3 Modern Classics | The Dispossessed, The Last Unicorn, & The Old Man & the Sea

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

Hooray for Le Guin! I happened to hear Allen discoursing upon his experience with The Dispossessed. Suffice to say that his tone about the book differed slightly from yours, and for some reason he was of the opinion that I would align with you rather than him if I were to read it. Ha ha! I do, in fact, intend to read The Dispossessed later in 2024, so we shall see! Cheers, Johanna!

[@Johanna_reads]

I couldn’t have had a more perfect introduction to Le Guin! The Dispossessed won me over. What’s funny is that every time Allen hate-read quotes, I ended up loving those passages and what Le Guin was doing even more 😂. I hope you and I are on the same team, and I can’t wait to hear your thoughts, Philip!

[@paulwilliams6913]

Pretty sure there isn’t a single timeline in which you don’t like The Dispossessed, Philip ;)

[@adamk42]

The Dispossessed. What a great novel. Probably in my top 3 greatest books of all time because I was enthralled for the entirety of it. That sounds hyperbolic but it was the right book at the right time for me. Very glad you enjoyed it!

[@Johanna_reads]

Not hyperbolic at all! It became an instant favorite, and I'm already looking forward to rereading it someday. Thank you so much!

[@davidranderson1]

Great title for the video! Le Guin is always a win. I'm glad you enjoyed it. I love The Dispossessed. It's obviously about the interactions (or lack there of) of two societies that are structured very differently (one capitalist, patriarchal and authoritarian, the other socialist, egalitarian and anarchist), but it's also about the individual. Shevek is a great stand-in for the reader. His questions are ours. In a society, where can you put your trust and ultimately not feel let down? Shevek ends up experiencing the best and worst of both worlds. He sees the upsides and downsides of both government and grassroots control, egalitarianism and meritocracy, socialism and capitalism. It's a very human story because Shevek comes to recognize that no system is perfect and no person is perfect, so all you can do is just keep trying.

[@Johanna_reads]

Beautifully said about The Dispossessed! Le Guin did a brilliant job contrasting the two societies and presenting Shevek's questions and sense of isolation on both worlds. The trust question is so profound. Thank you for sharing that!

[@GavinReadsItAll]

“Le Guin for the Win” haha LOVE that!! Looking forward to watching this 😄

[@Johanna_reads]

Thank you, Gavin!! 😄

[@KFoxtheGreat]

I am so delighted that you enjoyed The Dispossessed! Le Guin is one of my favorite authors so it always warms my heart when she gets mentioned :)

[@Johanna_reads]

I'm so happy to hear she's one of your favorite authors! If The Dispossessed is any indication of future experiences, she will definitely be one of mine!

[@laurablakeauthor]

The rhyming title on the thumbnail is great 😊Looking to try her work soon!

[@Johanna_reads]

I couldn’t resist! 😅 I hope you enjoy reading from Le Guin!

[@curtjarrell9710]

Hi Johanna. I plan to read Le Guin, and The Last Unicorn at some point. I was surprised to hear the Hemingway novella didn't engage you emotionally. This book was the first of his work that DID grab me and make me care. The part which won me over was early in the story. He describes the hut where the fisherman lives. He mentions his late wife and the fact that he doesn't have any pictures of her on display because he would miss her too much. I identify with that depth of love and grief. Thanks for this vid. I appreciate what you do here.

[@Johanna_reads]

Hi Curt, I can understand deeply connecting to the Fisherman. I wish I could tell you why it didn't quite engage me while reading the book, but I did appreciate that character upon reflection. Thank you so much and happy reading!

[@paulwilliams6913]

It was my privilege, just last night, to attend a special online lecture about Le Guin and utopianism, taught by Karen Joy Fowler and Brian Attebery. It was wonderful! I love The Dispossessed (it’s my favorite of her sci-fis that I’ve read so far). As you note, despite Le Guin’s own unapologetic ideological bent, the book is strikingly lucid and honest about the differing virtues and vices of each society. And of course the writing is wonderful, Shevek is an impressively drawn character, and the novel just has all the great stuff we could want from a novel. Good show!

[@Johanna_reads]

You beautifully described The Dispossessed, and that online lecture must have been fantastic! I'm so happy to hear about that!

