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4.17 AVERAGE
4.17 AVERAGE
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
cannot quite give this 5 stars because it was too heavy on the gender essentialism. still really liked it though
Not nearly as good as the first three books. The storyline dragged up until the end, and even that wasn't as satisfying as I'd hoped. But still a well written read.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
reflective
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:
Complicated
Muito bom tal como os anteriores. Gostei do facto de este se focar na Tenar e da sua perspectiva feminina. O mundo de Terramar é dos mundos de fantasia mais interessantes que já li, com um sistema de magia e história bastante cativantes e, apesar de ser considerada uma série juvenil, esta aborda temas que vão para além das simples aventuras fantásticas de outros livros.
You can watch my video review of the book here: https://youtu.be/8nlFEJOpEUg)
All the way back in the first chapter of A Wizard of Earthsea, Le Guin invented a phrase common to Sparrowhawk’s land. One variation of it was, ‘Weak as woman’s magic,’ but there was also a more troubling version that went, ’Wicked as woman’s magic.’ Now to be fair, the people of the island were obviously a rustic group. They could be said to have reached a medieval level of development at best. So it isn’t surprising that women there were held in such low regard. But as the series continued and we were introduced to a prestigious wizard school that only boys could attend the phrase became a bit of a lightning rod for criticism among fans. Even the sequel, which was a compelling examination of Tenar’s development as a young girl, couldn’t appease the naysayers who pointed out that though she did rule a temple, it was only under the permission of a king, and besides all that she still needed a man to rescue her from her which arguably just made her a princess within the more exciting quest of a knight. By the third book, the status quo had been cemented. In a similar vein to the original story, Sparrowhawk was accompanied on his adventure not by Tenar, but by a boy named Arren who was destined to grow up and rule the kingdom. A Wizard of Earthsea was published in 1967. The Farthest Shore made a trilogy of the series in 1972. Given the times they were born of, it’s understandable that the books came under fire for propagating an antiquated worldview. Even so, while Le Guin would eventually agree that some of the criticisms were valid, there was a lot of depth to the issue that merited a much more complex conversation. And in Tehanu she opens up an avenue for just that.
One way that Le Guin ushers in a new era for the Earthsea is with how Sparrowhawk is portrayed.
In The Farthest Shore, he expended all of his magic to defeat a great evil. Afterwards, the book offered two possible endings for the wizard. In the first, he sailed away with a small amount of magic reclaimed, while in the second he returned home to live peacefully among the trees. With Tehanu, Le Guin commits to the latter, except that his return home is anything but peaceful. Since he’s been sapped of all his power Sparrowhawk has become directionless and depressed. Moreover, as he experiences all of this we can only witness it from an exterior perspective. In the previous books, though characters like Tenar and Arren took the lead, their journeys were helped along by the wizard as their guide, and while they were often perplexed by his behaviour, we as readers were allowed a respite from it with glimpses into what was on his mind. Now, Tenar embarks on the journey alone. She begins it before Sparrowhawk arrives on the island and when he does, though she wants to help him recover from his mental fatigue, he’s often angered by her attempts and useless in just about every other regard. He almost seems ashamed at having given all of himself over to saving the world and now tries his best to hide away from anybody who could see him in his emptied state. It’s a pathetic turn for a character many fans would consider to be their favourite. At times it feels like our hero has become more of a nuisance than an aid, but, of course, it’s not without purpose, because though it can be difficult to accept Sparrowhawk’s sorry state of affairs, it also provides you with the opportunity to experience what Tenar claims to be her own source of power.
In the 2018 documentary Worlds of Ursula K. Le Guin, Le Guin states that at the time of Tehanu’s release there was some criticism from a section of the fanbase who felt that Sparrowhawk had been too degraded. At the same time, while it’s probably true that there were people disappointed by the wizard’s return, the book isn’t exactly short on other reasons to feel bewildered.
If there’s one quality that separates Tehanu from other entries in the series, it’s the relentless realism that underscores every scene. Tenar for the most part is just an ordinary woman. Many of the issues she has to contend with revolve around everyday affairs, such as her right to inherit property, the domestic tasks she has to perform, and whether it’s wise for her to go on a hike across the island alone. The threats she must face often come from men whose only power is that of a higher propensity for violence and cruelty. Even when the villain of the story is revealed to be another wizard who’s seeking immortality, the problem of misogyny is so pervasive that he punishes Tenar and Sparrowhawk in a way that’s fully intended to humiliate her for being a woman and he for respecting her as a human being. All in all, it’s a far cry from the mythic storytelling of the previous books especially when you consider that the saga ostensibly began life as a series for young adults. Yes, almost two decades had passed since The Farthest Shore was published, so while many readers might have welcomed this more mature take on a childhood favourite, it’s no surprise that there were some who would have preferred to find the fantasy land exactly as they left it. Nevertheless, it’s clear that Le Guin felt there were some mistakes at the series’ core and, in her own telling, if she didn’t confront them then she might not have continued to write at all.
Overall, I'd say it's a wonderful success, though achieves its goals by feeling a little mundane at times. Well-worth a read if you are in the mood for more of a slice-of-life take on the fantasy genre.
