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Cover of The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin

The Dispossessed

by Ursula K. Le Guin

Two opposed societies reveal how revolutionary ideals can harden into conformity without becoming simple villains.

Published
1974
Setting
Shelf rating
4.8

The story, briefly

Spoiler-free

Le Guin compares an anarchist society and a wealthy capitalist one without making either an easy answer. Even equality develops informal power and rules people fear challenging.

Why we recommend it

  1. Revolution without the easy answer

    It takes Orwell's question about betrayed ideals into a more complicated political world.

What this book explores

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References

References

The sources below include the primary text, editions, scholarship, archival materials, and other records that informed this page. They document The Dispossessed, its publication, and its place in literary history.

  1. 1The Dispossessed — Open Library ISBN catalogue

    Official record
    Open Library, Internet Archive
    Used for

    Open Library ISBN catalogue used to verify the title, ISBN, and publication metadata.

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  2. 2The Dispossessed — Google Books edition record

    Official record
    Google Books
    Used for

    Google Books catalogue record used to cross-check the title and edition metadata.

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  1. 3The Dispossessed — Internet Archive ISBN catalogue

    Official record
    Internet Archive
    Used for

    Internet Archive ISBN catalogue used to cross-check the edition and its availability in library holdings.

    View source

  2. 4The Dispossessed — Library of Congress books catalogue

    Official record
    Library of Congress
    Used for

    Library of Congress books catalogue used to cross-check the bibliographic record by ISBN.

    View source
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Why these sources are here

The primary text is the baseline reference for every book page. Additional references document publication history, interpretation, and historical context where that evidence is available.

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