[@paulwilliams6913]

@@Johanna_reads I look forward to when you read more by Le Guin. I’m especially fond of Earthsea (my experience is similar to Philip’s), and I absolutely adore her Orsinian Tales collection, which is criminally under read. Granted, just about everything she wrote is worthwhile, whether fiction or non-fiction, even her poetry is pretty good.

[@MattonBooks]

I don’t know anyone who didn’t start Le Guin with Earthsea. 😆 But The Dispossessed is on my list for sometime soon, so very interesting to hear your thoughts! Sounds great, can’t wait! 🙂

[@MattonBooks]

Also: great to see someone reading some Hemingway! Ive noticed a really odd anti-Hemingway attitude around the place, which is a pity. He was such an amazing writer. You’re making me want to re-read some!

[@Johanna_reads]

Allen and I are breaking the Earthsea trend! 😄 My husband read the first two Earthsea books last year and loved them! I feel bad that I was kind of bored reading The Old Man and the Sea (it's one of my mom's favorites), but I agree that's he's an excellent writer, and I loved the discussion The Fantasy Thinker and I had.

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

You are always so eloquent! 😊 very well done!

[@dalejones4322]

I agree with you. This was a great video. I imagine the editing time wasn't too bad either

[@Johanna_reads]

I'm delighted you think so! 💜

[@MagusMarquillin]

I first read the Last Unicorn last year, though have long loved the film, and I loved the book even more so. 5/5 wistful stars. Here's maybe my favorite quote: “It's a rare man who is taken for what he truly is," Schmendrick said. "There is much misjudgment in the world. Now, I knew you for a unicorn when I first saw you, and I know that I am your friend. Yet you take me for a clown, or a clod, or a betrayer, and so I must be if you see me so. The magic on you is only magic and will vanish as soon as you are free, but the enchantment of error that you put on me I must wear forever in your eyes. We are not always what we seem, and hardly ever what we dream. Still I have read, or heard it sung, that unicorns when time was young, could tell the difference 'twixt the two, the false shining and the true, the lips' laugh and the hearts rue.” Beagle has such a concise, biting and poetic style that just enchants me, it's almost similar to Ursula le Guin's (though I've only read Wizard of Earthsea) and Ray Bradbury's. Last Unicorn also has some sequel short stories and novellas I want to get to, but it's fair to let a classic stand by itself for a time.

[@Johanna_reads]

I love that quote! It makes me eager to get the physical copy I ordered. Wistful and whimsical, Beagle balances so many elements into an enchanting tale. Thanks for sharing that! 🦄

[@andrewhanson405]

Great video! Le Guin does such a great job of wrestling with her Taoist Anarchist tendencies within fiction. I need to read more of her works.

[@Johanna_reads]

Thank you, Andrew! I also need to read more from Le Guin.

[@thefantasythinker]

Great to hear your thoughts on the Dispossessed. It's on the list for reading this year. Once again, thank you for the great discussion on The Old Man and the Sea!

[@Johanna_reads]

My pleasure! Thank you so much for reading and discussing The Old Man and the Sea with me! Hearing your thoughts deepened my appreciation of the story. I can't wait to hear your thoughts on The Dispossessed!

[@mattkean1128]

The Last Unicorn is one of my all time favorites. I really need to dig into his other works, especially now that he has control over them again.

[@Johanna_reads]

I didn't know he had lost control over his works! It was such a beautiful reread experience! I was kind of sad when it ended.

[@ghostdreamer7272]

Great to hear someone talk about these books!

[@Johanna_reads]

Thank you so much!

[@theresavk483]

I really enjoy your thoughtful book reviews. Coincidentally, I recently purchased the Last Unicorn to do a reread myself. I have special editions of the Hainish novels sitting on my bookshelf, but have yet to read them because I don't like dystopian-themed novels so much anymore. Although Le Guin is one of my favorite authors, so I'll get to them at some point. I wonder if the the Buddhist theme you mentioned might be related to the Tao Te Ching? If you didn't know, Le Guin published an English translation of the ancient text, which I recommend, and cites it as an inspiration. It's a beautiful little book and is now available on Audible with Le Guin narrating.

