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4.28 AVERAGE
4.28 AVERAGE
Score: 10/10
After sitting on this for a few weeks I can finally give this a proper review, and yea this is a straight up home run.
This novel transcends science fiction, to become what I can only describe as a force of nature. It's the story of two cultures that are simultaneously alien and wholly familiar. The real world parallels are stark and terrifying, but there's always a glimmer of hope around every corner.
Truly it's a flawless novel, the characters are real and engaging, the setting is opulent and unforgiving, the prose, THE PROSE is some of the best I've ever read, Ursula is a wizard with words. And at the heart of it all, something I never expected to like but somehow among all the greatness of this book it still shines through, a love story so real and visceral, it puts all romance authors on pause. This is how you do believeable love in a foreign world.
You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll question the society you live in, and whether the small part you play in it can amount to nothing, or everything. A modern masterpiece.
After sitting on this for a few weeks I can finally give this a proper review, and yea this is a straight up home run.
This novel transcends science fiction, to become what I can only describe as a force of nature. It's the story of two cultures that are simultaneously alien and wholly familiar. The real world parallels are stark and terrifying, but there's always a glimmer of hope around every corner.
Truly it's a flawless novel, the characters are real and engaging, the setting is opulent and unforgiving, the prose, THE PROSE is some of the best I've ever read, Ursula is a wizard with words. And at the heart of it all, something I never expected to like but somehow among all the greatness of this book it still shines through, a love story so real and visceral, it puts all romance authors on pause. This is how you do believeable love in a foreign world.
You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll question the society you live in, and whether the small part you play in it can amount to nothing, or everything. A modern masterpiece.
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
medium-paced
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Finally.
It has taken me five long months to finish this book. I would pick it up time and time again and most times only manage small stretches as I struggled to get through it.
I have endured this novel, stubborn to the last, and I can finally say it is done.
I have read a few Ursula K. Le Guin books before and adored them. So much so, I would happily declare her a favoured author when it came to sci-fi works. But this book? Shevek was not a character I enjoyed reading about -- a shame as the whole book was about him.
It was heavy with scientific terminology and notions which bogged down the text for me and drew me out of the fascinating worlds and characters presented to me. Too much Psychics for me to truly enjoy it... Disappointing to say the least. It was intriguing to see how society on Urras had developed and I found the characters introduced there the most fascinating. Anarres on the other hand, while okay to read about, was much more like our society so I was less interested to read about it or the characters introduced there.
Admittedly, there were a few times I got lost in the muddle of words and it would take me a few pages to catch up again and work everything out, which wasn't a fun experience at all...
There are moments of Le Guin's brilliant writing that shine through but if this book doesn't immediately capture you the way her other works can, then don't be foolish like me. It's okay to give up.
It has taken me five long months to finish this book. I would pick it up time and time again and most times only manage small stretches as I struggled to get through it.
I have endured this novel, stubborn to the last, and I can finally say it is done.
I have read a few Ursula K. Le Guin books before and adored them. So much so, I would happily declare her a favoured author when it came to sci-fi works. But this book? Shevek was not a character I enjoyed reading about -- a shame as the whole book was about him.
It was heavy with scientific terminology and notions which bogged down the text for me and drew me out of the fascinating worlds and characters presented to me. Too much Psychics for me to truly enjoy it... Disappointing to say the least. It was intriguing to see how society on Urras had developed and I found the characters introduced there the most fascinating. Anarres on the other hand, while okay to read about, was much more like our society so I was less interested to read about it or the characters introduced there.
Admittedly, there were a few times I got lost in the muddle of words and it would take me a few pages to catch up again and work everything out, which wasn't a fun experience at all...
There are moments of Le Guin's brilliant writing that shine through but if this book doesn't immediately capture you the way her other works can, then don't be foolish like me. It's okay to give up.
still processing. will report back later. truly fantastic and nuanced and complicated in all the right ways. ursula has never missed.
adventurous
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
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
Overall, I really liked this book. Its ideas are powerful: freedom, community, what we give up for progress, and how societies shape people. It gave me a lot to think about, and I’m glad I read it.
That said, I found her writing style tough at times. Not bad, just heavy. I don’t know if it’s the age of the book or if I’ve just gotten used to more modern sci-fi, but she seems to use big words when small ones would do. I had to slow down and really focus in some spots, which took me out of the story now and then.
But even when it’s a challenge, I always finish her books feeling like I gained something. This one made me reflect on how we live, what we expect from others, and what a truly “free” society might look like. It’s not an easy read, but it’s definitely a meaningful one.
That said, I found her writing style tough at times. Not bad, just heavy. I don’t know if it’s the age of the book or if I’ve just gotten used to more modern sci-fi, but she seems to use big words when small ones would do. I had to slow down and really focus in some spots, which took me out of the story now and then.
But even when it’s a challenge, I always finish her books feeling like I gained something. This one made me reflect on how we live, what we expect from others, and what a truly “free” society might look like. It’s not an easy read, but it’s definitely a meaningful one.
adventurous
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No