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A review by harc
The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin
2.0
Finally.
It has taken me five long months to finish this book. I would pick it up time and time again and most times only manage small stretches as I struggled to get through it.
I have endured this novel, stubborn to the last, and I can finally say it is done.
I have read a few Ursula K. Le Guin books before and adored them. So much so, I would happily declare her a favoured author when it came to sci-fi works. But this book? Shevek was not a character I enjoyed reading about -- a shame as the whole book was about him.
It was heavy with scientific terminology and notions which bogged down the text for me and drew me out of the fascinating worlds and characters presented to me. Too much Psychics for me to truly enjoy it... Disappointing to say the least. It was intriguing to see how society on Urras had developed and I found the characters introduced there the most fascinating. Anarres on the other hand, while okay to read about, was much more like our society so I was less interested to read about it or the characters introduced there.
Admittedly, there were a few times I got lost in the muddle of words and it would take me a few pages to catch up again and work everything out, which wasn't a fun experience at all...
There are moments of Le Guin's brilliant writing that shine through but if this book doesn't immediately capture you the way her other works can, then don't be foolish like me. It's okay to give up.
It has taken me five long months to finish this book. I would pick it up time and time again and most times only manage small stretches as I struggled to get through it.
I have endured this novel, stubborn to the last, and I can finally say it is done.
I have read a few Ursula K. Le Guin books before and adored them. So much so, I would happily declare her a favoured author when it came to sci-fi works. But this book? Shevek was not a character I enjoyed reading about -- a shame as the whole book was about him.
It was heavy with scientific terminology and notions which bogged down the text for me and drew me out of the fascinating worlds and characters presented to me. Too much Psychics for me to truly enjoy it... Disappointing to say the least. It was intriguing to see how society on Urras had developed and I found the characters introduced there the most fascinating. Anarres on the other hand, while okay to read about, was much more like our society so I was less interested to read about it or the characters introduced there.
Admittedly, there were a few times I got lost in the muddle of words and it would take me a few pages to catch up again and work everything out, which wasn't a fun experience at all...
There are moments of Le Guin's brilliant writing that shine through but if this book doesn't immediately capture you the way her other works can, then don't be foolish like me. It's okay to give up.