[@Johanna_reads]

Wow, I feel the same way about dystopian-themed books! I've avoided many popular titles because of that description. I took a risk with The Dispossessed, and it paid off for me. I did know that about Le Guin, and I'm going to guess the Buddhist influence was intentional. Maybe I'll check out that Tao Te Ching audiobook. Thank you and enjoy rereading The Last Unicorn!

[@liviajelliot]

Great title! I'm doing a LeGuin read this year, and The Dispossessed is one of the books I picked. I've been interested on Last Unicorn, but since you mentioned themes, and I love that, I may actually give it a chance! By the way, I wanted to mention how on point your reviews are--somehow you manage giving enough information to make a decision without going into spoilers, but touching all things I'm interested in knowing about a book. Thank you for that!!

[@Johanna_reads]

Thank you so much, Livia! That compliment makes me day! I look forward to hearing your thoughts on The Dispossessed and The Last Unicorn if you get to it!

[@BookishChas]

Excellent video Johanna! I very much want to read the Dispossessed at some point. The Last Unicorn sounds good too. I’m not really interested in Hemingway at all, but I’ve heard good things about that book. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on these. 😊

[@Johanna_reads]

Chas, I think you would love The Last Unicorn!!! If you read it, I highly recommend checking out the movie as well. Happy reading!

[@jakebishop7822]

Ya Allen! What Johanna said

[@Johanna_reads]

You did tell me it was an emotional read beforehand, and you were right! Allen is wrong. Haha!

[@Thecatladybooknook_PennyD]

I'm with you on The Old Man and the Sea. 😅 i did like A Farewell to Arms and its grown to love with more time away and more thought.

[@Johanna_reads]

I’m so glad I’m not alone! I did enjoy reflecting on the book afterward, and maybe I’ll enjoy some of his other books more. 😊

[@TomOrange]

I love The Old Man and the Sea. One of my favorites of all time. I think there are a lot of different ways to interpret it but I 100% can see how it would bore people lol

[@Johanna_reads]

I did love all the different ways of interpreting the story after finishing! You're in good company since a lot of people adore that book (it's also one of my mom's favorites). Thank you, Tom!

[@dalejones4322]

Great video Johanna. The discussion of prose was so interesting. That is a word that people use in so many different ways that it's hard to get a handle on. It's defined as"the ordinary form of spoke language, without metrical structure." Some people say books have good prose, bad prose, beautiful pose which is all subjective. Giving an example of the prose is a great idea and explaining it was so helpful. I am a sci-fi reader and a mutual friend of Whitney. Let me know if you plan to do more sci-fi reviews because I really liked this video and would love to subscribe.

[@Johanna_reads]

Thank you so much for watching and commenting! I'm not a prose expert, but I love learning about different techniques. I usually focus on fantasy, but I have been more and more interested in sci-fi lately. I'm planning to pick up Flowers for Algernon, In Ascension, Solaris, Ubik, and Snow Crash this year.

[@dalejones4322]

@@Johanna_reads that's great. I'm subscribing now so I can keep an eye out for the sci-fi videos. Thanks Johanna

[@MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm]

These are all on my TBR and I’m actually currently waiting on my library’s network to get The Dispossessed to me from another library. ❤️

[@Johanna_reads]

Hooray! I hope you enjoy The Dispossessed! ❤️

[@MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm]

@@Johanna_reads Just got it and started it last night. So far so good!

[@Gl1tch2263]

I look forward to reading all of these. Should be getting to The Last Unicorn within the next couple months. Haven’t been in the mood to start a new series in a while so I’m in need of good standalones to satiate my fantasy fix

[@Johanna_reads]

The Last Unicorn is a lovely, whimsical and thoughtful read. Not super high stakes but a good break from high epic fantasy series!

[@safinan8008]

Thank you for the booklist!! Happy reading to you!! 🎉

[@Johanna_reads]

Thank you for watching! Happy reading! 💙

[@pabloalfredomorelos8553]

Hello Johanna , if you enjoy the last unicorn, you need to read the short story "two hearts" , it's only 36 pages and it gives the story another depth.

[@Johanna_reads]

Thank you for the recommendation! I'll look it up!

