(Tears) The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin

[James Nicoll]

The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin

A physicist determined to complete his research emigrates from a planet
of idealists to a planet of economic surpluses.

https://jamesdavisnicoll.com/review/the-best-things-in-life-are-free

[William Hyde]

Post by James Nicoll
The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin
A physicist determined to complete his research emigrates from a planet
of idealists to a planet of economic surpluses.
https://jamesdavisnicoll.com/review/the-best-things-in-life-are-free

When reading this book for the first time, I had trouble banishing the
image of one of my professors. I eventually figured out that privations
in the second world war had given him some of Shevek's attitude. Though
he was congenial enough, I think he remained faintly surprised, or
possibly amused, at the way we ignored the vast wealth in which we lived.

Other characters reminded me strongly of some older socialists I knew.
Socialists of the "pitch in and get it done" type, not the champagne
type. LeGuin must have met some people of this class, as they are very
well drawn.

William Hyde

[James Nicoll]

Post by William Hyde

Post by James Nicoll
The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin
A physicist determined to complete his research emigrates from a planet
of idealists to a planet of economic surpluses.
https://jamesdavisnicoll.com/review/the-best-things-in-life-are-free

When reading this book for the first time, I had trouble banishing the
image of one of my professors. I eventually figured out that privations
in the second world war had given him some of Shevek's attitude. Though
he was congenial enough, I think he remained faintly surprised, or
possibly amused, at the way we ignored the vast wealth in which we lived.

There was a chem prof at UW whose name I am blanking on, who came up
from Caribbean poverty and had absolutely no patience with people
being fussy about necessities.

[Cryptoengineer]

Post by James Nicoll
The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin
A physicist determined to complete his research emigrates from a planet
of idealists to a planet of economic surpluses.
https://jamesdavisnicoll.com/review/the-best-things-in-life-are-free

I met LeGuin at a ReaderCon in the around 1990, and asked her if her
description of Shevek was based on Alexander Solzhenitsyn. She replied
that it was, and I was the first person to notice.

pt