This is the second Ace printing.
Cover Artist: Jack Gaughan
Scattered here and there, small isolated groups of humanity lived in a state of semi-...
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Mar 03, 2010
Ceridwen
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I'm a little loaded, not much, but certainly enough for some semi-drunken squee about an author I love. The advantage of not being entirely loaded is that typing is much, much easier. I've been thinking about this book recently, because I've had the stomach flu. I don't mean to imply that vomit makes me think of this book, because yuck and sorry UKL wherever you are. But because I've been thinking of all the stuff one turns to in illness as touchstone or comfort or whatever. There's absolutely n
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Sep 22, 2011
Emily
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A man wanders out of the forest with a severe case of amnesia. The locals take him in and try to teach him their ways, as it is obvious that he is not of their world. When he has learned all he can from them, he must set out across the vast continent toward the city of Es Toch, hopefully to figure out where he came from, why he is there and what happened to his memory. The most important lesson imparted to him from the forest people is to trust no one, particularly the Shing.
Three quarters More...
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May 28, 2010
Jan
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City of Illusions started out kinda weird, as is the LeGuin way, but evened out and was good. This is basically a journey book with the hero trying to find out who he is and what he is because he has no memory from before the book starts. The planet is earth and the humans have fallen to a medieval state with few cities but some knowledge of machines, computers and what is possible. When the hero, Falk, finally "finds" out who he is I was somewhat disappointed. He didn't have a very st
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Mar 09, 2010
Aerin
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It took me a long time to realize this book was set on Earth. Sure, the characters kept referring to their planet as "Earth", but in LeGuin's universe, everyone seems to call their home planet by that name. It wasn't until about a third of the way through, as the main character was trekking across the countryside, that I realized the geographical features sure sounded a lot like the middle of North America. Could the Inland River be the Mississippi? And the great plains be... the G
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Jan 26, 2012
With the exception of the Earthsea books (which I never managed to get more than a paragraph or two into), this is my least favorite LeGuin book. I have to say that I never took the threat from the Shing seriously. If they caught humanity up in nets of glamorie, I didn't see any particular harm in that. It seems to have been an attempt to render humans less dangerous by robbing of them of their dissatisfactions and ambitions. So what's wrong with that? It seems an elegant solution, rather r
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Sep 03, 2011
Keely
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Like the rest of the early books in the Hainish series, this one has a very familiar tone and plot. We have our isolated, alienated protagonist on his quest for one single goal through an unpredictable world which he cannot comprehend, making strangely disconnected romantic liaisons on the way, and constantly lost in thought about how human relationships are supposed to work.
But of all the series, this book uses these recurrent themes in the most interesting and naturalistic ways. Th More...
But of all the series, this book uses these recurrent themes in the most interesting and naturalistic ways. Th More...
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Aug 03, 2011
Steven
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Another of the books in Le Guin's Hainish cycle -- this time actually set on Earth, although an Earth none of us would recognize.
Le Guin writes in the introduction to the edition I read (written in 1977), that she set out to write a novel about a man who didn't have a mind -- someone who wakes up, fully formed and adult, but with little coordination, no language skills, no culture -- nothing. How would one survive, and how would such a person behave?
I hate to write too much More...
Le Guin writes in the introduction to the edition I read (written in 1977), that she set out to write a novel about a man who didn't have a mind -- someone who wakes up, fully formed and adult, but with little coordination, no language skills, no culture -- nothing. How would one survive, and how would such a person behave?
I hate to write too much More...
Jun 26, 2011
Evan
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[NOTE: I did not read this edition, but rather read it in a compilation (ISBN: 0312862113). I have chosen to list it here to allow for separate reviews of the novels within it.]
Le Guin's third novel is much better than her first two. Finally, there is some style in the writing and a bit of psychological exploration of the characters. Still, it's far from perfect. The first half is a standard journey-to-discover-myself type plot, and it is highly episodic and disjointed. When we final More...
