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A review by madfil
The Eye of the Heron by Ursula K. Le Guin
2.0
(19 March, 2023)
Le Guin stories are grandiose and fascinating but the delivery of her thought-provoking ideas are often disappointing. '[b:The Left Hand of Darkness|18423|The Left Hand of Darkness|Ursula K. Le Guin|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1488213612l/18423._SY75_.jpg|817527]' and '[b:The Dispossessed|13651|The Dispossessed An Ambiguous Utopia|Ursula K. Le Guin|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1353467455l/13651._SY75_.jpg|2684122]' are good but could have been great with different creative decisions, '[b:The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas|33385003|The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas|Ursula K. Le Guin|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1567517115l/33385003._SY75_.jpg|89324]' is much better. 'The Eye Of The Heron', on the other hand, is a big, fat "Meh!".
Story-wise, straightforward and very, very simple: oppressed people want freedom from tyranny, overlords want to maintain the status quo. That's it! The concepts herein are somewhat progressive but marred by much prejudice and bias. Do the violent men - only men (sigh) - need to be stereotypical Latin Americans? Do their wives have to be meek to the point of irrelevance? Why state men murder because they are men? Is it necessary to portray the pacifists as naïve? And on and on and on.
In the end, there are just enough positives in this for a well-deserved 2 stars.
Le Guin stories are grandiose and fascinating but the delivery of her thought-provoking ideas are often disappointing. '[b:The Left Hand of Darkness|18423|The Left Hand of Darkness|Ursula K. Le Guin|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1488213612l/18423._SY75_.jpg|817527]' and '[b:The Dispossessed|13651|The Dispossessed An Ambiguous Utopia|Ursula K. Le Guin|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1353467455l/13651._SY75_.jpg|2684122]' are good but could have been great with different creative decisions, '[b:The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas|33385003|The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas|Ursula K. Le Guin|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1567517115l/33385003._SY75_.jpg|89324]' is much better. 'The Eye Of The Heron', on the other hand, is a big, fat "Meh!".
Story-wise, straightforward and very, very simple: oppressed people want freedom from tyranny, overlords want to maintain the status quo. That's it! The concepts herein are somewhat progressive but marred by much prejudice and bias. Do the violent men - only men (sigh) - need to be stereotypical Latin Americans? Do their wives have to be meek to the point of irrelevance? Why state men murder because they are men? Is it necessary to portray the pacifists as naïve? And on and on and on.
In the end, there are just enough positives in this for a well-deserved 2 stars.