Rat 🛸

I was expecting a weird maths fantasy and instead I got that with additional feminism? So yeah good book

I really love how UKLG does world-building; she doesn't do it for the sake of thinking of fun character names or wondrous settings or exciting aliens. She does it to delve into the question of how another society would work, whether we could truly live beholden to each other rather than to governments and money. The society is so fleshed out with it's virtues and flaws and characters who make the world operate.

in terms of the narrative, I did enjoy, but felt that more could have happened for Shevek on Urras. The conversations were interesting but the plot was thin. I would have liked him to go to Thu, as he always generalises "this is what it's like on Urras" when he has only experienced one government there.

even with the slow plot (until the last quarter!!) I did really enjoy. I am very interested in Anarchism, I believe in some anarchist ideals, and I think that Le Guin does well to create a situation that makes anarchism work. One of the reasons I don't believe Anarchism could work within my lifetime is that no matter your form of government (or lack of government) you will still have the same people in your society; there will still be enough greedy people, cruel people and apathetic people to exploit others if they are not restrained from doing so. On Annares, there are only people who have chosen to be there, only people who believe in the cause, so this problem is solved by social pressure.

There were aspects of the descriptions of Urras that really haunted me, the beauty and brutality of a capitalist society rich in natural resources.

some things are really funny on reread like Finnicks seeming obsession with bread and Katniss being oblivious to everyone flirting with her.

Beetee, Wiress and Mags are Sooo good. the bit where it describes Haymitchs games is iconic. I love and hate it.

there's so much nudity in this book?? like not only is there the famous Johanna scene but she's also naked during training and at one point the main characters all lose their outer clothes and are just in underwear for the rest of the games? what??

I felt like I was entering another world when reading this.  Made me think of Britain's colonial crimes and how the ongoing effects are often swept under the rug and overlooked.

yesss I can really see the appeal now. once you start looking for what aspects of this are teen girl wish fulfillment it's soo full of it in a way that makes you go "good for her". We have: - Everyone being in love with Bella. seriously it's like 6-7 men. - power fantasy of being the only one who can influence a powerful man. - being extremely special and "not like other girls". Like literally being the only one who can't have her mind read. - being forcefemmed by Alice so that you can have a tasteful dress and curled hair without sullying your Not-Like-Other-Girls reputation

I love Alice so much in this. if I don't read all the other Twilight books I will at least read all the extracts about Alice and Rosalie's back stories.

The beginning in Forks where she's just vibing and it's raining and there's trees... kind of want a whole book of that.