From http://theinfamousj.livejournal.com/438297.html
I love, love, love, love dystopian fiction. To that end, if you love dystopian fiction as I do, you will love this book.
The premise of this story is that there is a man who is capable, through subconscious dreams, of altering the universe. Or perhaps he is capable of transferring his consciousness onto a parallel, yet subtly different, universe. As most of us dream resolutions to our conflicts, so too does he, but with far reaching consequences for himself and those who are present when he dreams.
Add to this a psychiatrist who specializes in sleep disorders who decides to use our fateful protagonist's powers to do good in the world. Or at least that is the attempt, but as with all dystopian fiction, something always goes wrong.
There is a lot of dialogue in this story, and it focuses on the exact nature of the dream gift as well as the ethics of using the gift. There are three recurring characters: the dreamer, the psychiatrist, and a female lawyer.
As with all other dystopian fiction, the story ends with an overwhelming feeling of good and trust to humanity, but the ride along the way is full of twists, turns, and mysteries that are revealed.
I've given this book 4 out of 5 stars because there were sections where Ursula K. Le Guin seemed to expect you to know things that were not disclosed in the book. Perhaps if I lived on the west coast I might know them, but as I am an east coast reader, I was left puzzled occasionally.
This book is very similar to "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?".
I love, love, love, love dystopian fiction. To that end, if you love dystopian fiction as I do, you will love this book.
The premise of this story is that there is a man who is capable, through subconscious dreams, of altering the universe. Or perhaps he is capable of transferring his consciousness onto a parallel, yet subtly different, universe. As most of us dream resolutions to our conflicts, so too does he, but with far reaching consequences for himself and those who are present when he dreams.
Add to this a psychiatrist who specializes in sleep disorders who decides to use our fateful protagonist's powers to do good in the world. Or at least that is the attempt, but as with all dystopian fiction, something always goes wrong.
There is a lot of dialogue in this story, and it focuses on the exact nature of the dream gift as well as the ethics of using the gift. There are three recurring characters: the dreamer, the psychiatrist, and a female lawyer.
As with all other dystopian fiction, the story ends with an overwhelming feeling of good and trust to humanity, but the ride along the way is full of twists, turns, and mysteries that are revealed.
I've given this book 4 out of 5 stars because there were sections where Ursula K. Le Guin seemed to expect you to know things that were not disclosed in the book. Perhaps if I lived on the west coast I might know them, but as I am an east coast reader, I was left puzzled occasionally.
This book is very similar to "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?".
All I can say is--Wow! Although The Lathe of Heaven is only 196 pages long, and published over 30 years ago, there's definitely an unexpected quality of grandeur/timelessness/"epic"-ness that most books lack. Even though this book is, technically, "genre fiction", Le Guin's characters are deeply complex and, ultimately, the driving force behind this novel.
The Lathe of Heaven is a book that keeps you up at night, debating the moral integrity of its characters, and how cirumstances shape us. This is the kind of book that, once you finish it, keeps you sitting in bed for half an hour, paralyzed with awe, and silently trying to absorb all Le Guin has to offer.
for an (even longer) review of this book, check out my blog: http://librarbie.blogspot.com/2014/01/the-lathe-of-heaven-by-ursula-k-le-guin.html
The Lathe of Heaven is a book that keeps you up at night, debating the moral integrity of its characters, and how cirumstances shape us. This is the kind of book that, once you finish it, keeps you sitting in bed for half an hour, paralyzed with awe, and silently trying to absorb all Le Guin has to offer.
for an (even longer) review of this book, check out my blog: http://librarbie.blogspot.com/2014/01/the-lathe-of-heaven-by-ursula-k-le-guin.html
