I have never been able to answer people who say, "You read a lot. So, what's your favorite book?" But if I had to answer, I think I would choose "Very Far Away from Anywhere Else." I found this book when I was a sophomore in high school, and I could not believe how well I understood Owen and Natalie, and how similar their lives were to mine. I still can't believe Le Guin fit so much into such a short book -- my paperback edition has only 87 pages.

The story unfolds like life, following the course of Owen and Natalie's friendship, in their senior year of high school. Owen narrates, at the end of the year, trying to figure out exactly what the year, and Natalie's friendship, meant to him.

But the story itself is not that important. Owen and Natalie themselves are the heart of the book, and are two of the most human characters I have ever encountered. Owen has never fit in with people, wants to be a scientist, and has trouble telling anyone what he really wants from life. Half of his trouble may be that he isn't quite sure what he wants. Natalie is a musician, who performs and teaches, but she is really a composer. Unlike Owen, she knows what she wants from life, and is following a careful plan to reach her goals. Of course, neither is really that simple; no real person can be summed up in two sentences, and neither can Owen and Natalie.

"Very Far Away from Anywhere Else" is a book which is easier to read than to explain, and any summary will lose the parts of the book that make it really worthwhile. If I could sum up the book for you, I doubt I would love it enough to reread it at least once a year. Let me close, then, by telling you how much I love this book. I own hundreds of books, and love at least half of them. Of all those books, this is the only one I brought to college this year. This is the one I take on all my trips. This is the one I read whenever I start to feel my life is pointless. This is the one that is dangerously close to falling apart, just because I read it so much.

Buy this. Read it. Trust me.

.... Two young teenagers searching for themselves and trying to find a path to the future revel in their friendship. It's a beautiful work. Each character gives an aspect of themselves to the reader and they draw you in so that the final conclusion is not as bitter as it seems. A quick read but one that never finishes. I've read it countless times, every time i need to search through my soul, i read this book. A must read!!!

This short novel speaks volumes to anyone who has ever felt different, not quite fitting in, but afraid to truly break away from the herd. Owen's doubts, fears and deep longing to be his own person are all too familiar and honest; his struggle toward real manhood, as opposed to the shallow, self-absorbed macho model of his peers, is even more relevant today. Natalie's determination to create and follow her own path is inspiring, never denying the hard work and sacrifice required, but never denying its joys, either. Together, theirs is a genuine relationship, rich, rewarding, transforming. Well worth reading at any age, the sooner this wonderful book is reprinted the better!

What is truly at the heart of the conflict between Athsheans and Terrans is the basic recognition that both are in fact, equally sentient. They are fellow human beings, who may have adapted differently to different environments, but who share much in spite of it. Selver is a sha'ab, a translator and god, who learns Terran culture and brings it back to his own. What he learns is murder and war. There is no reversing the knowledge of good and evil. The Athsheans have lost their Eden. Perhaps they will live more wisely than we Terrans have, but perhaps not.
What is fascinating about this story is that it does parallel cross-cultural affairs. We cannot afford to look at our enemy or rival and see them as fundamentally and irreconcilably different. We are all equal and more alike than different, black or white, Arab or Western or Native American Indian. A fascinating read, and I hope someone republishes it soon!

This novel moves along. No wasted words. Sharp, pertinent symbolism, surreal imagery, and great dialogue abound.

Unfortunately, I think Le Guin picked a title that prompts ordinary folk to go: huh? "The Word for World Is Forest," however, is a Le Guin masterpiece. It is charged with the best in her, the energy of her earlier days.

At her worst, Le Guin's writing can be pedantic and sleep-inducing. Yet she has written so much that is excellent that I cannot help but have a great deal of respect for her. This novel is one of the quickest jolts of science fiction fun that I have yet to experience. It moves swiftly, and its meaning stays with you for a long time.

On the planet Athshe, there is no word for war, there is no concept of murder, there is no language of hate. The world is one vast, green, gentle forest full of people who live between the world-time and the dream-time, who resolve their conflicts by means of ceremonial singing. Then the Terran League discovers Athshe's existence and a pattern of "colonization"-very similar to the exploitation of "primitive" cultures on Earth-begins to destroy the planet and its people; and, eventually, one young Athshean named Selver learns how to hate. On reading the back cover of "The Word for World is Forest" the novel struck me as being somewhat simplistic: good aliens live in tune with nature, evil destructive humans rape their planet, revenge ensues with tidy moral at the end. I was pleasantly surprised. The contrast between humans and Athsheans is much more than good-bad or nature-machine; the story is about more than the forced loss of innocence. Over the course of the novel Selver, whose wife was raped and killed by one of the human officers, becomes a god: he is the means by which new concepts are brought into the culture, and the concept which he learns and then teaches is war. The book is as much about the irreversible exchange of truly alien ideas as it is about anything.

