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| Author | Ursula K. Le Guin |
| Publisher | Harper Perennial |
| Publication date | November 19, 2024 |
| Print length | 382 pages |
| Customer Reviews | 4.5⭐ / 8,577 ratings |
One of The Atlantic's Great American Novels
"One of the greats. . . . Not just a science fiction writer; a literary icon." —
Stephen King
"Engrossing. . . . [Le Guin] is a philosopher; an explorer in the landscape of the mind." —Cincinnati Enquirer
In celebration of its fiftieth anniversary, a commemorative edition of Ursula K. Le Guin's Hugo, Locus, and Nebula Award–winning classic, a profound and thoughtful work of philosophical science fiction exploring anarchism and capitalism, individualism and collectivism, and one ambitious man's quest to bridge the ideological chasm separating two worlds. This special edition includes a new foreword by Karen Joy Fowler.
A science fiction classic for the ages,
The Dispossessed is the spellbinding story of anarchist Shevek, the "galactically famous scientist," who single-handedly attempts to reunite two planets cut off from each other by centuries of distrust.
Anarres, Shevek's homeland, is a bleak moon settled by an anarchic utopian civilization, where there is no government, and everyone, at least nominally, is a revolutionary. It has long been isolated from other worlds, including its mother planet, Urras—defined by warring nations, great poverty, and immense wealth. Now Shevek, a brilliant physicist, is determined to unify the two civilizations. In the face of great hostility, outright threats, and the pain of separation from his family, he makes an unprecedented trip to Urras. Greater than any concern for his own wellbeing is the belief that the walls of hatred, distrust, and philosophic division between his planet and the rest of the civilized universe must be torn down. He will seek answers, question the unquestionable, and explore differences in customs and cultures, determined to tear down the walls of hatred that have kept them apart in this landmark of social science fiction.
To visit Urras—to learn, to teach, to share—will require great sacrifice and risks, which Shevek willingly accepts. Almost immediately upon his arrival, he finds not the egotistical philistines he expected, but an intelligent, complex people who warmly welcome him. But soon the ambitious scientist and his gift is seen as a threat, and in the profound conflict that ensues, he must reexamine his beliefs even as he ignites the fires of change.
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Here's my review:
This book's chapters alternate between the past of the main character and his present. This non-linear approach doesn't offer any advantages here; the present story is from more interesting. That said, the whole book is bogged down by philosophy and physics gobbledygook. There's too little focus on character and action. Heck, at one point, the main guy nearly forces himself on a lady, and the book just completely forgets her and the incident after that. The scale of the story increases at the end, but the ending itself fizzles out rather than providing much closure. This book is hard to recommend.
The whole book is perfectly and gloriously bogged down by philosophy and the journey of the MC, who shows us that what we have is not working and also that his utopia is not necessarily a utopia. It's not a Jason Bourne action novel, but it might have discussions that you'll think about later regarding societies and what they do to us.
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