Reviews

Always Coming Home by Ursula K. Le Guin

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maddierice's review against another edition

3.25

I have such admiration for ukl and her work is so dear to my heart, but reading this book I found myself again disappointed by the gender essentialism that tends to worm its way into her works of fiction, inevitably resulting- even where the cultures she has INVENTED are said to “practice homosexuality”- in an overwhelmingly heteronormative narrative. She (as well as this book) has other blind spots, but for me this is the one that’s most frustrating to find again and again in an author who otherwise had much that was radical to offer us. Maybe I’m just asking too much from a book from the 80’s, idk

(I still think this book is extremely cool and worth reading)

avalon111's review

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5.0

Beautiful, lyrical, intense...fascinating. And a book I return to time-and-time again.

This I think, is LeGuin's greatest book. And I know that means better than The Dispossessed or The Left Hand of Darkness. That rating though really is mine; many readers likely won't regard it as such.

That's principally because Always Coming Home isn't really a story. Rather its an anthropological study of a fictional society - post-apocalyptic, some reminiscent of Native North American societies...and one utterly at peace with itself. How it has managed to do that is simple; it has recognised that a permissive matriarchy is necessary. So the males and older boys are able to make their petty disputes and wars, leaving the business of production, art and culture to females.

Always' provides and insight into not just a society, but also its songs, poetry, artwork, myths and legends and language. It's as richly-drawn as Dune, but with more of connection with us, because this is a civilisation on Earth.

I have the University of California Press edition, but there was one with an accompanying CD of music. One of the few material things I would love to own...

kackjennedy's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging hopeful inspiring mysterious

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

4.0

gabyk_lib's review

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challenging mysterious reflective slow-paced

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

4.0

1_and_owenly's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective slow-paced

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

4.25

joshniesse's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging reflective slow-paced

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

4.0

This was a very difficult read, but ultimately rewarding for me because I’m very interested in the history of utopian, or “solar punk” literature, and I think this book probably influenced a lot of writers working in that space today. In many ways it is brilliant and ambitious, however it is so close to the form of a traditional ethnography that it often feels like reading an anthropologist’s PhD thesis rather than an actual novel. I would not recommend this for most readers, however if you are a hardcore Le Guin fan or a student of utopian lit, it is an important work.