Rating: 
Summary: Fascinating philosophical concepts
Review: This book made a profound impression on me when I first read it 20 years ago, and still is one of my favourites of all times. It is filled with philosophical concepts that make us think again about how we view the world around us.Most highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: A truly remarkable book
Review: Reading The Dispossessed can be hard at times, because it crams many difficult thoughts and ideas into very little space. But it's really worth it. The story deals with the possibility of creating a functional anarchistic society, and the problems linked with doing so. The storyline is difficult to decribe here, so I just advise you all to read this book and be enlightened, for it is truly brilliant.
Rating: 
Summary: Social studies disguised as sci-fi.
Review: This book should be of great interest to anyone studying (or having an interest in) anthropology and other social sciences and having an interest in social sci-fi. I didn't like it, though. It is ambiguous in message and cerebral to the point of being annoying. It is a perfect example of 'soft' science fiction, written for the folks who prefer anthropology over physics. The funny thing is, I can't understand why it was in the libertarian Prometheus' Award Hall of Fame, next to 'The Moon is a Harsh Mistress' by Heinlein and 'Atlas Shrugged' by Rand, since it is completely different from the other winners. If it's given to you, though, it is worth a read, I guess.
Rating: 
Summary: A dire & dull warning.
Review: This is a truly loathsome world that was created here. It requires people be so self disciplined that they're a hair shy of psychosis. Give me the "evils" of a mixed economy over this any day.
Rating:
Summary: Amazing and Thought Provoking!
Review: This is an incredible book and I reccommend it to any thoughtful individual out there. Read it with an open mind.
Rating: 
Summary: An adventure of ideas
Review: This may be LeGuin's best novel, despite its slow, ruminative pace. It's a thinking person's adventure, filled with ideas and so eminently quotable that it can spark discussion. Shevek is searching for answers, just like the pioneers who founded his ascetic, open society on the arid world to which they exiled themselves decades ago and from which they banished the concepts of private property and privacy. Are they on the right path? Do they really have a future? His search takes him back to the neighboring home planet of Urras, a wealthy, materialistic society corrupted and possessed by the desire for power, whose vulgar, neurotic inhabitants "lived among mountains of excrement, but never mentioned shit." Their decadence helps explain and balances the anarchistic social extremes of Shevek's world, which were developed partly in reaction. The story loses power at the end, when the corruption of Urrasti society manifests itself in cliched violence, but thoughtful readers will find the novel very rewarding.
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting Concepts; Poor Execution
Review: Ms. Le Guin explores the possible shape of an ideal anarchy using SF (or really fantasy) as a vehicle. The book is filled with long passages of philosophy interspersed with brief bouts of activity. The plot is weak and meandering. She would have been better off simply writing a brief treatise on anarchy and capitalism without the pretext of a novel.
Rating:
Summary: Definitely ambiguous.
Review: I don't think le guin was advocating this "utopia". Indeed I thought it was rigid, sterile, & GRAY. Meaning there seemed to be little misery or happiness. Don't get your hopes up it isn't that interesting to read. END
Rating:
Summary: An excellent novel
Review: It has been said that utopias are just social engineering, there are no human beings in utopias, only their functionalities. It may or may not be true in other utopias, but this "ambigious" utopia has real human beings in it. It is not about a perfect world, or a world where there is no suffering but only about an anarchistic (and I believe probably more human) world where the real freedom is not confused with capitalist slogans. Mrs. LeGuin is too clever to avoid her book becomming a book of slogans, a book to be preached. She, in her soft way, shows an alternative, not decides about the good and the bad. The book is not some science-fiction, it is a novel, and as great a novel as Crime and Punishment. It tells the story of Shevek, a great phycisist, a good lover, a wanderer, and an amator philosopher seeking for the truth. He is not a hero, he has his mistakes and virtues, like all of us. I think Mrs. LeGuin is one of the best writers of all times, and this novel may be her best. I have read it many many times, very few books inspired me as much. By the way, if you like LeGuin, I'd recommend you also to read "The Left Hand of Darkness" and "Four Ways to Unforgiveness" Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: Intelligent & influential, but not enjoyable.
Review: There are anarchic tribes on earth & there have been socialist anarchist societies who ran communities in history. You're better off to read about them. I did like the ambiguousness because it made my belief that the capitalist "dystopia" was better off then the anarchic "utopia" seem like a valid interpretation. It was also nice to see what someone from an anarchy would be like, since historically speaking I can't think of a working libertarian anarchy. I sort of liked left hand of darkness, but I think UKLG writes some of the most intelligent, but least enjoyable science fiction out there. Don't misunderstand me I do like intelligent stuff like Of Mice & Men, Canticle for leibowitz, The divine comedy, don quixote, etc. I just say that so you won't offhandily disregard this.
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