The Dispossessed (Hainish Cycle)

Quite conceivably the best SF novel ever written - if that phrase means anything at all. There are two different achievements in this novel. Firstly, it is a superb portrayal of the mind of a scientist, showing the slow conceptual struggle towards a new idea (instantaneous communication). Worth reading just for that. The second achievement is that UlG explores the balance between the individualistic and collectivist strains in all societies. The device that she uses for this is a world (Urras) much like earth which contains mixed economies and socialist states around which orbits a moon (Annarres) containing an exiled colony of anarchists. The protagonist, Shevek, is a physicist on Annarres who becomes aware of the constraints of the anarchistic society and journeys to Urras. Here he sees the limitations of state power, whether capitalist or socialist. The superb, and vitally important, narrative structure that is used is Shevek's concept of simultanaeity: the novel intertwines two narratives (Shevek leaves Annares, and Shevek leaves Urras) which allows UlG to raise the problems with both types of system simultaneously. This is not a political rant (or Rand, perhaps) but a story about an enquiring mind. And yes, it does have characters. It does what SF is supposed to do: it frees us from the tyranny of present fashion.

I first read this in 1974. It was a time for hippie communitarian experiments. I was also familiar with Marxist critique. This book encompasses all that and more. Now, 44 years later, I still appreciate these insights. But, I can now see the delicate expression of balance— yin/yang —that is the hallmark of classic timeless beauty. So much wisdom distilled! I recommend also her translation of Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching.

"The Dispossessed" is a utopian/dystopian novel along the lines of "Brave New World" or "The Handmaid's Tale." Although Le Guin creates an atmosphere of tension, there's not a lot of action (at least for the first three quarters of the book)--so readers expecting more "traditional" science fiction or surprising plot twists will certainly be dissatisfied. This unashamedly political novel portrays one character torn between two worlds with disparate political and economic systems, and it focuses on the highlights and the inadequacies of both those worlds.

Shevek, an unappreciated scientist from Anarres, travels to Urras, whose inhabitants seem to value better his discoveries in physics. Annares, the home of the "Dispossessed," is a 175-year-old rebel outpost of anarchists who have established "an experiment in nonauthoritarian communism" that emphasizes community and cooperation and who must make the most of the limited resources on their desert planet to avert the constant threat of starvation. Anarres's mother planet, Urras, boasts a triumvirate of strong and repressive governments, the most important of which is the capitalist government of A-Io with its impressive wealth, cultural accomplishments, and scientific achievements.

But all is not what it seems on either world. Le Guin alternates chapters detailing Shevek's early years of disenchantment on his lawless but peaceful native planet with chapters describing his growing realization that Urras has a significant "dispossessed" population as well. The novel is, of course, deeply informed by the Cold War--it was published in 1974--and each world features its own "ambiguous utopia" (the book's subtitle). The anarchists of Anarres have diluted their revolutionary vision with mindless and dogmatic conformism, discouragement of artistic pursuits and dissenting ideas, and an entrenched and uncaring bureaucracy that acts like a government in all but name. The capitalists of Urras, meanwhile, have traded libertarianism and meritocracy for a repressive oligarchy and the armed reinforcement of widespread economic disparities. As the novel progresses, Shevek appreciates that there is much to be learned from both (or rather, all) worlds.

Some readers and critics have suggested that Le Guin is "promoting" anarchism/communism; this is too simplistic, since the book is far too subtle and tentative to work as propaganda. Instead, she posits an attractive and idealistic society, contrasts it with a world with an appealing facade and an unattractive underclass, and shows how human nature tends to corrupt even the most well-meaning of civilizations. A book of ideas rather than of advocacy, "The Dispossessed" challenges readers to envision humankind's limitless possibilities.

Ursula K. Le Guin's classic 1974 novel The Dispossessed is brought wonderfully to audio courtesy a Harper Audio production of an excellent Don Leslie narration. Winner of both the Hugo and Nebula awards, it is also (and much less impressively, I might add!) my pick for the best new science fiction and fantasy audiobook published at Audible.com in September 2010. The publisher's summary is brief: "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." Here, there is simply too much to say, and so I will play a bit of the coward and not say much at all, other than: Le Guin's Anarres is the definitive rendering of anarchism in fiction, and this is an unforgettable novel, and a masterful narration.

I read this book years ago and have re-read it many times. It and Left Hand of Darkness are my favorite novels by LeGuin. Both books start with a what-if premise. In Lefthand of Darkness the premise is what if there is no separation of the sexes. In The Disposessed the premise is what if there were a truly communistic society. What would it be like? How would it compare or hold up to a capitalist society? What impact would it have on the people that live in that society? She explores these questions through the life of the main character, Shevak. Shevak is a brillant physicist (akin to Einstein) who grows up on the communistic moon of Annares and later travels to the capitalistic parent world of Urras. Although LeGuin obviously favors the commmunistic world of Annares, she does not hesitate to fully explore its weaknesses. She also shows how difficult it is for a truly visionary human such as Shevak to live comfortably in either world. I found The Dispossessed to not only be a thoughtful examination of a philosophical premise but to also be a beautifully written novel and a pleasure to read.

This novel won the 1974 Nebula Award and the 1975 Hugo Award for best science fiction novel of the year as well as the 1975 Jupiter Award. It is centered about a complex society that is founded upon anarchism: an ordered society without laws. The "dispossessed" in the novel are the millions of the inhabitants of Anarres, an arid moon of the lush planet of Urras. Two centuries earlier, the followers of an anarchist philosopher had fled Urras to forge a new society, a society that has done away with the concept of "possession." There is no property on Anarres, no money, no marriage (I hope that Le Guin is not meaning to suggest that marriage is a possession by one or other of the participants), no government, no laws, no prisons. Even the language reflects this attitude. Possessive pronouns are even avoided. Instead of saying "My hand hurts," one would say "The hand hurts me." A mathematical genius of Anarres, who has made a conceptual breakthrough that allows for the development of the ansible (an instantaneous communication device that other science fiction authors will begin to use), travels to Urras. He had been having difficulties with the philosophical ideas of his home world but the social structure of Urras baffles him. The cultures of both world cause problems for the protagonist Shevik. This is one of the best science fiction novels of all time. However, I'm surprised at some of the comments by earlier reviewers. It appears that some reviewers are really offended at more cerebral type of novels. I gave this book five stars. And, I also gave "A Princess of Mars" five stars. Both books have their place within the genre. Perhaps we should be not so narrow in our tastes so that we exclude valuable works. Both of these novels should be read by any serious student of science fiction literature.

There is no need for a lengthy discussion of Ursula le Guin's intriguing premise and fine execution, her masterful description of contending utopias. Other reviewers have done that.
I do want to compliment the author on writing what is one of the finest depictions of love - that of Takver and Shevik - that I have read in any genre. Her prose is as always delicate and eloquent, suggesting great vistas with an economy of means that one can only read with joy and - I admit - envy. But these two characters...breathtaking. The warmth and earthiness of their love is infectious, and, implicitly, the strongest argument in favour of Anarres' ambigious utopia. I cannot recommend this wonderful book enough - oh, and one final qualification: slow? Lacking in action? This is completely dependent on your definition of action. If you think realistic character development is action, then this book is completely for you. If you think guns, swordfights and the like are the only way to constitute action, then you are less lucky - although I would add that the massacre in Nio Esseia is one of the most ghastly scenes I've ever read!
Ursula le Guin makes few bones about her own philosophies - but even if you cannot agree with the direction of her thought, you can sit back and be warmed by her gentle, beautiful writing.

This compact book is easy to read and absolutely gripping, yet it has a depth to it that unparalleled in any fiction I've read. I have re-read this book more than any other, and I never cease to contemplate the ideas contained in it.

I can't even begin to describe all the issues that this book tackles, but to just name a few, it tackles: distribution of resources and its effect on a society, the relationship between language and culture, the hidden assumptions behind how we conduct scientific research, how people can coerce others in a non-violent environment, what motivates people to work, how people view relationships, etc. The most amazing thing is that the book relates these issues to each other: it shows how one area of life (for example scientific research) that we might think of as completely separate and unbiased, is actually intimately tied up in subjective areas (such as political beliefs, or the distribution of resources).

This book is just amazing and everyone should read it!

I recommend "The Dispossessed" because it is a good example of how to write a philosophical novel. The story deals with the planet Urras, a modernist technological society, and the moon Annares, an anarchist Utopia populated by outcasts who fled Urras many generations ago. The plot in this book is really secondary. The purpose of "The Dispossessed" is to analyze both of these societies and to point out their strengths and their flaws. While I don't agree with everything that LeGuin says about community life on Annares, I do believe that she does a good job of displaying what life under such a system would be like. Despite being relatively short, this book covers a lot of ground, including religion, economy, sexuality, family life, and art.
With that said, I must confess a little bit of disappointment with the writing of "The Dispossessed". Having read the Earthsea Saga and "The Left Hand of Darkness", I know that LeGuin can do better. In particular, this book lacks any of the great descriptive passages found in her other works. A few good word pictures of the unforgiving landscape on Annares would have gone a long way towards making the book more intensely realistic. Some of the dialogue also falls a little bit short. Still, I view the book overall as being quite impressive, and a must-read for science fiction fans who like to think.

i dont like it. I have not finished it and may never, but the opening is very difficult to get into. The first chapter made me sit up and look for the copyright. yup: 1974. The main character is talking about womens' equality...."Is it true that women are lesser than men on your planet?" Ok, so even 500 or 1000 years in the future we are still having this debate? This story is outdated, outmoded; the title is great and the subtitle is great; that's it.

This was one of LeGuin's earlier works and still one of her best -- second only, in my opinion, to _The Left Hand of Darkness._ Shevek is a once-in-a-century theoretical physicist and also an Odonion -- an anarcho-syndicalist on the world of Anarres, which is a satellite of the thoroughly capitalist-imperialist planet of Urras, from which the Odonians had removed themselves two centuries before. But Anarrian society is becoming infected with egoism and bureaucratic attitudes, and Shevek finds himself to deal any longer with the jealous resistance his theories have created among his scientific colleagues. Shevek and his friends undertake the necessity of rebelling against the permanent anarchist rebellion, and this involves Shevek making the journey to Urras, both to pursue his research and to attempt to communicate with the anarchist underground there. It's a fascinating story with very fully realized characters, both in their human personalities and in their sociopolitical attitudes. The Urras-Anarres dichotomy, of course, is a straw man LeGuin has set up for the purposes of exploring how a true anarchist society might function, and she succeeds admirably. This book won both the Hugo and the Nebula, and for good reasons!

This may be LeGuin's best novel, despite its slow, ruminative pace. It's a thinking person's adventure, filled with ideas and so eminently quotable that it can spark discussion. Shevek is searching for answers, just like the pioneers who founded his ascetic, open society on the arid world to which they exiled themselves decades ago and from which they banished the concepts of private property and privacy. Are they on the right path? Do they really have a future? His search takes him back to the neighboring home planet of Urras, a wealthy, materialistic society corrupted and possessed by the desire for power, whose vulgar, neurotic inhabitants "lived among mountains of excrement, but never mentioned shit." Their decadence helps explain and balances the anarchistic social extremes of Shevek's world, which were developed partly in reaction. The story loses power at the end, when the corruption of Urrasti society manifests itself in cliched violence, but thoughtful readers will find the novel very rewarding.

In this science fiction classic a planet, Urras, and its colonized moon, Annares, have a unique relationship. Urras is made up of archistic states, whether they are socialist, capitalist, theocratic, etc. while the moon is populated by anarchists due to a quirk in history. There is little contact between the world and little trust between them. The story revolves around the life of Sevek, a physisist from Annares, who over the length of his life begins to formulate a theory of how to travel faster than the speed of light. The problem is that Annares seemingly has no use for his theory and he must deal with Urras in order to go forward.

An interesting fable, it is fascinating for its approach to how a world with nor rules would function. Graphic and scatological at times, it is a great book, one I have read several times. Oh, and the maps are very helpful.

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.

