Reviews with content warning for Child abuse - The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas

This was interesting: the trolley problem as a fantasy story. I liked thinking about the elements that would constitute a good modern utopia. There were also some nice lines about the artistic bias towards pain and suffering (though ironically even this story eventually gravitates towards it !)

The trouble is that we have a bad habit [...] of considering happiness as something rather stupid. Only pain is intellectual, only evil interesting.

But to praise despair is to condemn delight, to embrace violence is to lose hold of everything else.

I grew tired of the fourth wall breaking though, and imo the story ended too abruptly, in a way that made it feel incomplete.

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hello_lovely13's review against another edition

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dark reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This was incredibly thought-provoking and had many lines I wished to highlight. As stated in the afterword, this story is a question, rather than an answer, which I think is quite an interesting experience. There is a lot of discussion proposed around happiness: how it is both undervalued (what with the belief that things surrounding happiness, instead of pain, is perceived as shallow or "stupid") and desperately sought after, no matter the cost, which is quite the paradox that exists in our society. Similarly is the way guilt is portrayed and discussed in the story: guilt supposedly doesn't exist in Omelas, due to all suffering being taken away through the misery of the child, yet some people leave Omelas, while others, those that stay, might initially feel guilt or sympathy for the child, but then explain it away to justify their consent to this system (as well as maybe ignoring it completely to live in their bliss "without" any guilt). It is interesting that the suffering of the child is not a secret to any of the citizens of Omelas because it implies that each citizen is making a distinct decision in regards to the situation whether to stay or leave. The last line is also interesting; the fact that those that leave "seem to know where they are going" poses another question to the audience right as the story ends. The afterward also includes an interesting point about interpretation, as well as an example that was sent to the author in which we can envision ourselves as each role in the story: the child, those that stay, and those who choose to leave. Overall, an excellent story that satisfies its intent: asking a question about happiness, suffering, preservation (self and others), and humanity's selfishness.

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torrik's review against another edition

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challenging dark reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? N/A
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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alastair_'s review against another edition

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challenging dark reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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dismeria's review against another edition

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challenging inspiring mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This was an outstanding but brief read. It made me sit in silence and reflect for a full hour. I highly recommend it to anyone willing to read it. It's important to take a moment to reflect on the meaning and point of this story. What I took from this story is just how it relates to our world today and how we often create these bubbles around ourselves that act as barriers, separating us from the realities occurring outside those bubbles.

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jenna_justi2004's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Content Warnings

yourstrulyemi's review against another edition

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dark mysterious reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? N/A
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? N/A
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.0

Reread

I've read this story 4 or 5 years ago (pretty sure every BTS fan was introduced to it). Back then, I missed the entire of it. Today, I understood the underlying question Le Guin asks, and it's unfortunately hard to answer in a review. I could say yes or no depending on different possibilities. But I don't think we're meant to ponder it, but to know the question exists. That's what I think.

Oh, and people who went through the most unimaginable hardships and cruelties will say a resounding NO with their whole heart. And I'll admire them for that.

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felicitasviviancoco's review against another edition

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challenging reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I read the shortstory without any additional interpretation or information about it. Afterwards I watched a video of the yt-creator Books 'n' Cats which really opened up even more interpretations.

my first thoughts about the meaning came in the paragraph talking about the child not even being able to enjoy a good life if it were freed which reminded me of the arguments used when talking about developing countries sometimes (by people I don't like). This idea that someone is beyond saving and therefore their suffering is acceptable always bothered me.

I came to realise that I truly love books which encourage reflecting my moral values and stances (like this short story or Frankenstein for example)

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