Despite its seemingly formulaic premise, "The Word for World is Forest" is a thought-provoking and somewhat disturbing short novel written in Le Guin's usual poetic prose. It begins with the beautiful trick of transplanting the reader into the mind of the aggressor-Captain Davidson, the rapist and murderer of Selver's wife-and letting the reader absorb first his attitudes about the planet and its natives, then presenting the action from Selver's point of view, so that the reader finds all Davidson's stereotypes about the Athsheans suddenly shattered: a very effective switch, especially since it is obvious that Davidson is an unpleasant fellow, but so far there has been nothing to contradict his assumptions. The rest of the book will continue to change viewpoints in similar fashion, presenting different aspects of the action until finally, at the end, some resolution and understanding is discovered. The last line is both heartbreaking and irrefutable; it closes the book with the same strength with which it opens, and leaves the reader thinking. The book may not be as well-known as other stories set in Le Guin's Hainish universe, but it's a strong read whose points are subtle enough to keep the story from hitting the reader over the head with the moral but clear enough to raise questions. Also, like everything else Ursula Le Guin has ever written, it's done in language that reads like a dreamscape; which, considering the Athshean lifestyle, is most appropriate. "It doesn't take an old man or a great Dreamer to recognize a god! Where you go, fire burns; only the blind canot see it...I dreamed of you before we met here."

"The Dispossessed" describes a world I would like to live in.
Whithout personnel properties, whithout the need to own anything. No one will be rated for his belongings, but for his personality.
This is what communism is meant to be.
One of the books I read again and again. If I had to take only one book to take whith me on an island, this would be the one.
I really do not understand, why this book is no more printed.
Or is it for political reasons ?
I am really happy to own a copy.

"To break a promise is to deny the reality of the past; therefore it is to deny the hope of a real future." -- one of the more pertinent observations made in this outstanding book, one I found myself thinking about more than any other after reading it. Otherwise "The Dispossessed" is, among other things, an exploration of utopias, political systems and the politics of utopias. As usual Le Guin wraps all of these otherwise tiresome sounding political/philosophical themes into a very engaging SF story, with outstanding characters and a generally plausible storyline. It also falls among Le Guin's many books that subtly dissect humankind's rather high opinion of itself. . .

A great book that anyone interested in either utopian fiction or great science fiction will love. A strong plot told in a non-lineral fashion that makes you think about what freedom really is. I read this book on the recommendation I found in a Joanna Russ essay. Could not put it down, If you can find it, do your self a favor and read this book. The best book by her that I have read, even better than the Earthsea books.

I loved this book. Short and sweet, it's an ingenious example of a writer who likes to experiment in unusual perspectives. With creative abandon, LeGuin speaks to you as a tree, animals, and people from the future. In this book and others, she shows her ability to develop rich characters while going as far from "realism" as she can get. This book includes poems that are each short, meaningful, and awareness-building; if you're a writer they will inspire you to think outside the box. "The Wife's Story" is a must read, very intriguing! She is my favorite write by far!

This is amazing how Ursula K. Le Guin can write. When you are reading about her character you can feel their thoughts - you get new sense which enables you to live the life of the book. In "Buffalo Gals..." you learn about animals and you can take a look at the humankind from outside. Poems in the book show rather unexpectable aspects of what they describe - this is another great ability of UKL. But I recommend this book to the poeple who want to meditate about things, not just to read it.

This is a fantastic story with beautiful illustrations.

I bought it for my daughter when she was five. At the age of twelve it is still a favorite of hers, and for me as well. Since Le Guin has used techniques from oral traditions, it is simply wonderful to read aloud.

I think this is an example of a perfectly written short story. Everything in the story has a purpose. Not a word can be taken away without detracting from the story, and any additions would be superfluous.

This is one of the few books that will not be traded in or given to a library.

