Book Review: The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula Le Guin
(No obvious plot spoilers beyond what’s already on the back cover)
People usually assume that I’m into sci-fi.
And I am. Into some.
But not all.
And not sci-fi like this.
The Lathe Of Heaven
- The moral, or theme, is tired. I know this came out in 1971, but it is still the genie and the three wishes tale repackaged.
- So if you’re going to do a classic with a twist, the twist should be well thought out and worth it. If your twist (or gimmick) is to have the protagonist have his dreams come true rather than have a genie grant his wishes—AND you’re doing it in the sci-fi genre—you better get your dream science down. Unfortunately, the author does not.
- The book didn’t make the dreamer, George Orr, accessible and sympathetic right off the bat. For me, his attitude and behavior were off putting. As a result, for much of the book, I was just reading about the phenomenon rather than rooting for this guy. It made things rather boring and distant.
There, however, are some positives in my reading experience.
- Some passages and sequences were really well described. Le Guin presents her scenes very visually and tangibly.
- I liked the exploration of the god complex in the various characters. Some of the elements within the book are up for interpretation, but I personally prefer the religious parallels.
I know there’s a lot of talk about this book being about Daoist principles, but again, I just did not feel that. I don’t think Daoism and passivity are similiar things. Too many times, I felt, the hero was more about the latter rather than the former.