As a semi-retired actor, there is a long list of literary characters that I am eager to play, each for a variety of reasons. Cardinal Richelieu and D'Artagnan come to mind immediately, but there are countless others. Isaac Dan der Grimnebulin from "Perdido Street Station", Oedipus, Holmes or Watson (I would be happy to play either), Captain Jack Aubrey (although I would rather be Stephen Maturin, but I look more like Jack), Heathcliff, Lady Macbeth (yes, I mean her), Lady Bracknell (nee Brancaster), Manfred, and Indiana Jones. However, none of these are people that I would actually like to be.

I reserve that honor for Shevek.

Ursula K. LeGuin's Odonian-Anarchist physicist is what I aspire to be in the deepest recesses of my being - flaws and all.

The reason is simple yet profound. Shevek constantly strives for change both within and outside himself, embracing true freedom with the understanding that freedom requires change, that change is dangerous, and that the danger of true freedom outweighs safety.

No matter what pressures are exerted on him, Shevek remains his own man.

I could go on and on about him, but I am reluctant to undermine the strength of what I have written.

So I will conclude with this: Shevek is the character I most admire in literature, and "The Dispossessed: An Ambiguous Utopia" is very nearly a perfect book.

You must read it.

After reading it again, I know more fully than ever that I am not Shevek, as much as I might wish to be. But this time around, I realized that I do appear in the pages of "The Dispossessed", or at least I think I've found the character most like myself, even if we are not exactly the same - Tirin.

Tirin is Shevek's friend who engages in intense debates with him when they are children and teens. He is the friend who initiates the prison experiment after the traveling teacher visits their town and discusses incarceration with them. He is the playwright whose satire deeply offends his peers, resulting in him facing harsh and hurtful criticism for his work. He is the man who is ostracized through the exploitation of the Anarresti system, pushed into grueling work details and isolation until he feels crazy enough to check himself into a hospital. He is destroyed by that experience and spends the rest of his life fixated on rewriting that one offensive, satirical play, trying to get it "right", obsessed with that one creation that he felt so strongly about and suffered so deeply because of.

My personal path is not his - no, not by a long shot - but our paths do share some similarities.

I think, however, that what I have exactly in common with Tirin is his Quixotic fixation on what LeGuin, quoting Marx, calls "permanent revolution", yet in Tirin's case, that revolution is a revolution of the mind. A constant overthrow of what is known in order to re-know, relearn, or reform as he creates and destroys with his art.

And I do understand his isolation. That I know all too well.

It was a sobering experience to see myself reflected in a devastated figure in a book that I love. I would not wish it upon anyone, least of all you, my kind reader.

A book that must be read carefully and stands out with its depth. Generally, dystopias are in the form of criticism of capitalism or dictatorship, and this is the accustomed tradition. In this book, the author examines both a capitalist country and a country that can be regarded as a utopia for many anarchist, especially left-leaning people.

It presents and questions how every ideology or doctrine that is not open to change and development can become a belief over time. Standing still results in a kind of corruption in a way.

It is a work that will surely add something to the reader.

So good.

It is truly an outstanding piece.

The quality and content are both remarkable.

I am really impressed by it.

Maybe I'll write a review when I manage to find some free time.

I think it deserves a detailed and well-written review to showcase its merits.

Although I am currently quite busy, I will definitely make an effort to set aside some time for this.

I believe that my review will be able to provide valuable insights and perspectives for others who are interested in this work.

Until then, I will continue to enjoy and appreciate its excellence.

Something that truly strikes me about this book is the old cover blurb that proclaims it to be about an ambiguous Utopia.

Because in reality, all the cultures that we encounter within these pages are engaged in a sort of "the grass is greener on the other plant" exercise. Each culture stands as a Utopia to another world, and each looks elsewhere for its own ideal. It is, in essence, a novel of discontent.

For the crewman from the planet Hain, by the end, his own culture has become a burden. It has experienced everything, yet personally, he has experienced nothing. The opportunity to experience for himself an Anarchical society is a Utopia for him.

