Books, books, bootiful books, bootiful pea green books

[altariel]

I went book splurging yesterday and, amongst other goodies, picked up three of Doris Lessing's Canopus in Argos series. Unfortunately, they are the middle three. I gather they're independent novels, so can I just dive in with these, or is it still better to wait until I find a copy of Shikasta before starting on them?

Also: Argos, heh. The future has a black ash finish.

I was also finally able to visit the alternative bookshop over the bridge on Mill Road (it's closed on Mondays, the day I'm usually down there, at the yumptious Black Cat Cafe). It delivered up two very cheap copies of The Dispossessed, the recent reprint with the brilliant cover. One has already found a home, but I feel like running a magazine-style competition, so if you'd like this spare, leave a comment explaining why you should have it, and I shall award it to the best answer. (ETA: juno_magic has really raised the stakes on this one!)

This also reminds me that I wanted to do a poll on the lines of "Bach? Or Beethoven?" about Le Guin novels. This is a chance for all those who answered WRONGLY on that poll to get their names off my "when the revolution comes" list. Such generous festive spirit!

[Poll #1109058]

Comments

[the-wild-iris.livejournal.com]

All the times I've walked up and down Mill Road, and I've only just got 'Libra Aries'.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

Oh, me too, now you say it!

[sallymn.livejournal.com]

This is a chance for all those who answered WRONGLY on that poll to get their names off my "when the revolution comes" list. And anyone who gets it wrong a second time??? :)

[altariel.livejournal.com]

I might not wait for the revolution ;-D

[copracat]

Hand to my heart, I cannot choose between them.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

Good answer!

Re: Offering a Good Home to All Kinds of Books!

[altariel.livejournal.com]

*is awed beyond belief!*

Re: Offering a Good Home to All Kinds of Books!

[applegnat.livejournal.com]

* applauds * I would send you my books if I could, you've shamed me. :)

Re: Offering a Good Home to All Kinds of Books!

[septentrion1970.livejournal.com]

I wish I could be as eloquent.

Re: Offering a Good Home to All Kinds of Books!

[oloriel.livejournal.com]

That must be the best reason I've ever got to read. *g*

Now if I didn't want to keep all my books for myself.... ;)

[jhall1.livejournal.com]

I've read and enjoyed both, a lomg time ago (I ought to reread them). I voted for "The Left Hand", which I fear was probably the wrong answer. Of course, they are different animals, since the first is really fantasy (with some SF trappings) and the other is quite "hard" SF.

What I liked about "The Dispossessed" was that initially it seemed that we were being presented with a straight contrast between a Utopia and a Dystopia, and it only gradually became apparent that it was far more complex than that. In fact for a while Le Guin had me fooled into thinking that she actually approved of her "Utopia" and that she might actually see its faults as virtues.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

I really like that ambiguity about The Dispossessed too. Most utopias are giving you the sales pitch, but TD examines all the flaws as well.

[kalypso-v.livejournal.com]

I do like The Dispossessed, and was thinking of it only recently. Just not quite as much as I like The Left Hand of Darkness.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

I should get round to reading LHoD. It's ages since I've read it. It didn't blow me away, the way that The Dispossessed did.

[ex-lark-asc.livejournal.com]

I haven't read 'The Disposessed', only the other one. Does that make me a lost sheep in need of saving?

[altariel.livejournal.com]

Ooh, now that's a good pitch...

[muninnhuginn]

Also: Argos, heh. The future has a black ash finish.
I thought that was the 80s. It's when bought my stuff. Does that make me fashionable? (Winces at the thought of being fashionable in Argos' terms.)

I'm afraid I voted for The Left Hand of Darkness merely because of the "left" in the title. I'm otherwise indifferent/equally enamored.

Can lend missing Canopuses Canopi volumes of Canopus.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

I might just take you up on that offer - thanks! Do you think I need to read them in sequence?

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

My answer to your poll question: Yes. :)

[altariel.livejournal.com]

Resist categorization! Quite right too!

[metamorphosa.livejournal.com]

I won't answer the poll having never read either of those books, however I just wanted to say I loved that book shop on Mill Road! I think I actually skipped down the pavement towards it when I spotted it for the first time, and found several of the books I wanted to buy, though I'm more interested in the non-fiction sections.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

Yes, you must have had a field day :-)

[communicator.livejournal.com]

On the Argos question, I am pretty sure you can start anywhere, though I read them as they came out. They are a bit peculiar, but full of ideas of course.

I chose The Dispossessed and then had to edit the poll to change my answer. I think Left Hand made me read the Tao Te Ching: though the Dispossessed made me interested in anarchism... difficult one

[altariel.livejournal.com]

Thanks. I'll take them away with over Xmas, I think, and see how they get on. Just finishing up The Golden Notebook.

I read her translation of the Tao Te Ching earlier in the year, as I was reading Always Coming Home.

[kradical.livejournal.com]

You can't go wrong with either book, but The Left hand Hand of Darkness always wins. It's a rule. *grin* Great great book.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

I must reread it. The Dispossessed is close to being a perfect novel, in my mind.

Still time to redeem yourself by voting correctly on the Bach-Beethoven poll! ;-D

[katlinel.livejournal.com]

Yay for book splurges! I notice that on the Black Cat Cafe review they say that the 30-something, spectacle-wearing woman reading a novel manuscript is part of the arty theme. You ambience, you.

*reads poll*

*notes absence of ticky boxes*

*cries*

*stuffs The Left Hand of Darkness down knickers and stuffs The Dispossessed into bra*

*sings "You can't take Le Guin from me"*

So I did tick an answer but I am being less than truthful because I am not choosing between them really, so there. *hopes this allows me not to be on the "when the revolution comes" list*

[altariel.livejournal.com]

It was a thoroughly satisfying splurge. I also got Susan Brownmiller's book about rape, Kropotkin's Mutual Aid, and Tanith Lee's Drinking Sapphire Wine/Don't Bite the Sun.


*stuffs The Left Hand of Darkness down knickers and stuffs The Dispossessed into bra*

*hearts you*


*sings "You can't take Le Guin from me"*

Then, Cinders, you shall keep both! :-)


*hopes this allows me not to be on the "when the revolution comes" list*

Aren't you going to be Chief Head Henchwoman? *soulful eyes*

[kerravonsen]

Actually, I couldn't answer "neither" in the poll, but my favourite LeGuin in that universe is probably "City of Illusions". With the two books on the poll, you ask me tomorrow and I'd probably give a different answer. My vague recollections of them I'd probably say that I liked the characterisation better in The Left Hand of Darkness, and the ideas better in The Dispossessed.

It's been too long since I read any Le Guin. But I've got "Gifts" on my To Read list.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

I'll be interested in hearing what you think of Gifts: I haven't read any of that series, although they do look very beautiful on the shelf in the bookshop...

[espresso-addict.livejournal.com]

I enjoyed LHoD, but The Dispossessed is the best sf novel I can recall reading.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

I'd agree with that. God, she's good! I hope she gets the Nobel as well.