One man's initiative combined with his abstract intellectual brilliance disturbs the political stasis in two planets and may be a seed of change even beyond. The book sensitively explores the social organisation and personal experience of the anarcho-communist world in which Shevek lives. He gradually realises that the price of freedom is eternal "initiative" - opposing the 'vigilance' of those who protect the status quo. His power to influence events comes from the value of his work in theoretical science. All worlds share a quasi-religious belief that theory is the first step to technology and thus to power.
The strength of the book is the complex and convincing shades of grey in which both characters and social systems are portrayed. There are no easy solutions and even the motivation of villains is complex.
A enthralling and satisfying philosophy text presented through fiction.

I found myself quite enjoying the writing in the first third even if the sci-fi didn't quite take off and there was enough of a story to keep me turning as the lead explored a new world. And if a utopia is meant to be a mirror critique of contemporary society, as the post amble suggested, then this one did do this job if only really on day to day morality angles. It was less successful as either a future vision or a real alternate society offering as it's biggest disappointment was a seeming comparison of capitalism and communism as the systems of these two worlds. And for me neither is an obvious candidate for a utopia. A decent read even so.

This book is a five hundred page social commentary, decribing a utopian communist commune. The main character is a physist who is out to resolve conflicts withing the communes planet and it's sister plant. A Earthlike planet with a political situation, not unlike the one we have now.
The reason I "disliked" the book is the political and social commentary that is at the center of this book just did not sit with me at all. Le Guin just didn't convince me that this society had fixed the issues within communism and anarcy that make them unstable, and have led to some of the most promising nations in the last hundrend years and driven them into the ground. It would be nice if people could live the way she suggests, but the book does not give any real answers. A famous econimist recently stated in his book that all econimic systems are inherantly unstable, and that strong regalotory systems are needed to stop periodic crashes and times of econimic chaos. This hurts this book because this is a political book that is about the politics of a perfect world, and validity of the political system is the center of the story.
That being said, this is a brilliant piece of writting. As much as I disliked the politics of this book, the story is very well told, with engaging characters, and a well depicted world. I find it nice to sometimes read books about ideas I disagree with, it makes me re-evaluate my point of view, either changing my ideas or making my beliefs stronger.
This book did not change my political ideas at all, but it at least gave a good account of itself. And that makes it well worth reading, no matter how distastefull the book feels.

Shevek is a brilliant physicist from the barren anarchist world of Anarres. His work could revolutionise interstellar society, permitting instantaneous communication - maybe even instantaneous travel - between the worlds of humanity. But, in contrast to the idealism of Anarres, he finds his work undervalued and even repressed by jealous colleagues. Frustrated, he travels to Anarres's capitalist sister world of Urras, hoping to find more tolerance there but instead becoming embroiled in politics, rebellion and war.

The Dispossessed is widely considered to be one of Ursula Le Guin's finest novels and is arguably her most ambitious work. The book asks nothing less than how best should human society function and by what means. Le Guin picks two popular models, that of a semi-communist state and a capitalist one, and pits them against one another. She is not interested in 'proving' the values of one over the other, instead comparing and contrasting the strengths and weaknesses of both and also the affect they have on the individual, particularly on the individual who has a great, transformational idea but whom is seen by others purely as a pawn or something to be crushed.

The novel relies on this thematic idea to sustain it, but the actual plot structure is also intriguing. The book alternates chapters between the present-day storyline (Shevek on Urras) and events in his past (Shevek growing up on Anarres). We see the present-day Shevek as being an open-minded, questioning individual and how he has changed from his earlier incarnation as a blinkered man who accepts dogmatic ideas as fact (such as the notion that Urras is a corrupt capitalist state that will one day destroy itself), with later Anarres chapter depicting his shift in belief and motivation. Le Guin constantly has Shevek developing as a character even as she develops her ideas and the setting of the two worlds.

The novel's greatest strength is its depiction of someone who seeks simple answers and is instead rewarded with having his worldview broadened and made more complicated. Shevek sees Urras as the answer to all his problems but instead of the utopia he was hoping for he finds a cluster of nations all feuding with one another (at one point fighting a Vietnam-style proxy war between two superpowers with the rulers acknowledging that nothing will change, only thousands dying for no real goal). Anarres is not rose-painted either: the world is desolate, the people poor and, for all of their freedom of choice, are often forced into jobs and roles they despise and are not well suited-for. The book is sometimes criticised for condemning capitalism and promoting communism/anarchism, but it's more complex than that. Le Guin's argument appears to be that all human societies are prone to dysfunction and corruption, no matter how well-meaning people are.

The novel's ending is intriguing, as Shevek's conflicted views are commented upon by an outsider (an ambassador from an Earth ruined by war and ecological disaster) and her analysis spurs him to reconsider his approach. However, the book somewhat abruptly ends before Shevek's return to Anarres with him not having reached a conclusion. This is presumably because any answer would be unsatisfying and simplistic. Instead we are left with the questions, which are far more interesting.

The Dispossessed (*****) is a thought-provoking novel that does not attempt to simplify complex matters and combines fascinating worldbuilding and character development with a refreshing plot structure and some rich prose. The novel is available now in the UK and USA.

There is no better work of fiction that describes what a society based on true anarchy might be like. You soon see that it certainly would not be chaos. That is because a society without leaders and laws is not a society without order- it is just that the order comes from within. That is true order. People work and sacrifice because they recognize that it is in everybody's best interest. Society should be brotherhood of equals, a big family. In a sense, the world of Anarres reminded me of one great farm where family members realize from an early age that they are needed for work that must be done. Either that, or I would describe it as an old-style kibbutz on a planetary scale. It isn't a perfect system. Vigilance is needed to make sure that unofficial tyranny from peer pressure and individual corruption do not set in, but it comes across as workable and believable.

As for her sister world, Urras, it is a place of both the plutocratic-oligarchic state, as well as, the centralized communist dictatorship, locked in perpetual struggle. It is a world where men are forced and coerced to obey their leaders. It is our world. Urras is archism, Anarres is anarchism. You are forced to examine first hand the fundamental differences. It is the difference between a society of true individuals and a society of slaves.

The hero, Shevek, is both a physicist and a philosopher. His was a mind capable of reconciling not only the seeming incompatibility of the simultaneous and sequential nature of time, but also of the conflicting drives of human nature. Both required the freedom of mind of a true revolutionary.

I first read this novel over 25 years ago. It came as a shock to me to realize how much I must have internalized the character of Shevek.

It's a good book. I love books that take you to different planets--in this case, it takes you to two, since the Cetians are not from Earth. Urras is a world similar to ours in both class systems and economy. Anarres is socialism in action, with no monetary system. It was really, really neat to read it and see a different way of doing things. It might be science fiction, but it's mostly an exploration of society, and while reading it, you're really not certain which way is the better way to live, even though le Guin does try to portray Anarres as the more "ideal" world, the planet that is much, much different than our current function here in the U.S. and in the world.

I just finished reading this book for what must have been the fourth of fifth time in 20 years. Everytime I read it, it is a completely different book from the book I remembered. I've decided the book actually metamorphosizes and is growing. How else to explain it? The book is always good, but always different. This is the best book ever written about how a real communistic system would probably work. It shows the good aspects and the bad. But I remembered a lot more about the main character's early childhood than was actually in the book last time. So either the book changes, or the character has lived in me so long that I've filled in some of the times Le Guin didn't write about. There is no better recommendation of a book than that the characters become alive for the reader.

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.

First off, if you're looking for action, this book is not for you. The Dispossessed is very much a novel of ideas, esp. those current in 1974, and these are expressed mainly through complex characters, and secondly, through thinly-disguised analogies to geopolitical states and ideologies on our planet (which itself makes a late, crucial appearance as "Terra"). But for a book written as the Cold War was still chugging along, the grand opposition between the capitalist US (aka A-Io) and the communist USSR (Thu) is, interestingly, quite back-burnered by LeGuin herein. Most subsequent histories of the New Left, whether sympathetic to that movement or not, assume that it was primarily socialist in spirit, but LeGuin shrewdly estimates its vaguely defined ideology to have been anarchist in character. At least in the US context, she's pretty dead-on with that assessment (and if you aren't willing to acknowledge that there's a big difference between the two, you're probably not going to like this book anyway). Furthermore, rather than writing a paean to presumed anarchist wisdom, LeGuin subjects her "ambiguous utopia" of Annares (which is her stand-in for that ideology as "organized" in [non]state form) to penetrating but fair criticisms, from a perspective that Orwell would have deemed "inside the whale." In this respect, her book thus reflects the profound disillusionment felt among the immediate post-Vietnam American Left at the time she wrote. The book's social commentary is weakest, I think, with regard to its feminist themes: women are treated unbelievably badly in A-Io's society, far more so than any reasonably objective assessment of their standing in analogous post1950s America could claim. It is also an interesting lapse, in light of the time it was written, that racial themes play no role whatsoever in the book, even though gendered ones do, not just vis-a-vis feminism but in a handful of apparently gay characters as well. In any case, The Dispossessed can be read productively alongside Heinlein's Stranger in a Strange Land (1961) as period-piece bookends that together represent mutually reinforcing skeptical (some might say cynical) attitudes toward the 60s counterculture. (Heinlein's, however, is the superior and more durable novel of the two, at least in my opinion.)

Quick -- name three SF literary portraits of functional societies founded on principles of anarchism.
I come up with Eric Frank Russell's Gands in _The Great Explosion_ (" . . . And Then There Were None"), Robert A. Heinlein's Loonies in _The Moon is a Harsh Mistress_, and Ursula K. Le Guin's Anarresti in _The Dispossessed: An Ambiguous Utopia_.
Oh, there are a handful of others, notably James Hogan's _Voyage from Yesteryear_ (which was itself strongly influenced by Russell). But most of the rest are thinly disguised libertarian propaganda without a great deal of literary merit (though your mileage may vary).
Of these three, Le Guin's is in some ways the most compelling. In part that's because she's just such a fine writer. But it's also because she's probably the _least_ "ideological" of all the SF writers who have ever tackled this subject.
On Le Guin's somewhat Taoistic approach, each of the contrasting societies contains the seeds of the other, and she lets the reader see both their "good" and "bad" points. She clearly likes the Anarresti society (and on the whole it comes off rather better than its Urrasti foil). But she doesn't hesitate to show the reader some of its critically important drawbacks. Its childrearing practices, for example, recall Ira Levin's _This Perfect Day_, and its treatment of original thinkers (and their "egoizing") even recalls Ayn Rand's tub-thumpingly propagandistic _Anthem_.
In general, then, Le Guin is pretty well immune to the usual salvation-by-ideology claptrap. And as her subtitle suggests, her utopia really _is_ ambiguous. For her, people aren't "saved" by adopting the correct philosophical position or social principles.
Least of all is her protagonist Shevek "saved" by such means. Shevek is a physicist from Anarres (the moon of the planet Urras) and has grown up in its anarchist society. But it doesn't really have a place for him. Neither, more obviously, does Urras, the "propertarian" counterpart to Annares's communitarian society, with which Annares has had no contact for about a century and a half. So with respect to the two polar-opposite patterns of social organization, Shevek is doubly dispossessed.
What's the book actually _about_? Well, Shevek cooks up a plan to get the two societies on speaking terms again and, in order to pursue it, decides to leave Anarres for Urras; so off he goes, as a passenger in a ship called the _Mindful_. (And yes, do be careful not to trip over the symbolism.) That's all I'm going to tell you about the plot. But the essential theme of the novel is, I suppose, barriers and their overcoming. (The very first sentence goes like this: "There was a wall." Yep.)
It's a very thoughtful novel. The narrative hops around in time a lot and the plot isn't exactly marked by nonstop action, so it's probably not for space opera fans. But readers of a more philosophical bent will enjoy it immensely.
And if you're at all interested in literary portraits of anarchist societies, make sure you read this one. If you share Le Guin's Taostic/anarchistic leanings (as I do), you'll like the Anarresti _and_ appreciate Le Guin's refreshingly anti-ideologue-ish honesty in her portrait of it.