[@cherylmccutchan1282]

My SFF book club is doing sort of a Le Guin marathon over the next few months. We read Lathe of Heaven in January, and Word for World is Forest is up in February. I loved Left Hand of Darkness and am looking forward to reading more of the Hainish novels, including The Dispossed.

[@Johanna_reads]

That is awesome! I look forward to reading more of Le Guin's sci-fi, including Left Hand of Darkness. Happy reading!

[@JAKandtheBookStack]

Ooh fun I love hearing about classics! I need to read some Hemingway as an adult.. but maybe not that one 😂 Last Unicorn will be fun, I don’t remember the movie much and I never read it as a kid!

[@Johanna_reads]

I had such high hopes for that Hemingway book, but I think I'm in the minority, if that's helpful. 😅 It was still fun to analyze and discuss it! I highly recommend watching The Last Unicorn movie after you read the book!

[@Danny_Matson]

I hope you get to Earthsea at some point. Her prose, like you said, is sometimes terse, but it hits to something so pure and real. I hear it called YA, and I'm sure young adults can find enjoyment in it, but the series after I read it feels like it can only be fully appreciated as an adult. I think you'll enjoy it. You've convinced me to add the Dispossessed to my TBR!

[@Johanna_reads]

My husband recently read the first two Earthsea books and loved them! I think he was surprised when I shared that they were originally intended for a younger audience. I'm certain I'll enjoy them someday! I hope you enjoy The Dispossessed!

[@Tetsujin-28]

Anne Bishop's The Black Jewel Trilogy. It's been on my TBR for months. I see that on your shelf....have you read it? Great content.

[@Johanna_reads]

A friend passed that Bishop trilogy to me when she was unhauling it. I haven't read it, but Bishop is an author I've intended to get to for quite a while. Thank you!

[@almaaguado347]

Hi Johanna, Interesting books! I have read the Dispossessed and I liked it. I have read several Le Guin books and up till now at least, I have find all of them full of interesting ideas or/and beautiful prose. Regarding Hemingway, I use to consider him my favority author when I was a teenager but El viejo y el mar, I didnt like it at all😅, really boring; instead I really loved Por quien doblan las campanas(For whom the bell toll), maybe because it was about a period of the history of Spain that my own grandparents have lived through when they were quite young. Wondering if I would like it the same now 🤔

[@Johanna_reads]

I've now heard a few people mention For Whom the Bell Tolls, so now I'm curious. I love hearing that connection with your grandparents. My great grandparents came from Spain, so now I'm going to have to look into that. Thank you so much!

[@RKStumblingbear]

The Last Unicorn was my sister's favorite movie for awhile and we watched it A LOT. I've never read the book though.

[@Johanna_reads]

I love the movie, and it’s been a while since I’ve seen it! It’s a great compliment to the book!

[@AuditingLondon]

All great books

[@Johanna_reads]

Thank you!

[@bartsbookspace]

I read The Dispossessed years ago and a lot of it went over my head; my English wasn't up to par then. I should re-read it soon. The Lathe of Heaven was the last Leguin I read and it was great. The protagonist reminded me, just a bit, of Stoner... He is minimalistic, unremarkable, and lacks agency for a good part of the book, but despite that, I connected with him. Some compare him to Shevik, but again it's been some 30 years for me. The last Unicorn sounds lovely. I especially like the idea of an incompetent wizard. 😂

[@Johanna_reads]

Bart, you know how to sell a book to me saying the Lathe of Heaven protagonist is like Stoner! 😄 I will have to check that out. I'm now eager to read more Le Guin! I loved Schmendrick the Magician! 😊

[@bartsbookspace]

@@Johanna_reads Schmedrick! OMG, what a perfect name. 😂

[@esmayrosalyne]

Not going to lie, I got kinda scared off from The Dispossessed after hearing Allen saying that it is capital A, capital S 'About Something' (LOL), but you've got me excited again! I really enjoyed The Left Hand of Darkness by her, so I am way overdue to check out more of her stuff! And same here about The Old Man & The Sea, that was a very lukewarm reading experience for me. I did appreciate the very atmospheric audibook narration though, that added some more emotion to it for me. Loved hearing your thoughts on these!

