Reviews

The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula K. Le Guin

viviantuyle's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

lauren_k_love's review against another edition

adventurous hopeful reflective fast-paced

figgy24_20's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• 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

Really interesting, complex book. Very intriguing, but not confusing. Because the main driving force of the book, throughout, is the character of George. And he grows and changes and faces struggles. The plot is very strange and difficult to follow. Looking back, there are whispers of the beginning at the end and of the end at the beginning. 

Wonderful, strange, Le Guin Does it again!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Mental illness, War, and Medical trauma

megplant's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

laurafd's review against another edition

challenging dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

lmart0423's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

geoccali's review against another edition

challenging reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated

3.5

t_shaffner's review against another edition

2.0

I really expected to like this book, having so profoundly loved much of the author's other works. In practice though it was fairly disappointing. The main character is kind of a moral milksop who wanders through life letting others tell him what to do, the plot has a high element of randomness to it, and all the points where it seems like something really cool could happen or be done or be used end up instead being resets to the story that aren't more interesting than the original. This all leading to an ending that seemed precipitated by a massive degree of stupidity on the main character's part, and which lead to a conclusion lacking a moral, major upshot, or satisfaction of any meaningful kind.

This whole thing seemed to me proof that an author capable of truly brilliant, profound, thought provoking books can also, now and then, write something that's the opposite.

djla2009's review against another edition

This one didn't wow me as much as much as The Left Hand of Darkness did. I feel like it would take a lot to wow me that much again. I've heard The Dispossessed is also really good so I'll read that at some point. I just picked this book because it was the only Ursula LeGuin book at a bookstore I was at.

I did like the ending. It was unique and I was kinda expecting a disappointing ending since the second half of the book felt drawn out. I think this would be enjoyable if I hadn't already seen lots of alternate reality sci fi before. This felt very much in the style of Philip K Dick but just not weird enough. It felt reminiscent of Man in the High Castle.

Not a bad book, just hard to follow after Left Hand.

luciferstand's review against another edition

5.0

book rocks