I advocate this book for any science-fiction/fantasy readers who are disappointed in the disconnect between the environment and culture of many make believe worlds. Intricate maps, detailed descriptions of climate, and a matching landscape and city design bring the two planets in this book alive.

On a side note, characters with faults are not judged in this book. Even the most morally wicked are seen to live in the context of their circumstances and are not made into caricatures of evil. I find this surprising. And refreshing. It is rare for a book not to personify an antagonist and instead show conflict as within each individual.

In sum, come to see some people explore the wonderful maps and stay to see how these people confront internal issues. Anarchy, science, and aliens come as a bonus.

There’s no denying the intellectual ambition behind this novel; Le Guin has clearly given careful thought to the bifurcated society she has created. And in that respect this is a worthy book. So I feel that I might be at fault for not enjoying it as much as I had hoped. I found the story rather dry and unpalatable. I also found it difficult to believe in either community or to feel much sympathy for the characters. The principles driving the anarchic society on Anarres were particularly hard to swallow and I found myself wondering why on earth people would willingly tolerate such a miserable existence. Nevertheless, the book just about managed to maintain my interest and I have no doubt that readers of a certain bent will get more out of this book than I did.

Do books really change people's lives? I've read this book many times over the last decade or so, and it never stops speaking to something deep inside me (and my wife, who I knew I had to marry when she said this was her favorite book). Ursula LeGuin isn't for everyone--you have to be willing to think, and care, and not just space out and be "entertained." But for those who want that, who are desperate for that, and like a great story on top of it, well there's no one like Ursula. And there's no Ursula book like The Dispossesed. If you haven't read it by the year 2001, you kind of missed the boat on 20th century literature. Oh, by the way, the book is about anarchy and love and stuff like that. It's about the REAL Utopia, the one that will never happen.

Have you seen Monty Python and the Holy Grail? Remember the scene where the peasants explain their governing system? That is this book, but with the humor. Pages and pages of talk about government styles and philosophies. I suppose this was meant to topical at the time but it comes off as fake and heavy handed. Something else that seemed very odd to me; the author uses 'technical' terms for everything except toilet use which is referred to as with a certain curse word.

Obviously a lot of people liked this novel, and was the main reason I read it in the first place. For me, however, it was boring and pointless.

my favorite book is "grapes of wrath." number 2 is "the fountainhead." number 3 is "the dispossessed." it's a fascinating story of how life might be lived if there were true equality and no government. the little touches were nice, like how weeks were called "decads" and lasted 10 days and how the words for sex do NOT imply doing something to someone else (screw, nail, do) but rather an equal consensualness (copulate). also, i liked how the children were taught the ancient history of laws, cops and prisons and this prompted them to want to play "jail" with each begging to be the prisoner because they had no locked doors in their lives. The talk of this being a "utopian" world is interesting, because le guin takes great pains to show that the anarchist world is NOT utopian, just better than one where greed and violence are the driving forces. for anyone curious about how anarchy could really work, this is a must. but more so, it's a fun read with lots of action, love and ideas. i still think about shevak, just as i think about tom joad and howard roark.

It's one of my favorites. As others've said, it's a book you can return to again and again.
It's the best -- most literate -- utopian novel ever written. Most utopian novels try to blend a good enough story with the ideas they want to tell. The Dispossessed is unique for having both story and ideas, without making either suffer. It's also great for trying to realisticly describe what it might be like to live in a utopian society -- good for making the point that even in a utopian society, there's still the pain of being human, of suffering for love and loneliness, of finding one's purpose in life and society, etc. Also that even a utopian society is an ambiguous one and that it's going to have its problems with corruption and rigidity, of idealists being criticized by society, etc.
Interesting note: saw a recent paperback edition of The Dispossessed whose back cover blurb described the book as something like "From the anarchist moon of Anarres Shevek travels to the utopian world of Urras to try to dispel the bonds of hate and ignorance that keep the 2 worlds apart." Interesting how which world as being the most utopian has changed -- publisher's mistake, or the publisher deliberately trying to appeal to more '90s tastes?

While reading this book, I couldn't help but get the feeling that it is an Atlas Shrugged but for the Left Libertarians rather then the Right Libertarians. They are both books of Idealistic politics and morality. But there is a major difference between the two. Whereas Atlas Shrugged is one-sided propaganda that could hardly be called critical, The Dispossessed is not a fawning love-portrait. Ursula K. Le Guin does not accept Anarchism with the feverent faith that Ayn Rand accepted Capitalism. She recognized that problems would certainly arise, and true to Libertarian form, she addresses these problems in The Dispossessed. Shevek is no John Galt, and that is why The Dispossessed is simply the best novel of Idealistic politics out there.

"To break a promise is to deny the reality of the past; therefore it is to deny the hope of a real future." -- one of the more pertinent observations made in this outstanding book, one I found myself thinking about more than any other after reading it. Otherwise "The Dispossessed" is, among other things, an exploration of utopias, political systems and the politics of utopias. As usual Le Guin wraps all of these otherwise tiresome sounding political/philosophical themes into a very engaging SF story, with outstanding characters and a generally plausible storyline. It also falls among Le Guin's many books that subtly dissect humankind's rather high opinion of itself. . .

This is my favorite Le Guin book. As much a political science book as science fiction.Also one one of the feew utopias written after WW2. The title refers to an anarchist society that lives on the moon who do not have possesion. Far from one sided this book shows the problems of both societies through the eyes of Shevek,an Anarres Physicst. Shevek has problems with both his society because the descendents have lost their political idealism and with Urras' because the greed and corruption of it's captialism . A complex work of thought with no easy to find solutions. And a good introduction to the theories of Anarchism.

The Dispossessed is the best book I have read so far and I think Le Guin is the best writer of the ages.
When I was at the last quarter of the book; I didn't want to read it any more. Do you know, why? Because, I was afraid that it would finish.
So far I bought the book 5 times; each as a gift to my most-loved friends. The book, I have read was also a gift from one of my good friends. I am sure most of you read this book before; but can you think any better present for your friends??? By the way I have 2 "The Dispossessed" in my personal library for the time-being since one of the persons I gave the book as a gift is now my WIFE

Le Guin's "The Dispossessed" deserves the accolades it has received. It is a tremendous example of soft sci-fi, with little high-tech wizardry (though this book does contain the oldest reference to an instantaneous-communication ansible I have encountered), but deep character developement and social commentary.
Unfortunately, I just could not find either of her hypothetical societies believable. The capitalistic Urras seemed to be a mix of 21st century technology and 18th century ethics. Though at face value, Urras appears to be a scathing condemnation of capitalism, a deeper look shows the problems on Urras result less from its free markets than from its totalitarian government and rampant "isms". Likewise, the anarchistic, communist utopia on the moon Anarres also did not ring true. Le Guin simply did not convince me that the inherent conflicts of anarchy and communism could be resolved. People on Anarres did not shirk duties or commit crimes, even though they did not have self-interest (ala capitalism) or the threat of force (ala totalitarianism) to bring them in to line. Le Guin seems to explain this by proper education, social pressure, and child-rearing, which I couldn't swallow. I did enjoy her pointed commentary on the tyranny of the majority (even absent the rule of law), and of the oppression of the individual by social pressure for conformity.
Overall, this rates as a sci-fi classic - even though it barely qualifies as sci-fi at all. Le Guin's best work.

...FAVORITE books. I've read it at least seven times and each time it stays as wonderful as I remember. Le Guin is outstanding as a realistic visionary bringing to life alternate realities. Not only is this gem purely entertaining, it starkly holds up our society in the mirror right next to another society, a sort-of "utopia". Le Guin doesn't insult anyone's intelligence. You'll believe those places exist. Her writing is that great. It's not a tough philosophical read. You'll love it. I've bought and given this book away about five times. Lots of copies are out there used and in the library. Get your hands on one.

This is the first book by Le Guin that I have read. I read quite a bit of science fiction, some serious, some just for fun. This book was recommended by my son's college friend and I decided to read it.

This book is serious, a study of the human condition and politics. It takes place in one solar system, on two planets. One society, the odonians, live on one planet, self-exiled and homegeneous, while the planet they left is a hodgepodge of cultures. The odonians have what they believe to be the best part of the exile, forbidding all but the barest contact with the societies of the old planet from fear of corrupting their perfect freedom of their perfect philosophy they have enjoyed for almost two hundred years.

The odonians are anarchists. Communists if you like, they seem to me to be an idealized versions of Maoists. They live a painfully tedious life with little or no comfort, little food, in shacks with no running water and communal baths. They eat in what are really mess halls, but might be charitably called dining commons. They are perfect, without any flaws of self-worth or self-aggrandizement. Their planet is a desert, inhabited by nothing higher than fishes and worms and some hardy plants. They power themselves through their daily drudgery without the use of egos, or desires, or loves, or anything that might detract from their perfect ant-like existence. There is a hero. Shevek. Shevek is a physicist, a genius on the scale of Einstein. His marginally anti-social father loved and raised him after mom, the perfect anarchistic feminist, left them to pursue her owns goals. That is perfectly normal for odonians. The father's love, even attention, is anti-social, verging on the obscene and definitely "egoist." Egoist is not exactly explained. But if you think what you do is of some value, if you think you are of some value, an artist or a scientist or even a person, or think your own children special to you, then you are an egoist. That's a bad thing to be.

Shevek is good with numbers, as his dad is. He quickly becomes familiar with the narrow-mindedness of his society. As a natural theoretical thinker, he is thrown out of one math class as an undesirable, an egoist. He should just learn the problems his teacher assigns, not work at understanding them or what they imply. Who does he think he is?

Shevek is shunned by odonians as somehow unclean, somehow possessing a uniqueness. A uniqueness that most people raised in Western society would treasure, but to odonians is a distasteful throwback to the archist societies. But he is not perturbed nor dissuaded. The odd part is that he is a loyal and deeply committed odonian. He once says, "You cannot buy the Revolution. You cannot make the Revolution. You can only be the Revolution. It is in your spirit, or it is nowhere." Shevek is the Revolution. He is as true to his beliefs as he only can be in this work of fiction. Shevek perseveres with his math even while living a plodding life of hard labor, volunteering for more hard labor when he is not assigned to it. Obviously brilliant, he has few friends, mostly quiet admirers of his uniqueness. He is the living embodiment of the contradictions of humans living under odonianism. He is a self-abasing tireless worker ant, willing to do any base or menial task for the good of the community, all the while developing a theory that takes over where Einstein's life work left off! A difficult juxtaposition for sure. He succeeds in this story.

Le Guin's language skills are evident. She is no mean hack for sure. Well written scenes and dialogue abound. I found myself rereading some portions of the text, not because they were poorly written, but because they were so naturally crafted. Shevek and other characters are consistent and more believable than most authors could have made them. In spite of the negatives of the story, within its fabric you will find a story of a man in conflict with his society, rent by the disparate desires of his humanity in a society attempting to snuff out all traces of that humanity. A society that commands his philosophical, nay, religeous loyalty.

This book has a few negatives. The first is sequencing. It is as if Le Guin wrote the whole story out and then cut it into nine or ten sections and shuffled them. Transitions are rough, you are dumped from one to the next in such a way as you don't know when you are in the story. It is not unlike some movies that jump back and forth from flashbacks and reality to confuse you and make the story more nightmarish. The entirety of the story really does not fall into place until you are near the end of the book. Considering Le Guin's skills, this seems a very arbitrary fault. I would easily believe some editor thought this would increase the drama of the story and chopped up the completed novel.

The second is the transparent impossibility of the odonian idea. If you build a bridge across a chasm, and then remove its supports, it will collapse into the chasm. Similarly, any group of people so narrow minded and doctrinaire, whose lives had no meaning other than just breathing and eating as these people are presented, would have literally died out when first deposited on this barren world, long before they build a functioning society. They have no humanity, no reason to exist. They are so pettily committed to odonism, self-effacing and self-sacrificing that they are mindless. Without even a mind, their blind little existences would have collapsed under the hardships manifested in the story. Of course, everyone who is even the smallest bureaucrat or busy body neighbor is an egoist, a closet capitalist if you will. The hypocrisy is everywhere evident as such a society cannot possibly exist, and so Le Guin must insert real people.

