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

4.0

not my favorite scifi book, but definitely one that'll stick with me for a while. it's a really unique idea and the first thing that struck me was how believable and reliable the characters were (not as people, but as characters) throughout all of the different realities. there are some really disturbing ideas in here that resonated with me and i loved how she explored them: not being able to trust your own mind, not being able to trust your doctor/psychiatrist, knowing you're being manipulated but having no way to escape it, having power out of your own control, knowing what needs to be done to save high stakes but knowing you aren't strong enough to do it. one of the most haunting scenes in here was when george talked about his memory of april 1998 and how he lay dying of radiation poisoning, fantasizing about somehow finding the energy and rising to keep walking, but coming to himself and realizing he hadn't moved an inch.

if i had any reservations about this book it's probably just the very ending; i didn't enjoy the payoff as much as i thought i would. the buildup and climax were really well done but for some reason i felt just disappointed by the ending, or wondering if i just missed something (entirely possible, though i reread the ending a few times trying to figure it out).