(Don't forget to check out my video on the book, which goes into more detail: https://youtu.be/8nlFEJOpEUg)
All the way back in the first chapter of A Wizard of Earthsea, Le Guin invented a phrase common to Sparrowhawk’s land. One variation of it was, ‘Weak as woman’s magic,’ but there was also a more troubling version that went, ’Wicked as woman’s magic.’ Now to be fair, the people of the island were obviously a rustic group. They could be said to have reached a medieval level of development at best. So it isn’t surprising that women there were held in such low regard. But as the series continued and we were introduced to a prestigious wizard school that only boys could attend the phrase became a bit of a lightning rod for criticism among fans. Even the sequel, which was a compelling examination of Tenar’s development as a young girl, couldn’t appease the naysayers who pointed out that though she did rule a temple, it was only under the permission of a king, and besides all that she still needed a man to rescue her from her which arguably just made her a princess within the more exciting quest of a knight. By the third book, the status quo had been cemented. In a similar vein to the original story, Sparrowhawk was accompanied on his adventure not by Tenar, but by a boy named Arren who was destined to grow up and rule the kingdom. A Wizard of Earthsea was published in 1967. The Farthest Shore made a trilogy of the series in 1972. Given the times they were born of, it’s understandable that the books came under fire for propagating an antiquated worldview. Even so, while Le Guin would eventually agree that some of the criticisms were valid, there was a lot of depth to the issue that merited a much more complex conversation. And in Tehanu she opens up an avenue for just that.
One way that Le Guin ushers in a new era for the Earthsea is with how Sparrowhawk is portrayed.
In The Farthest Shore, he expended all of his magic to defeat a great evil. Afterwards, the book offered two possible endings for the wizard. In the first, he sailed away with a small amount of magic reclaimed, while in the second he returned home to live peacefully among the trees. With Tehanu, Le Guin commits to the latter, except that his return home is anything but peaceful. Since he’s been sapped of all his power Sparrowhawk has become directionless and depressed. Moreover, as he experiences all of this we can only witness it from an exterior perspective. In the previous books, though characters like Tenar and Arren took the lead, their journeys were helped along by the wizard as their guide, and while they were often perplexed by his behaviour, we as readers were allowed a respite from it with glimpses into what was on his mind. Now, Tenar embarks on the journey alone. She begins it before Sparrowhawk arrives on the island and when he does, though she wants to help him recover from his mental fatigue, he’s often angered by her attempts and useless in just about every other regard. He almost seems ashamed at having given all of himself over to saving the world and now tries his best to hide away from anybody who could see him in his emptied state. It’s a pathetic turn for a character many fans would consider to be their favourite. At times it feels like our hero has become more of a nuisance than an aid, but, of course, it’s not without purpose, because though it can be difficult to accept Sparrowhawk’s sorry state of affairs, it also provides you with the opportunity to experience what Tenar claims to be her own source of power.
In the 2018 documentary Worlds of Ursula K. Le Guin, Le Guin states that at the time of Tehanu’s release there was some criticism from a section of the fanbase who felt that Sparrowhawk had been too degraded. At the same time, while it’s probably true that there were people disappointed by the wizard’s return, the book isn’t exactly short on other reasons to feel bewildered.
If there’s one quality that separates Tehanu from other entries in the series, it’s the relentless realism that underscores every scene. Tenar for the most part is just an ordinary woman. Many of the issues she has to contend with revolve around everyday affairs, such as her right to inherit property, the domestic tasks she has to perform, and whether it’s wise for her to go on a hike across the island alone. The threats she must face often come from men whose only power is that of a higher propensity for violence and cruelty. Even when the villain of the story is revealed to be another wizard who’s seeking immortality, the problem of misogyny is so pervasive that he punishes Tenar and Sparrowhawk in a way that’s fully intended to humiliate her for being a woman and he for respecting her as a human being. All in all, it’s a far cry from the mythic storytelling of the previous books especially when you consider that the saga ostensibly began life as a series for young adults. Yes, almost two decades had passed since The Farthest Shore was published, so while many readers might have welcomed this more mature take on a childhood favourite, it’s no surprise that there were some who would have preferred to find the fantasy land exactly as they left it. Nevertheless, it’s clear that Le Guin felt there were some mistakes at the series’ core and, in her own telling, if she didn’t confront them then she might not have continued to write at all.
Overall, I'd say it's a wonderful success, though achieves its goals by feeling a little mundane at times. Well-worth a read if you are in the mood for more of a slice-of-life take on the fantasy genre.
(Don't forget to check out my video on the book, which goes into more detail: https://youtu.be/8nlFEJOpEUg)
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-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
This book emotionally destroyed me
I've gotta admit, this one was a bit of a slog for me. I've always found the gender essentialism in the Earthsea books to be strange, given the renowned feminist reputation of Le Guin, and I was shocked in the afterward to learn that some people (at the time of publication) thought this book was feminist. It does get to that place, but before you reach it you have to slog through hundreds of pages of people going on and on about feminine power and how different it is from male power and also the ableism! A character is scarred and people talk several times about how she would have been better off dead. It's really rough. It's supported by the mythos of the setting but it's not fun to read. I don't think this book aged as well as the others.
So boring because nothing happens for ages, and then a little happens and then a bunch of craziness.
Two stars instead of one because it is a pretty short book and did not take a lot of my life up.
I do not recommend this book to anyone
Two stars instead of one because it is a pretty short book and did not take a lot of my life up.
I do not recommend this book to anyone