gilnean's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Sexual content, Alcohol, Misogyny, Sexism, Excrement, Medical content, Pregnancy, Xenophobia, Rape, Sexual assault, Classism, Confinement, and Bullying
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Death, Violence, Cursing, Murder, Abandonment, Suicidal thoughts, Infidelity, Forced institutionalization, War, Mass/school shootings, and Police brutality
Minor: Medical content, Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Child death, Colonisation, Vomit, Fire/Fire injury, and Death of parent
katconig's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Gun violence
Moderate: Misogyny, Sexism, and Sexual assault
Minor: Miscarriage
melalbx's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Moderate: Misogyny, Sexual assault, Classism, and Sexual content
ka_cam's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Sexual assault and Police brutality
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail and Misogyny
Minor: Abandonment, War, Miscarriage, Violence, Religious bigotry, and Rape
CW famine/starvation, political violence, climate apocalypsejakobvongunten's review against another edition
3.5
Graphic: Sexual assault
Moderate: Excrement and Misogyny
adeepermystery's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Medical content, Alcohol, and Confinement
Moderate: Pregnancy, Misogyny, Police brutality, Sexual assault, Sexism, Xenophobia, Classism, and Bullying
Minor: Miscarriage
nabecker13's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Classism, Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, Sexual assault, Abandonment, Death, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Misogyny, Colonisation, and Confinement
Moderate: Miscarriage, Bullying, Death of parent, and Forced institutionalization
barry_x's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
I've a growing interest in reading fiction which explores notions of freedom, utopias and non-hierarchical communities of living. I've identified as an anarchist for nearly thirty years and have long known of Le Guin's anarchism and also this novel which features an anarchist community living on a moon. I'm surprised it has taken me this long to get round to it to be honest.
My expectations were raised for this book, knowing the subject matter and it's reputation of being a classic, written nearly fifty years ago. The basic premise is that an anarchist community a couple of hundred years ago migrate to a moon of a nearby planet and live there in near total isolation. Other than freight ships exchanging mining materials for goods there is no notion of trade with their former planet and little official communication. The main character Shevek is an anarchist physicist who is trying to develop a new physics theory that his community is not supporting and he leaves his anarchist moon to visit the planet of the propertarians.
What is most rewarding for me is knowing that the book is written by an anarchist and Le Guin's critique of her fictional anarchist moon Annares is rather brilliant. I have read some reviews where they suggest this treatment 'proves' anarchism doesn't work, or in some cases, they really don't know what they have read. I guess for some readers who have historically had limited exposure to anarchist ideas this is going to be a common problem.
Anarchists have often balanced the needs of the individual with the needs of the community. In the absence of laws and hierarchy and exploitation it is actually really hard to work through a lot of what we would need to do to make anarchy work. Following anarchist writing and engaging with other anarchists I don't think anyone has ever imagined utopias, rather a continued dialogue with ourselves and our communities about building the world we want to live in. Coming from this stance I can see Le Guin's thought process in action. For instance, whilst her technology is a little dated, she anticipates the impact of automation in 'fairly' allocating work and the difficulty of complex systems being centralised in error - a critique anarchists know and level at state capitalists / communists. So, when Le Guin identifies that, 'in this system this could happen here by accident' it's a warning and a consideration for anarchist thinkers and activists.
I also loved how she approached the theme of societal pressure and cultural norms and how the 'majority' can oppress a minority through social convention, or how people can obtain significant influence in communities and indirectly oppress others. In many ways this debate rages today, but I certainly think anarchist thought is more mindful of this now. That said, I do recall 'cults of personality' forming around people who did the most daring actions / most jail time in anarchist adjacent communities like the animal rights movement and it's something to consider.
At it's heart, the book is pleading first of all, for anarchist ideas not to be locked away or hidden. They must be exposed to people and ideas and communities we don't like. Second, whilst there is a critique of Annares and the capitalist world of Urras is depicted as complex, but ultimately similar to ours I do think this book promotes the utopia of Annares, just with no illusions.
So yes, the book is definitely thought provoking but is it a great book? Personally, I think the answer is no. It took me quite a while to get into and for a lot of the book not a lot happens. The big physics debate is interesting at an intellectual level but generally isn't that interesting. I do love the unpicking of Shevek, the main characters rationale for his actions. Once he has shaken off his constraints of his home and exposed to other societies and scientists he does come into his own. I think he is still an anarchist in the purest sense of the word as he adapts. The ending of the novel suggests hope and also actions in the spirit of anarchism.
There is a scene in the book that really reads out of place in 2022 and relates to sexual violence. I think Le Guin was trying to write a 'decadent West' analogy and her depiction of wealthy Urras women struggles a little. I get what she is trying to say about the objectification of women but I am not sure she is on the side of Urras women either. The scene is quite ugly and had me recoil a little at a character who I generally want to get behind. So, yeah, fifty years or so later I don't think it hangs together.
Am I glad I read it? Yes, definitely
Is it a good book? Yes, especially for pondering big ideas about freedom
Is it a great book? Perhaps not, but I am really glad I read it all the same
Moderate: Sexual assault
Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Gun violence, Misogyny, Police brutality, and Murder
eep's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Sexual assault, Violence, Misogyny, Classism, and Sexism
Moderate: Abandonment, Death, Murder, War, Gun violence, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Alcohol, Vomit, and Suicide
As for content warnings, they are listed above. Specifically (TW!):Spoiler
Urras is very misogynistic and classist, and Shevek sexually assaults Vea, an Urrasti woman. This is described in detail. Women on Urras cannot work and are essentially a 50s housewife. This is described in detail too. Additionally, (though I could not find a content warning for this) consensual sex is described multiple other times throughout the book, but they are typically just a paragraph or so. At the end of the book (I believe Chapters 9 and 10), insurrection occurs on Urras which results in explicit gun violence committed by the government. This violence results in Shevek hiding out for three whole days alongside a man who had his fingers shot off, and his hand is described with detail for a paragraph or so as well as the grief felt by Shevek. This man dies of blood loss on the final day. I found the descriptions of Shevek's sadness and the man's despair somewhat disturbing (although they have great purpose I believe), and if you are not in an okay mindset it may be difficult. During the party scene in Chapter 7, alcohol is consumed and I believe here and at other points characters vomit. I hope this is helpful! Happy reading!crowcore's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Blood, Classism, Misogyny, Police brutality, Sexual assault, Alcohol, and Sexism
Moderate: Death, Gun violence, Xenophobia, and Sexual content
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, War, Religious bigotry, and Racism