Le Guin's third novel is much better than her first two. Finally, there is some style in the writing and a bit of psychological exploration of the characters. Still, it's far from perfect. The first half is a standard journey-to-discover-myself type plot, and it is highly episodic and disjointed. When we final More...
Oct 03, 2009
Surreysmum
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[These notes were made in 1982:]. Somehow more in the mould of sf than fantasy, though the dividing line is difficult to draw, I know. And somewhat more of a detective-novel, or thriller, in that it is a search for a truth, and that truth pops in and out of perspective a couple of times. Without that solid grounding in Judaeo-Christian mythology that the Earthsea trilogy has, it didn't strike such deep chords in this particular reader, but it is certainly a technically assured and imaginatively
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Aug 23, 2009
Stephanie
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In this third Hainish novel, we see the results of the cultural marriage that occurred in Planet of Exile. Namely, centuries of peace and technological development between natives and exiled explorers that have finally allowed an expedition to be sent back to Earth, whence the exiles originally came. When the expedition is attacked by the force that has destroyed the League of All Worlds, only the man who is the result of the cooperation between cultures on his home planet can free Earth from th
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Dec 22, 2009
Nicole
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Le Guin's vision of the future of humanity echoes its past--tribalism, xenophobia, hunters and gatherers, only the hunters hunt with lasers, and despite what's happening over the North American continent, a race of people called the Shing are ruling with an iron thumb and the rule of thou shalt not kill. At times exciting and interesting, at others confusing and not as gripping, City of Illusions is a good vacation read, though not as good as The Dispossessed. If you're not already inclined to
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Mar 22, 2011
Rob
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(8/10) When you get a good chunk of your books as dodgy homemade e-book rips (as I do), you end up with stories mangled into pretty strange shapes. Sometimes this leads to moments of serendipity, where machine error complements human creation. For example, my version of White Teeth had Irie autoscanned as "Me" half the time, making an accurate if somewhat overly biographical analysis of the book. City of Illusions on the other hand, was rendered without paragraph or chapter breaks,
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Oct 28, 2008
eva
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Jun 18, 2008
Harry
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“City Of Illusions” is the third book in the Hainish cycle, which I had happened to stumble on, before I reached “The Left Hand of Darkness” and I wasn’t left disappointed. From the three so far I enjoyed this book the most.
The story this time is set on Earth, our Earth referred to as Terra in the distant future and well we pretty much find it in ruins in a state after a major apocalypse, but not the way most people think. Terra has healed all wounds, has overgrown all the cities, kn More...
The story this time is set on Earth, our Earth referred to as Terra in the distant future and well we pretty much find it in ruins in a state after a major apocalypse, but not the way most people think. Terra has healed all wounds, has overgrown all the cities, kn More...
Jan 03, 2011
Choupette
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I think I'm finally beginning to understand why everyone in the WORLD loves Ursula Le Guin (still haven't figured out how to pronounce her surname) so much. This book combines the engaging prose of the Earthsea books with much, if not all, of the complexity and sophistication of ideas of The Dispossessed. I'm wondering, too, if one of UKL's trademarks isn't characterisation that is solid to the point of being inspired, and as such, so subtle as to be barely noticeable?
Jun 15, 2011
Rusty
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Ursula Le Guin has long been one of my favorite authors and this read was interesting. Earth, post-technological, is the background for the tale. Aliens have captured the planet and subdued the population. A man with strange cat-like eyes is found in a forest. He cannot talk or communicate and must be taught the language and ways of those who find him. As he recovers he is determined to discover who he is. Leaving the kindness of this group behind, he travels through the forests and plains
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Nov 12, 2010
Simon
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For the first half this was an overly episodic journey through a decaying landscape. Once the protagonist reaches his destination, halfway through the book, it turns into a kind of paranoid conspiracy/identity story. Who can you trust? Who are you really? The set-up is interesting, but finding answers to those questions wasn't as urgent or compelling as it should have been as I didn't really care about any of the characters. Soem clever ideas, but lacking impact.
Apr 05, 2009
Vicki
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Now, this was a great book. The plot moved and the concept was brilliant. This was like a successful version of that miserable book of short stories she wrote. It reminds me of Easy rider, the way the main character travels from group to group, making friends but watching his back. Peter Fonda could have learned from this book to watch his back more.
