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3.62 AVERAGE
3.62 AVERAGE
I really like Ursula's style of writing. It's just good old fashioned storytelling in interesting new settings. But what turns this from a 3 star to a 4 star read is how she can draw together modern but timeless ideas about racism, development, and relationships into a 100ish page sci-fi novel.
(3/5) Another short but sweet novel in the Hainish Cycle. I liked how the chapters alternated perspectives between the three main characters, but basically every character in the book, including our protagonists, felt particularly one-dimensional and uninteresting. I also found that the story itself was rather predictable and full of the typical clichés of a “natives vs. colonists” story.
This isn't Le Guin's best but even with that, it's still better than 90% of everything else I read.
The book is extremely well written. The pacing is impeccable, the character development, impeccable. Like so many Le Guin stories, there's no huge, culminating climax, it has no giant impact, there are no messianic figures. It's not like The Dispossessed where it's implied that Shevek might have upended his entire society. It's just a bunch of people trying to survive a siege at the hands of invaders.
All I had a problem with is the initial "courtship" of Rolery and Agat, which seems a little short and there's not much to it. One minute they're snapping at each other, the next minute ... bowchikabowow!
After that, the book flies and Le Guin masterfully keeps us guessing about what's going to happen. There's suspense where these characters, which I quite frankly had grown fond of, are imperiled and we're not sure what's going to happen to them.
Great book! Loved it! 4.5 star!
The book is extremely well written. The pacing is impeccable, the character development, impeccable. Like so many Le Guin stories, there's no huge, culminating climax, it has no giant impact, there are no messianic figures. It's not like The Dispossessed where it's implied that Shevek might have upended his entire society. It's just a bunch of people trying to survive a siege at the hands of invaders.
All I had a problem with is the initial "courtship" of Rolery and Agat, which seems a little short and there's not much to it. One minute they're snapping at each other, the next minute ... bowchikabowow!
After that, the book flies and Le Guin masterfully keeps us guessing about what's going to happen. There's suspense where these characters, which I quite frankly had grown fond of, are imperiled and we're not sure what's going to happen to them.
Spoiler
So many books end in tragedy, as if there always has to be some huge sacrifice. There's none of that here, and Le Guin captures the better emotions that we all feel, which is always a nice change of pace.Great book! Loved it! 4.5 star!
adventurous
mysterious
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:
Yes
Reviewing it almost a year later. I enjoyed. Not the most eye-opening for me personally, but enjoyed nonetheless.
The beautiful story of two species managing to breed during a war against another species who isn't allowed to breed. Astonishing.
adventurous
fast-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
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Good and thoughtful literature. I like the loose connections of this shared universe.
adventurous
Brief, exciting, and beautiful. Proof that sci-fi world building need not require a thousand pages.
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated