tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post6036544923689460026..comments2024-02-29T02:54:19.767-05:00Comments on Babbling Books: The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin Brian Josephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15139559400312336791noreply@blogger.comBlogger33125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-67013308725285886942015-12-13T11:38:44.335-05:002015-12-13T11:38:44.335-05:00Hi Nauda - In the end it seems that capitalist soc...Hi Nauda - In the end it seems that capitalist societies, with a healthy dose of government regulation on the capitalism, seem to work best.<br /><br />I think that I would really like the Walking Dead but sadly I do not have a lot of time for television. Such genre based stories really do dig into society in such interesting ways. Brian Josephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15139559400312336791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-83542667327970763792015-12-13T11:01:30.777-05:002015-12-13T11:01:30.777-05:00Sounds interesting Brian. I agree, I don't thi...Sounds interesting Brian. I agree, I don't think an Odonian society would work either. I think many people would just get out of control and eventually it would fall apart.<br />I don't know if you watch the tv show The Walking Dead, but this reminds me of it because in that post apocalyptic world, where society has fallen apart, the only ones who seem to survive and stay civil are groups of people who are trying to rebuild again. They form groups where people have roles and jobs to do, to maintain a sense of normalcy. It is fiction, but I think it represents how it might be if society collapsed. The Bookwormhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10217390642323530030noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-78814339033594153312015-12-04T21:22:45.008-05:002015-12-04T21:22:45.008-05:00Hi Jamie - Thank you for stopping by. \
Though sc...Hi Jamie - Thank you for stopping by. \<br /><br />Though science fiction and Ursula K. Le Guin are well within my comfort zone, I have been reading other books as of late that have taken me well out of it. I agree that it benefits us all sometimes.Brian Josephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15139559400312336791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-18991197097690567872015-12-04T20:23:55.631-05:002015-12-04T20:23:55.631-05:00Hi, I saw your name on the Beyond Eastrod blog as ...Hi, I saw your name on the Beyond Eastrod blog as a comment on the challenge I'm hosting. I'm going have to look for this book for my challenge next year. Sounds great. A little out of comfort zone, but I need tog et that way sometimes. Jamie Ghionehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06508410672881133235noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-52002246602591350432015-12-03T20:51:53.050-05:002015-12-03T20:51:53.050-05:00Thanks for the good word Maria.
You raise a good ...Thanks for the good word Maria.<br /><br />You raise a good point about Capitalism, it leads to terrible excesses but it is the best system that we have, I think that history has shown that Capitalism with moderate government regulation and control seems to lead to the best results for society.<br /><br />The contrasts between the two planets are indeed one of the great things about this book.<br /><br />I have not let on to it in my above commentary, but this book has a lot to say about gender. That will be the subject of my next post.Brian Josephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15139559400312336791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-37265300878915731482015-12-03T20:44:24.166-05:002015-12-03T20:44:24.166-05:00Hi Susan - I would love to read what you think if ...Hi Susan - I would love to read what you think if this book if you read it.Brian Josephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15139559400312336791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-23861871880644544212015-12-03T16:55:30.186-05:002015-12-03T16:55:30.186-05:00It sounds quite good to me. I think I would like ...It sounds quite good to me. I think I would like Ursula Le Guin's books. thecuecardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08870323589682197091noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-65739526881608342962015-12-03T13:17:05.190-05:002015-12-03T13:17:05.190-05:00(I deleted the previous comment because of typos.....(I deleted the previous comment because of typos.....)<br /><br />Superb commentary as usual, Brian!<br /><br />The only Le Guin novel I've read is "The Left Hand of Darkness", and that was several years ago. Regretfully, I don't remember the details of the plot beyond the basic synopsis of the book. I would definitely like to read it again! What I do remember, though, is that Le Guin is an amazing writer. Her prose style puts her work at the level of literary fiction, as does her thoughtful analysis of her fictional alien cultures. Her characterizations are solid, too.<br /><br />In "The Left Hand of Darkness", Le Guin examines gender issues. In "The Dispossessed", she turns her attention to political systems. This promises to be fascinating reading!