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Tatiana's Reviews > The Lathe of Heaven
The Lathe of Heaven
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Would you like to play God?
Would you like to shape the world to your liking? Maybe to rid it of war, overpopulation, hunger, racial prejudice, decease? To make it into your own idea of Heaven?
Well, the two main characters of The Lathe of Heaven have different opinions on this subject. George Orr, who possesses a unique ability to change the world by dreaming about, seemingly, the most mundane things, wants this power to be gone, he is sure the events should take their natural course, no matter how dire the consequences are to the humanity. His doctor, William Haber, thinks it is his responsibility to make this world a better place. He is adamant he will achieve his goal of a perfect society! And he will use Orr's ability as a means to his megalomaniac ends. Does it matter that people in his utopia are all of a battleship gray color? That sick people are euthanized? Not to Haber, as long as it is for the common good.
The Lathe of Heaven was the first Le Guin's book that tickled my visualization "powers," which are very modest, to put it lightly. My imagination went in overdrive picturing our planet changing - billions of people disappearing, landscapes transforming, climate adjusting - all retroactive results of Orr's unconscious dreaming. This story would make a visually stunning movie a la Inception
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only a million times better, because Le Guin explores much cooler ideas of fatalism, equanimity, and God complex.
4 stars because it took so long to come up with the idea how to fix Orr's dream problem. I had the solution the moment I knew what his complaint was and I don't understand why Orr himself never thought of it. A bit of a weak plotting there.
Besides this minor issue, the novel is just immensely exciting and imaginative.
Would you like to shape the world to your liking? Maybe to rid it of war, overpopulation, hunger, racial prejudice, decease? To make it into your own idea of Heaven?
Well, the two main characters of The Lathe of Heaven have different opinions on this subject. George Orr, who possesses a unique ability to change the world by dreaming about, seemingly, the most mundane things, wants this power to be gone, he is sure the events should take their natural course, no matter how dire the consequences are to the humanity. His doctor, William Haber, thinks it is his responsibility to make this world a better place. He is adamant he will achieve his goal of a perfect society! And he will use Orr's ability as a means to his megalomaniac ends. Does it matter that people in his utopia are all of a battleship gray color? That sick people are euthanized? Not to Haber, as long as it is for the common good.
The Lathe of Heaven was the first Le Guin's book that tickled my visualization "powers," which are very modest, to put it lightly. My imagination went in overdrive picturing our planet changing - billions of people disappearing, landscapes transforming, climate adjusting - all retroactive results of Orr's unconscious dreaming. This story would make a visually stunning movie a la Inception
[image error]
only a million times better, because Le Guin explores much cooler ideas of fatalism, equanimity, and God complex.
4 stars because it took so long to come up with the idea how to fix Orr's dream problem. I had the solution the moment I knew what his complaint was and I don't understand why Orr himself never thought of it. A bit of a weak plotting there.
Besides this minor issue, the novel is just immensely exciting and imaginative.
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[deleted user]
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Oct 17, 2010 03:42PM
you should make this your next le guin!
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I will, I will. I was planning to read all her books in publication date order, but now, after checking out her early short stories, I am sticking to her later books and this one is the next on my list, I promise.
I've read there were 2 movies made based on this novel, both made-for-TV. It certainly deserves a much better, blockbuster treatment. I am always amazed when producers spend millions of dollars on crap sci-fi movies when there are so many outstanding sci-fi book material available. Can't say the alien scene left quite the same impression on me, sorry:)
Isn't that photo from The Matrix? Keanu's lines always pop into my head - woaaah....
No, AH, this is from Inception, but Matrix has some great shots too.
Oh yes, I remember that scene. That movie had some awesome special effects.
True, for me Inception was one of the best movies of the year.
Hmmm! Onto the list it goes. Great review. I definitely need something different to read.
It is good stuff, Kat. I didn't like it as much as her Hainish material, but still very-very good. I am sure you will enjoy it and a break from UF.
