Book Review 📖🌳 The Word For World Is Forest By Ursula Le Guin!

[@tomitiustritus6672]

In her own introductory commentary to this book, she herself says this book turned out pretty preachy for her standards. Given it was written in 1968, at the height of the indochina wars and under the impression of the agent orange scandalsy, the massacres going on in multiple countries around the world, environmental destruction, open racist sentiments and the protest movements against all that, it fits that time quite well. Ursula K. Le Guin wrote 2 types of stories, to me. "Wow, this is unique!" and "That seems oddly familiar. Kind of a trope. ... Oh, i see, it is a trope because lots of people imitated her." The word for world is forest is the second one. Read in 2024, one might even call it very well written but generic. But that is so , precisely because she wrote this in 1968 and we live in a world after she wrote it. It is like reading the Lord of the Rings without knowing it is the grandfather of all these modern fantasy tropes.

[@Viviandenise]

Wonderful review thank you. Currently reading it for a college class and i like it so far pretty interesting

[@RachaelsReadingNook]

The title is so beautiful already! It sounds like so much was fit into those 125 pages. It's interesting how differently "aliens invading Earth" and "humans exploring other planets" are explored in both literature and film. Always enjoy your reviews 🐛

[@harrietsbookcorner]

It’s definitely a jam-packed short story for sure! Oh absolutely, either way there usually tends to be a lot of destruction and pain, however when it’s Humans exploring alien worlds we usually don’t get to the see the side of the aliens themselves. Aw thank you so much! ☺️✨

[@PageTurnersWithKatja]

I definitely need to read more from Ursula K Le Guin, always enjoy her writing. Great review.

[@harrietsbookcorner]

I mean I’m always going to agree with that! 😅 Can never read too much Le Guin. Thank you so much! ☺️

[@outofthisworldreader1700]

Another great review!! I recently found The Dispossessed and picked it up, I can’t wait to dive into it!! But, it looks like I need to add this one to my TBR!! It sounds like the perfect summer of spring read!!

[@harrietsbookcorner]

Oh that’s fantastic news!!! I can’t wait for you to start it! Please let me know how you get on with it? ☺️ To be honest, you need to add all her books to your TBR if you do enjoy The Dispossessed 😉

[@tomitiustritus6672]

Add all her Hainish books. They all are set in this universe, each on one of these worlds that developed in very different ways.

[@onelove154]

Thanks for the review, Harriet. Hope you're having a good weekend. Cheers.

[@harrietsbookcorner]

Thanks for watching, I hope you’re having a great weekend too! ☺️

[@SteveTalksBooks]

Always enjoy your reviews. Very thoughtful and thorough. Hope you're doing well!

[@harrietsbookcorner]

Thanks Steve, always lovely to hear, I hope you’re doing great too! ☺️

[@thebrainzilla2005]

Hey! Good Review👍

[@harrietsbookcorner]

Thank you so much! ☺️

[@ScientistsReadingWorld]

Great review :D I never read anything by Le Guin not sure where to start xD but a lot of them sound so interesting When you said green furry I could just picture the Grinch xD

[@harrietsbookcorner]

Thank you so much! I feel like most people start with A Wizard Of Earthsea, The Lathe Of Heaven or The Left Hand Of Darkness (the first one being fantasy, the other two being sci fi) so I would say to start with either of those? I haven’t read The Left Hand Of Darkness yet but it’s definitely on my to-read list ☺️ Hahahah I didn’t think of that when reading but now I am 😂

[@MasonInTheDark]

Great review as always mate. It always makes me roll my eyes when someone has to do what you did in this review and make it abundantly clear that the book was out long before Avatar to avoid "err this is just a ripoff though :@". This sounds pretty interesting and I do have to say a little bit like a setup for a Doctor Who episode. Sounds exactly like the sort of situation the Doctor would accidentally themself into. Reading in a forest is a no go, going into a forest is a no go actually because bugs and also blind canes don't work in forests 🤣

[@harrietsbookcorner]

Thank you so much! Oh, I know, but it’s better for me to state it loud and clear for them first I suppose. Ooh yes, I hadn’t thought of it that way but what a scenario for the Doctor to deal with…