Last, the dreariness of the odonians lives and world. What an unbearably gray existence! If they had survived the first twenty years to create this society, then thousands would just have laid down and died, rendered hopeless by their exile in Hell. Except for the egoists, who are doing okay living off the backs of the worker ants.

In the end, the story demands a suspension of reality greater than any SciFi I have ever read, but was more engrossing than not, worth a read.

This is added in March, 2013. I was thinking about this book and it occurred to me that technically it is SciFi, but is really using SciFi as a platform to explore political theories in a 'pure' environment. Everyone who thinks A jumps on space ships and goes off to a world where they can develop A without interference from B, C, c, D and X. An interesting way to try to analyze how a pure idea would develop. But the story line is inherently flawed. It is not believable that all adherents to A would be exactly and unimaginatively the same, that apostates could not arise. I guess my problem with the story here is that the necessary suspension of disbelief is so great. As in a story that everyone in a society commits suicide when they are 48. You can posit that, but how can one define a situation with any likelihood that it would last more than the first few to actually do that? The heretics would rule.

Despite being less well-known than her Earthsea books or The Left Hand of Darkness, Dispossessed is one of Le Guin's best, a fine political allegory in SF form. The story revolves around the cultural clash of a member of an anarchist world encountering a society much like ours.

(Side note: if you think anarchism means throwing bricks through Starbucks windows, you need to watch less TV. Anarchism is a political "ism" with as long a history as Marxism. The easiest way to convey it to an American is as a "libertarian socialist".)

One of the best books I have read, especially in the Sci-Fi category. The contrasting worlds of capitalism and anarchy are philosophically expressed in this book, and are very eye opening. It is easy to fall prey to the societal view and images of what life would be like if we all lived in an anarchistic world, but this book helps to paint a clearer picture of what that reality might actually be like. The author, essentially gives us a ladder to climb over the wall of our own ingnorance, and see through the eyes of the characters a very different world and way of life.

There are three groups of people in the world: those whose favorite LeGuin book is THE LEFT HAND OF DARKNESS; those whose favorite LeGuin book is THE DISPOSSESSED; and ... well, let's not waste our time on the poor fools who don't even have a favorite LeGuin book.
I'm of the Dispossessed party. It's possibly the most perfect SF novel I've ever read, and certainly one of my five all-time favorites. (The other four? C.J. Cherryh's CYTEEN, Bruce Sterling's SCHISMATRIX, William Gibson's COUNT ZERO.) But whether you like The Dispossessed or hate it - and many readers do hate it - it is the book that changed everything. And you can't call yourself a science fiction reader until you've grappled with it.
The Dispossessed is one of those sf novels, like Orwell's 1984, whose literary production values are so high that it's hard to talk about it purely as science fiction. It 's also a quiet novel, even by LeGuin's standards, and it offers pretty cold comfort to readers in search of high-tech thrills and chills. What it does offer is believable characters, unresolvable moral dilemmas, and ideas that will rattle around in your head for the rest of your life chipping away at the received orthodoxies.
Read it. If you don't like it now, put it down and try again in five years or so. Repeat as needed. Eventually this book will change your life.

Despite being less well-known than her Earthsea books or The Left Hand of Darkness, Dispossessed is one of Le Guin's best, a fine political allegory in SF form. The story revolves around the cultural clash of a member of an anarchist world encountering a society much like ours.

(Side note: if you think anarchism means throwing bricks through Starbucks windows, you need to watch less TV. Anarchism is a political "ism" with as long a history as Marxism. The easiest way to convey it to an American is as a "libertarian socialist".)

One of the best books I have read, especially in the Sci-Fi category. The contrasting worlds of capitalism and anarchy are philosophically expressed in this book, and are very eye opening. It is easy to fall prey to the societal view and images of what life would be like if we all lived in an anarchistic world, but this book helps to paint a clearer picture of what that reality might actually be like. The author, essentially gives us a ladder to climb over the wall of our own ingnorance, and see through the eyes of the characters a very different world and way of life.

There are three groups of people in the world: those whose favorite LeGuin book is THE LEFT HAND OF DARKNESS; those whose favorite LeGuin book is THE DISPOSSESSED; and ... well, let's not waste our time on the poor fools who don't even have a favorite LeGuin book.
I'm of the Dispossessed party. It's possibly the most perfect SF novel I've ever read, and certainly one of my five all-time favorites. (The other four? C.J. Cherryh's CYTEEN, Bruce Sterling's SCHISMATRIX, William Gibson's COUNT ZERO.) But whether you like The Dispossessed or hate it - and many readers do hate it - it is the book that changed everything. And you can't call yourself a science fiction reader until you've grappled with it.
The Dispossessed is one of those sf novels, like Orwell's 1984, whose literary production values are so high that it's hard to talk about it purely as science fiction. It 's also a quiet novel, even by LeGuin's standards, and it offers pretty cold comfort to readers in search of high-tech thrills and chills. What it does offer is believable characters, unresolvable moral dilemmas, and ideas that will rattle around in your head for the rest of your life chipping away at the received orthodoxies.
Read it. If you don't like it now, put it down and try again in five years or so. Repeat as needed. Eventually this book will change your life.

This book is a really great read for people who like to analyze themes and concepts and the like because there are many of them, hence why I read it, it was assigned by my english teacher, but I'm really glad I did read it.

Le Guin is an incredible writer with a limitless imagination it seems. The worlds featured in the book--because it's sci-fi-- are really detailed and well thought out, the society in both worlds and the history of these two different worlds, every aspect of society seems very well thought out and unique and Le Guin focusses on topics like feminism, physics, government types --Anarras is a governmentless state while the two supreme powers of Urras take after the U.S. and the Soviet Union--, education, child rearing... and other themes.

I tentatively picked up this book at the age of 10, guiltily not sure if I was allowed to read an "adult" book. Although it's protagonist was a physicist and I hated science, this became my favorite book. It offers amazing insights into the innermost thoughts and feelings of one man. Shevek was completley real to me and I could completely empathize with him. I loved the scene when Shevek, as a youth in class, disproves his society's current scientific edicts. The anger in the teachers eyes taught me that people don't always react to the truth kindly. All the characters in this book are utterly genuine, from Shevek's friend who gets exiled from "Anarchist" society for being too controversial to the fawning housewife on the foreign planet who gives Shevek his first exposure to women with shaved legs. A great quote is when someone asks Shevek if it's true that Men and Women are treated exactly the same on his planet. And Shevek answers "That would be a waste of good equipment."

This book is a classic work of science-fiction. It has a lot of interesting ideas and concepts, all of them are good at getting you to reflect on society, your personal philosophy and life in general. It is also well written and hard to put down.

You won't like it if you are uncomfortable outside of your box.

This is also not political or religious manifesto, it is a work of fiction, please do not apply more significance to it than just being a good story.

I'm very particular about the books I read, and I rarely give out 5 stars. However, The Dispossessed is simply one of the best novels I've read, and definitely by favorite science fiction book in recent years. The worlds that Ursula LeGuin paints for the reader are exotic and unique enough to be interesting, but still familiar enough not to lose the reader. The emphasis is on human interactions and social questions as opposed to aliens and technology, and LeGuin does a magnificent job showing us the political and social side of the various societies in the story. The main character, Shevek, is very three-dimensional and very likable.

This is one of the best and most thought-provoking books I have read in ages. While it is a sci-fi novel about two sister planets, one ruled by an advanced version of our own society and the other a planet of anarchists, the book reads more like philosophy than anything else. Don't let that scare you, though. The story was excellent.

The planet of Anerres is a dry, dusty, arid planet and was unpopulated until citizens of Urras came to mine it for resources such as gold and lead. While this was happening, another citizen of the planet of Urras, Odo, began to write and speak out about the virtues of a society where no one owns anything and power is non-existant. The movement her teachings sparked became so prominent and threatening to the governments on Urras that they bought them off with Anerres. The miners and other workers on the dry planet were brought home, and the Odonians (as they came to be known) were sent to establish a new society of their own, free from government, bosses, money, and class. The Dispossessed tells the story of a physicist named Shevek that lived one hundered and seventy-five years after that society began.

The story itself seemed to take a backseat to the ideas that run rampant throughout the text of this book. Thoughts about how a society based on anarchism would and would not work, as well as ideas that made you really take a look at the world around us pervaded each paragraph.

It's difficult to write about this book because there was simply so much going on that I find it hard to focus on any one thing. Last night, after I finished the last few words, I set the book down and immediately thought: "I'm going to have to read this again soon." There was so much depth to the world and ideas conveyed that I honestly believe a single reading isn't enough to absorb it all.

Keep in mind (I can't stress this enough), this is not your average read and then put-on-the-shelf-and-never-think-about-again sci-fi novel. It was a true piece of literature, and I had a hard time (at first) believing that it was written by the same woman that wrote A Wizard of Earthsea. Not that there is anything wrong with A Wizard..., mind, I just wasn't expecting such an adult book.

So, I have to say, I loved it and plan on reading it again soon.

Apparently the fifth book in a series (so now I have a new set of books to read!), this book is exactly what I love from sci-fi. More interested in the tensions between and within cultures than anything else. World-building is unparalleled, though some of the parallels to the political climate in which it was written can feel on-the-nose. Highly recommended.

I read this book about 10 years ago and it still echoes in my mind as far and away the best science fiction novel I have ever read simply because it avoids problems found in most SF--poor characterization and over-reliance on techno-babble. It amazes me that this classic has not been made into a movie yet, but it would lend itself much better to the screen than, say, "Dune." This book squarely faces the central dilemma of a materialistic society--that by its very nature encourages possessive (hence the title) desires, both sexual and otherwise, that lead inevitably to spiritual dissolution and unhappiness. And as far as LeGuin's prose goes, there are sentences here that I will never forget. The last line is surely one of the most memorable in American literature.

The original subtitle of The Dispossessed was "An Ambiguous Utopia." It is the best work of utopian literature I have read, including Thomas More, Plato and all that. Instead of rolling my eyes and saying to myself, "people don't behave like that" or "whoa, that sounds fascist and would not work," I could imagine real people, with all their vanity, selfishness, jealousy and spite, working together this imagined society.

The Dispossessed won both the Hugo and Locus Awards (awarded by fans), and the Nebula (awarded by professionals in the SF field) in 1974-1975.

It is a intricately constructed tale (switching between planets and past/present) of a physicist, Shevek, who visits capitalist Urras (a thinly-disguised Earth) from his Utopian planet, anarcho-socialist Anarres. Although the socialism/capitalism debate may seem dated, Le Guin's vivid characters and compelling prose style illuminate the underlying politics with pathos. These conflicts in how we live and govern ourselves (property, division of labor, production & consumption) have remained inevitably fresh.

My exposure to science fiction has largely been limited to the works of H. G. Wells and Jules Verne, so I will refrain from commenting on how "The Dispossessed" holds up as a work within the genre. However, I will say that Le Guin's novel is fascinating read for its vivid depictions of various cultures.

The author uses a light hand in crafting the worlds of Annares and Urras. Their political and social systems are at once foreign and familiar, making it a challenge to tease out exactly where the author's sympathies lie. Further, the emphasis placed on subtle differences in language (pronoun usage, profanities, etc.) remains intriguing throughout and provides a sharp lens through which one may view a character's society.

Simply put, this is one of the greates science fiction books I have ever read. Beyond Le Guin's compelling storyline, masterful character development, and brilliantly constructed setting (all of which can be found in any of her other books), The Dispossessed is a social commentary the likes of which I had never experienced before.
Most people, I am sure, hear the word "anarchy," and it brings to mind images of smelly punk-rock kids throwing rocks and trashing cars (direct action!) However, the layperson generally cannot see beyone the premise of "no government = chaos." Le Guin tears down the philosophical walls and false presuppositions and proposes a world based on true libertarian socialist ideals: Anarchy. These people are not terrorists, but hard working, sincere individuals, possessed with all the faults that we have always had. It adresses the problems that could arise in an anarchist community plagued by extreme scarcity, but its message triumph over tribulation rings true.
It is this book which radically changed my political philosophies, and if is powerful and beautiful enough a piece of literature that it can do the same for all who read it.