For the Earth Ambassador, the relatively unspoilt environment of Urras is utopian. Moreover, compared with the degraded environment and harsh future that Le Guin, with fine optimism, suggests might be ours, it is a paradise. Yet equally, the social unity and mutual support of that future - maybe Earth looks utopian to Shevek, the central character of this piece, a physicist whose non-conventional physics can't win acceptance in the cautious conservatism of an anarchic community. Earth, for him, is a place that guarantees the intellectual freedom and respect that he desires.

The paradise of Urras is a utopia for the wealthy. However, for the working poor, the arid, meatless, alcohol-free world of Anarres, which has no Bosses and no inherited wealth, is the utopia.

For Shevek, though, the strongly conservative, socially conformist society of Anarres is restrictive. He hears in every voice the mind-forged manacles. The structure of the novel makes clear his eventual failures and the dispossession of his carefully assembled illusions on both Urras and Anarres as each story progresses in parallel towards the eventual hope of a new Utopia.

Yet, it is discontent that is the driver of social change. It was discontent that inspired Shevek to escape, twice. And it was discontent that formed the original anarchist movement and led to the settlement of the bare moon that becomes Anarres, a world stuck in an effectively colonial relationship with Urras, dependent on them for hydrocarbons and new plant varieties.

All of these societies are the products of their ecology. If Earth has achieved a rationed equality in this future, it is because that is the only way survival is possible given the devastated environment. Anarres succeeds in rejecting the idea of property on a planet where there is nothing to own. Urras is abundant in natural wealth that is, apparently inevitably, hoarded as property in the hands of the few, whether under capitalism in A-Io or communism in Thu.

This is also reflected in gender relations. On Anarres, there can be equality between men and women, while on Urras, there can only be the kinds of gender relations familiar to us - tainted by notions of property. The implication of this is ambiguous. If utopian dreams and discontent can produce new realities, those realities will be determined by their physical circumstances. Robinson Crusoe will create a different society on a temperate island compared to a tropical island, despite himself and his best intentions. If people seek to make and remake themselves, they can't escape the environment, and it is that relationship with the environment that will determine the outcomes. But this is a book that wants to play with ambiguity, not deal out certainties.

The narrative engine that drives the opposing worldviews of Anares and Urras is highly efficient, albeit perhaps a touch idealized. The writing style is distinct and immediately recognizable. It is quite an accomplishment to build a universe that doesn't disintegrate into pieces due to a lack of authenticity.

Read in the French translation by Henri-Luc Planchat.

The matching soundtrack, "The Desert Music" by Steve Reich, adds an extra layer of atmosphere to the reading experience.

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Lu dans la traduction française de Henri-Luc Planchat.

The confrontation between the universes of Anares and Urras, which reflects the ideals of collectivism and individualist morality, is deeply beloved. The opposition is marked, but as a backdrop and a narrative argument, it works extremely well!

Even better is the language and the style of the translated text.

The musical correspondence, "The Desert Music" by Steve Reich, further enhances the overall experience.

This is one of my favorite books, if not THE favorite.

On my third read, I like it even more as I notice details that I didn't the first time around.

I feel that I should say something about the book, but I'm not sure if I can do this book justice.

A review might hopefully come at some point.

It's truly a remarkable piece of literature that has the power to draw you in and make you see new things with each reading.

The story is engaging, the characters are well-developed, and the writing is beautiful.

It's a book that I would highly recommend to anyone who loves to read.

I can't wait to see what else I'll discover on my next read.

I read Le Guin's Earthsea trilogy way back when I was a kid. However, I am abashed to admit that until now, I had never delved into any of her adult SF novels.

The Dispossessed is truly remarkable, considering it was written nearly forty (!) years ago. In fact, one could easily forget its publication date and assume it was penned this year. Sadly, hardly anyone writes this kind of slow-paced, thoughtful, and idea-laden science fiction anymore. The Dispossessed won numerous prestigious awards, including a Hugo, a Nebula, a World Fantasy Award, and the National Book Award. Back then, winning a Hugo held great significance.

