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3.62 AVERAGE
3.62 AVERAGE
Planet of Exile is the first Le Guin book that I don't like. The characterization is weak and the pacing is extremely uneven: some pivotal events happen with little explanation, whereas other scenes meander by with exquisite detail. I found it frustrating, and I couldn't immerse myself in the novel.
The book begins with an unlikely and forbidden romance between a middle-aged man and a young woman from two different cultures. The romance happens with no justification or emotional insight. Why did she throw her family and lifestyle away for a stranger? What did he like about her that made him willing to risk the city he was responsible for? No reasons are given. Similarly, a major (non-romance) plot twist occurs close to the end of the book in a way that feels very rushed, and its implications are left unexplored.
Nonetheless, the book did teach me something about myself. Le Guin places two cultures alongside each other: one educated and technologically advanced culture, and one pre-wheel society. Neither culture is presented as more heroic than the other, yet I found that I instinctively identified with the technologically advanced culture as "us" and the less technologically advanced culture as "them." The narration is not set up to encourage this; it simply happened. Why do I view education and technology as such important cultural signifiers? I need to think about this a bit more.
The book begins with an unlikely and forbidden romance between a middle-aged man and a young woman from two different cultures. The romance happens with no justification or emotional insight. Why did she throw her family and lifestyle away for a stranger? What did he like about her that made him willing to risk the city he was responsible for? No reasons are given. Similarly, a major (non-romance) plot twist occurs close to the end of the book in a way that feels very rushed, and its implications are left unexplored.
Nonetheless, the book did teach me something about myself. Le Guin places two cultures alongside each other: one educated and technologically advanced culture, and one pre-wheel society. Neither culture is presented as more heroic than the other, yet I found that I instinctively identified with the technologically advanced culture as "us" and the less technologically advanced culture as "them." The narration is not set up to encourage this; it simply happened. Why do I view education and technology as such important cultural signifiers? I need to think about this a bit more.
“..uzaylı kanı ve uzaylı aklı taşıyan bu yabancı kız, Agat’ın ne gücünü, ne vicdanını, ne birikimini, ne de sürgününün paylaşıyordu. Ortak hiçbir yanları yoktu; ama buna rağmen kendisiyle tanışmış, aralarındaki büyük uçuruma karşın ona destek olmuştu. Tanışmalarını, birliktelik kurmalarını sağlayan, onları özgürleştiren şey, aralarındaki o fark, o yabancılıktı sanki.”
Okumaya başladıktan sonra “gelen bir kış”, kışın getirdiği istilacılar, yabanıllar ve yıllar süren mevsimleriyle G.R.R. Martin için nasıl bir ilham kaynağı olduğunu farkediyorsunuz. Uzak bir gezegene 600 yıl önce sürgüne düşen yaban soylular ile izcanlıların birbirlerine çok yakın bir mesafede ama tamamen kapalı bir şekilde yaşayıp, gelmekte olan tehlikeye karşı kolektif bir topluma dönüşme çabasını anlatıyor. Le Guin diğer kitaplarında olduğu gibi, farklı kültürler ve türler arasındaki ötekileştirmeyi fantastik bir dünya aracılığıyla eleştiriyor. Ancak yazıldığı dönem Ursula K. Le Guin’in feminizm ile tanışmadan öncesine tekabül ettiği için toplumsal cinsiyet rollerine dair klasik duruşunun aksine toplumun genel kuralları çerçevesinde kurgulanıyor. Yıllar sonra yazdığı önsözü ile de bu dönemine dair bir özeleştiri sunuyor. O yüzden önsözünü atlamadan okumanız kitabın tamamlanmasını sağlayacaktır. Hainli serisinin birinci kitabı olan Racannon’un Dünyası’na göre aksiyonu çok daha yüksek olan ancak yazarın klasiklerinden biraz uzak bir kitap.
