The Disposessed
This is easily my favorite LeGuin book yet. I don't know if that's because I'm more familiar with her work and know what to expect from her (and what is probably asking too much) or if this book really is head and shoulders above the rest (it has been argued that this is so). Regardless, it was fantastic and it made my brain buzz in all sorts of good ways.
The book follows one man's journey through two diametrically opposite cultures. The chapters alternate between his life growing up on the moon Anarres, where a libertarian anarchy holds everyone equal, and his time as a professor on the planet Urras, where a highly regulated capitalism maintains strong class and gender divides. All his life he's been told that his home is a utopia, the planet a stand-in for hell. But he's not satisfied until he can see this for himself, and he wants to bring his ideals back to the planet and build a better society there. But he discovers that things aren't quite that simple.
The story that unfolds is slow but rich. The utopia seems great at first glance. But it requires a high level of indoctrination from a very young age. It seems to rely on scarcity so no one person can ever truly get ahead. And it doesn't provide any recourse when people do get greedy or vengeful. It relies on the goodwill of every member without ever considering that some people might put themselves ahead of their society.
The capitalist society certainly has it's ills, and the people in power are eager to keep these hidden lest the balance of their society be upset. But it also provides for a freedom that doesn't exist on the moon. People enjoy abundance and leisure, families can stay together without worrying about societal demands pulling one or both parents away from their children. And while there do exist rich and poor, the heavy regulations assure that everyone has enough, even if some people have more.
There are a lot of things in this book that will take a while to digest. It is a stunning example of science-fiction used to shine a light on our society and ideals and pick out all the little details, both wonderful and gruesome. Even better, the copy I bought was annotated (presumably by someone reading it for a class), so reading it was like having a conversation not just with the author but with the previous reader. It encouraged me to think a little deeper as I was reading, which helped me get more out of the first read than I often do.
The book follows one man's journey through two diametrically opposite cultures. The chapters alternate between his life growing up on the moon Anarres, where a libertarian anarchy holds everyone equal, and his time as a professor on the planet Urras, where a highly regulated capitalism maintains strong class and gender divides. All his life he's been told that his home is a utopia, the planet a stand-in for hell. But he's not satisfied until he can see this for himself, and he wants to bring his ideals back to the planet and build a better society there. But he discovers that things aren't quite that simple.
The story that unfolds is slow but rich. The utopia seems great at first glance. But it requires a high level of indoctrination from a very young age. It seems to rely on scarcity so no one person can ever truly get ahead. And it doesn't provide any recourse when people do get greedy or vengeful. It relies on the goodwill of every member without ever considering that some people might put themselves ahead of their society.
The capitalist society certainly has it's ills, and the people in power are eager to keep these hidden lest the balance of their society be upset. But it also provides for a freedom that doesn't exist on the moon. People enjoy abundance and leisure, families can stay together without worrying about societal demands pulling one or both parents away from their children. And while there do exist rich and poor, the heavy regulations assure that everyone has enough, even if some people have more.
There are a lot of things in this book that will take a while to digest. It is a stunning example of science-fiction used to shine a light on our society and ideals and pick out all the little details, both wonderful and gruesome. Even better, the copy I bought was annotated (presumably by someone reading it for a class), so reading it was like having a conversation not just with the author but with the previous reader. It encouraged me to think a little deeper as I was reading, which helped me get more out of the first read than I often do.
Comments
Post a Comment