The Dispossessed

A Novel

De: Ursula K. Le Guin

Narrado por: Don Leslie

“One of the greats….Not just a science fiction writer; a literary icon.” – Stephen King

From the brilliant and award-winning author Ursula K. Le Guin comes a classic tale of two planets torn apart by conflict and mistrust — and the man who risks everything to reunite them.

A bleak moon settled by utopian anarchists, Anarres has long been isolated from other worlds, including its mother planet, Urras—a civilization of warring nations, great poverty, and immense wealth. Now Shevek, a brilliant physicist, is determined to reunite the two planets, which have been divided by centuries of distrust. He will seek answers, question the unquestionable, and attempt to tear down the walls of hatred that have kept them apart.

To visit Urras—to learn, to teach, to share—will require great sacrifice and risks, which Shevek willingly accepts. But the ambitious scientist's gift is soon seen as a threat, and in the profound conflict that ensues, he must reexamine his beliefs even as he ignites the fires of change.

Fascinating, but odd

Had to read this for a class I'm taking, I'm glad I did, but it was a very unique book, not sure what I expected but it was a satisfying experience

Story stalls as political overview dominates

Strong perceptions on various governing structures, but the story is nearly non-existent. Overall, it was boring.

A must read for humans

No other fiction novel has made me question so much. The story is riveting. The ideas mind blowing. The voice actor wonderful. I've listened three times through!

Mostly philosophical

This book is really an examination of different ways to organize society. It seems that freedom is difficult to maintain no matter what. A number of times the book consists of people discussing concepts. It didn't help that the narrator didn't differentiate the speakers much. It was also confusing that the story moves from past to present in alternating chapters. I actually had to get the print book from the library to figure that out. Maybe this just is a book that works better in print. Many people have found it very thought-provoking but in the audio it didn't grab me at all.

it was oooooookkkkkkay

so I really loved the narrator, I think he did great! however I feel like the story was drawn out. there are definitely parts of the story that, I just didn't connect with at all.

This is not a sci-fi book!

Well OK, it does have some cool sci-fi elements, but mostly this is a communist manifesto dressed up as sci-fi. Not that I have a problem with political discourse, but wow did I wish I knew that going in.

This book is enormously long winded, but also has great character depth in its main actor. It was a bit hard to follow as an audiobook until all of the names were repeated enough times. I’d recommend downloading a character sheet to follow along.

Required Reading

Mere words of praise are insufficient to convey how important this book is. If you read one Sci-Fi book in your life, this should be the one. If you read Sci-Fi on a regular basis, this should be at the top of your reading list. Read this book and take a few baby steps into self awareness and enlightenment.

Insightful

This story was full of insight , with lots of food for thought. Excellent narrator.

Beautiful

Relevant when it was originally published and, more, now; this is a timeless piece of writing.

One of the all-time best science fiction novels

This book is an incredible achievement. It’s what science fiction should be. The character development, relationships between characters, exploration of cultures, world building, and thoughtfulness is unrivaled. The only science fiction book I’ve read that achieves this to a similar degree is A Deepness in the Sky by Vernor Vinge. Ursula Le Guin wrote The Dispossessed in 1974 and won the Hugo and Nebula awards, and the book is still as relevant and powerful as ever.