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

[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.

[jhall1.livejournal.com]

Have you read two recent books of hers, the novel "The Telling" and the short story collection "The Birthday of the World"? Both are excellent IMO.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

I don't think I have read those - I certainly don't have them on the shelf. There are three recent young adult books I haven't read either: Gifts, Voices and... another one.