<br /><br />I must confess to being an anarchist at heart myself, although I know that this system would not work at all in reality. I wish there were some other political system available.....not communism, as that doesn't work, either. It eventually degrades into dictatorship. Anarchism seems attractive to me, though, because I detest hierarchies. I detest the whole power-and-control inherent in capitalistic societies. Anarchy is total chaos, of course. I suppose that hierarchies and authority figures are a necessary evil. I say that because, inevitably, those in power become corrupt, at least to some degree. Although I've never been in political office, nor worked for any politician, I have seen this corruption in the private sector. I have had bosses that have been outright bullies. These bosses have also played favorites.<br /><br />I can relate to this physicist, Shevek. Like him, however, I am willing to leave my comfortable "hobbit hole" of books and interact with people. Teaching ESOL is a very rewarding experience for me, for instance.<br /><br />The name "Urras" for the second planet is not that far removed from "Earth", so it's obvious that Le Guin meant it to represent our own planet. Thus, its political systems reflect our own. I think it will be interesting to see how she handles the contrast between the two planets. It will be just as interesting to see how Shevek interacts with the societies on Urras, and how these experiences might modify, or perhaps reinforce, his own political views.<br /><br />I need to get a copy of this novel and hole myself up in my private little library, hopefully for hours at a time, in order to lose myself in what promises to be a totally intriguing novel!<br /><br />Thanks for your thoughts!! : )Maria Beharhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13635809880830316283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-89027662636185753982015-12-02T20:36:12.996-05:002015-12-02T20:36:12.996-05:00Hi R.T. - I am so glad to hear that you will read ...Hi R.T. - I am so glad to hear that you will read this. I am curious as to what you think of it.Brian Josephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15139559400312336791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-24350845386068565042015-12-02T20:35:12.482-05:002015-12-02T20:35:12.482-05:00Hi Vicki - The comparison to the twin planets adds...Hi Vicki - The comparison to the twin planets adds a lot to this story.<br /><br />I would love to know what you think if you read this.<br /><br />Brian Josephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15139559400312336791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-87904499460270558132015-12-02T11:05:52.749-05:002015-12-02T11:05:52.749-05:00You've persuaded me to dig this book out of th...You've persuaded me to dig this book out of the closet filled with old books and finally read it. Thanks for the kick in the ass that I need. Onward to Le Guin.RTDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17113953356514605424noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-14710368665567738372015-12-02T10:28:01.483-05:002015-12-02T10:28:01.483-05:00I've never been a huge fan of sci-fi although ...I've never been a huge fan of sci-fi although I do read it from time to time. Your review is very thought provoking, and the alternating stories of the twin planets sounds really interesting. I may give this a try.Vickihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16974471357928655315noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-81993607956109673832015-12-02T06:31:33.260-05:002015-12-02T06:31:33.260-05:00Hi Stephanie - It really is full of ideas and inte...Hi Stephanie - It really is full of ideas and interesting ones at that. I think that a lot of folks originally read this one when they were younger.Brian Josephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15139559400312336791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-28571644541487359432015-12-01T11:28:55.956-05:002015-12-01T11:28:55.956-05:00Isn't this a great book? I read quite a long t...Isn't this a great book? I read quite a long time ago so the details are sketchy but I remember really liking it and how compelling yet thinky it was at the same time.Stefaniehttp://somanybooksblog.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-55659850499823692382015-11-30T20:01:27.241-05:002015-11-30T20:01:27.241-05:00Hi Tracy - I found the protagonist and maybe two o...Hi Tracy - I found the protagonist and maybe two other characters well crafted here.<br /><br /><br />I you are looking for Le Guin books to read, I would also highly recommend The Left Hand of Darkness. The Lathe of Heaven was also very good.<br />Brian Josephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15139559400312336791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-66095735195096825142015-11-30T11:43:20.680-05:002015-11-30T11:43:20.680-05:00An author whose books we have on the shelves - thi...An author whose books we have on the shelves - this particular one doesn't look familiar but then it may well have a different cover.<br /><br />A great in-depth look Brian. These sound like characters my granddad would say you could really get your teeth into - meaning characters you could find yourself totally absorbed in.Felicity Grace Terryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17852843882007267665noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-76340354034283962302015-11-30T05:25:18.766-05:002015-11-30T05:25:18.766-05:00Thanks for stopping by Wendy.
