Reviews

The Unreal and the Real: Selected Stories, Volume One: Where on Earth by Ursula K. Le Guin

mawn01's review

Left my copy at my old house! So sad 

finn_1312's review

adventurous emotional reflective relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Sexism, Sexual content, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and War

squiggly_cj's review against another edition

I'm finding that anthologies (whether of poetry or short stories) are a format I struggle with

wordsfromvictoria's review

3.0

There are a few gems in this collection - for example, The Diary of the Rose, which perhaps appealed to me as a classic dystopian science fiction short story - but the Orsinian (apart from Unlocking The Air) and Portland stories were quite mundane. It took me a long time to get work through this paperback collection. Only worth reading for the completist.

cellardoor10's review

3.0

Short stories are often just really hard for me to grab onto. Ursula K. LeGuin is ever a solid writer, but her prose isn't flashy. Can be easy to get lost and not be sure when you strayed from the path, especially in short stories.

I really enjoyed her experimentation with multiple POVs describing the same town, for example, or the same people, etc. That's a clear theme in several of these stories, and she brings wisdom and insight to the exercise.

eschnitger's review against another edition

reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.25

wickedmitch's review against another edition

4.0

The stories in this collection are of varying quality but are overall good. Unlocking the Air and The Diary of the Rose were probably my two favorites.

ruth_rb's review

reflective relaxing sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

mrolph's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

• 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

5.0

This volume is great. Really interesting stories all the way through, kept my attention till the end. The language used is striking and beautiful. 
Favorites:
"Unlocking The Air"
"Gwilan's Harp"
"Buffalo Gals, Won't You Come Out Tonight"
"The Water Is Wide"
"The Lost Children"
"Sleepwalkers"
"Hand, Cup, Shell"
"Ether, Or"
"Half Past Four"

themorbidcorvid's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0