3,5 ⭐️
Okumaya başladıktan sonra “gelen bir kış”, kışın getirdiği istilacılar, yabanıllar ve yıllar süren mevsimleriyle G.R.R. Martin için nasıl bir ilham kaynağı olduğunu farkediyorsunuz. Uzak bir gezegene 600 yıl önce sürgüne düşen yaban soylular ile izcanlıların birbirlerine çok yakın bir mesafede ama tamamen kapalı bir şekilde yaşayıp, gelmekte olan tehlikeye karşı kolektif bir topluma dönüşme çabasını anlatıyor. Le Guin diğer kitaplarında olduğu gibi, farklı kültürler ve türler arasındaki ötekileştirmeyi fantastik bir dünya aracılığıyla eleştiriyor. Ancak yazıldığı dönem Ursula K. Le Guin’in feminizm ile tanışmadan öncesine tekabül ettiği için toplumsal cinsiyet rollerine dair klasik duruşunun aksine toplumun genel kuralları çerçevesinde kurgulanıyor. Yıllar sonra yazdığı önsözü ile de bu dönemine dair bir özeleştiri sunuyor. O yüzden önsözünü atlamadan okumanız kitabın tamamlanmasını sağlayacaktır. Hainli serisinin birinci kitabı olan Racannon’un Dünyası’na göre aksiyonu çok daha yüksek olan ancak yazarın klasiklerinden biraz uzak bir kitap.
3,5 ⭐️
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Ursula Le Guin's writing always manages to capture me, even when I am not always enthusiastic about some of the plot points (this one is very insta-lovey; Why have the natives not advanced technologically? Was it just due to an avoidance of the strangers? But they seemed to trade and should have been exposed to things like ... wheels.). Of course, next to the writing, there were also several plot elements that I enjoyed a lot:
- a story of a group of people who are left on a strange planet that may be killing them by their technologically highly advanced ancestors and who are losing their technological advancements.
- exploring how people can live with natives according to the rules of the League of Nations
- despite the insta-love (insta-attraction?), I enjoyed the commitment of the two characters to each other afterward. It is acknowledged that they don't really know each other and that they have difficulties understanding the gestures of the other person.
- a POV by an old person who shows signs of dementia/forgetfulness and struggles with his loss of status
- the people from another world are left on the planet and
- the pact is broken but still, the people from another world trying to fulfill their duty as descendants of the League of Worlds
Currently, I'm in love with insightful afterwords/introductions by authors who manage to give perspectives on their writing choices and how they personally interpret the roles of characters and their decisions. Here, I also found Le Guin's points well-made and valuable.
- a story of a group of people who are left on a strange planet that may be killing them by their technologically highly advanced ancestors and who are losing their technological advancements.
Spoiler
The change at the end of the book: "This was his fort, his city, his world; these were his people. He was no exile here.- exploring how people can live with natives according to the rules of the League of Nations
- despite the insta-love (insta-attraction?), I enjoyed the commitment of the two characters to each other afterward. It is acknowledged that they don't really know each other and that they have difficulties understanding the gestures of the other person.
Spoiler
While the attraction came out of nowhere to me, I can understand the speed of the relationship given the circumstances: He is one of the only people in her age range, she is doubtful she can have children anyway, and they may soon die because of 15 years of winter and/or raids from their enemies. If you don't live your life in such circumstances, when will you?- a POV by an old person who shows signs of dementia/forgetfulness and struggles with his loss of status
- the people from another world are left on the planet and
Spoiler
remain left on the planet; nobody comes to save them- the pact is broken but still, the people from another world trying to fulfill their duty as descendants of the League of Worlds
Currently, I'm in love with insightful afterwords/introductions by authors who manage to give perspectives on their writing choices and how they personally interpret the roles of characters and their decisions. Here, I also found Le Guin's points well-made and valuable.
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
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:
No
Just like nicoll said - this is a good book, but not as good as I know Ursula's books can be...
also I'm COMVINCED that GRRM read this and got the idea for his SoIaF series - a winter that lasts a long time, people not really remembering what winter is really like, a tribe of roaming northeners coming south, a possible alliance to stop the notheners ruined because of idiocy, strange monsters following the northeners south, and to top it all off "winter is coming" is a quote in the book.
also I'm COMVINCED that GRRM read this and got the idea for his SoIaF series - a winter that lasts a long time, people not really remembering what winter is really like, a tribe of roaming northeners coming south, a possible alliance to stop the notheners ruined because of idiocy, strange monsters following the northeners south, and to top it all off "winter is coming" is a quote in the book.