Indeed Le Guin in h...Thanks for stopping by Wendy.<br /><br />Indeed Le Guin in her novels depicted w reality that had real problems and no simple solutions.Brian Josephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15139559400312336791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-89969371054577274432015-11-29T23:04:30.552-05:002015-11-29T23:04:30.552-05:00I so love le Guin! I read this one in college and...I so love le Guin! I read this one in college and don't have much of a recollection of it, but I would agree with previous commenters that her gift is writing "ideas" novels that still have great narrative drive, and that don't presume to offer a pat solution to the world's ills. Wendyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06296827820807569574noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-62342250225469056302015-11-29T11:56:15.964-05:002015-11-29T11:56:15.964-05:00Hi Guy - I just Googled the book. It looks to be r...Hi Guy - I just Googled the book. It looks to be really good. As you know I am very interested in history. <br /><br />Thanks for the recommendation.Brian Josephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15139559400312336791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-36115711487705034372015-11-29T11:12:52.711-05:002015-11-29T11:12:52.711-05:00There's a book coming out 1/16 that you might ...There's a book coming out 1/16 that you might be interested in: Unruly Equality by Andrew Cornell.Guy Savagehttp://www.swiftlytiltingplanet.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-59246707308474907872015-11-28T21:08:05.853-05:002015-11-28T21:08:05.853-05:00Hi Sharon - I terms of her opinion on economic sy...Hi Sharon - I terms of her opinion on economic systems I would say that Le Guin is not subtle. However, in my opinion a gig extenuating factor is that the proposed system would be far from perfect and open to criticism.Brian Josephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15139559400312336791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-34711304952958518922015-11-28T20:08:34.574-05:002015-11-28T20:08:34.574-05:00Hi Brian! I have not read Le Guin but her book so...Hi Brian! I have not read Le Guin but her book sounds like many sci fi books that attempt to make observations of our society by creating worlds that typify certain cultural aspects. Usually these authors do so with the intention of "enlightening" the rest of us as to their particular brand of Utopia. <br />Your review is very even-handed and I can't tell by your account how subtle this particular author was. I read a similar story years ago and the author wasn't remotely subtle. She had two worlds: one was backward and unsophisticated, the other was progressive and visionary. Guess which one practiced her "solution" to society's ills.<br />Have a great week!Gently Madhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10450371589766691273noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-70271402265724882102015-11-28T15:15:26.811-05:002015-11-28T15:15:26.811-05:00Thanks for clarifying your remarks in response to ...Thanks for clarifying your remarks in response to my questions. I agree that Ayn Rand would likely oppose the collectivized nature of the pressure to conform described by Le Guin. Most libertarians would as well, preferring voluntary choice to spur the building of communities. <br />It seems that there may be a more fundamental question about the nature of man at play here, that is; Is he by nature a social creature in the Aristotelian sense or an is he an atomistic individual that must be forced to cooperate with others. If it is the latter I fear that those exerting the force will create a society that is ultimately untenable, but I have hope that those who prefer the "freedom to choose" will prevail.Jameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00561320676355168336noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-90950630641815322462015-11-28T11:59:22.681-05:002015-11-28T11:59:22.681-05:00Hi Rachel - Indeed, I think that we have the human...Hi Rachel - Indeed, I think that we have the human societies that we have now because they actually work. <br /><br /><br />Though in many ways it did not turn out to the way that a lot of them envisioned, out of your list, I think that some of America's founders, particularly Alexander Hamilton and James Madison, came the closest to figuring out a workable society could function. <br /><br />i will be writing about Madison in this regards in a future post.Brian Josephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15139559400312336791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-26141485960758660612015-11-28T11:54:33.725-05:002015-11-28T11:54:33.725-05:00Hi Caroline - Though Le Guin has written a lot of ...Hi Caroline - Though Le Guin has written a lot of books and I have only read a handful, I think that my favorite if The Left Hand of Darkness. This one comes really close however.<br /><br />Brian Josephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15139559400312336791noreply@blogger.com