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The Dispossessed American Classics Edition

by Ursula K. Le Guin

Two worlds, competing ideas

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AlbakiReads Editorial

Two worlds, competing ideas

Ursula K. Le Guin places physicist Shevek between Anarres, an anarchic and isolationist world, and wealthy Urras, where national conflict coexists with extremes of poverty and wealth. His journey brings the societies’ opposing arrangements into contact, while his scientific work and effort to cross their ideological divide make him a point of contention. The novel examines anarchism and capitalism alongside individualism, collective life, separation, and the possibility of communication across political differences. Its paired-world premise gives these questions a concrete setting: Shevek encounters people and institutions that challenge his expectations on both sides of the divide.

Good fit for readers who enjoy

  • Readers interested in science fiction organized around contrasting societies and political ideas.
  • Those exploring themes of anarchism, capitalism, individualism, and collectivism.
  • Le Guin readers seeking a novel centered on a physicist’s journey between two worlds.

Themes

Anarchism and capitalismIndividualism and collectivismPolitical division and communicationSeparation and home

Based on publisher information and book metadata.

Book overview

One of The Atlantic's Great American Novels / Winner of the Hugo, Locus, and Nebula Awards

"Le Guin expanded the boundaries of fiction not just by committing to its revolutionary capacities butalso by considering deeply, and with great clarity, other ways of being. The Dispossessed, hermost intricate and beautifully realized book, . . . a moving story that is also about loneliness, will, andwhat it means to return home. More than a novel, this is an ontological work of extraordinaryimagination and compassion." -- Meng Jin, The Atlantic

In celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States, HarperCollins is proud to present thislibrary of American classics drawn from our storied catalog. The Dispossessed is Ursula K. Le Guin'sHugo, Locus, and Nebula Award-winning classic, a masterful, thought-provoking tale of anarchismand capitalism, individualism and collectivism, and one ambitious man's quest to bridgethe ideological chasm separating two worlds.

It's the spellbinding story of anarchist Shevek, the galactically famous physicist from the severely isolationist and anarchic Anarres. In the face of great hostility, outright threats, and the pain of separation from his family, Shevek makes an unprecedented trip to the rich mother planet, Urras, defined by warring nations, great poverty, and immense wealth. Greater than any concern for his own well-being is the belief that the walls of hatred, distrust, and philosophic division between his planet and the rest of the civilized universe must be torn down.

Upon his arrival, he finds not the egotistical philistines he expected, but an intelligent, complex people who warmly welcome him. But soon Shevek and his work are seen as a threat, and in the profound conflict that ensues, he must reexamine his beliefs even as he ignites the fires of change.

 

  • A BEAUTIFUL PACKAGE WITH FLAPS: Featuring French flaps and a unique vivid cover design, each book in the collection is published as a deluxe trade paperback that is a part of a stunning series look.
  • HARPER COLLINS AMERICAN CLASSICS: This series includes timeless novels, poetry, children's books, and groundbreaking nonfiction that has shaped American thought, literature, and identity across generations.
  • AMERICA'S PUBLISHER: Since its founding in 1817, no American publisher has been so entwined in the history of American letters. Our books enrich, challenge, and defined the American spirit.
  • AMERICA 250: The HarperCollins American Classics arrive in time for America's 250th anniversary celebrations.
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