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4.16 AVERAGE
4.16 AVERAGE
medium-paced
Tehanu is a departure from the first three Earthsea books. It chooses to focus on the more quiet moments, the "ever after", so to speak. It's not a grand adventure, but a look at the comparatively mundane life that Tenar chose after leaving Ogion's service. But, what it lacks in adventure, it makes up with a rich, character-driven story that uses its fantasy setting to explore new perspectives on societal themes.
I could listen to the day-to-day life of Tenar, Ged, and Thirru in perpetuity. Three characters with vastly different backgrounds grapple with their trauma and consequences of their respective journeys, while the politics and adventure happen in passing mention. Le Guin explores complex themes such as gender roles and motherhood through a new lens (that of Earthsea's society) which positions her characters as relatable and complex.
The more traditional aspects of the Earthsea plot are its weakest aspects, unfortunately. In this novel, the main antagonist is effectively misogyny, which, while a primary theme of the book, culminates as a cartoonishly evil antagonist who doesn't exist much in the story except to be cartoonishly evil. The rapid pace of the climax felt like Le Guin was in a rush to finish the book and was a jarring end to an otherwise intentional and meandering story.
I could listen to the day-to-day life of Tenar, Ged, and Thirru in perpetuity. Three characters with vastly different backgrounds grapple with their trauma and consequences of their respective journeys, while the politics and adventure happen in passing mention. Le Guin explores complex themes such as gender roles and motherhood through a new lens (that of Earthsea's society) which positions her characters as relatable and complex.
The more traditional aspects of the Earthsea plot are its weakest aspects, unfortunately. In this novel, the main antagonist is effectively misogyny, which, while a primary theme of the book, culminates as a cartoonishly evil antagonist who doesn't exist much in the story except to be cartoonishly evil. The rapid pace of the climax felt like Le Guin was in a rush to finish the book and was a jarring end to an otherwise intentional and meandering story.
I loved this book, but it was quite different from what I expected.
First, the conflict - I hesitate to say there's much more internal conflict here than in the others; these characters have always been going through something. But they're usually questing as they do it, where here they sit around and talk about it. It's always a slight letdown when the story doesn't focus on the action you're hoping for, but it was so fitting. Tenar and Ged have given me such great adventures, and this book felt like I sat around a campfire all night and appreciated their company before we said goodbye. And it's not without external conflict. Ursula K LeGuin is a master at turning innocent situations tense and dangerous on a dime, and endings that are awe-inspiring while still elegantly simple.
Second, the book's message is more on the nose. When she previously addressed the "racist tradition of white heroes and black villains" or "the ruinous irresponsibility of greed", it was something you noticed about the action. Here again, we instead discuss it openly. I love the book's messages. The only effect I noticed it had on my reading was more confusion over interpretation of imagery. In The Farthest Shore, some elements are thematic and some are just plot, and others I missed the first time but might notice later. Reading Tehanu, because the message was so out in the open, I found myself overthinking elements - what is the peach tree? Is that something? I don't want to miss the point. I think personally I prefer more nuance. Maybe it makes the true message more of a reward. Maybe I just want to feel smart, or I want to be entertained first and educated second. And maybe nuance is too easy of a hiding place for ignorant readers to ignore the point. I think the approach to the conflict and the message fit together well, it just made for a different reading experience.
As always I loved the characters, the dialogue, and the prose. It's unclear to me whether this is the end of the "official Earthsea storyline" or if the other short stories will bring these characters back, but I have so appreciated these four books. After one reading of each (where I read the first completely unprepared for the style), my rankings are:
The Farthest Shore
The Tombs of Atuan
Tehanu
A Wizard of Earthsea
First, the conflict - I hesitate to say there's much more internal conflict here than in the others; these characters have always been going through something. But they're usually questing as they do it, where here they sit around and talk about it. It's always a slight letdown when the story doesn't focus on the action you're hoping for, but it was so fitting. Tenar and Ged have given me such great adventures, and this book felt like I sat around a campfire all night and appreciated their company before we said goodbye. And it's not without external conflict. Ursula K LeGuin is a master at turning innocent situations tense and dangerous on a dime, and endings that are awe-inspiring while still elegantly simple.