The story is set on the planet Urras and its habitable moon, Anarres. Urras was the original world from which humans originated, boasting a long recorded history and an environment similar to Earth. About a hundred and fifty years ago, revolutionaries from Urras fled to Anarres on a rocket and settled on the barren, yet habitable, moon. They follow a philosophy called Odonianism, named after its founder, a woman named Odo. Odonianism is a form of true anarcho-communism, and thus, this book primarily explores two vastly different socio-political systems.

When Shevek, a physicist and the first Anarresesti to return to Urras since the colony was founded, encounters Anarres society, he experiences culture shock. He is horrified by their propertarian and archist ways, but he also realizes that it is not the authoritarian hellhole that all Odonians assume it to be. A superficial reader might think that Le Guin is praising socialism and criticizing capitalism, democracy, and authority in favor of an idealistic vision of anarcho-communism. However, Le Guin takes us through Shevek's entire life and his discovery of the flaws in Odonian society, showing how human nature can undermine even the most utopian ideals.

I had to深思熟虑 about why this book impressed me so much and made me rate it 5 stars, despite its lack of flashy action or high-concept plotting. Part of it is undoubtedly Le Guin's prose. She is a highly skilled and artistic writer who delves deep into human psychology and sociology, while also making the advanced, esoteric physics sound plausible and scientific.

I came to the conclusion that this book is only nominally science fiction. While it is indeed science fiction, it is not the "science fiction" aspect that dominates the narrative. The story could have been about a physicist on Earth; the setting on another planet simply makes it easier to explain certain elements. It is a story about how societies interact, how people interact with each other, and how people interact with society. The Anarresti are fascinating precisely because Le Guin put so much effort into working out the details of a global anarchist communitarian civilization.

In my opinion, science fiction can be broadly divided into two categories: Big Idea SF and old stories dressed up as SF. There is often overlap, and I enjoy both types. However, Big Idea SF is what science fiction is "supposed" to do when we are being pretentious about the genre. It explores ideas, posits hypotheses, and constructs stories around a what-if scenario or plays with science and technology in ways that are not yet possible in reality. This is how we get mind-bending stories that expand the boundaries of science fiction.

Most science fiction is built on the premise of advanced technology, climatic changes, the arrival of aliens, or some other fantastical element. In The Dispossessed, the advanced technology is minimal and only necessary for plot purposes. The mention of offworlders is also secondary. It is a novel of societal science fiction. In my slightly snobbish view, this is the kind of novel that we should reward with Hugos and Nebulas. However, I must also admit that I read and enjoy many books simply because they are great war stories or detective mysteries with androids, space travel, and beam weapons.

The Dispossessed is truly a thinking person's book that should be considered a literary classic, despite its association with the "sci-fi" label. It makes us question our assumptions about society, human nature, and the possibilities of creating a better world.

La reseña completa en https://inthenevernever.blogspot.com/...

“They think that if people possess many things, they will be content to live in a prison. But I don't accept that. I want to tear down the walls. I want solidarity, human solidarity.”

How would your life change if you decided to leave your planet and everything that is known to you to go to the world that your people consider their enemy? Continuing with my readings of the reprints that the Minotauro publishing house is publishing of the great Ursula K. Le Guin, today I want to talk to you about The Dispossessed. Originally published in 1974 and winner of the Nebula, Locus, and Hugo awards, and with the translation by Matilde Horne, it is a science fiction novel that, if you are lovers of the genre, you must read without hesitation.

This novel takes us on a journey through a complex and thought-provoking world. It explores themes such as equality, freedom, and the consequences of our choices. The story follows the protagonist as he makes the difficult decision to leave his familiar world and venture into the unknown. Along the way, he discovers new perspectives and challenges his own beliefs. The Dispossessed is not just a science fiction story; it is a reflection on the human condition and our search for meaning and purpose in life.

When you read this book, you question a plethora of things.

Loyalty, which is often taken for granted in many aspects of life, is put under the microscope.

Freedom, that precious and often elusive concept, is explored in depth.

The desire to own, a driving force for so many, is analyzed and dissected.

Work, a significant part of our daily lives, is examined from different perspectives.

The family concept, which forms the foundation of our social structure, is also given a thorough treatment.