As many reviewers have noted, this LeGuin novel is more about the socio-political content than the action or characters. Although the book follows a single character from birth to late middle age, the story is really a canvas upon which the author paints a picture of the benefits and dangers of both anarchistic communism and oligarchical capitalism. The anarchistic society is presented in a slightly more positive light than its counterpart in this book, though the main character, Shevek, becomes disenchanted with both types of social arrangements in one way or another. Shevek ultimately chooses his home world, Anarres, as the superior one, shunning the world that held the promise of scientific progress, but tainted that promise by treating science as a means to gain superiority over other worlds.

I prefer science fiction to lean more heavily on the plot and characters than this book does. While the philosophy is wonderful to explore, I felt that it could have been done equally as well with much more emphasis on a more interesting plot and compelling characters. Three stars for this one.

It has been said that utopias are just social engineering, there are no human beings in utopias, only their functionalities. It may or may not be true in other utopias, but this "ambigious" utopia has real human beings in it. It is not about a perfect world, or a world where there is no suffering but only about an anarchistic (and I believe probably more human) world where the real freedom is not confused with capitalist slogans.
Mrs. LeGuin is too clever to avoid her book becomming a book of slogans, a book to be preached. She, in her soft way, shows an alternative, not decides about the good and the bad.
The book is not some science-fiction, it is a novel, and as great a novel as Crime and Punishment. It tells the story of Shevek, a great phycisist, a good lover, a wanderer, and an amator philosopher seeking for the truth. He is not a hero, he has his mistakes and virtues, like all of us.
I think Mrs. LeGuin is one of the best writers of all times, and this novel may be her best. I have read it many many times, very few books inspired me as much. By the way, if you like LeGuin, I'd recommend you also to read "The Left Hand of Darkness" and "Four Ways to Unforgiveness" Enjoy!

The first science fiction I ever read was this. I was impressed enough by it to subsequently read all her others. Two worlds are contrasted--Anarres, on which an anarchist system prevails and resources are shared, and Urras, a violent, hierarchical world. Le Guin is a subtle writer and her story consists of far more than a contrast between utopia and dystopia. Her landscapes are compelling and her spare prose memorable and haunting.

OK, this is going to be a difficult review to write. For a long while I have been telling everyone my favorite author is Ursula LeGuin. I read all her stuff when I was a teenager and now, 20 years on, have re-read much of it (Left Hand, Rocannon, Planet of Exile, Lathe of Heaven) and enjoyed it enormously again. But for some reason I had never read The Dispossessed until last week. Having read the reviews on this page, I was looking forward to it very keenly.
However, I found the book tedious and very disappointing. If it hadn't been written 5 years *after* Left Hand of Darkness it might be seen as a rehearsal for that much better book. But where Left Hand of Darkness is lean and exciting, The Dispossessed is full of boring backstory. Left Hand starts with a parade in Ehrenrang, where we meet the key players whose intrigue will absorb us for the next 300 odd pages - and then we're running. It's an opening sequence Burgess would have been proud of. Dispossessed starts off slow, and then is constantly bogged down by its non linear format: interspersing current events on Urras with Shevek's backstory on his home moon of Anarres. No doubt this parallel telling of the moons' stories is necessary for getting across the concept of "simultaneity" which is Shevek's life's work. The bigger problem is that there is nothing much happening on *either* moon, until Shevek's climactic entry into Annarian politics in the latter part of the book. And that is not a great payoff either, I'm afraid.
In all the navel gazing and study of Le Guin's work, people tend to forget that she started off as a great storyteller. The Dispossessed is perhaps where it began to come off the rails.
The book is certainly NOT a good introduction to people who haven't read any LeGuin. I would advise them to read Left Hand of Darkness or Lathe Of Heaven. If you don't mind a little science in your SF, Rocannon's World is also great, and in fact science-phobics can read this latter book as a "swords and sorcery" yarn, with a couple of spaceships and a radio (OK, an "ansible") thrown in.
Anyway, on balance, UKLG still rules. So I'll raise to 2*

Another wonderful book from Le Guin. My only advice is don't give up on it too early. The book is a bit hard to follow at first because it takes place in two separate time lines that interchange from one chapter to the next (which is a great little technique, since the main character is a physicist studying the nature of time and space).

Once you reach the end, it all makes sense....and if you read it carefully, it will almost certainly lead you to ask some serious questions about whether our society makes very much sense. I highly recommend this book.

This book ranks high in my top ten list, and actually well above the Left Hand of Darkness. It's characters are complex and interesting and the political commentary is insightful. It's clear Le Guin has leftist leanings (as do I, which might bias my opinion) but she shows the darker sides of both capitalism and communitarianism. I believe that this book encompasses the better part of Le Guin's worldview, including her views on government, feminism, relationships, technology, and human nature. Readers who are strongly attached to capitalism and consumption may misunderstand Le Guin's portrayal of Urras, but everyone else should find some familiar elements in world where everything is for sale, scientific research is driven by profit, and sex is used to sell everything but love. These same readers will also be touched by Le Guin's careful rendering of the communitarian Annares, and will appreciate her honesty in dealing with the possible problems of this society (namely, forced regression to the mean, a tendency toward commitment to society over the individual in times of crises, and a strong current of xenophobia).

I haven't read many scifis (basically just Ender's game books) but this book just blew me away! I almost became anarchist myself! (well, almost) I was however already a feminist before reading this book and loved that element in it. I wish I had known it was part of a series before I read it, not because I didn't follow the background plot, but because I loved it so and just wanted more of it! So, now I start from the beginning.

I read this book because it was recommended as similar to Sherri Tepper's "The Gate to Women's Country".

Wrong. They are not remotely similar. But still an okay book.

Le Guin's writing style is spare and elegant, and Shevek, the physicist hero, is a kind of Andrei Sakharov character who is trying to change political systems while bringing a revolution in physics and communication to a world his people were exiled from 200 years before. So... think if America and western Europe had kicked out all the protesters in 1968, sent them to live on the moon, what would they be like 200 years later? Yep, liberalism and sanctimony run amok.

Like "A Gate to Women's Country", " The Dispossessed" is a futuristic dystopia where the worst aspects of the United States, the Soviet Union, 60's environmentalists and pacifists all collide in tepid conflict. Shevek lectures a lot, but he is a likable enough character that the reader never loses her affection for him.

I recommend this book as a kind of time capsule -- what was the World like between 1966 and 1974? Like the best science fiction, it reveals more about the time it was written than the time Le Guin is writing about.

Ursula K. LeGuin always writes thoughtful novels about cultural and/or political clashes. This one is about an idealist, anarchist society exiled to a nearly barren sister planet of a predictably imperialist, capitalist society. If it sounds heavy-handed, it usually is not because it is really about the protagonist and the deeply human story about his two loves: physics and his family. John Lennon sang, "Imagine no possessions"; Ursula K. LeGuin tries to imagine the consequences of no possessions.

It is easy for an anti-materialistic, anti-government utopia to exist when you set it up as darn near impossible to be materialistic due to the ecological scarcity of the planet. This makes it imperative for society to create ethics of no extraneous possessions, of hard work and sharing. And the attendent problem of coersion through peer pressure. As I said, it gives you lots of food for thought, totally fulfilling its mission.

Science fiction is no stranger to social commentary nor to utopias/dystopias. The structure of the totalitarian state has been dissected so thoroughly now by various writers in the sci-fi tradition that it has become just another piece of furniture in the world of science fiction. But there has been a distinct lack of good science fiction that has analyzed the structure and mechanics of the anarchistic society. Among a few short stories, the two that really stand out are Robert A. Heinlein's The Moon is a Harsh Mistress and Ursula K. LeGuin's The Dispossessed. These two works, of course, cover opposite ends of the spectrum of anarchy: Heinlein the anarcho-capitalist side and LeGuin the anarcho-syndicalist side. LeGuin's novel is far superior in this aspect, to my mind, because of its thorough and non-ideological analysis of the good and bad aspects of this society. It is by far the most honest and compelling analysis of an anarchy that I have ever seen. Even better is Le Guin's ability to extrapolate and discuss the underlying philosophical framework of this society. There is a scarcely a more compelling creation in all of fiction.

The plot is straight-forward enough: over a hundred years prior to the start of the novel a communist revolution, led by a woman named Odo, swept the world of Urras. Rather than waste time and resources waging a bloody war against them, the council of world governments on Urras decided to let the revolutionaries claim their uninhabited desert moon, Anarres. The revolutionaries built a utopian anarchistic society on the moon and, for the next hundred or so years the two worlds have built walls of hatred and distrust between one-another (yes, this novel is, in part, a cold war allegory). This wall of separation is breached and challenged by a Anarrestian physicist, Shevek, who wants to find common ground in-between the two worlds.

This book is not perfect, however. While she does many things right (her beautiful writing style; her storytelling abilities; her realistic and fully-developed characters; a novel structure that jumps between two time-lines and which expertly interweave; her compelling look at the world of the Anarresti), other aspects aren't up to par. The story, for one thing, seems to run out of energy near the end, and it is if Le Guin did not know how to end her novel. There is little to no plot resolution. The only lesson the main character learns from his quest seems to be that the entire thing was a bad idea (you could make the case that he understands his role in the "social organism" of Anarres better, and that the trip was a necessary revolutionary action, but one shouldn't have to read so far into the story to justify the lack of necessary resolution by the author). So while the characters grow and learn, the story as a whole seems to just lose energy and fall over. Moreover, while Anarres is fascinating, the world of Urras is merely a foil and reads like a bad parody of nineteenth century Britain. LeGuin makes Anarres complex and fascinating, but she seems content to leave the Urrasti as caricatures of a very simplistic (and thus problematic) socialist worldview. She doesn't challenge herself by creating a complex capitalistic society and then looking at its positive and negative traits, as she does with the communists on Anarres. Instead, she creates a society so shallow, socially stratified, and brutal that almost anyone would want out. It's as if she chose Chile under Pinochet as representative of all 'archist' or even capitalistic societies.

For its faults, however, this is still a fascinating, complex, and thought-provoking read, wherever you are on the political spectrum.

My review seeks to add nothing to the positive evaluations that other readers have already offered. This story is simply excellent. I only want to point out for anyone thinking of buying the Harper Perennial Classics edition that the text is riddled with very annoying typos. For example, I was seriously confused when I read a scene about the protagonist, Shevek, when he was a child, and the text said he was EIGHTY-years-old. Since I was unfamiliar with the story, and since just about anything goes in science fiction, I thought that Le Guin had created a society in which eighty-year-old people were still somehow childlike. It took me a few minutes to figure out that this was not a part of the plot, but one of many simple typos (Shevek was eight, not eighty). Perhaps these typos are in all editions, but it's something to consider.

Reading The Dispossessed can be hard at times, because it crams many difficult thoughts and ideas into very little space. But it's really worth it. The story deals with the possibility of creating a functional anarchistic society, and the problems linked with doing so. The storyline is difficult to decribe here, so I just advise you all to read this book and be enlightened, for it is truly brilliant.

A case can be made for Mrs Le Guin being seen to be the most important woman writer in English in the second half of the Twentieth Century. A review I read here which compared her to Ayn Rand is not only to insult her intelligence and wit, but to demean her style.
I admit to a personal interest in Mrs le Guin's Speculative Fantasist (SF) vision, since I am myself an Anarchist. Indeed, I had never seen the sub-title "An Ambiguous Utopia" until I read this page. I do not think that the book fits into the "Utopia/Dystopia" tradition, but then, le Guin may be taking the Mickey out of us as she so often does.
There is no other book, fictional or otherwise of which I am aware (with the possible exception of Orwell's "Homage to Catelonia") that so clearly demonstrates the practicality of Anarchism as a political philosophy. Indeed, I have lost count of the number of copies of the book that I have given away for this reason alone.

