Books for Prep | |
 - Le Guin has it all...again!I read Lathe of Heaven after my first Le Guin book, Left Hand Of Darkness (phenomonal exam of the value of truth, friendship and a nail biting adventure story at the end!), unsure of what to expect. WHat I found was that again LeGuin couples facinating sci-fi premise a la PK Dick, Heinlein and Card, with engaging, thought provoking social commentary. I confess, I felt the start was a little slow (hense the absent 5th star) and it took some perserverence, but the effort pays off -- in the end I re-read the first hundred pages or so and really dug it (also did this with Left Hand and found it beneficial). Some of the social issues that interested me the most as incorporated in Lathe: 1. Science for the sake of science -- just cause we can, should we? And the value of scientific gain over an individual's life and freedoms -- is it ever worth it? (this has been done before, granted, but was beautifully executed in the relationship between doctor and patient) 2. Self faith/trust/confidence 3. Outsider/Loner phenomonon...haven't we ALL been THERE before. I confess, many of these things I got from the mood I was in when reading, my roomate picked up on a few others (the surest sign of a great book -- you could write whole papers..And I did for my Fem. Sci-Fi class) ...and about the end, no spoiler here I promise, the roomie didn't like it ("where the [heck] did that come from")-- I did ("Yup, makes total sense") You be the judge. Rating: - travel with your mindGreat book!! This is the first Ursula K. Le Guin novel I've read, and I think it's fantastic. I'm not much of a sci-fi fan, but Lathe of Heaven avoids the lamer tendencies of the genre--very well written, 3-d characters, fascinating story. If you're from Portland, Oregon you'll enjoy the ever-changing Portland setting quite a bit. This book really got inside my head--highly recommended. Rating: - A modern Frankenstein and moreGeorge Orr has a problem, at certain select time, he dreams dreams that change the very nature of reality itself. Placed in the care of psychologist Dr. William Haber, Orr soon finds that Dr. Haber is attempting to use his dreams to "improve" the world, to do the greatest good for the greatest number. But every improvement comes at a cost, and the longer it continues the worse it gets... I have always heard of this book as a modern classic of Western literature, and now have had a chance to read it. In certain ways this book is an updating of the Frankenstein story, of the scientist meddling in things beyond his imagination, playing God. But, this book is more than that, is different than that, it is an almost religious book of the effects of changing the world and of the effects of accepting the world. This book is too complicated to explain quickly and succinctly, and needs to be read. I highly recommend it. Rating:  - What is reality...?Is it fixed series of events, a string of cause and effect? Or can it be changed at a whim, changed by nothing but a dream of a sleeping man? George Orr is that man. For some of his dreams change the real world, because his dreams sometimes come true. But Mr. Orr does NOT want to change the world, he just wants to be a normal man with normal dreams. When George tries to take drugs to end his dreaming he is sent to Dr. Haber to be cured of his fears. But what happens when Dr. Haber also realizes Orr's gift/curse is not the product of an insane mind, but in fact is real and decides to use it for the 'good' of mankind? If you liked the book there are two movies available to watch. I prefer the older version made by WNET/THIRTEEN (PBS). Rating: - The Greatest Good for the Greatest NumberUrsula K. Le Guin's The Lathe of Heaven was first published in 1971, but its message is still relevant today. Le Guin's stable of work has included space opera (the Hainish books), fantasy (the Earthsea stories), as well as science fiction (The Left Hand of Darkness). All of her works possess the familiar sense of didactic about them, however. The Lathe of Heaven falls more in the science fiction realm but is probably more accurately described as psychological fiction. The story is set in the near future and revolves around one man, George Orr, who's dreams can affect reality. He is greatly troubled by this because he cannot control his dreams, thus he tries to stop himself from dreaming through misuse of prescription drugs. He is sent to counseling with a dream therapist, Dr. William Haber, who quickly learns the truth about George's "effective" dreaming. George just wants to be cured of this ability, but Haber sees its potential and decides to manipulate it to turn their troubled world into a better place. As Haber tries harder and harder to manipulate George's uncooperative dreams he becomes the victim of his own good intentions. This leads him down a dark road where he eventually discovers the truth of "the world after April". The Lathe of Heaven works on many levels. Simply as a story of a man wrestling with his therapist to find a cure to his ills it is an engaging tale. But it is more interesting as a parable of how one person's attempts to do good can go awry. Dr. Haber sees the power that George Orr possesses and understands the good it can do. The world they live in is plagued by war and overpopulation and he believes that he can use George's power to rid the world of its ills. The problems with this become apparent early on, however. When Haber has George dream of a less crowded world, he conjures up a plague that wipes out billions. Thus the problem of overpopulation is solved, but with terrible consequences. It is important to understand that Haber has only the best of intentions: "The Greatest Good for the Greatest Number" is his motto. The stumbling block comes in his inability to control George's subconscious mind. Every time he tries to do good in one place, he inadvertently conjures evil in another. And this is the strength of the story. It is not about an evil character causing evil in the world, but a good person bringing evil through his inability to control the power he possesses. This should be required reading for all politicians. At only 175 pages, this is a quick read. Le Guin's writing is accessible and fast paced. There are only three main characters in the story, George Orr, Dr. Haber, and the social worker Heather Lelache, so she does a good job of developing each of them fully. This book is considered a science fiction classic, rightfully so, but also has broader appeal because of its social and political implications. I give The Lathe of Heaven the highest of recommendations. In association with Amazon.com | |