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outcolder's review against another edition
5.0
There were one or two drug references that maybe haven't aged so well, and one story where I even had a feeling she was trying for something in a PKD direction. I could have done without the story from the point of view of an oak tree. Generally though, these are all great stories that had been published previously and have been in other collections as well, including the Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas which is on quite a few syllabi in wizard schools. Because this is such a mix of her various themes and settings, it is probably the best introduction to this writer.
charmander17's review
challenging
inspiring
reflective
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
4.25
cappog's review against another edition
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.75
cm524's review against another edition
5.0
STUNNING. Every story brilliantly crafted, and some real surprises. Made me think a LOT... about life, about people, about hope, about the world... Excellent excellent excellent.
savaging's review against another edition
5.0
Will I sound like a rube if I say Ursula K. Le Guin is the most compelling political and social theorist I have ever encountered?
From "The Day Before the Revolution":
"she, and the other kids, and her parents, and their parents, and the drunks and whores and all of River Street, were at the bottom of something -- were the foundation, the reality, the source. But will you drag civilization down into the mud? cried the shocked decent people, later on, and she had tried for years to explain to them that if all you had was mud, then if you were God you made it into human beings, and if you were human you tried to make it into houses where human beings could live. But nobody who thought he was better than mud would understand."
From "The Day Before the Revolution":
"she, and the other kids, and her parents, and their parents, and the drunks and whores and all of River Street, were at the bottom of something -- were the foundation, the reality, the source. But will you drag civilization down into the mud? cried the shocked decent people, later on, and she had tried for years to explain to them that if all you had was mud, then if you were God you made it into human beings, and if you were human you tried to make it into houses where human beings could live. But nobody who thought he was better than mud would understand."
perlaesq's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
amandajinut's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.5
xtie's review against another edition
5.0
What a lovely introduction to Le Guin - thank u to claudi for suggesting we read The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas.
Not all the stories are perfect, maybe none are, but they are so wonderfully crafted - it’s not fair to think of them as sci-fi / fantasy stories as they are so much more incisive - exactly why people love her writing!
The introductions to the stories are the best - maybe not everyone’s cup of tea but I loved reading them twice, once before and once after, just to hold the stories one more time. My favourites were April in Paris, The Masters, The Word of Unbinding, Things, Vaster than Empires and More Slow, Direction of the Road and Omelas !
Not all the stories are perfect, maybe none are, but they are so wonderfully crafted - it’s not fair to think of them as sci-fi / fantasy stories as they are so much more incisive - exactly why people love her writing!
The introductions to the stories are the best - maybe not everyone’s cup of tea but I loved reading them twice, once before and once after, just to hold the stories one more time. My favourites were April in Paris, The Masters, The Word of Unbinding, Things, Vaster than Empires and More Slow, Direction of the Road and Omelas !
marlene061313's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5