I purchased this book for my son, just because it was written by my favorite author. Although I immediately fell in love with it, I wasn't so sure what my 6 year old son would think of it, but, perhaps for different reasons than me, he insists on having it read to him frequently. Like any classic folktale, it uses a simple style and classic images to present timeless and complicated truths. The illustrations are gorgeous and evoke just the right feelings for the story.

Searoad: The Chronicles of Klatsand is a collection of short stories set in Oregon. For those who resist even the cream of the Science Fiction genre, these are pure fiction, and serve as a wonderful introduction to Le Guin's work. For previous fans, these are a must-read. The only draw back to the collection is that it has gone out of print- a tragedy for readers.

This is less of a review than a complaint and expression of disbelief that this book is no longer in print - meaning you have to hunt for it at used bookstores. "Searoad," a collection of short stories set in a small town on the Oregon coast, is a step away from the wonderful SF/fantasy stories that Le Guin normally writes. It is also, in my opinion, Le Guin's absolutely best work, and that's saying quite a bit. With "Searoad" Le Guin proved that she is a master fiction writer in any genre. I can't recommend this book enough - if you can find it.

What a wonderful story that captivated my children!! Not to mention that Julie Downing once again makes every story come alive with her illustrations. You can see the mouse dance and how she captured the twinkle in his eye was so fabulous!!! Any child will just love this book!!! Many thanks!

"Tom Mouse grew up in a hole in the wall of the diner in the station. His family was content with their cozy nest and the doughnut crumbs and bits of bacon they picked up in the diner. But Tom watched the great trains come into the station and leave again, and he wished he could go with them..." So begins Ursula Le Guin's sweet and lovely tale about a little mouse who yearns to leave home and see the big wide world he's heard so much about, and finds a companion to share his travels with. Tom kisses his family good-bye, scurries aboard a train headed for Chicago, and is off on what he hopes will be the beginning of a lifetime of adventures. Fortunately, he makes himself at home in Roomette Nine, along with its paying guest, Mrs Powers, an interesting and remarkable woman who, he finds, is not afraid of mice. In fact, she seems happy to have the company, and shares her snacks and conversation with Tom. As the trip continues these two form a special alliance, and decide together, that seeing the world would be even more fun and exciting with a friend..... Told in four short chapters, Ms Le Guin's simple, gentle text is complemented by Julie Brown's charming and expressive illustrations rendered in warm and soft, subdued tones. Together word and art bring this endearing little rodent and his story to life, and you can almost feel the motion of the train, and see the world rush by outside the window, as the train speeds on toward Chicago. Perfect for early readers, or as a read-aloud story the entire family can share together, Tom Mouse is a heartwarming and engaging tale of friendship and adventure that shouldn't be missed, and one of the best new pictures books of 2002.

Unlocking the Air is an interesting collection of stories that crosses over genres in LeGuin's style of bridging the misty realm of dreams with the sun-bright daytime world of movement and activity. To me she is an absolutely amazing artist.

No one can claim more breadth of talent that Ursula K. Le Guin. She's known to science fiction for her brilliant social-science fiction and to the fantasy world for her world of Earthsea, making her one of the few truly original writers in each of those fields. But here she proves that she is not limited by the stereotypes and discriminations of genre writing. They might call this "mainstream" compared to her other writing: it generally doesn't involve other worlds; but Le Guin is entirely incapable of doing anything "mainstream;" it's still her, and she's still the best. These stories are beautiful to read. They are never too light, never too serious: always playful, always pointed. She flirts with ideas of reality, throwing the traditional existential questions out the window. "Ether, OR" tells the story of a town in Oregon that moves from place to place from multiple perspectives. "Unlocking the Air" is about wars and rumors of wars in a small, nonexistent European country (the same Orsinia from "Orsinian Tales" and "Malafrena"). "Sunday in Summer in Seatown" is a simple prose poem. She's always pushing the edge, pushing herself. It seems that she's succeeded again.

