Reviews tagging 'Pregnancy'

The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin

15 reviews

imds's review against another edition

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Colonisation, and Classism

Moderate: Bullying, Miscarriage, Forced institutionalization, and Death of parent

lanid's review against another edition

adventurous emotional reflective

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Gun violence, Xenophobia, and Police brutality

Minor: Bullying, Sexism, Sexual content, Violence, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Classism

pastelkerstin's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective medium-paced

4.5

Essential reading if you're a leftist who likes sci-fi! I thought The Left Hand of Darkness was good, but I wouldn't say it's one of my favourite books. But The Dispossessed now is.

One of the most interesting things about The Left Hand of Darkness for me was the mention of another planet in the federation without war or law enforcement. Now, this book apparently takes place before the federation was formed, but it's exactly about that. It's about an anarchist society, the capitalist society it clashes with, and a scientist caught between the two who wants to follow his passion. And it doesn't beat around the bush at all with its politics. No fantasy names for real-life political concepts. Instead you get moving criticisms of capitalism, authoritarianism, police brutality and patriarchy. Although Anarres isn't portrayed as flawless or as totally immune to what they were trying to escape (e.g. social capital creates a kind of hierarchy after all), you know that despite its flaws and hardships, it portrays a world more just than Urras on such a deep level.

I borrowed this from the university library, but I liked it so much, I might actually buy my own copy. My only real gripe with it is how [vague spoilers ahead] Shevek's accidental drunk night ends. He narrowly avoided becoming a character I couldn't root for anymore. Very narrowly. I think him getting drunk accidentally and not knowing what's happening/how to deal with it at all because Anarrestri don't drink makes perfect sense. I just don't like where that went...
Otherwise really fucking good!!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Murder, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and War

Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Confinement, Rape, Forced institutionalization, and Medical content

zombiezami's review

Not sure if this is for me. I might re-evaluate after looking at more of the series. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Misogyny, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Death, Sexual assault, Xenophobia, Excrement, Grief, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Classism

Minor: Child death, Vomit, Medical content, Colonisation, and War

Attempted rape

savvylit's review against another edition

challenging reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.0

Prior to reading this book, my only exposure to Le Guin was her short story "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas" which I loved. Needless to say, I was looking forward to reading one of her full-length works.

The strongest part of this book is definitely the political theory & criticism. The way Le Guin explores the best and the worst of anarcho-syndicalism is super interesting. Politically, I'm pretty far left so I really enjoyed that the utopia of Annares reflects principles that I strongly believe in - specifically mutual aid. Another strength of this book was that, though it portrays a utopia, it is incredibly critical of the shortcomings of said utopia.

What ultimately made this 3 stars for me was the neutrality that I felt for the whole book as I read it. The plot is weak and the characters are weak - all in service to the political theory. Shevek is the only character who is remotely three-dimensional. I found the rest to be hollow. Not only that, but I simply do not care about temporal physics and felt extremely bored reading about Shevek's theory of simultaneity. But that's just my personal preference.

All in all, I respect what The Dispossessed is about but I wouldn't re-read it or recommend it. I think I will try a more well-known Le Guin work next time - hopefully something with more plot & character development.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Police brutality, and Pregnancy