I firmly believe that the author has written a truly great book.

It makes you think, question, and reevaluate your own beliefs and values.

It is a thought-provoking and engaging read that will stay with you long after you have turned the last page.

Highly recommended!

This book is truly wonderful. I have to say that I firmly believe Le Guin has now established herself as one of my favorite authors. The way she manages to incorporate so many profound ideas about humanity, love, lust, loyalty, and much more within a science fiction setting is simply fantastic.

This is the story of two planets. Each is like a moon to the other, and although there is some trade between them, no one ever dares to venture from one planet to the other. One of the planets, Annares, is a social experiment. It is a society founded on the principles of equality and fairness. The main factor for the people of this planet is to do their part so that everyone can benefit. This is the planet from which our main character, Shevek, hails.

The other planet is Urras. Urras is not too different from our world, Earth, but it certainly has a more utopian feel in some aspects. There is still a rich/poor divide on Urras, and although things are handled somewhat better than on Earth, it has a similar vibe of consumerism.

We also have the Terras and the Hainish, who are other groups of people from their own planets that travel through space. The setup of this novel is such that space travel is the norm for many cultures, and thus communication and trade are prominent between Urras and the other 'alien' races, but not so much with Annares.

What I found most fascinating about this book was that it really builds up some excellent culture clashes. We follow Shevek as he begins to uncover some unpleasant truths about his home planet and decides that he needs to travel to Urras to explore more of his scientific theories (he is a physicist) and see if there is a better way for humanity to live.

When Le Guin introduces a topic to us, she really delves deep. There are so many moments in this book that I marked because they are entirely true to this day and very, very quotable! I actually broke down a lot of these thoughts in my #SFFMistressworks group here on Goodreads, so if you want to know the detailed thoughts on each section, go and check that out!

Overall, this was a fantastic blend and clash of two vastly different cultures. We follow two groups of people who have chosen to live and evolve in very different ways, and we see what happens when they meet for the first time in total immersion. It is a fantastic story, filled with themes that I love to explore. Definitely a book that I would highly recommend :) 4.5*s

What is it about people I agree with that makes them so boring?

Jack London, Upton Sinclair, Richard Wright, and now Ursula Le Guin... It seems like every time I read a book whose philosophy I'm generally in favor of, it bores me to death.

Thank God for Ayn Rand, who reminds me that the problem also exists on the other side. I guess it's not the belief that's bad; it's the act of believing. If you have something to say about humans, then you're writing a novel. If you have something to say about ideology, you're writing a tract, and it's dull.

Le Guin is a smart woman. She presents what she likes about the idea of anarchism, but she also shows the drawbacks of a system of total individual freedom. All of this is fine, but it's very, very wordy. And her genre doesn't help. She herself has said that science fiction is "a safe, sterile laboratory for testing ideas," and that's all too true. It lacks the complexity of real life - and even when she tries to create it, she does so in a way that suits her message. It doesn't feel real enough to interest me.

The plot, such as it is, involves a man from that "ambiguous utopia" anarchist society who travels to a capitalist one to conduct research into a unified theory of spacetime like Einstein's. Einstein actually appears in the book as Ainestain, I assume because Le Guin lost a bet and the punishment was to name a character something annoying. The chapters alternate back and forth in time as a nod to that unified theory, which can be summarized as "Remember those parts of True Detective that you didn't pay attention to?"

But the plot and the characters are in service of the message. And the message is noble, but it's boring.

Jesus Christ. What a book.

It is truly a remarkable piece of literature that demands our utmost attention and reflection.

The profound teachings and insights within its pages are not easily grasped in a single reading.

Rather, it requires a patient and dedicated effort to fully understand and internalize its message.

One could easily spend a lifetime studying and meditating on the words of this book, constantly uncovering new layers of meaning and wisdom.

It is a source of inspiration and guidance for millions of people around the world, and its influence has endured throughout the ages.

To truly appreciate the significance of this book, one must approach it with an open heart and a willing spirit, ready to be transformed by its power.

It is a work that will continue to shape and inspire generations to come.