Although it is not as famous as some of his earlier science fiction books (or "scientific romances", as they were then called), and is not an absolute classic like those books are, The First Men In The Moon is nevertheless a delightful and important satrical SF novel. Also, its importance in the development of modern science fiction cannot be overestimated. Although numerous books before had dealt with a story set on another world (let us here, for the sake of convenience, refer to the Moon as a "world"), Wells's book is the first to make it convincingly real. Although, one hundred years on, much of the novel's science is dated and Well's Moon is far different from how we now know it to be, nevertheless, Wells here created a world out of his own imagination, and describes it with such a convincing level of detail that one actually feels like they are there. And the science, indeed, was, in fact, quite up-to-date for the turn of the century. The structure and format of the novel also was highly influential: one will see immediately upon reading it just how much modern science fiction owes to this novel, and to Wells (and yet, Wells himself borrowed prodigiously from previous books on the subject.) The book was originally supposed to end at Part I: Part II was added later by Wells after the book was already in the process of serialization. I think that the addition of Part II is what makes the book good instead of great. If it had ended as it originally would, it would still be a good book - a rousing adventure, an interesting yarn - but it would not be great. The second part makes the book a full-on satire - something that the earlier portion had merely hinted at. It sharply and bitingly satarizes manking and his many follies, particularly war. This addition of satire and borderline philosophy makes the novel a truly great one. I read an essay on this book that said it differs from Wells's earlier SF novels because it is not grim. I beg to differ. The ending, to me, seems quite grim, indeed. Although it does not involve the imminent extinction of man himself as earlier works did, it is nonetheless quite pessimistic and grim. The addition of the second part of the novel and the ending also pave the way for Wells's later works - ... This is a true science fiction classic that deserves to be more highly-regarded than it is.

What always gets me with Wells is the forcefulness of his imagination -- his ability to construct powerful, symbolically resonant setpieces based upon the scientific ideas of his time. In the final pages of "The Time Machine" he gave us one of the great apocalyptic visions in all of literature. In "The First Men in the Moon," he gives us a magnificently alien setting, full of bizarre moments -- jumping about the lunar surface in 1/6 G; the Giddy Bridge and the Fight in the Cave of the Moon-Butchers; the bizarre lunar ecology, in which all the plants die every night and are reborn each dawn.

Scientifically, much of this stuff doesn't hold up after a hundred years. And the device he comes up with to get his characters to the moon -- Cavorite -- is without basis, an arbitrary magical tool not unlike the time machine. Even when Wells' science is iffy, though, he presents it in such a clear, convincing fashion that you are only too glad to suspend disbelief while the story unfolds.

In the Selenites we have a metaphor for a different type of society -- rigidly hierarchical, with the needs of the individual sublimated to the whole. The metaphor obviously comes from social insects; though it became a sci-fi cliche, it was still fresh circa 1901. In the remarkable last section of the book (Cavor's communications from the moon), Wells describes the Selenite society with delightful attention to detail. He ends with a haunting, unforgettable image, and probably the best closing sentence of any sci-fi novel.

Cavor, a genius, invents a material that allows him to build a Gravity-Defying Sphere. Soon he and a young, and very greedy, businessman use it to go to the moon. They find not only life, but the Selenites, a culture who can change their shape to fit their jobs. In other words, form is designed for the function of their class or in this case their caste. Over them rules the Grand Lunar, a being whose large brain gives him awesome power and foresight beyond even the businessman who tells us the story. Both characters show their human merits and their very human flaws. Not science fiction as much as a book on society.

I got this because it's got Susan Seddon Boulet as the illustrator. That's all. And that's more than worth it. The pictures here are so beautiful...if you have the Retrospective book, then you've only seen a very small portion of the visual feast that is Buffalo Gals.

The story...the story is an odd one. Fan's of Charles de Lint will like this book, for the characters are very similar to his "animal people." The idea of a female Coyote demi-diety is great! However, the ending was a little rushed and contrived. I actually blinked and re-read the last few paragraphs to make sure that I hadn't missed something.

What a powerful combination of work. I haven't seen this particular version of Buffalo Gals (have a weathered paperback copy from a used book shop), but it is such a wonderful collection of stories. I especially like the story for which the book is named. And Boulet was a phenomenal visual artist, her spirit definitely lives on in her work. I can just imagine what a nice gift a copy of this book would be for someone. To pair the art of these wonder-women was a real act of genius.

This is a marvellous collaboration between a wonderful writer and superb artist. Le Guin's captivating story is brought to life by Boulet's dynamic paintings.

It is a story of the relationships among humans, animals and nature as the old ones, the animals, struggle to adapt and survive amid human expansion into their realm.

This subject is a natural for Boulet, whose work has always focused on these themes. There are 22 paintings of animals given human characteristics so vivid you feel you can see into their souls.

This is a wonderful book for an older child. It subtly teaches important lessons in life with a very entertaining story. Any fan Boulet's work will find it a welcome addition to their library.