It's been many years since I picked up this book, but it has a grip on my imagination that would allow me to pick it up today, open it anywhere, and read it with enjoyment.

The structure of this book puzzled me at first: Shevek's story is told in chapters alternating between his journey to Arras and his ealier life on Anarres. I soon realized that the structure mirrored the theories in temporal physics (the physics of time) that Shevek is struggling with: Simultaneity and Synchronicity. As the greatest physicist of both of his worlds, and possibly of the Ekumen (Le Guin's universe that includes the world of The Left Hand of Darkness), Shevek grapples with both the content and the practical result of his work.

Shevek remains one of the most ethical and humane characters I've ever encountered. If I could give this book 10 stars, I would.

This book is definitely thought provoking, but I found it was not much fun to read. I think it might have been more relevant at the time of its original publication, but the premise of exploring alternative political systems (or lack thereof) is dated. I have to give the author credit for portraying the anarchic communtiy as far from perfect, but then again, this is blamed on the inevitability of capatalism. I don't believe anarchy could work, but I think I would have given the concept more credit than the author does. I don't think selfishness and the lust for power (other than what is needed for self preservation) is genetic or inevitable, but rather those traits are something that is learned.

This is an excellent read for anyone who enjoys looking at things from a distinct social perspective. Socialism, sexual freedom and a departure from the nuclear family are contrasted with a fictionalized US -- and not always in favor of the imagined utopia.

Like her Left Hand Of Darkness, Le Guin's Dispossessed is a sharp commentary on the insanities of human society. Yet what has stayed with me over the years since I first met Shevek is the integrity of this truly good man who stands firm in what he believes. While Le Guin pulls no punches when it comes to deprivation and human pain, I finished the book with a sense of hope for a hopeless world.

Ditto to all the five-star comments. I read this book after reading Left Hand for a class assignment and flipped-out over it (better than Left Hand - is that possible?) Le Guin has a way of getting under your skin - her characters are memorable with their thought-provoking dialogue. Le Guin is a very talented author - don't miss out!

Read on, I'll get to the book...all this initial background is essential to my review.

Don't listen to what others claim I believe, I'll tell you what I believe.

As an avowed anarchist, I am appalled by mainstream perceptions of Anarchism. Most people confuse Anarchism with Nihlism (nothing matters, so take what you can--rape and plunder). When I insist that political Anarchism is actually quite the opposite--in fact it aims at creating an egalitarian, ultra-democratic, socialist society--most people can't or won't understand. I even had a professor of history at the U. of Barcelona who laughed about Anarchists during the Spanish Civil war as "People who don't believe in anything trying to have a political philosophy" (revealing himself absolutely unqualified to teach).

Of course all these misconceptions are carefully nurtured by the prevailing orthodoxy (similar to intentional mainstream mirepresentations about Socialism) because the true philosophy, if understood correctly in the mainstream, might (I believe WOULD) attract mass support and thus become a real threat to the power elite. Such mass support has happened many times in the past, and governments have learned to carefully control how ideas are presented in the mainstream (Orwellian Newspeak). All governments hate Anarchism above even Communism and Socialism, because we want to do away with all institutional power, unequal wealth, and arbitrary privilege--starting with theirs.

The truth is, Anarchism is simply the belief that all arbitrary power by one individual or group over another inevitably leads to abuse of that power. Political Anarchism attempts to find ways of organizing society that avoid such arbitrary power (in business, governments, families, and all human associations). This normally involves communal decision making, collective property ownership, and grass roots democracy in pure form.

After explaining this to the person questioning me and getting a blank stare in return, if I deem them genuinely interested (as opposed to only feigning interest as justification for thier attempt to debunk Anarchism and teach me how foolish I am) I refer them to "The Dispossessed", by Ursula Le Guin.

"The Dispossessed" is, as far as I know, the most eloquent and nuanced study ever put into print of how a true Anarchist society MIGHT look (not the only form such a society might take though). LeGuin illustrates the thinking, education, advantages, disadvantages, development, and pitfalls inherent in Anarchism, and contrasts it with totalitarian Communism and of course with our "holy Capitalism."

It's also a great sci-fi work, in the tradition of Asimov, Bradbury, or Heinlein. By that I mean sci-fi for thinking people, not action fanatics.

This book will bore cartoonish sci-fi fans, generate confusion and rage in Republicans, Libertarians, and other reactionary proto-Fascists, cause nausea in rightious hipoChristians, baffle adolescent minds of all stripes, and provoke argument from Communists. But for true intellectuals it will never fail to generate personal epiphanies--even if you don't "agree" with anarchism. Also, for the capitalist power elite who want to better understand their enemies, this could be useful. Fortunately, most of the power elite believe their own propaganda (Orwellian Doublethink)--and so would find this book baffling and blasphemous.

Le Guin is a brilliant intellectual, not to mention a fantastic author. Few fiction writers match her nuanced thinking, multi-faceted characters, and social insight. The Dispossessed showcases these qualities in the best way. Obviously I'm biased toward this particular book because of the subject matter, but other of her works also demonstrate her amazing mind and writing talent.

Want to understand the essential underlying issues in all politics and history? A good place to start your education would be to read this book. Want sci-fi that actually explores the implications of a truly alien society? This book is also for you.

This book is about the struggle for freedom. Marx said "...all history is the history of class warfare." He was right, but could also have explained it: "...all history is the history of the struggle for freedom." Same thing.

Do your own thinking people...

For those stupid Sci-Fi painted covers bore me to death and this one makes the book seem just another vaguely interesting Sci-Fi novel. Believe me, it is not really Sci-Fi at all - the story doesn't happen on earth, but that is the only Sci-Fi thing about this book. Sorry I won't go into detail. The weird thing is that I am always more than suspicious when people say that books changed their lives...this one didn't change my life, but left me deeply impressed and deeply thinking about different realities within countries and -generally- larger groups of human beings. Anyways-if you don't find it generally stupid to think a bit from time to time on how else life could be get this book. It is very smart and very fascinating.

There is precious little "science" in this Science Fiction masterpiece. Lovers of Vernor Vinge or Kim Stanley Robinson, hoping to discover a rock-solid hard SF tale, will likely be disappointed. Likewise, lovers of rock'em'sock'em space opera, or media tie-in books like Star Wars or Star Trek, will be similarly disappointed. "The Dispossessed" is a very quiet read, dwelling almost entirely on concepts of the individual human and his/her proper role in a properly-ordered society.

I can see why this book gets a lot of traction with college professors and academic types. "The Dispossessed" panders to the conventional wisdom of the academic set, namely in that its protagonist is also an academic who perpetually steps outside boundaries and defies convention, eventually coming face to face with the 'evils' of capitalism, which in turn steer him back towards his native, idealic anarchism.

From the standpoint of pure writing, this is an elegant read from start to finish. But my suspension of disbelief was greatly strained through much of the text because I couldn't believe in the Odonian society of Annares. Even assuming that all of the million original Settlers were fully committed to non-authoritarian anarchism, there is no reason to assume their descendants would be. If there is one constant about the human species, it's that children often think and act differently from their parents, no matter how they are raised. Thus the glass-fragile, idealized society on Annares would surely have collapsed within two or three generations, so that by the time 160 years had passed the descendants of the Settlement would have largely abandoned the socially-cooperative 'utopia' established by their forebearers.

Meanwhile, A-Io on the planet Urras is something of a straw-man. If it was Le Guin's intention to criticize the United States and its capitalist economy, I think she failed. A-Io did not remind me of the U.S. as much as it reminded me of late 19th-century England, replete with royalty and class stratification and higher education being the playground of the very, very rich. Even if we timewarp back to the early 1970's, when this book was written, it's difficult to see America in A-Io; though the conflicts between A-Io and Thu read as directly analogous to the Cold War between the U.S. and the Soviet Union.

Again, as pure writing, this is an elegant book. That's why I gave it three stars, even if I think some of the politics and the assumptions behind them are flawed.

For a fictionalized account of how true anarchy might REALLY function, I recommend Larry Niven's story, "Cloak of Anarchy." As Larry himself is known to have quipped, the problem with anarchy is that it's too delicate; it falls apart at the slightest touch.

Shevek, um médico brilhante, que vive em Anarraes (uma lua de Urras), decide procurar respostas e questionar o inquestionável, tentando derrubar os muros do ódio que isolam seu mundo de anarquia, do resto do universo civilizado.
Anarraes é um planeta de anarquistas que experimentam o não-autoritarismo que enfatiza a comunidade e a cooperação, e que tem de aproveitar ao máximo os recursos limitados de seu planeta desértico, para evitar a ameaça constante da fome.
Há duzentos anos Anarres está isolado de Urras, exceto pelos valiosos minerais que são enviados através de seu espaçoporto.
A filosofia de Anarres é baseada nos escritos de Odo, uma mulher com idéias baseadas no comunismo puro. O odonismo prega os princípios da comunhão e do socialismo, através da remoção das palavras: minha, nossa, etc., da linguagem, e sua substituição por "a que eu uso".
A sociedade é livre, toda a atividade sexual é permitida, desde que consentida. O casamento não é obrigatório. As crianças são criadas em forma comunitária.
O trabalho é determinado através de uma espécie de loteria por computador, de acordo com a necessidade. Mas todos são livres para recusar o que lhe for determinado. A cada 10 dias eles participam de trabalhos voluntários para a comunidade. Somente o senso de responsabilidade e consciência os mantém trabalhando, livres do desejo de acumular posses e riquezas.
Pode-se tudo, desde que não fira o outro.
Essa utopia tem sementes de destruição, entretanto...
Shevek, como médico, faz uma grande descoberta científica, que é festejada em Urras. Ele é, portanto, convidado a terminar seu rabalho no planeta-mãe e a aceitar um prêmio importante.
Ninguém de Arraes foi a Urras, há dois séculos, e um conflito de grandes proporções se inicia.
Para realizar essa viagem perigosa, ele tem de desistir de sua família e, até mesmo, de sua vida, desafiando as complexas estruturas de sua vida, e iniciando o fogo das mudanças.
Urras é a sede de um triunvirato de um governo repressivo e capitalista, com imensas riquezas, atrativos culturais e grandes realizações científicas.
Mas, nem tudo é o que parece ser, em ambos os mundos... Shevek logo descobre que Urras também possui sua cota de "Despossuídos".
À medida que a estória segue, Shevek vê que há muito ainda a ser aprendido, de ambas as partes, já que as sociedades contrastantes, contém a semente uma da outra.
Mas o tema essencial do livro, são as barreiras, e como as transpor. A primeira frase é: "Havia um muro".
Apesar de Le Guin criar uma atmosfera de tensão, não há muita ação - portanto, os leitores que esperam a ficção científica tradicional, com viradas surpreendentes na trama, não ficarão satisfeitos. Mas os leitores do ramo mais filosófico da Sci-Fi, irão adorar.
Este livro descaradamente político, com base na Guerra Fria EUA-URSS, retrata um personagem dividido entre dois mundos, com diferentes sistemas econômicos e políticos, e foca nos erros de ambos.

Many years after a revolution, the moon-planet system in the Dispossessed has a society that is again calcifying into de facto power structures.

The protagonist in the novel is a scientist exploring the nature of time, whether linear, or more complicated.

The book looks at some of the political implications of anarchy, and utopia, and what realities actually get in the way.

The title of my review says it all. When it comes to philisophical soft SF jam packed with insights into the contemporary world, there's no one better than LeGuin. Shevek, in my opinion, remains one of the most well-written characters ever to come out of science fiction. Be sure to read this one along with her earlier work, The Left Hand of Darkness.

How can you write a philosophy and get it published in science fiction. Simple! You just put the society free of institution, where everyone works as much as the other, where people free of material possessions, living behind the huge wall that separates them from other civilizations on one planet. And put the society where top 5 percent just party all days long, while other 95% work for them on another planet. The main character, who lives on the first planet is the major scientist, who has breakthrough ideas nobody on his planet listens to. So he decides to go to another world, where his ideas might be put to life, because all the major scientists live on that 5- 95 % planet. However, he learns there a few important things about human societies on two worlds.
P. S. The only accomplishment by Le Guin in this book is the scientific idea she intoduces through the main character : instantenious communication ansibles.

