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wombat929 's review for:
The Lathe of Heaven
by Ursula K. Le Guin
dark
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
LeGuin's classic tale of world-bending power and one's responsibility still holds up. George Orr is afraid to sleep, because some of his dreams change reality. When Dr. Haber discovers this fact, he is less inclined to help George fix this problem, and more inclined to use the power as he sees fit. At its heart, this is a narrow story -- told with basically three (or four) characters, following the arc of the two prime movers as they wrestle with the question of what it means to have power and to use power.
A couple thoughts:
- The gender and racial politics feel creaky here, but not gross. Of course, my position means I probably have the least to say about these issues, so I'd be interested to hear from others what they think about how the book has aged.
- LeGuin sprinkles a bit of the [i]Monkey's Paw[/i] in here -- when Dr. Haber asks George to fix something, it often results in a fix that turns sideways. I love that notion, that George's sleeping mind is a bit of a bastard.
- As always, LeGuin knows how to make a world seem alive with just a few strokes of her keys. The quick switches from one world perspective to the next work well and thoughtfully, and they move the story forward even as they help us understand the chaos all around.
- As much as I enjoyed the book, I also found it a bit slow. I recall both LEFT HAND OF DARKNESS and DISPOSSESSED as a bit more gripping, personally.
Worth a read!
A couple thoughts:
- The gender and racial politics feel creaky here, but not gross. Of course, my position means I probably have the least to say about these issues, so I'd be interested to hear from others what they think about how the book has aged.
- LeGuin sprinkles a bit of the [i]Monkey's Paw[/i] in here -- when Dr. Haber asks George to fix something, it often results in a fix that turns sideways. I love that notion, that George's sleeping mind is a bit of a bastard.
- As always, LeGuin knows how to make a world seem alive with just a few strokes of her keys. The quick switches from one world perspective to the next work well and thoughtfully, and they move the story forward even as they help us understand the chaos all around.
- As much as I enjoyed the book, I also found it a bit slow. I recall both LEFT HAND OF DARKNESS and DISPOSSESSED as a bit more gripping, personally.
Worth a read!
Content Warnings
Minor: Schizophrenia/Psychosis