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futurefishy's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Emotional abuse and Medical trauma
Moderate: Drug use, Gaslighting, Ableism, Addiction, Death, Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic
psychological horror abuse of power by a therapist & coercion via threat of institutionalisationrandom19379's review against another edition
4.0
Moderate: Racism, Sexism, Mental illness, War, Violence, Racial slurs, Ableism, Forced institutionalization, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Genocide
blueteacup's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Forced institutionalization and Mental illness
Moderate: War, Genocide, and Ableism
Minor: Drug abuse and Drug use
nannahnannah's review against another edition
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
Representation:
- one of the three PoV characters is biracial (black)
- one of the three PoV characters is bisexual or a (closeted?) gay man
George Orr, an average man by all accounts, discovers his dreams are affecting reality and that he’s the only one who knows it’s happening. He goes to dream psychiatrist William Haber for help but soon finds himself manipulated by Haber and his desire to play god.
As always with Le Guin, the prose is gorgeous. I love the way she distinguishes her characters, both through the prose and the characters’ voices. Heather Lelache, the love interest, especially. She's described in almost a menacing way with how her brass bracelets and buckles snap and clack when she moves. It fits her character wonderfully, too. As sort of an armor plating.
Though the story ends up being a little frustrating, because George technically could have ended the story halfway through and saved everyone a whole lot of trouble, it’s also fun to understand that it’s exactly his nature that prevents him from doing it. Just like it’s Haber’s nature that ultimately makes him the antagonist of the story, even though his desire is to do good. You have to love (or at least appreciate) stories like that.
I hear there was a film made of this in the 80s ... I know what I'll be doing this coming weekend. In the meantime, on to the next Le Guin novel(la)!
Moderate: Ableism
also eugenics (in-book) ableism is also in-book also contains gay/bi stereotypeslipka's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Forced institutionalization and Mental illness
Moderate: War, Ableism, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Murder, Racism, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Car accident
satanicangel's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Ableism, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Forced institutionalization, Medical trauma, Panic attacks/disorders, War, and Genocide
tenar's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Gaslighting
Moderate: Ableism, Car accident, Forced institutionalization, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Cancer, Death, Drug abuse, and Drug use