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captaingloria's review
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
samwreads's review
3.0
(read as part of the social distancing book club 2020)
This is a hard book to rate because it is so extremely well written and "tight" in the narrative sense that I think it's actually a seriously impressive accomplishment. There is also a strong philosophical vein of thought and questioning that runs throughout, adding depth to what is on the surface the very simple story of a teenage boy coming to terms with himself and his family in a remote, almost medieval setting.
At the same time, the simplicity of the writing and lack of extraneous plot or characters does hurt in some ways. Specifically, all characters other than Orrec and his father are one-dimensional. This includes pretty much all female characters, who are generally virtuous to a fault and primarily serve to guide Orrec emotionally (or literally in the case of his dog). It's tricky because focusing so solely on Orrec does serve the tautness of the narrative, but I think it comes at a cost.
In discussing this with our friends, we talked a lot about how this compares with Earthsea, and specifically the first book in that series. It's an interesting comparison because while both are aimed at young adults, "Gifts" is in a lot of ways the complete opposite of Earthsea. It's about a boy (Orrec) whose gift comes to him with difficulty, whereas Ged's came easily. Its events span a few years, whereas those in Earthsea span decades. It's so integrally about Orrec's relationships with his parents, whereas Ged's relationships are forged at school, away from any family. I think LeGuin took a lot of the thought she found in later books (including later in the Earthsea series) and took it back here and it shows. It's less of a rousing coming-of-age adventure fantasy, and more of a story about learning the importance of relationships and how there is a lot of strength in people without powers or gifts.
This is a hard book to rate because it is so extremely well written and "tight" in the narrative sense that I think it's actually a seriously impressive accomplishment. There is also a strong philosophical vein of thought and questioning that runs throughout, adding depth to what is on the surface the very simple story of a teenage boy coming to terms with himself and his family in a remote, almost medieval setting.
At the same time, the simplicity of the writing and lack of extraneous plot or characters does hurt in some ways. Specifically, all characters other than Orrec and his father are one-dimensional. This includes pretty much all female characters, who are generally virtuous to a fault and primarily serve to guide Orrec emotionally (or literally in the case of his dog). It's tricky because focusing so solely on Orrec does serve the tautness of the narrative, but I think it comes at a cost.
In discussing this with our friends, we talked a lot about how this compares with Earthsea, and specifically the first book in that series. It's an interesting comparison because while both are aimed at young adults, "Gifts" is in a lot of ways the complete opposite of Earthsea. It's about a boy (Orrec) whose gift comes to him with difficulty, whereas Ged's came easily. Its events span a few years, whereas those in Earthsea span decades. It's so integrally about Orrec's relationships with his parents, whereas Ged's relationships are forged at school, away from any family. I think LeGuin took a lot of the thought she found in later books (including later in the Earthsea series) and took it back here and it shows. It's less of a rousing coming-of-age adventure fantasy, and more of a story about learning the importance of relationships and how there is a lot of strength in people without powers or gifts.
justlily's review against another edition
A great plot idea killed by the fact that it takes eighteen years for anything to happen. Again I am apparently in a rut of picking up books that refuse to just tell themselves. We have to meander along forever before anything happens and I just can't do it.
bluestarfish's review against another edition
5.0
Orrec and Gry are captivating people and the poor Uplands with their mysterious gifts and way of life feel harsh and real. The ordinariness of life (for them) makes sense until it gradually breaks open as the children grow and change and make choices about their own future. Because this is Ursula Le Guin we get imaginative fiction that does question and examine the differences between good and evil, question what heroism is, examine the roots of power, and imagine moral alternatives. The gift's gift is an incredible idea that I don't get to hear of very often and has left me with lots to think about.
Time for a re-read of the series! This is the one I had the clearest memories of, but I had forgotten some key details so it still felt like a fresh read.
Time for a re-read of the series! This is the one I had the clearest memories of, but I had forgotten some key details so it still felt like a fresh read.
jackdziatkowiec's review
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I didn't like the characters and the ending was predictable. Am I missing something, or couldn't he just take off the blindfold when no one was around?
christinebeswick's review
4.0
I've been reading Ursula Le Guin's books on and off since I was quite young, and this was a nostalgia read for me. Her writing is, as always, quite lyrical and the characters are believable. I enjoyed reading it as much as, if not more than, I expected to.
gweno's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
twstdtink's review
2.0
What a pointless little book. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't even have enjoyed this as a pre-teen (which is who I think the target audience was). Although the idea of people having genetic "gifts" is an interesting one, it wasn't highlighted enough to make this story interesting.
hamckeon's review
3.0
I had high expectations after reading some of the Earthsea cycle and was a little let down. It wasn't a bad story, but it did not stand out as much or grip me like the other series.
milktoast's review
4.0
Never wrote a review for this, oops!
I liked this book a lot. I don't see a lot of low key fantasy stories, and that's a shame. In Gifts, Le Guin creates a fascinating culture & cool magic, but the story isn't a big quest or epic tale. It's a small coming of age story about a young boy as he struggles to understand what his "gift" means and find his place in his family.
There's a lot of things I really enjoyed in this story: the worldbuilding, the small scale, the characters who are lifelike instead of larger than life, but mostly I was impressed by the emotional pull such a small and short story had. Tis a cliche, but I laughed and I cried and I walked away satisfied. Can't expect much better than that! It's not LeGuin's greatest work, but I'm glad I checked it out.
I liked this book a lot. I don't see a lot of low key fantasy stories, and that's a shame. In Gifts, Le Guin creates a fascinating culture & cool magic, but the story isn't a big quest or epic tale. It's a small coming of age story about a young boy as he struggles to understand what his "gift" means and find his place in his family.
There's a lot of things I really enjoyed in this story: the worldbuilding, the small scale, the characters who are lifelike instead of larger than life, but mostly I was impressed by the emotional pull such a small and short story had. Tis a cliche, but I laughed and I cried and I walked away satisfied. Can't expect much better than that! It's not LeGuin's greatest work, but I'm glad I checked it out.