This was the first Ursala K. LeGuinn novel I ever read, and I loved it. I then went back and started the Hanish cycle from the begining (according to in-verse chronology.) This is hard sci-Fi, but it's more focused on anthropology and sociology then on astronomy and physics. Not that the physics are bad, they are just not the focus. Neither is the plot really, but it has a good one. Oh yah, it's also beautifully written.

I don't read a lot of scifi, but this book was recommended by Margo Adler of PBS and I thought I should read it. It is amazing how a book written in the 70's resonates with what is going on today.
Although not the fault of the publisher, I wish that I had easier access on my kindle to the discussion questions in the back. I would certainly have gotten more out of the novel.

This book deserves to take its place among the classics that explore the possibilities of creating a just and content society. Unlike Walden 2, or Utopia, the thesis of the Dispossessed is that utopias cannot be realized: the anarchist society of the title already carries the seeds of its own destruction. This is a necessary read for those who mistakenly believe that the "End of History" has arrived.

This book is very involved and chalanges you to think, like most of Ursula Le Guin's book it chalanges our values and our ideas of morality. Not a "light" read but one worth reading more than once.
It is classic science fiction like early Asimov and Heinlein. I have read hundreds of books and own over a hundred mostly Science Fiction this book has been my favorite for over a decade, ever since I first read it.

This is a nice book, and it kept me engaged, amazingly. There isn't much action here, just interesting themes and thoughts and the struggles of one man to explore ideas and to fit into society, both of which become herculean tasks. Do not get this book if you want exciting sci-fi action or if you want sci-fi technology. This is a book for sociologists and explorers of human society.

The Dispossessed is one of my favourite books - one that almost always gets re-read when I pick it up just by accident. Ursula K. Leguin does construct a world for utopians; but this world is not really a conventional utopia. Our united suffering is one of the key themes, and while the book is often explaned in terms of its idealology, it shines in its personal relationships. I love Shevek, I love Shevek and Takver together, I love Dap with Shevek's younger daughter. Ursula K. Leguin can explore difficult ideas with a flowing style that never makes you think you are being preached or pandered to.

"The Dispossessed" describes a world I would like to live in.
Whithout personnel properties, whithout the need to own anything. No one will be rated for his belongings, but for his personality.
This is what communism is meant to be.
One of the books I read again and again. If I had to take only one book to take whith me on an island, this would be the one.
I really do not understand, why this book is no more printed.
Or is it for political reasons ?
I am really happy to own a copy.

This is the first Le Guin that I’ve read cover to cover– I tried The Left Hand of Darkness but couldn’t get into it. Here, however, I was hooked from page one.

The Dispossessed tells the story Shevek, a physicist from an anarchist planet, Anarres, and his journey to a wealthier “archist” planet as he seeks to expand the horizons of his self-limited society. But he soon discovers there were very good reasons why his ancestors left the rich world of Urras behind.

I found the anarchist world of Anarres more convincing and interesting than the capitalist society Shevek explores on Urras. Because the country he lives in on Urras is basically an exaggerated version of our own capitalist society (this was written in the seventies, the era of Nixon, Vietnam, and Kent State), it was simultaneously less new and exciting and harder to believe. At the really bad parts (when the government turns helicopter gunships on strikers), I could tell myself, “But we’d never do that!” rather than taking the whole society as it is presented. Anarres, on the other hand, was totally different from anything I’ve ever experienced, and absolutely fascinating. It’s not a perfect society; in fact it’s stagnating and becoming conformist. This just makes it more convincing. I did wonder why the rebels in Anarres always were pure anarchists trying to go back to the original ideology–we didn’t see anyone having a completely different ideology, only contrasting takes on the same ideas–but this made for a more complex exploration of anarchism in its different forms.

One small section that I thought was very well-observed was when the Anarresti children, having just learned that other societies have prisons, play at prisoners and guards and end up going too far. This section really got to the heart of power exchange games and dynamics, while also being convincing as the actions of children.

The interactions between men and women were very odd from my 21st century perspective. There was a lot of emphasis on sexual difference and the frisson this leads to, which perhaps as a bisexual, I cannot understand.

The physics, which works differently from our physics, was nonetheless both convincing and easy to follow. Shevek’s theories of simultaneity and sequency were mirrored in the nonlinear structure of the book, which alternates between Shevek’s past on Anarres and his present on Urras, each chapter following an internal sequence while happening, from the reader’s perspective, simultaneously with the other narrative.

The quotations within the book from the fictional anarchist leader Odo were beautifully written, though the prose of the rest of the book alternated between lovely and overly plain and direct. However, as I was reading another book at the same time which was very densely written, the directness was a bit of a relief. Anyway, I now want to read the short story focusing on Odo, “The Day Before the Revolution.”

Most reviewers seem to miss the essential point, distracted by the most elegant elaboration of anarchism ever in print. The structure of the novel itself with its convergent time lines is the very realization of the physicist-protagonist's theories. A most beautiful example of the novel form.

This book is a good read and has some insights worthwhile, but nothing spectacular. Basically the best thing I received from the book is "excess is excrement", too bad the author could not have followed her own advice when writing this book, which is largely a discourse on Anarchism. Don't wast your time, unless you're looking for a description of how a "Utopic" Anarchy itself could work. Looking at the genre of science fiction itself, I recommend: "Flowers For Algernon," by Daniel Keyes, "2001: A Space Odyssey," by Arthur C. Clarke, "Dune" by Frank Herbert, or "Ender's Game," by Orson Scott Card.

I don't think le guin was advocating this "utopia". Indeed I thought it was rigid, sterile, & GRAY. Meaning there seemed to be little misery or happiness. Don't get your hopes up it isn't that interesting to read. END

This book is about what communists and socialists dream about, what's called anarcho-syndicalism. As such, it's very well executed. As an aspiring writer, I find anarchy a very interesting topic. This was a good book to get a feel of what what these types are thinking. I believe, the anarchists you heard about among the occupy wall st crowd were essentially of this variation. What I found interesting was to identify the inconsistencies with this vision. But I find Anarcho-capitalist's arguments much more compelling. For an understanding of that perspective, read 'The Moon is a Harsh Mistress' in fiction or 'A Market for Liberty' in non-fiction.

These people are supposedly free, but they can't leave their planet, and no one is allowed to come to theirs, they can't name their own children, and a computer runs their lives even separating families which are very loosely sanctioned. And nobody who's in charge of keeping the 'ruling computer' uses it corruptly for their benefit, though there are hints of corruption that don't seem to spin out of control like we witness in every pretty much every society with a power structure.

Every effort at communism end's in very big, corrupt government and severe poverty if not outright starvation, so this vision is totally impossible. Le Guin recognizes that such 'equality' means a more meager existence, but she under-appreciates the complete societal breakdown which ensues.
This book has nothing to do with reality, but gives insight into a very odd and dangerous political philosophy.

The book, while reasonably engaging and well written, is also overly philosophical and insufficiently story-based. The science fiction ideas are totally weak and erroneous. The protagonist travels around near light-speed without having to worry about aging differences with his loved ones. She doesn't seem to fully understand her invention of the Ansible which is reused from an earlier novel.

We have the planet Urras with a single large moon called Arrakis. Urras is very like Earth; the main difference is that their moon is (marginally) habitable. Having discovered this early on, the Urrans became capable of space travel much earlier in their political-social development than we did on Earth.

Just as they develop the ability to explore and exploit their moon, there arises an anarcosocialistic philosopher called Odo. Her followers become troublesome, and are invited to remove to Arrakis to build a utopian society on their own.

Now, LeGuin is no Marxist herself; having been raised in "the People's Republic of Berkely" (her parents were professors at UC/B; her father was a famous anthropologist, although I don't remember her mother's field), she was aware of and sympathetic to Marxist theory and ideas. However, like any halfway aware person, she knew what happened in Russia, China, etc. when these countries attempted to set up Marxist societies.

"Ah!" say a defender of Communist theory,"That is because not everyone in a country is equally committed to realizing the ideal. Many don't understand it; many oppose it. That is why these attempts have failed." Please remember that most Communists are, at least, at first, well-meaning reformers; most really want to make the world a better place, even if they become corrupted once they get into power. Lenin and Trotsky really wanted to make Russia a better place, and Mao firmly belived (at least at first) that Communism would make China great; Stalin was another kettle of fish entirely, or course.

LeGuin responds, "OK, let's have a group of colonists, all True Believers, go off and try to establish a this Utopia on their own, where the 'dead hand' of the old ways won't effect them." The novel is a result of this thought-experiment; she could as easily have chosen Plato's Republic, except that nobody has seriously tried to establish a Platonic state, and several people have tried to establish Marxist ones.

These events happened about 200 years before the start of the book. On Urras, we have various nation-states dominated by two powers which have a strong similarity to the United States and the late, unlamented Soviet Union. On Arrakis, the descendants of the Odoites maintain their ideological experiment. And it works, more or less. But at what a price! Individualism is repressed not by government--as there is none per se--but by social pressure to conform. Originality and excellence are frowned upon, for they lead to inequality and thus inequity. Stifled by this dull, grey, conformist society, a brilliant young Arraki physicist defects to Urras, the first Arraki in 200 years to do so.

Of course, Urras is no better. All the excesses of Western Capitalism are seen in the one major country, while all the evils of Soviet Communism are seen in the other--all exaggerated to be sure that the reader does not miss the point. Due to there being no Democratic Socialists in the Capitalist country, the government has not been moved to construct even a minimal 'safety net', and the Communist country (for similar reasons) is more brutal than the Soviet Union or Red China were even in the worst Stalinist/Maoist stages. The exile of the Odoists was seen at the time to be a preventive of revolution, but Urras lost something important when they left.

Although LeGuin is sympathetic to the ideals of Arrakis, she knows human nature too well not to know that the Utopian society there can't work without repressing significant aspects of that nature, but rather than telling us this she shows us how this repression can't be kept up, and how the Odoist experament can't be kept up much longer.

I did not give this more than three stars as, while the ideas were interesting, it takes more than interesting ideas to make a good novel. The plot is merely a hook upon which to hang the ideas, and none of the characters are very memorable.

I wish I could time travel and pick another book. I wanted to read sci-fi and found this on a top books in the category list. Never read a book by the author, so why not? The story could not have been any more slow and less interesting. There was a touch of entertainment value in Chapter 11 and it did not last in the remaining two chapters. If this book was written 50 years ago, perhaps the political issues would be more interesting concepts. I listened to this book while riding an exercise bike. At least I could speed up reading pace so I could make time move faster through the bleh.

This book is about what communists and socialists dream about, what's called anarcho-syndicalism. As such, it's very well executed. As an aspiring writer, I find anarchy a very interesting topic. This was a good book to get a feel of what what these types are thinking. I believe, the anarchists you heard about among the occupy wall st crowd were essentially of this variation. What I found interesting was to identify the inconsistencies with this vision. But I find Anarcho-capitalist's arguments much more compelling. For an understanding of that perspective, read 'The Moon is a Harsh Mistress' in fiction or 'A Market for Liberty' in non-fiction.

These people are supposedly free, but they can't leave their planet, and no one is allowed to come to theirs, they can't name their own children, and a computer runs their lives even separating families which are very loosely sanctioned. And nobody who's in charge of keeping the 'ruling computer' uses it corruptly for their benefit, though there are hints of corruption that don't seem to spin out of control like we witness in every pretty much every society with a power structure.

Every effort at communism end's in very big, corrupt government and severe poverty if not outright starvation, so this vision is totally impossible. Le Guin recognizes that such 'equality' means a more meager existence, but she under-appreciates the complete societal breakdown which ensues.
This book has nothing to do with reality, but gives insight into a very odd and dangerous political philosophy.

