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A review by t_shaffner
The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula K. Le Guin
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.
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.