The Dispossessed (urspr publ 1974; utgåvan 2014)

People fear original thinkers. If there is one thing that I will take away from the book, it is this lesson. “The Dispossessed” is a strange book, and probably deserves a second reading. You can read a full book summary at bookreports.info.

The book itself revolves around the life and times of a person called Shevek, a native of the moon – called Anarres. Shevek is a physicist, and is brilliance. His brilliance frightened his teachers. On Annares, people live in a kind of socialist environment, and everyone seems compelled to blend in with the others. Children grow up in dormitories, and any sense of individualism is quelled.

During the course of the book, Shevek visits Urras, the forbidden planet. The culture of the people on this planet is quite different. They seem to appreciate his ideas, but want to use them for conquest.

It is, in a sense, a war of the worlds, but is not a violent book. There are no wars. However, the war, if you want to call it that, represents differences in culture and outlook.

The book itself goes between the narrative and flashbacks about life on Annares.

Many people consider this book to be a classic of science fiction. It is a good book in some ways. There is not strong story line, no great dramatic moment. It could have been a book about humans on earth. It could have been a telling of the difference between the communist/socialist and capitalist viewpoints. However, it is a bit deeper.

She does paint a tale of an acquisitive culture – that of Urras. She also paints a picture of a culture where people put walls around new ideas, personal growth and emotion. This is true of any society on earth.

There are flashes of genius in the book. However, I was not engaged in the tale. I did finish the book, but when I turned the last page, I felt that I had gone through four hundred pages for no real reason. ( )

This book made me feel hopeful for the future. Ms Le Guin has created a believable utopia; very refreshing after the recent onslaught of dystopias. ( )

Strano come a volte ci si trovi davanti a qualcosa di importante senza averla cercata. Questo libro, per me, è stato così: una vera e propria serendipity. Conoscevo l'autrice di fama, ma non mi sarebbe mai venuto in mente di comprare questo suo romanzo, sarà per il brutto titolo italiano o per una quarta di copertina che non rende affatto l'estrema profondità dell'opera, non so...fatto sta che Ursula K. le Guin è riuscita veramente a spiazzarmi e tra le tante, tantissime cose che ho imparato è che le utopie non esistono, esistono società giuste e ingiuste, libere e sottomesse, ma sempre e comunque perfettibili dalla volontà... un insegnamento che non dimenticherò tanto facilmente... ( )

This is the best defense I have ever read of anarchism as a political philosophy, even though it's a science fiction book set on distant planets. I love a book set in a fully-imagined world—even the parts of the world that barely make it into the story. Some of Ursula K Le Guin's short stories leave me feeling a bit flat because they tend to focus on imagining different social structures and sometimes lack the narrative and characters to carry it. In novel form, though, she fleshes out those parts beautifully so we have a whole story to carry us through the exploration of a couple worlds, one very different from our own and one suspiciously similar… ( )

Favourite book of all time. ( )