I was waffling between giving it a 4.25 and a 4.5 for a while, but ultimately landed on a 4.5 for even though I didn't enjoy reading it quite as much as I enjoyed reading, say, Parable of the Talents (which I gave a 4.5), the overall concept of the novel is perhaps even more interesting! The whole theme of alienness is fascinating, and I would've loved to discuss this book in school or a book club with other people. What would it be like for someone who doesn't know possession, capitalism, or money at all to be thrust into those concepts and the effects they have on a society? I particularly liked the back and forth chapter structure, as seeing things develop simultaneously in the "past" on Anarres and the "present" on Urras made for very effective story development and left some things mysteries until the novel's end. The only downfall for me was at times, the physics concepts got a bit too dense and convoluted, but I think that says more about my struggles with physics (and sci-fi, for that matter) than it does about Le Guin's fabulous novel. Hope to read more of her work soon!