Dispossessed Possessed
Since the semester is in full swing and we have made a commitment to be in bed at a reasonable hour on weeknights and up at an unreasonable hour to go swimming on weekday mornings, the reading progress has been a bit slow the past few days. However, I finished a book today. HOORAY!
6. The Dispossessed [1974] by Ursula Le Guin [Kindle].
Well, hooray but also boo. Boo because it's over. <WHINE> This book is awesome. It's so awesome my pathetic description is only a whisper of how awesome it is. How does one write a review of such an awesome book, seriously?
This book is magnificent. It is my first time reading anything by Le Guin so perhaps that colors my experience. While this is the fifth book in the Hainish Cycle, I am assured that it is a good place to start and the series need not be read in order. Reading it certainly did not feel like anything was missing or that I'd missed out on a backstory at all. Thank you so much, Louise, for suggesting this book!
The story chronicles the related people of twin planets, one a utopian sort of desert anarchy, previously colonized by settlers from the other, a more traditional, mostly capitalist planet with a wide range of natural resources and many different levels of socio-economic status. The narrative vividly contrasts various types of social organization and behavior, including freedom (and the lack of it), government (and the lack of it), mutual cooperation and competition, and so forth. While the differences seem stark at first, the subtleties become more apparent as more is revealed. It not only entertains but forces the reader to think about alternate ways of living that have been dismissed or not considered before.
The story is delivered mostly from the view of the protagonist, from two different periods in his life. The movement back and forth from his earlier life to his later life helps with a deeper understanding of the intricacies of the tale. The timelines come together eventually, of course, but the beauty of the book is in the wholeness of the telling.
The author occasionally creates words, or at least they appear to be created as they are new to me and not in dictionaries or wikipedia, but these created words have meanings that are obvious. They add to the beautiful fabric of the chronicle. I have been keeping a list on my Kindle of both words that are new to me but found in dictionaries, and words that seem to be created by the author (also new to me!).
Read this book! Seriously. It costs less than six dollars for the Kindle and less than eight dollars in paperback.
Now, a more abiding question is: Why have I never read anything by Ursula Le Guin before?
4. Middlemarch [1872] by George Eliot (aka Mary Anne or Marian Evans) [Kindle].
I have made a significant amount of progress reading Middlemarch, but it is a very lengthy book and I read only the Le Guin novel the past few days. I have read about one-fifth of the book so far. Currently, the author is again introducing in more detail new characters who have only been mentioned in passing in previous chapters. These character studies are entertaining and, often, are given in pieces and parts through the dialogue of other characters before a whole chapter is devoted just to describing the character more fully, and presumably more fairly. The current character of interest is the new young doctor in town, Mr. Lydgate.
Only one short story remains in this book. I am sad it contains only nine, but the eight I have listened to so far have been quite stellar, fascinating in their depth of feeling, and expansive in the attention to individual and cultural details.
It's time to start another book or two...
Open for Suggestions!
While I started compiling a potential 2015 reading list a couple of months ago, it is not written in stone and I am open for suggestions. Several of my friends have given me specific suggestions or links to lists of excellent books. Keep them coming!
Books Completed in 2015
Here is a list of completed books with links to their info page on Goodreads and to the reviews I have written on Goodreads and Amazon (or Audible).
1. Among Others [2011] by Jo Walton [Kindle]. 5/5 stars [review: Goodreads; Amazon].
2. Knitting for Beginners [2014] by Susan Wilters [Kindle]. 2/5 stars [review: Goodreads; Amazon].
5. The Story of My Life [1902] by Helen Keller [Kindle] 4/5 stars [review: Goodreads; Amazon].
7. At Risk [2004] by Stella Rimington [audible.com audiobook] [review: Goodreads; Audible].
6. The Dispossessed [1974] by Ursula Le Guin [Kindle]. 5/5 stars [review: Goodreads; Amazon]
I suppose I also have to decide whether to number these in the order finished or in the order started? Decisions, decisions... Numbers can be so confusing for me...
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