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| The Dispossessed | 
 enlarge | Author: Ursula K. Le Guin
Publisher: Eos
Category: Book
List Price: $7.99
Buy Used: $0.48
You Save: $7.51 (94%)
New (46) Used (41) Collectible (2) from $0.48
Avg. Customer Rating:  94 reviews
Sales Rank: 81655
Media: Mass Market Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 400
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 6.6 x 4.1 x 1.3
ISBN: 0061054887
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN: 9780061054884
ASIN: 0061054887
Publication Date: December 1, 1994
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
Shevek, a brilliant physicist, decides to take action. he will seek answers, question the unquestionable, and attempt to tear down the walls of hatred that have isolated his planet of anarchists from the rest of the civilized universe. To do this dangerous task will mean giving up his family and possibly his life. Shevek must make the unprecedented journey to the utopian mother planet, Anarres, to challenge the complex structures of life and living, and ignite the fires of change.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 89 more reviews...
 Outstanding Utopian Work of Freedom and Liberty July 12, 2008
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
Science fiction has often described libertarian societies and ideals. Think of such works as Heinlein's "Stranger in a Strange Land," Russell's ". . .and Then There Were None," and Williamson's "The Equalizer," among others. One of the most explicit of science fiction works on a society characterized by freedom is Ursula LeGuin's "The Dispossessed."
At one point in the history of the planet Urras, a feisty woman named Odo led a movement for freedom, for liberty, for anarchism. Finally, Urras ceded the moon, Anarres, to her movement. Here an "ambiguous utopia" developed, as per the subtitle of this book.
The primary character in this novel is Shevek, a physicist on Anarres. As the novel proceeds, he becomes concerned that the original promise of the libertarian society is being lost. Over time, something like "a tyranny of the majority" is creeping into society. Nonconformists are subtly (and not so subtly) penalized. Obviously, this undermines the concept of a libertarian society. His friend, who starts him thinking along these lines, Bedap, Says: "You can't crush ideas by suppressing them. You can only crush them by ignoring them." He goes on to point out that Odo herself had mentioned this as a threat.
The society on Anarres is a kind of amalgam of a Kropotkin anarcho-communist society (in terms of the production and distribution of goods and services) and a Stirnerite individualist society. At one point, Shevek decided to visit the home planet, Anarres. He comes to understand the promise of Anarres--and the threat to the vision of freedom.
Upon his return, he begins an effort to organize in such a manner as to renew the ideals that Odo had raised and advocated for. As he said later on in the novel: "That the Odonian society on Anarres had fallen short of the ideal did not, in his eyes, lessen his responsibility to it; just the contrary." Later, he argues that ". . .we didn't come to Anarres for safety, but for freedom."
The novel sometimes drags a little, as discussion and debate might slow the action. But, in the end, this novel works very nicely. And it raises issues that all of us need to think about. What are our country's ideals? How far should we go to undermine those just to have "security" (whatever that means)? In many respects, this novel speaks to American ideals after 9/11. Do we turn our back on those ideals for security? Where is the fine line between undermining the ideals of the Founding Fathers to maintain security or to demand freedom and undermine the need for security? Such questions are raised in this work, indicating that it addresses critical issues of relevance to all of us, long after its original publication.
But which is the better world? July 2, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
Two inhabited worlds, each with a claim at being a perfect utopia: Urras is a wealthy planet, full of haves and have-nots, warring nations and vast resources and Anarres is its almost barren moon. Anarres is populated by anarchist rebels who fled Urras generations ago to try to create a perfect society where everything is shared.
This is the story of a brilliant physicist, Shevek, born on Anarres. He grows up with the political ideals of his society, but it seems as if his own culture and people have no use for his theories of physics. His academic adviser proves to be corrupt and plagiarizes his work. Eventually he loses his academic post, and is sent to toil at physical labor far from his family. Eventually he and a group of childhood friends start their own publishing company and begin corresponding with scientists on Urras.
This arouses strong feelings. Shevek's own mother accuses him of betraying his society. Eventually he decides he must risk everything to go to Urras. Only there will he find the resources and the time to complete his great labor of physics. So he goes, not knowing if he will ever be able to return. But once he is there he discovers that he can not let the secrets of his work fall into the hands of those who would use them only to gain more wealth and power over the poor and oppressed.
How does a man chose between the ideals of his heart and his life's work?
This is a work of classic science fiction, where ideas clash instead of spaceships blowing each other up. Real philosophical questions are posed. Instead of good versus evil, LeGuin has poised a question of good versus good. This book is only for the thoughtful. The richness of its meaning will sink in deeper with every reading. Not for stupid people, but worthy of the highest recommendation all the same.
 Overall, solid June 11, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
Overall, a good book. The book isn't action pack but it does bring up a lot of questions about morality, humanity, and the idealist vs realistic forms of government.
 Turgid, ideological and pedantic March 21, 2008
2 out of 6 found this review helpful
A novel beginning with anarchists on one planet, 'archists' on its twin. That is, the planets are astronomical twins; the anarchists' planet is only marginally habitable while that of their seeming bete noir is quite earth-like. Very earth-like, in fact, replete with capitalists and modified communists (the novel is a cold war artifact).
The author attempts to explore what happens in societies, how people lose their freedom. The anarchists become somewhat bureaucratic and terribly provincial in the worst sense, that of pruning outcroppings of creativity by means of social opprobation.
The capitalists, wealthy though the aristocrats are, are not free in the author's view. The society has its best analogue in 19th century Great Britain, complete with the class distinctions then normal.
The text is turgid, even occasionally ungrammatical. The characters are shallow, mere ciphers for the author's didacticism. Of action we will not speak: there is none of which to speak.
Looking at the other reviews, I see one that says he got the message: "capitalism good, communism bad." I do wonder what book he read when he thought he was reading this book. The message here is "freedom,which implies responsibility, good; societal/governmental repression of freedom bad." This is a message that is easy to endorse, even if the book was far from my favorite.
Anarchy In Outerspace August 20, 2007
There are so many reviews of this book I wondered whether to contribute to this "discussion".I think I have something to add.Le Guin deserves to be given credit for imagining an ideal society and acknowledging that like any other society it has it's flaws.I suspect that this society will only appeal to radical egalitarians.Anarres strikes me as being a dour,puritanical and overly utilitarian place.It's very conformist and beneath the surface there is a current of ugly authoritarianism that seems ready to break out into murderous violence with a little provacation.It's this that would likely be the death of the society.It stuck me at a certain point that Anarres biggest problem is it's priggish insistence on trying to supress any division of labor.Shevek is the universes greatest physicist.However he can't devote himself to that exclusively because he has to dig ditches and clean latrines periodically.I'm not suggesting that Shevek is too good for manual labor.I'm suggesting it's a waste of time and resources.At one point,shevek reflects on the concept of economics and is utterly dissmisive.Foolish man!At its most basic level economics is an analysis of scarcity.You'd think on a planet noted for its scarcity this would be of some interest.Unfortunately the Anarreans and Ursula LeGuin think economics is essentially an aspect of the false conciousness of capitalism.Anarres is probably doomed by its own inflexability.It will probably degenerate into Maoism if it doesn't open itself up to capitalism.I kept thinking what would be wrong with Shevek working in a think tank?a university?a private corporation? Well he can't do that because those aren't allowed.The paradox here is that "freedom" has diminished not increased choice.You might get the impression I don"t like this book.On the contary,any book that makes think this much is well worth reading.
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