Second, the book's message is more on the nose. When she previously addressed the "racist tradition of white heroes and black villains" or "the ruinous irresponsibility of greed", it was something you noticed about the action. Here again, we instead discuss it openly. I love the book's messages. The only effect I noticed it had on my reading was more confusion over interpretation of imagery. In The Farthest Shore, some elements are thematic and some are just plot, and others I missed the first time but might notice later. Reading Tehanu, because the message was so out in the open, I found myself overthinking elements - what is the peach tree? Is that something? I don't want to miss the point. I think personally I prefer more nuance. Maybe it makes the true message more of a reward. Maybe I just want to feel smart, or I want to be entertained first and educated second. And maybe nuance is too easy of a hiding place for ignorant readers to ignore the point. I think the approach to the conflict and the message fit together well, it just made for a different reading experience.
As always I loved the characters, the dialogue, and the prose. It's unclear to me whether this is the end of the "official Earthsea storyline" or if the other short stories will bring these characters back, but I have so appreciated these four books. After one reading of each (where I read the first completely unprepared for the style), my rankings are:
The Farthest Shore
The Tombs of Atuan
Tehanu
A Wizard of Earthsea
challenging
dark
sad
fast-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
LOVED IT. My favorite Earthsea book so far.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
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:
Complicated
"Tehanu" is the most complex Earthsea novel by far, and the most challenging. It is slow and sad and approaches, with the ever deft hand of its author, topics of abuse, powerlessness, and trauma. It sweeps a world of wizardry and magic and dragons to the side and says: that's all fine and good, but look at the women. Look at the children. Look at the magic-less, the classical "unheroes," as Le Guin puts it in her enlightening afterword.
I want to read this book again and again in every decade of my life. Especially when I'm fifty. Tenar, you'll be my favorite always.
I want to read this book again and again in every decade of my life. Especially when I'm fifty. Tenar, you'll be my favorite always.
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-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
I thought we were going to go full [b:Wolverine: Old Man Logan|6238080|Wolverine Old Man Logan|Mark Millar|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1560344879l/6238080._SX50_.jpg|6420803] here, but that was only the subplot.
Widowed Tenar (long time no see!) is in Gont to see off a dying Ogion. She brings a girl who was recently beaten, raped and burned. Ged also returns to Gont from the land of the dead, meek and powerless. Happy times ahead.
Hero stories are fun because power is well distributed. In earlier entries to this series, Ged could use binding spells on dragons, sending them tumbling into the sea to their doom. He faced shadows, ancient deities and death itself, each posing as a formidable threat. But with his knowledge of wizardry, Ged always had a puncher's chance against any odd.
None of that is prevalent here. And perhaps this was the intent, as Le Guin wove into the narrative: The highest forms of power are beyond women's reach. And to that, the main threats to Tenar and Therru are not magical beings or dragons - they are men.
I did not come into this book prepared. There were some very upsetting events that made it a more tedious task to read than its predecessors, but I fully acknowledge its importance in the Earthsea saga.
Widowed Tenar (long time no see!) is in Gont to see off a dying Ogion. She brings a girl who was recently beaten, raped and burned. Ged also returns to Gont from the land of the dead, meek and powerless. Happy times ahead.
Hero stories are fun because power is well distributed. In earlier entries to this series, Ged could use binding spells on dragons, sending them tumbling into the sea to their doom. He faced shadows, ancient deities and death itself, each posing as a formidable threat. But with his knowledge of wizardry, Ged always had a puncher's chance against any odd.
None of that is prevalent here. And perhaps this was the intent, as Le Guin wove into the narrative: The highest forms of power are beyond women's reach. And to that, the main threats to Tenar and Therru are not magical beings or dragons - they are men.
I did not come into this book prepared. There were some very upsetting events that made it a more tedious task to read than its predecessors, but I fully acknowledge its importance in the Earthsea saga.
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes