#16. THE DISPOSSESSED By Ursula Le Guin

Published : 1974
Pages : 319
Overall Mark : 5/10

The Principle of Simultaneity will revolutionize interstella civilization by making possible instantaneous communication. It is the life work of Shevek, a brilliant physicist from the arid anarchist worl of Anarres. Shevek's work is being stifled by jealous colleagues, so he travels to Anarres's sister-planet Urras, hoping to find more tolerance there. But he soon finds himself being used as a pawn in a deadly political game.

URSULA LE GUIN (1929-)
Born in 1929, daughter of a famous anthropologist, Le Guin published her first novel in 1966. Her reputation as one of the world's leading SF and fantasy writers was established by A Wizard Of Earthsea (1968) and The Left Hand Of Darkness (1969) - a novel which, like The Dispossessed, won both the Hugo and Nebula awards.

VERDICT
This is a very confusing novel, which goes back and forth through time without really explaining what's happening and leaving it to the reader to figure out for themselves. Once this is figured out, the book does improve, andhas some interesting theories about communism and dictatorism, but the overall confusing tone does tend to get in the way of any potential enjoyment.