I had always imagined a resource scarce society like Anarres would adopt a more totalitarian or Militaristic society (think Mars in The Expanse) so I was very interested by this approach. Around the 200 page mark, it struck me that Odo’s philosophy was maybe more in line with Emma Goldman’s definition of Anarchism (quite a d’oh moment since all the Urras people kept calling him an anarchist, I just thought it was out of contempt) and sort of libertarian Marxism. Although I realized quickly that Odo’s teachings were not based on socialist or communist ideas, I was truly puzzled at what exactly were these guiding principles. I think this really captured well the fact that language is an insight into the mechanics and culture of a society.Įarly on I thought it was going to be a simple communist vs capitalist argument, but of course I was mistaken.
Also, the concept of “egoising” was fascinating. I highlighted several phrases throughout where the author was trying to explain how Pravic lacked certain words or why there wasn’t a direct translation, for example, the Anarresti have the same word for work and play, and the closest translation for “having had a woman” was rape. And I have to say, for me personally, Le Guin’s approach is superior. It immediately brought to mind a book I read recently - A Memory called Empire - because of the focus on language and miscommunication. Especially since they have a common history but have branched out enough to be just the right amount of alien to each other, where things can be lost in translation and certain nuances.
I really enjoyed the way the author showcased the differences in language, morals, ideology and perspective between the two societies of Anarres and Urras. I cannot wait to explore her other works. Le Guin and I have to say I am absolutely blown away. This is the first book I have ever read by Ursula K.
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