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4.28 AVERAGE
4.28 AVERAGE
A great introspection on capitalism, socialism, and time. It took ~150 pages to start to enjoy the book, but after that, I was locked in. Not loving the whole justified sexual assault part at the end.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault, Violence, War
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
reflective
slow-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
The Dispossessed is exactly the kind of SciFi I long for ever since I first started watching Star Trek way back when. It uses the lens of futurism to look at possibilities, at what could be, but also at what already is. In addition, The Dispossessed sports great world building, up to a point where I can wholly imagine myself moving around the sister planets of Urras and Anarres. Finally, the character of Shevek, an ideologue without a home, is a wonderful point of view character for a reader unfamiliar with these contrasting archic and anarchic worlds.
Following Shevek, we experience a lifetime on the anarchist planet of Anarres. Slowly the anarchist society is built up in front of your eyes, experiencing what one would consider normal and abnormal within their society. It doesn't paint a wholly utopian picture of such a society, doesn't shy away from showing harsh imperfections. Yet it never feels dystopian, idealism always finding its way. In that sense, it very accurately reflects anarchism as a process, a process of constant revolution, as mentioned in the book (which comes under tension, for sure).
Following Shevek meanwhile we also learn how strange life on a hierarchical planet can seem to someone whose whole life has known no money, markets, governments or suchlike. This starts out as merely feeling weird, but over the course of the book it becomes clear how insidiously hierarchical society permeates every aspect of life on Urras.
Combine this with some healthy philosophical treatises on other concepts, such as feminism and environmentalism, and you've got a science fiction novel that really made me think, smile, and hope, while providing me with a compelling narrative and a universe I'm anxious to read more about.
Following Shevek, we experience a lifetime on the anarchist planet of Anarres. Slowly the anarchist society is built up in front of your eyes, experiencing what one would consider normal and abnormal within their society. It doesn't paint a wholly utopian picture of such a society, doesn't shy away from showing harsh imperfections. Yet it never feels dystopian, idealism always finding its way. In that sense, it very accurately reflects anarchism as a process, a process of constant revolution, as mentioned in the book (which comes under tension, for sure).
Following Shevek meanwhile we also learn how strange life on a hierarchical planet can seem to someone whose whole life has known no money, markets, governments or suchlike. This starts out as merely feeling weird, but over the course of the book it becomes clear how insidiously hierarchical society permeates every aspect of life on Urras.
Combine this with some healthy philosophical treatises on other concepts, such as feminism and environmentalism, and you've got a science fiction novel that really made me think, smile, and hope, while providing me with a compelling narrative and a universe I'm anxious to read more about.
I don’t know how to review this novel. There are powerful ideas here in Le Guin’s thought experiment about a society without ownership. I found the prose clunkier than some of her other works and harder to get into. I’m still glad I read it.
challenging
reflective
slow-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
WOW. Just wow. I read Le Guin for the first time 10 years ago and loved her work, but this???? I’m glad to rediscover her genius at an age where I can appreciate it more. Le Guin deserves to be listed in the classics, and the message of this book will never not be salient. She masters writing AND storytelling in such a short amount of pages. Each line, each dialogue is rich with meaning and encourages you to chew and reflect on what it means to be human and free. This book was a masterpiece!!
A book of ideas - not your typical sci-fi yarn, but its genuinely convincing socialist-anarchist society could only work with an interplanetary framing. Impressive in terms of world-building, chapter structure, and the internal struggle of its protagonist. But as a story, it has little dramatic drive until well into the second half. Less than 300 pages, but felt like 600.
"La eternidad se manifiesta plenamente en aquello que más cambia."
challenging
dark
hopeful
informative
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Still just dipping my toe into sci-fi and trying to do the foundational folks. Got a bit slow towards the end (potentially just coincidental with when I paused reading it). But it was a useful reflection on anarchism. I feel like there are things I missed and I need to read more reviews and reflections after finishing.