Reviews with content warning for Sexism - Tehanu

Undoubtedly the peak of Earthsea for me. The premise made me cringe, and I was worried it wasn't going to turn out alright. But Tehanu is the greatest example of why so many remember Le Guin's work so fondly.

I know some people have been disappointed by how this book frames the course of Tenar's life, but I think it makes sense looking at Le Guin's biography. These are her thoughts on womahood as she's seen it over the course of her life as someone born in the 30's, writing just as a new wave of feminism begins to emerge. If some of the ideas about femininity seem antiquated in this book, I think that stems from the fact she was just entering her 60's when writing it. She seems very aware of what society believes that must mean for her, yet it's clear she still had a great deal of her life to live in the years to come. This isn't a statement about how she wishes all women must live, but an ode to women who have been left behind. Left behind by a time that refused to see their worth and power. Tehanu complicates the previous books by finally giving the female perspective on Earthsea that I've longed for since Tombs of Atuan, but not once does Tehanu cheapen what's come before.

For this and much else, it's by far my favorite among Earthsea.

Content Warnings

melonmachinery's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

I really don't know what to rate this one. This book leaves me with complicated feelings. It's darker, sadder, and more disturbing than the previous books by far. I can't agree with anything Tenar did with her life, to the point of anger and disappointment. Her and Ged's relationship is disappointing but I guess not surprising. Le Guin's afterword helped me settle some of the feelings I had to a manageable place, but I have too much anger at the injustice, as she has said, and found no justice in this book. At least Therru has come into herself at the end.

Content Warnings

nincrony1's review

Go to review page

dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

5.0

Is this the crowning achievement of the Earthsea series? Quite possibly. Tehanu is at once a mournfully sad yet ultimately hopeful tale about ageing and womanhood (in particular) whilst also being a quiet undermining of the original Earthsea trilogy. The story picks up with Tenar from two books prior and continuing Ged’s story post-The Farthest Shore. Two legendary heroes now older and pass their prime; Tenar a widow and realising societal set gender norms have now made her obsolete and Ged no longer the archmage and powerless. In between them, a scarred burned traumatised girl named Therru where over the course of the book, the three of them find hope again - I love a found family story, after all. It’s a long and very trying road to get there though. This is a much darker novel than the first three, less of the high fantasy adventuring whilst tackling some heady themes and narratives points. For such a short book, it’s dense and impactful. Le Guin’s prose is so direct and beautiful. Almost 20 years of development separates this and her original Earthsea books and the maturity of the writing is apparent. The way she kneads in her philosophy and now focus on being an older woman is perfect. Just based on the first three books alone, she’s one of my favourite authors, but with Tehanu she earns her place as one of the best.

Content Warnings

doctorw0rm's review against another edition

Go to review page

4.25

honestly i had been finding these books underwhelming up until this one, but decided not to give up on the series because 1) they’re middle grade and i don’t rly like fantasy so i’m not the target audience and 2) i like ursula le guin and i want to know what happens to the characters. i’m so glad i stayed with this because this book was so good and i’m going to be thinking about it a lot. this also was a lot more adult than the previous books, which might be part of why i enjoyed it more. i love when a book is a conversation the author has with themself, and le guin is one of the best at it.

Content Warnings

snazzaro's review

Go to review page

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

5.0

Content Warnings

kfox's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective tense medium-paced

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

5.0

I just love this book. I honestly don't think I have words in my vocabulary to describe how much. I need to learn more languages to express how much my soul sings with every re-read.

Content Warnings

bonnie's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark mysterious reflective medium-paced

5.0

Content Warnings

tahsintries's review

Go to review page

4.5

Content Warnings

More...