Reviews with content warning for Police brutality - The Dispossessed

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The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin

46 reviews

outerscout's review against another edition

adventurous reflective slow-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

3.75

found it quite slow / hard to get into but got far more invested in the last ~100 pages. not sure how much the politics resonated with me overall but i appreciated the nuance

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kylieqrada's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional 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

5.0

Ursula K. LeGuin can do no wrong, IMO. I swear I highlighted half of this book. “An ambiguous uptopia” really sums it up.

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waqupi's review against another edition

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adventurous hopeful reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

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manatad's review against another edition

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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? No

4.5

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pandemonicbaby's review against another edition

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reflective slow-paced

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

3.25

Still don't know what exactly to say about this book, but it was an interesting exploration of the implications of how different societies both shape and are shaped by the people who participate in them.
I'm gonna ruminate on it for a little bit and then later do a more thorough review.

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storyorc's review

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challenging emotional inspiring reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

A little slow in parts but was any other work of fiction in the 70s making an honest effort to imagine an anarchist society like this? Equal parts optimistim and realism, The Dispossessed explores how we might try to set up such a society and the pitfalls of human nature we would have to overcome.

Flashbacks to our main character, Shevek's life on his anarchic moon are as touching as they are fascinating, filled with imperfect but quite human characters who are really trying. Reading constantly that they work because they want to and that everything they do, they choose it, has the curious effect of making the reader feel they are in a dark little box watching the lid crack open bit by bit. In seeing our anarchists sacrifice for their society, we understand how they can trust that the same society will sacrifice them. The capitalist notion of freedom - "financial freedom", aka "fuck you money" - pales in comparison to a model of freedom where you can trust that you will be able to take what you need. By the end of the book, you've absorbed enough of their outlook to feel sickened by the capitalist planet Shevek visits instead of relieved by the familiar.

The anarchists still struggle with the power of peer pressure and environmental hardships from living on a barren moon. It is said repeatedly that anarchism is a process, not a destination - a constant vigilance and revolution against power. Their moon is no oasis yet you yearn to return along with Shevek.

(Not sure how this ties in yet but another motto of their movement's leader was that there is no journey without return. Thought it runs counter to the spirit of exploration we're used to, it is effective in instilling that yearning as well as presenting an interesting challenge to the ego of the explorer - why explore? Selfishly, or for home?)

Check content warnings of this review if sexual assault is a trigger.

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