narrators made choices that I found frustrating, which affected my reactions to some aspects of their stories. But there were also moments where my emotions were perfectly in flow with the characters' experiences, and those moments were marvelous.
I will say, LeGuin seems to really like to explore love and sexuality in unconventional contexts. A lot of her previous forays into these areas were very effective for me, and made me examine my own related ideas. I'm not sure why it didn't work as well for me here, but I did find myself wearying of the way those things were explored in these specific stories. I think my experience of these stories was also somewhat diminished by the fact that these stories were not fully coherent as a collection. But of course, they were all exquisitely written and thought-provoking, so I did enjoy the journey in spite of these things.
Overall, I feel this was a rather hopeful and optimistic note to end on, and I'm grateful for that. My experience with LeGuin's Hainish cycle was a very positive one overall, and I look forward to voraciously consuming her Earthsea series in the future.
jaina8851's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
inspiring
reflective
medium-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? It's complicated
4.5
This was such an incredible collection of stories! I read Left Hand of Darkness a few years ago and distinctly remember feeling so lost for a large portion of the book because I was just dropped into a world without any context and had to pick up how the society works slowly through context clues. Each of these stories felt like a small version of that experience (except the first one, I was pleased at how quickly I remembered the details of life on Karhide). The last story in the collection was far and away my favorite one. I feel like most "ship leaving Earth for a new planet" stories that I've seen and read involve hibernation rather than a real time journey and the detailed exploration of how a society might shift and develop in that environment was absolutely fascinating. It reminded me of the game Dialect where you have to work together to develop language in isolation, and the moment in the story where they figure out what a "chensa" is delighted me. I definitely want to keep reading more of Ursula K LeGuin's work.
shalini_gunnasan's review against another edition
4.0
Coming Age in Karhide - 4/5.
The Matter of Seggri - 4/5. Read this in another collection, but it's still compelling. I still find the in-universe fiction horrifying.
Un Chosen Love - 2/5. While the cultural exploration was interesting, the story itself was boring. Maybe I cannot imagine being unable to walk away, and I found it confusing and irrational.
Mountain Ways - 4/5.
Solitude - 4/5. I didn't like this the first time I read it in another collection. I'm at that point in my life where I understand at last what le Guin was trying to say. It makes sense; I don't feel that the concept is entirely good or healthy, but it makes sense.
Old Music and the Slave Women - 4/5. This was very uncomfortable, but compelling.
The Birthday of the World - 4/5. Interesting cultural study.
Paradises Lost - 1/5. I found this too boring and meandering, and did not feel the need to finish it, as I stopped caring about halfway through.
Overall 4/5, because the good stuff is good.
The Matter of Seggri - 4/5. Read this in another collection, but it's still compelling. I still find the in-universe fiction horrifying.
Un Chosen Love - 2/5. While the cultural exploration was interesting, the story itself was boring. Maybe I cannot imagine being unable to walk away, and I found it confusing and irrational.
Mountain Ways - 4/5.
Solitude - 4/5. I didn't like this the first time I read it in another collection. I'm at that point in my life where I understand at last what le Guin was trying to say. It makes sense; I don't feel that the concept is entirely good or healthy, but it makes sense.
Old Music and the Slave Women - 4/5. This was very uncomfortable, but compelling.
The Birthday of the World - 4/5. Interesting cultural study.
Paradises Lost - 1/5. I found this too boring and meandering, and did not feel the need to finish it, as I stopped caring about halfway through.
Overall 4/5, because the good stuff is good.
authoraugust's review
5.0
Le Guin cut me to the quick with Lathe of Heaven, but Birthday of the World might have simply finished me. Her stark but humanizing portrayals of people struggling to reconcile self and society, love and lust, survival and spirituality were incredible. Each story was like eating a meal that made me feel very full, made me set the book down and wait to read the next one. Highly recommended.
tricapra's review
5.0
Amazing short story collection. A bunch of it is in the setting of Le Guin's Hanish cycle, which I have not read, but it was still fantastic on its own. The title story was a standout, but honestly everything in the anthology was fantastic.