''The Dispossessed'?  It's the one with the anarchist moon in it...'

I've a growing interest in reading fiction which explores notions of freedom, utopias and non-hierarchical communities of living.  I've identified as an anarchist for nearly thirty years and have long known of Le Guin's anarchism and also this novel which features an anarchist community living on a moon.  I'm surprised it has taken me this long to get round to it to be honest.

My expectations were raised for this book, knowing the subject matter and it's reputation of being a classic, written nearly fifty years ago.  The basic premise is that an anarchist community a couple of hundred years ago migrate to a moon of a nearby planet and live there in near total isolation.  Other than freight ships exchanging mining materials for goods there is no notion of trade with their former planet and little official communication.  The main character Shevek is an anarchist physicist who is trying to develop a new physics theory that his community is not supporting and he leaves his anarchist moon to visit the planet of the propertarians.

What is most rewarding for me is knowing that the book is written by an anarchist and Le Guin's critique of her fictional anarchist moon Annares is rather brilliant.  I have read some reviews where they suggest this treatment 'proves' anarchism doesn't work, or in some cases, they really don't know what they have read.  I guess for some readers who have historically had limited exposure to anarchist ideas this is going to be a common problem.

Anarchists have often balanced the needs of the individual with the needs of the community.  In the absence of laws and hierarchy and exploitation it is actually really hard to work through a lot of what we would need to do to make anarchy work.  Following anarchist writing and engaging with other anarchists I don't think anyone has ever imagined utopias, rather a continued dialogue with ourselves and our communities about building the world we want to live in.  Coming from this stance I can see Le Guin's thought process in action.  For instance, whilst her technology is a little dated, she anticipates the impact of automation in 'fairly' allocating work and the difficulty of complex systems being centralised in error - a critique anarchists know and level at state capitalists / communists.  So, when Le Guin identifies that, 'in this system this could happen here by accident' it's a warning and a consideration for anarchist thinkers and activists.

I also loved how she approached the theme of societal pressure and cultural norms and how the 'majority' can oppress a minority through social convention, or how people can obtain significant influence in communities and indirectly oppress others.  In many ways this debate rages today, but I certainly think anarchist thought is more mindful of this now.  That said, I do recall 'cults of personality' forming around people who did the most daring actions / most jail time in anarchist adjacent communities like the animal rights movement and it's something to consider.

At it's heart, the book is pleading first of all, for anarchist ideas not to be locked away or hidden.  They must be exposed to people and ideas and communities we don't like.  Second, whilst there is a critique of Annares and the capitalist world of Urras is depicted as complex, but ultimately similar to ours I do think this book promotes the utopia of Annares, just with no illusions.

So yes, the book is definitely thought provoking but is it a great book?  Personally, I think the answer is no.  It took me quite a while to get into and for a lot of the book not a lot happens.  The big physics debate is interesting at an intellectual level but generally isn't that interesting.  I do love the unpicking of Shevek, the main characters rationale for his actions.  Once he has shaken off his constraints of his home and exposed to other societies and scientists he does come into his own.  I think he is still an anarchist in the purest sense of the word as he adapts.  The ending of the novel suggests hope and also actions in the spirit of anarchism.

There is a scene in the book that really reads out of place in 2022 and relates to sexual violence.  I think Le Guin was trying to write a 'decadent West' analogy and her depiction of wealthy Urras women struggles a little.  I get what she is trying to say about the objectification of women but I am not sure she is on the side of Urras women either.  The scene is quite ugly and had me recoil a little at a character who I generally want to get behind.  So, yeah, fifty years or so later I don't think it hangs together.

Am I glad I read it?  Yes, definitely
Is it a good book?  Yes, especially for pondering big ideas about freedom
Is it a great book?  Perhaps not, but I am really glad I read it all the same

This is an absolutely amazing and insightful book! The point of view and time variations every other chapter make the story very lively, especially reaching the end of the book. Many scenes were emotional, and I really enjoyed the way Le Guin gave detailed descriptions of the moral dilemmas and philosophy of not only Shevek, but also the communit(y/ies) of Anarres and Urras. I think for the full affect, historical knowledge of feminism in the 1970s is helpful. There is also a scene that graphically depicts sexual assault at the very end of the party in Chapter 7. It is extremely difficult to think of Shevek as a 'likeable' or 'good' character after that and, despite this, the assault is never mentioned again. This reflection is due to a modern point of view though, and Le Guin's intention was in no way a support of Shevek's actions; she was attempting to show the moral corruption caused by the social and political systems on Urras, that managed to even infiltrate an anarchist such as Shevek. Overall, however, I think this is an important piece of feminist sci-fi of course, and I love the imagery and philosophy Le Guin describes.

Essential reading if you're a leftist who likes sci-fi! I thought The Left Hand of Darkness was good, but I wouldn't say it's one of my favourite books. But The Dispossessed now is.

One of the most interesting things about The Left Hand of Darkness for me was the mention of another planet in the federation without war or law enforcement. Now, this book apparently takes place before the federation was formed, but it's exactly about that. It's about an anarchist society, the capitalist society it clashes with, and a scientist caught between the two who wants to follow his passion. And it doesn't beat around the bush at all with its politics. No fantasy names for real-life political concepts. Instead you get moving criticisms of capitalism, authoritarianism, police brutality and patriarchy. Although Anarres isn't portrayed as flawless or as totally immune to what they were trying to escape (e.g. social capital creates a kind of hierarchy after all), you know that despite its flaws and hardships, it portrays a world more just than Urras on such a deep level.

I borrowed this from the university library, but I liked it so much, I might actually buy my own copy. My only real gripe with it is how [vague spoilers ahead] Shevek's accidental drunk night ends. He narrowly avoided becoming a character I couldn't root for anymore. Very narrowly. I think him getting drunk accidentally and not knowing what's happening/how to deal with it at all because Anarrestri don't drink makes perfect sense. I just don't like where that went...
Otherwise really fucking good!!