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3.89 AVERAGE
3.89 AVERAGE
reflective
slow-paced
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
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
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
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
medium-paced
Interesting, though I need some worldbuilding clarity and I'm still not quite sure of what happened in the ending. (Did the necromancy spell just split his soul into evil and good and with his true name he was finally able to reunite himself? Or by knowing himself, he was able to name the evil and absorb it into himself again? Perhaps that is part of what makes it a great novel? Still, I can see why this author is considered in the same breath as Tolkien and Lewis, and how it's ramifications on the fantasy genre can still be heard today (I'm looking at you Eragon).
I don't think Le Guin's fiction is for me. This was a great book and tremendously imaginative, but for some reason I can't quite put my finger on, I wasn't particularly immersed in the story. I'm aware this is entirely an issue with me as a reader, which is why I'm giving it 4 stars. Maybe I'm just in a weird mood and this was the wrong time to read this. The narration style made me feel kept at a distance and there was barely any downtime. This is a very fast-paced book, and the parts I tend to enjoy the most are the quiet moments of intimacy between characters. There are a few of those, but the moments in which the characters are together never last long enough for me to develop any attachment to them. If you like adventure books with a lot of magic and action, you may love this, but I couldn't.
I'm actually a bit upset because from the interviews with Le Guin I've seen, she was a formidable woman and I really wanted to like her writing. I enjoyed [b:The Lathe of Heaven|59924|The Lathe of Heaven|Ursula K. Le Guin|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1433084322l/59924._SX50_.jpg|425872] but DNFd [b:The Left Hand of Darkness|18423|The Left Hand of Darkness (Hainish Cycle, #4)|Ursula K. Le Guin|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1488213612l/18423._SY75_.jpg|817527], so there may be other books of hers I'd like, but I think for now I may direct my attention towards her essays.
I'm actually a bit upset because from the interviews with Le Guin I've seen, she was a formidable woman and I really wanted to like her writing. I enjoyed [b:The Lathe of Heaven|59924|The Lathe of Heaven|Ursula K. Le Guin|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1433084322l/59924._SX50_.jpg|425872] but DNFd [b:The Left Hand of Darkness|18423|The Left Hand of Darkness (Hainish Cycle, #4)|Ursula K. Le Guin|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1488213612l/18423._SY75_.jpg|817527], so there may be other books of hers I'd like, but I think for now I may direct my attention towards her essays.
Ged lifted his face and gazed at that remote bright crescent in the west.
He gazed for a long time, and then he stood up erect, holding his staff in his two hands as a warrior holds his long sword. He looked about at the sky, the sea, the brown swelling sail above him, his friend's face.
[...] Then he bent over and hid his face in his arms, weeping like a boy.
He gazed for a long time, and then he stood up erect, holding his staff in his two hands as a warrior holds his long sword. He looked about at the sky, the sea, the brown swelling sail above him, his friend's face.
[...] Then he bent over and hid his face in his arms, weeping like a boy.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes