The Lathe of Heaven

This is my second read for Le Guin after the Earthsea cycle, and I was definitely not disappointed. The reader, on the other hand, was a huge disappointment. The reading was all on the same tone, and absolutely empty of any emotion. To be able to not fall asleep throughout the book is a testament to Le Guin's writing ability for sure, for that reader's voice was trying to do the opposite.

I still recommend it big time. A very enjoyable book.

I approached this audio book with some trepidation, my only experience of LeGiuns work being "The Dispossesed", a book I have read many times, enjoyed as much for its message and thought provoking qualities as for its evocative landscapes. This audio book is in the same league, rich narrative, spare descriptive writting, powerfull message. It would assist the listener to have some understanding of "TAO", this concept being central to the theme. The Audio is a little dated, but the ear soon adjusts and the narrator does a fine job.A great follow on from "The Time Travellers Wife" which had been my previous listen.

I am not normally a fan of LeGuin's, being a sci-fi rather than sci-fantasy fan, but this novel is different, and very unique! I liked the narrator's style, and found the entire book facinating from start to finish. I'm still thinking about it, months later! In fact, I think I will re-listen to it very soon!

I read this book several years ago, and actually enjoyed it more in this format.
This is not the very best thing Le Guin has written (_Always Coming Home_ and the Earthsea books are my candidates) yet it's a clear 5 star listen for me. Le Guin is one of the masters of SF-Fantasy; she transcends the genre while usually remaining a fun read. The plot is moves fast, with considerable pathos and suspense. The main character is a quiet, rather passive, man, and yet I came to like and respect him and care what happened to him and his world. What stays with me most, thought, are certain dream-like images, both visual and conceptual. They still float occasionally to consciousness, though I listened to the book several months ago.
The philosophy behind the book seems Taoist to me - and Le Guin has mentioned in her non-fiction that Taoism appeals to her. Sometimes the intellectual sub-text seemed a bit heavy-handed, but over all the book is a thorough success.
I myself found the narrator understated, but excellent. She added value to the book.

LeGuin's brilliant vision shines through in this must-read book for any science fiction fan -- or anyone interested in a study of human character, emotion, or society -- but the reading is only passable. It isn't bad enough to be distracting, but I've certainly heard better in audiobooks. Still, don't let that turn you off. This is an excellent work that deserves your attention.

The Lathe of Heaven is a story about a man, George Orr, whose dreams come true. His dreams, or rather nightmares, change reality. But instead of putting things right, Orr's dreams create distorted dystopian realities that substitute the original ones. When Orr is put under compulsory treatment because of drug addiction, his psychiatrist, Dr. Haber, has it in mind to use Orr's powers to his own advantage.
The title is taken from a grossly mistranslated quotation from Chuang Tzu's writings. "To let understanding stop at what cannot be understood is a high attainment. Those who cannot do it will be destroyed on the lathe of heaven." U. Le Guin later said that the translation was wrong, since in the times of Chuang Tzu there were no lathes.
The LoH is thought-provoking and philosophical as it raises racial, social, political, and ethical issues. What if we could control our life and destiny? What if we had no diversity, but eliminated racism, poverty and overpopulation? What's better: to change things by fair means or foul, or go with the flow, "let be and let go", "be in touch with the world"?
Before I listened to the audiobook, I watched the 1980 adaptation a couple of years ago. I'd say I liked the ideas behind the film rather than the film itself. The budget was lean, and the special effects were cheesy, but I loved the plot and the characters.
The audiobook made a really strong impression on me. The performance wasn't bad, but could have had more zing to it.

Writen by the master - I like her Earthsea series better but the characters here are wonderful - the plot fasinating if a little hard to follow at times.

Though a little predictable (what post-apocalyptic book isn't?), this was an excellent book about the possibility and power of the human mind. Sometimes irrational to the point of amusing other times horrifying, it was a good, thought provoking read. Very entertaining and one I couldn't wait to get back to. Le Guin always knows how to suck people into her stories and envelope them within.

I have to agree with many of the other listeners on the reader. Sometimes I found the flatness of the voice fitting - especially with the psychologist character - other times I found it jarring and out of place. Overall, a good performance, but not the best, it could have a bit more variation.

If you like appocaliptic stories that are ironic, make-ya-think science fiction, then this is for you. Only it's not really that hard to comprehend; like it might've been perhaps in less capable hands than that of Le Guin. I'd like to send a heartfelt thanks to Ms. Le Guin for penning Lathe of Heaven and I'm sorry I'm late to discovery of such of fab tale. I shall be re-reading it soon for sheer enjoyment and maybe even edification,hahah. Oh did I mention exquistite gender-bending bits thrown in like chips in a chocolate cookie?

Here Le Guin plays with wild fantasy and manages to comment on society, people, psychology, relations, power etc. etc. And all in a relatively light humorous tone. It is also very well read! My wife, who normally does not like to much fantasy, also loved this one.