I just finished the dispossessed. Didn’t find it as compelling as reviews had me hoping. The sci-fi depiction of anarchism wasn’t flattering and the main character wasn’t easy to like either.
Spoiler and trigger alert: I put the book down for a while after he sexually assaulted a woman, but eventually finished it and wasn’t impressed by the ending or by the fact that his assault was glossed over and not mentioned again.
Yes, that’s a fair assessment. It’s not an enjoyable book and to some extent isn’t meant to be – the cover of the version I read said something about an “ambiguous utopia,” the story structure is pretty far from a Campbellian Hero’s Journey, and the main character is not relatable. The book is more memorable than enjoyable.
I just finished the dispossessed. Didn’t find it as compelling as reviews had me hoping. The sci-fi depiction of anarchism wasn’t flattering and the main character wasn’t easy to like either.
Spoiler and trigger alert: I put the book down for a while after he sexually assaulted a woman, but eventually finished it and wasn’t impressed by the ending or by the fact that his assault was glossed over and not mentioned again.
Yes, that’s a fair assessment. It’s not an enjoyable book and to some extent isn’t meant to be – the cover of the version I read said something about an “ambiguous utopia,” the story structure is pretty far from a Campbellian Hero’s Journey, and the main character is not relatable. The book is more memorable than enjoyable.