[Subdue] The Dispossessed: An Ambiguous Utopia by Ursula K. Le Guin - 3 stars

[Pam]

This is a hard book to rate. On the one hand, I'm blown away by the society she created from scratch. The level of detail is mind-boggling and also very interesting in how this anarchist world functions from day to day and year to year. It's so incredibly different from anything I've ever heard of, and she has such a clear grasp on it from all angles -- strengths, weaknesses, how it would evolve over time, what the barriers to that evolvement could be, the various ways individuals would find to express their varying levels of commitment to the founding ideals of the society and how that would play out through good times and bad. Fascinating, both anthropologically and philosophically.

I loved the MC Shevek and how clearly and consistently he understood himself and stuck to his principles. Which is why I can't believe there's a throwaway scene where he almost accidentally (view spoiler)[rapes (hide spoiler)] someone toward the end of the book. WTF??? I mean, he's experiencing alcohol for the first time and is EXTREMELY drunk and doesn't realize it, and the woman's odd behavior is definitely contributing to the confusion, but it's disturbing. And then he passes out and it's never addressed again. It's so strange and unnecessary, and the scene stands out like a sore thumb compared to the rest of the book.

Other than that, I enjoyed the experience, especially once the momentum picked up about a third of the way in, but I feel more of a sense of accomplishment having read it than anything else. I've had Le Guin at the very top of my "authors to try this year" list for several years, and this was a good intro I think. I'll definitely try A Wizard of Earthsea next, and then see how I feel from there. But in the context of why I read it now -- as part of voting for the PBT Top 100 list -- it's not even going to make my favorites of the year list, so it will not be getting my vote :)

[Joy D]

I enjoyed this one a bit more than you did, but I agree that the scene toward the end was just weird and unnecessary. A Wizard of Earthsea is much different, more of a straight-forward fantasy. I'll look forward to seeing what you think of it.

[Pam]

I think I rate on a slightly lower scale than most people! Anything I like is 3 stars, and my favorites are often just 4 stars. I save the 5 stars for the ones that blow me away, so I might get a few of those a year *if* I'm lucky.

I do think this one is objectively more impressive than 3 stars. Those are the ones I always struggle rating: Technically, 4 stars; enjoyment, 3 stars :)

I'm glad I'm not alone on that scene, though. I was trying to figure out if I'd missed some point to it, but I really don't think it served any purpose at all...

[Joy D]

I gave this one four stars. I save five stars for my favorites. I can also recommend le Guin's The Left Hand of Darkness and The Lathe of Heaven.

[NancyJ]

I haven't read this one yet, but one of my favorites is The Word for World is Forest. It is a relatively simple story set on one planet in a universe in which she has placed many other books. I really liked the gentle species that lived on the planet. It meshed nicely with my environmental interests, and with several other books I read this year (such as Babel: An Arcane History)that touched on different aspects of colonialism.

[Pam]

I had intended to start with The Left Hand of Darkness, but I’m letting myself get sidetracked by the Top 100 list for now :) I’ll have to check these others out, too. She has so many!