The book, while reasonably engaging and well written, is also overly philosophical and insufficiently story-based. The science fiction ideas are totally weak and erroneous. The protagonist travels around near light-speed without having to worry about aging differences with his loved ones. She doesn't seem to fully understand her invention of the Ansible which is reused from an earlier novel.

We have the planet Urras with a single large moon called Arrakis. Urras is very like Earth; the main difference is that their moon is (marginally) habitable. Having discovered this early on, the Urrans became capable of space travel much earlier in their political-social development than we did on Earth.

Just as they develop the ability to explore and exploit their moon, there arises an anarcosocialistic philosopher called Odo. Her followers become troublesome, and are invited to remove to Arrakis to build a utopian society on their own.

Now, LeGuin is no Marxist herself; having been raised in "the People's Republic of Berkely" (her parents were professors at UC/B; her father was a famous anthropologist, although I don't remember her mother's field), she was aware of and sympathetic to Marxist theory and ideas. However, like any halfway aware person, she knew what happened in Russia, China, etc. when these countries attempted to set up Marxist societies.

"Ah!" say a defender of Communist theory,"That is because not everyone in a country is equally committed to realizing the ideal. Many don't understand it; many oppose it. That is why these attempts have failed." Please remember that most Communists are, at least, at first, well-meaning reformers; most really want to make the world a better place, even if they become corrupted once they get into power. Lenin and Trotsky really wanted to make Russia a better place, and Mao firmly belived (at least at first) that Communism would make China great; Stalin was another kettle of fish entirely, or course.

LeGuin responds, "OK, let's have a group of colonists, all True Believers, go off and try to establish a this Utopia on their own, where the 'dead hand' of the old ways won't effect them." The novel is a result of this thought-experiment; she could as easily have chosen Plato's Republic, except that nobody has seriously tried to establish a Platonic state, and several people have tried to establish Marxist ones.

These events happened about 200 years before the start of the book. On Urras, we have various nation-states dominated by two powers which have a strong similarity to the United States and the late, unlamented Soviet Union. On Arrakis, the descendants of the Odoites maintain their ideological experiment. And it works, more or less. But at what a price! Individualism is repressed not by government--as there is none per se--but by social pressure to conform. Originality and excellence are frowned upon, for they lead to inequality and thus inequity. Stifled by this dull, grey, conformist society, a brilliant young Arraki physicist defects to Urras, the first Arraki in 200 years to do so.

Of course, Urras is no better. All the excesses of Western Capitalism are seen in the one major country, while all the evils of Soviet Communism are seen in the other--all exaggerated to be sure that the reader does not miss the point. Due to there being no Democratic Socialists in the Capitalist country, the government has not been moved to construct even a minimal 'safety net', and the Communist country (for similar reasons) is more brutal than the Soviet Union or Red China were even in the worst Stalinist/Maoist stages. The exile of the Odoists was seen at the time to be a preventive of revolution, but Urras lost something important when they left.

Although LeGuin is sympathetic to the ideals of Arrakis, she knows human nature too well not to know that the Utopian society there can't work without repressing significant aspects of that nature, but rather than telling us this she shows us how this repression can't be kept up, and how the Odoist experament can't be kept up much longer.

I did not give this more than three stars as, while the ideas were interesting, it takes more than interesting ideas to make a good novel. The plot is merely a hook upon which to hang the ideas, and none of the characters are very memorable.

I wish I could time travel and pick another book. I wanted to read sci-fi and found this on a top books in the category list. Never read a book by the author, so why not? The story could not have been any more slow and less interesting. There was a touch of entertainment value in Chapter 11 and it did not last in the remaining two chapters. If this book was written 50 years ago, perhaps the political issues would be more interesting concepts. I listened to this book while riding an exercise bike. At least I could speed up reading pace so I could make time move faster through the bleh.

In Ray Bradbury's book "Farenheit 451" people were reduced to memorizing books in order to preserve them from the book-burners. One book per memorizing subversive. For all my adult life I have known that if I had to choose one book to save; it would be "The Dispossessed".

I liked the preceding books in the Hainish Cycle but this one is BORING. If you like Sci Fi with action and lots of imagination then this is not for you. I cannot understand the awards given to this novel.

This is an excellent book. I had to read it for class, so it was kind of a drag. However, after the first few chapters I became completely immersed in the book and could not put it down. It is very thoughtful, intelligent book that really questions our societies. Highly recommended.

I enjoy a thoughtful book as much as the next guy, but this one moved a bit too slow and the outcome hardly seemed worth the trouble. I had read the book many years ago and accidentally bought it again because the plot didn't sound familiar (until I started reading it). That ought to tell you something - it wasn't very memorable the first time. Although I stuck with it on a second read because I didn't have anything better (and needed to justify the $8.00 I spent), I really should have spent my time doing something more enjoyable.

Others have recapitulated the plot, so I won't bore you with another summary. If you love philosophical books on political systems, then you'll love this book. I don't, and thus didn't.

I like sci-fi, and I like good novels, that are not sci-fi.

This is a good novel, but where is the science? It's about 2 different government systems - think cold war; East v West and a person that is brought up knowing only communal type living who is transported to a world of free enterprise.

It's a political novel, worth reading, but not that great. Maybe it's a little dated and would get another * if brought into the C21st, or even the future.

Ms. Le Guin explores the possible shape of an ideal anarchy using SF (or really fantasy) as a vehicle. The book is filled with long passages of philosophy interspersed with brief bouts of activity. The plot is weak and meandering. She would have been better off simply writing a brief treatise on anarchy and capitalism without the pretext of a novel.

Le Guin is known for rich detailed background. That's what I found, except the societies in this novel are so ... blah.

It all comes across as too symbolic; sci-fi as moral template of current politics. Like Rand-lite for geeks. Oh, she dives into the nuts and bolts of each world. Yet there's no passion. No intrigue. It's all laid out like a thesis, when it should be more of a fiery sermon.

I only made it halfway through this novel, until I simply avoided opening it again. I love the detail, but I am pushed away by the sterility.

The Dispossessed was an important book in its time, using sf to ask quesitons about what makes for utopia. If you are finding this book dated with its rather naive Marxist socialogy and want an excellent sf read that looks at contemporary problems then get Zollocco: A Novel of Another Universe.

I am dropping this book after reading the first half. The plot of The Dispossessed is especially thin. This not a story. It is a vehicle for Le Guin to philosophize. I usually don’t mind but I’d rather have my philosophy lessons doled out by strong characters who carry forward an interesting narrative. I will leave this book behind and seek my swashbuckling escapism elsewhere.

You guys have to be kidding me! Did the author get every friend she has to review this book? That is the only way this thing could possibly have this kind of rating.

Paragraphs that ramble on for 3 pages, others that are only 1 sentence. I am sorry but a single sentence doesn't a paragraph make. Sentences that are 1/2 a page long; most of which are disjoint thoughts strung together with commas. I don't know if the author was on mushrooms or what but they spend so much time trying to provide every little detail about completely pointless and non-related things that they don't tell a story.

If you want to read something that rambles on without direction or even continuity from word to word this is your novel. If you want a story you should keep looking.

There are 2 Ursula Le Guins: The one that wrote the Earthsea series, and the one that writes really preachy sci fi novels. Basically, if you like 'Left Hand of Darkness' (and many do, for some reason), you will like this novel. They have a very similar premise: One man, alone on a new planet, with new ideals, forced to live between 2 sets of incompatible countries. I don't understand how Le Guin can write such a masterpiece of fantasy literature (Earthsea) with action, and depth, and such an amazing plot, and then also, churn out this sci fi philosophical trash. I know she is trying to be like Heinlein, who is also very libertarian and preachy. But, Heinlein, on the other hand, is a good story teller and drives his novels through action and clever dialogue with many twists and turns and usually a very cool unexpected ending. Le Guin's novels have NONE of that. Just like there is a huge difference between Science Fiction and Future Fantasy, I will say that there is a big difference between Future Fantasy and Future Philosophy, because that's what I believe Le Guin's sci fi novels are. They are her attempt to sell her libertarian anarcho syndicalism by placing it in a futuristic setting between 2 extreme forms of government; a plutocracy (capitalist dictatorship) and a communist dictatorship. Le Guin never attempts to compare her utopian society to a democratic socialism or democratic capitalism, at least, not to my way of thinking. I have had to scratch and claw my way through 2 Le Guin sci fi novels now, and I will not be planning on trying another.

I read LeGuin back in the '70s in my teens - I thought she was great.
One of very few female SF writers, if I remember correctly.
I received a copy of this book as a gift, started to read it and was severely dismayed.
Not only was the storyline boring - a lot of dated, insipid "socialism is great, materialism is bad" nonsense.
Perhaps growing up in a socialist European country has heightened my senses to Marxist drivel like this.

Its agenda aside, the book is poorly written, with weak character and scenario buildup.
I guess Ursula was so caught up in setting her bra on fire that she forgot how to write.
Her feeble attempts at physics and hard sciences is frankly ...
None of the stringency and reasoning power of, say, Asimov.
OK, I'm an engineer and if you went through a liberal arts program, fine, just know your limits.

I admit to setting the book aside halfway through, I had more than enough of this ... in school.
The best thing about the book was that it was a gift and that I didn't have to pay for it.

I think this book was grossly mislabeled. It claims that it is about an anarchist society, so I was expecting something akin to "Moon is a Harsh Mistress". What I got was a communist society that barely qualifies as anarchist. Nowhere on the cover does it mention that the people of Anarres live under an oppressive communist system. I feel very deceived. Instead of answering to a dictator, the people obey a computer that controls their economy and every other aspect of their lives. Yes, the people of Anarres claim that they have the freedom to turn down any work posting but that's frowned upon, and if they do they are often shunned by society. Other than the fact that everyone gets fed equally, or in times of famine, starve equally, there was very little that was utopian about Anarres.

The plot was poorly paced and it took *forever* for something to happen. No, I am not one of those people who expects non stop action from a novel - I do appreciate a good intellectual novel. But seriously, it was 230 long pages (out of 311) of boring dissertation on philosophy. Then it seemed like Le Guin had to cram the majority of the action in to such a short space at the end. The novel ended with so many unanswered questions - How did the people of Anarres react when Shevek came back home? Did the people of Anarres revamp their corrupt system? What happened to the revolution on Urras? Was it crushed completely or did it keep going? Was the theory Shevek came up with correct or was it flawed; did it lead to the creation of the ansible? Etc, etc.

I was also extremely annoyed that the story kept jumping back and forth from the past to the present. It kept disrupting the flow of the story. It did provide background, but it was way too drawn out.

Plus, there was hardly any science in the science fiction. You could have easily had the story play out on two different continents on the same planet and the story would still be basically the same. There was no evidence of any advanced futuristic technology on either planet aside from space travel.

It *finally* got interesting towards the end, when Shevek realized that his "utopian anarchist" world was just as corrupt as the world of the "propertarians". The gather the point, if there is one, to this book, is that every system of organization is corrupt, whether it be capitalist, communist, anarchist, or oligarchy, and that no matter how good the intentions in the beginning, it all ends up the same way - oppressing the people.

If you are the patient type (that is, you don't mind a lot of rambling about philosophy, and story that goes nowhere fast), you may enjoy this book. I recommend this book if you're interested in reading about worlds with different kinds of government, but if you want a book about the virtues of an anarchist society, you best look elsewhere.

LeGuin does for anarchosyndicalism what Ayn Rand attempts to do for capitalism. The difference? LeGuin succeeds. -The Dispossessed- occupies a place of high honor on my bookshelf right next to -The Left Hand of Darkness-, -The Moon is a Harsh Mistress- (Heinlein).

This review was given one star only because I could not give less, and this review is NOT about the book, but is about the profiteering practised by its publisher.

HarperCollins must be trying to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs. Charging $13.77 for a digital copy of a book that sells for as low as $4.65 in paperback should rank as damn near a crime. The paperback at least used paper and ink, but the ebook cost the publisher virtually nothing!!

Hell will freeze over (or the Cubs will win the Series, equally likely) before I would pay three times the price of a paperback for an ebook!!