Listen to a sample
The Dispossessed
Hainish Cycle (Related to this series)
- Author
- Ursula K. Le Guin
- Narrator
- Roddy Doyle, Tim Treloar
- Publisher
- Orion
- Publish Date
- 3 October 2019
- Run Time
- 12 hours 27 minutes
- Format
- Audiobook
- Genre
- Fiction: literary and general non-genre, Classic fiction: literary and general, Science fiction
- Rating
- 4.8 (6 reviews)
What to expect
'There was a wall. It did not look important - even a child could climb it. But the idea was real. Like all walls it was ambiguous, two-faced. What was inside it and what was outside it depended upon which side of it you were on...'
Shevek is brilliant scientist who is attempting to find a new theory of time - but there are those who are jealous of his work, and will do anything to block him. So he leaves his homeland, hoping to find a place of more liberty and tolerance. Initially feted, Shevek soon finds himself being used as a pawn in a deadly political game.
With powerful themes of freedom, society and the natural world's influence on competition and co-operation, THE DISPOSSESSED is a true classic of the 20th century.
Featuring a new introduction written and read by Roddy Doyle
(p) The Orion Publishing Group Ltd 2019
Critics Review
-
The book I wish I had written ... It's so far away from my own imagination, I'd love to sit at my desk one day and discover that I could think and write like Ursula Le Guin
THE TIMES
-
The Dispossessed paints a hopeful; and complex portrait of a society rooted in collectivism
Naomi Klein
-
An extraordinary work ... [Le Guin] created a working society in exquisite detail ... a fully realised hypothetical culture [as well as] living breathing characters who are inevitable products of that culture
-
This remains a challenging and urgent book
Guardian
See more reviews See fewer reviews
-
A well told tale signifying a good deal; one to be read again and again
THE TIMES
-
Le Guin's book ... is so persuasive that it ought to put a stop to the writing of prescriptive Utopias for at least 10 years
NEW YORK TIMES
-
Le Guin is a writer of phenomenal power
OBSERVER
-
I think that everyone on earth, and everyone who cares about being alive, should read THE DISPOSSESSED
adrienee maree brown
-
A seamless creation: everything is made up, nothing seems arbitrary
New York Times Book Review
-
[Le Guin had] the heart of a poet who knew all too well the difference between miracle and eureka, revelation and revolution
Publishers Weekly
-
One of our finest projectionists of brave old and other worlds
Kirkus Reviews
-
One of the great American political novels . . . Full of intrigue and drama
LA Review of Books
-
Written with thought, care - even love
Times Literary Supplement
-
Le Guin's storytelling is sharp, magisterial, funny, thought-provoking and exciting, exhibiting all that science fiction can be
Empire
-
The Dispossessed is still one of Sci-Fi's' smartest books . . . Remains a thoughtful exploration of politics and economics nearly 50 years later
Wired
-
A deeply imagined work of art
Encyclopedia of Science Fiction
-
Dystopia and utopia are entwined in Le Guin's story of hierarchy-bound Urras and its anarchist neighbour planet Anarres. With stylish prose and intellectual rigour, Le Guin charts the journey of young physicist Shevek, whose theories cause upheaval on both planets, as he struggles to survive, falls in love and contemplates human society
i Paper
-
A work of extraordinary imagination and compassion
Atlantic
-
Le Guin's most philosophical novel ... a study of character, ideology and the constant of change
New York Times
-
Le Guin's characters, especially Shevek and his family, are complex and haunting, and her writing is remarkable for its sinewy grace
Time
-
One of the most important science fiction novels of the last several years
Library Journal
-
I would be hard pressed to think of another novel that made as strong an impression on me
Anthony Ha, author of LOVE SONGS FOR MONSTERS
-
THE LEFT HAND OF DARKNESS and THE DISPOSSESSED challenged me to reimagine what human culture might look like - challenged me to imagine how we might throw off the death grip of capitalism, and its attendant values of patriarchy and racism. In each of them, I was transported by Le Guin's prose - lyrical and rich and deliberate in its rhythms. And in each one of them, I found, there was a scene I stopped to reread, sometimes more than once - a scene so powerful it actually moved me to tears
Literary Hub
User Reviews
Book 4.8
Narration 4.5
-
5.0 5.0
Glad to finally get my ears on this after many recommendations. Great voice characterisation.
TB 2025-11-20 -
5.0 5.0
This is truly a masterpiece and a modern classic. I was initially a bit disappointed with what I saw as veiled references to Stanford experiment as I don't like SF which only relabels known science, but my disappointment was misplaced. This is a very moving book, comprising thoughts on individual freedom, society, human condition, feminism and so much more. All flowing gracefully like poetry where the only rhyme is the slowly moving plot. The inverted utopia was also such a clever narrative invention.
The narration is impeccable.AlmostSurelyRob 2024-09-19
Details
- Author
- Ursula K. Le Guin
- Narrator
- Roddy Doyle, Tim Treloar
- Duration
- 12 hours 27 minutes
- Release Date
- 3 October 2019
- ISBN
- 9781473229495
- Format
- Audiobook
- Publisher
- Orion
- Genre
- Fiction: literary and general non-genre, Classic fiction: literary and general, Science fiction
- Rating
- 4.8(6 reviews)
- Narration
- 4.5(6 reviews)
Synopsis
One of the very best must-read novels of all time - with a new introduction by Roddy Doyle'There was a wall. It did not look important - even a child could climb it. But the idea was real. Like all walls it was ambiguous, two-faced. What was inside it and what was outside it depended upon which side of it you were on...'Shevek is brilliant scientist who is attempting to find a new theory of time - but there are those who are jealous of his work, and will do anything to block him. So he leaves his homeland, hoping to find a place of more liberty and tolerance. Initially feted, Shevek soon finds himself being used as a pawn in a deadly political game.With powerful themes of freedom, society and the natural world's influence on competition and co-operation, THE DISPOSSESSED is a true classic of the 20th century.Featuring a new introduction written and read by Roddy Doyle (p) The Orion Publishing Group Ltd 2019
About xigxag
xigxag is an independent, UK-based audiobook platform and the UK's only B Corp certified audiobook company. We offer nearly 150,000 audiobooks, all with professional human narration. No AI-generated voices. xigxag is rated an Ethical Consumer Best Buy for audiobooks and a top-rated ethical bookshop.
There is no subscription. You buy the audiobooks you want, you own them permanently, and prices start at $13.95. The more you listen over the year, the less you pay per book, and there is always a selection in Listen for Less from $7.95. You can also send audiobooks as gifts using our audiobook gift cards or in-app gifting.
Every audiobook on xigxag has honest reviews covering both the book and the narration, and our community features make it easy to share what you are listening to, discover what others recommend, and find your next listen.
Download or stream on iOS, Android, or in your browser. Browse the full catalogue at xigxag.co.uk.