[@Johanna_reads]

Apparently, Allen has a response video in the works! 😆 The Dispossessed is in the same series as The Left Hand of Darkness, so I'm guessing there's a good chance that if you enjoyed one of those two, you might appreciate the other. 🤷🏻‍♀️ I hope you do! Sounds like we agreed about The Old Man and the Sea! Thank you, Esmay! ❤️

[@esmayrosalyne]

@@Johanna_readsHahaha I'll keep my eyes peeled for Allen's video then! And I had no idea they are in the same series, thanks for enlightening me 🥰

[@asajohannesson2012]

A friend gave For Whom the Bell Tolls by Hemingway, and I really liked that one. Though it’s not necessarily an easy read.

[@Johanna_reads]

That's good to know! Thank you for sharing that!

[@ExLibrisbyMikeBooklover]

Nice video! The Dispossessed is indeed a study in utopianism as Paul has pointed out and it is a really great book. However, to me, as a modern reader, the whole social system concept and comparison felt a bit outdated. I have also read The Old Man and the Sea and I agree that at some points it lost me.

[@Johanna_reads]

Thank you, Mike! For some reason, I'm still fascinated by contrasting societies. I appreciate hearing your honest thoughts on that one and The Old Man and the Sea!

[@evastrange]

Like you, I grew up watching The Last Unicorn, but I only read the book when I was in my late twenties, and I was surprised in a positive way by how philosophical it is, whereas I'd say the movie, by necessity, takes more of a simplified, moral approach. I need to re-read it and take more time with it than I did when I first read it. I'm sure I still missed a lot.

[@Johanna_reads]

Well worth rereading! I was surprised by how beautifully melancholy and philosophical it was while still being true to fairytales. The movie was fun though. 🙂

[@evastrange]

Oh, yes, it's still one of my favourite movies, and not just for nostalgic reasons.

[@verosnotebook]

Interesting parallel between Hemingway and Piranesi… Loved the latter ; never tried the former. Beagle has been on my radar but the title I have and want to read is A Fine and Private Place. And finally Le Guin 😊 Yes I want to read this one, and I reckon you’ll love Left Hand as well. My experience with that one was that at first, you feel very disconnected, due to the narrator, but slowly and progressively this changes…

[@Johanna_reads]

I loved Piranesi, and although I saw that parallel, I wasn’t as crazy about The Old Man and the Sea. I’m very excited to get to Left Hand of Darkness! I would say that The Dispossessed has a similar approach, and they’re both in the Hanish Cycle. I hope you enjoy The Dispossessed!

[@RedFuryBooks]

I somehow missed this video when it came out, but Allen mentioned it in his review of The Dispossessed. Nice to see two different sides to the coin! I did enjoy The Old Man and the Sea for the most part, but overall I admit that Hemingway really isn't an author for me.

[@Johanna_reads]

Yeah, Allen and I had completely different experiences of The Dispossessed. 😂 Hemingway might be an author I appreciate more than I enjoy reading from.

[@RedFuryBooks]

That's a perfect way to put it regarding Hemingway.

[@currangill430]

You should read The Left Hand of Darkness next if you haven't already! I too loved The Dispossessed!

[@Johanna_reads]

I really need to read it! So glad you also loved The Dispossessed!

[@currangill430]

@@Johanna_reads I've loved the books I've read of her so far. A certain someone hated it 😁

[@zubaerchaudhari8267]

Hello there hey there hey Hello hey

[@Johanna_reads]

Hello!

[@Blufox30]

🦄 🐟🌛

[@Johanna_reads]

You nailed it! 😊💜

[@Fia-kz6sf]

Could be alone here but IMO feel Leguin is slightly overrated. I think she gets too plainly philosophical in her stories too often and the story suffers. Hemingway does so well in the short story because he conveys simple but meaningful messages. There is no over telling.

[@Johanna_reads]

You're not alone! Allen (The Library of Allenxandria) is planning a response video to mine about this point. We buddy read the book and he was not a fan. I understand what you mean about Hemingway, and agree that's a strength in his writing. I enjoyed unpacking meaning in The Old Man & the Sea, but it emotionally didn't do much for me.