Mar 03, 2009
Matt
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This seems to have been Le Guin's third novel, and it definitely reads like a younger work. Her voice is already very strong here, but also still developing. Elements of Left Hand of Darkness can be seen throughout, in the detailed way at which she depicts the social/psychological differences between Aliens, and the development of mankind over millennia.
Jan 31, 2011
Willy
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I somehow missed this when I was reading sci-fi as a teenager in the mid 70's. I read it now and really enjoyed it. It was very interesting that it didn't feel particularly dated, ie. the references to computers and space travel seems quite reasonable. It kept my interest and was a good companion to some of the Ender stories by Orson Scott Card.
Jan 05, 2010
Susan
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1/10 The best of the three Planet of Exile books and closer to the quality of Lequin’s Left Hand of Darkness. I particularly enjoyed the ongoing challenge for the reader to discover what was truth and what was lie within the illusions presented by the rulers of Earth in the distant future. Interesting ideas!
Feb 03, 2012
Pksoper
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I just listened to this LeGuin book. I love that her books are so philosophical as well as fantastic. The reader, Stefan Rudnicki was AMAZING. I originally bought this book because I loved how he read Enchantment by Orson Scott Card. I will definitely look for other books read by him.
May 20, 2009
Jack
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Not quite the complete and magical world of The Left Hand Of Darkness, this novel is nonetheless better than most Sci Fi or Imagined Future writers because of its strong characterization and emotional connections between the characters and their fluxing, difficult environment.
Oct 29, 2010
Erika
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Maybe it's partially because this was an audiobook, but I had a hard time getting into this one. Once it got started, the plot was pretty interesting, although it got a little too sci-fi in parts for my taste. I don't regret reading it but I probably won't recommend it to anyone else.
Dec 17, 2009
Sujit
rated it:
An Ursula K. LeGuin Sci-fi novel which, like a large majority of non-hardcore Sci-Fi Books focuses more on the societal, and individual interplay in fictional lands.
And now ... for the plot - =) - A man is found on earth with no memory of who he is and how he got to where he is, the story then traces his regeneration of a personality from a blank slate.
Having established that he's sufficiently different from the native race of the planet, he seeks out the planets rulers More...
And now ... for the plot - =) - A man is found on earth with no memory of who he is and how he got to where he is, the story then traces his regeneration of a personality from a blank slate.
Having established that he's sufficiently different from the native race of the planet, he seeks out the planets rulers More...
Jul 26, 2011
Erik
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This may be the first novel I ever read by Ursula K. Le Guin. It left little impression. Her Nebula Award Winner, The Left Hand of Darkness, is what brought her to consciousness soon thereafter, constituting her as one of my favorite sf authors.
Mar 31, 2011
Franklin
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As far as Ursula K. Le Guin goes I think this book is right below "The Left Hand of Darkness" and "The Disspossessed". It was very enjoyable and had a lot of interesting ideas, but there wasn't as many of the larger more serious ideas of the other two novels I've mentioned.
Apr 18, 2010
Kate
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It's beautiful and haunting. Le Guin has a great eye for detail and creates fascinating characters. I love the description of Es Toch -- the idea of being able to see endless shapes and shadows and what a loss of perspective this would cause. I love the Ramarren-Falk comes to find himself and to find the Shing are self-indulgent liars hiding behind their shadows, afraid of the light, hell bent on conquering the universe and bringing it all under the rule of their fear.
Nov 02, 2009
Bob
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"Imagine darkness. In the darkness that faces outward from the sun a mute spirit woke. Wholly involved in chaos, he knew no pattern. He had no language, and did not know the darkness to be night."
Jan 16, 2011
Ed
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It would be too easy to let spoilers slip. Let's just say that this story has more to do with the narratives of the previous two novels than is apparent at the offset. A slow and meandering opening more than justifies itself with psychological twists that left me guessing as to the true nature of this future world until nearly the end.
