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3.61 AVERAGE
3.61 AVERAGE
Una narración impecable, con florituras pero sin relleno. La misión de Rocannon es universal y fácil de empatizar. Genial el tratamiento de las diferentes especies, la familia y la amistad.
Historia corta que narra las aventuras de un etnólogo de la Liga de los Mundos llamado Rocannon, que, por ciertos sucesos, queda atrapado en un planeta periférico donde se fragua una rebelión. La tarea del protagonista se resume en vengar a sus compañeros caídos, descubrir el centro de la rebelión y mandar un mensaje a la Liga para que ésta ataque.
Historia más de fantasía que de ciencia ficción. Especie de introducción al universo del denominado ciclo de Ekumen. Novela nada extraordinaria aunque entretenida.
Historia más de fantasía que de ciencia ficción. Especie de introducción al universo del denominado ciclo de Ekumen. Novela nada extraordinaria aunque entretenida.
I didn't like this one as much as previous works by Le Guin that I have read. Rocannon is a scientist from the League investigating a planet where several sentient life-forms reside - his ship with his friends on it is blown up ostensibly by some rebelling life-forms within the League who want to create their own empire. He seeks revenge on them and in the process befriends several individuals of different species - one a member of the Fiaa race, or the "Half-people," as they have taken all of the sun and happiness. Their other half, the Gdemiar (cave people), have taken technology and shadow. He travels also with several members of the Liuar, who follow an honor-based feudal society and have golden hair. He also travels with a necklace that is part of one Liuar's family, gold with a blue stone - it basically just brings chaos wherever it goes, it seems. The group goes South to the mountains in the hopes of finding the enemy's home base and sending a message to the League. They get in a couple fights and are abducted by "alien-insects" who paralyze their pray before being saved by an intelligent rodent-race, the Kiemhrir. They must pass mountains and do so on their wingsteeds (giant flying house cats). In the mountains, Rocannon encounters one of the "old ones," who -- it is implied -- is a combination of the Fiaa and the Gdemiar before they separated. The old one gives him the ability to mindspeak with his enemy, but in return takes the life of one of his close Liuar friends. Rocannon successfully infiltrates the base and sends a message, and the enemy base is destroyed with a blast from a ship sent by the League. Rocannon dies within the next eight years, remaining on that same planet.
This book was fine in its plot and I liked the language / creative depictions of new species and cultures. That being said, I just found it a bit... boring. There was nothing that caught and held my attention here. I think if I was younger I would have liked it quite a bit more.
This book was fine in its plot and I liked the language / creative depictions of new species and cultures. That being said, I just found it a bit... boring. There was nothing that caught and held my attention here. I think if I was younger I would have liked it quite a bit more.
Interesting writing style, no extra information is given beyond what is needed for the story which is appreciated.
adventurous
mysterious
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:
Complicated
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Certain parts reminded me of both The Left Hand of Darkness and The Word for World is Forest as well as Earthsea (especially the shadow). There were a lot of Le Guin's normal themes of life and death and the delicate balance of nature. The natives of the planet are mere pieces on a chessboard to the greater machinations of space faring civilizations. But Le Guin shows us the intimate details of their rich culture and legends. And after all, if the fate of one man doesn't matter then what is? I especially liked this quote at the end:
"But he could not shut it out - not the light but the darkness, the darkness that blinded his mind, the knowledge in his own flesh of the death of a thousand men all in one moment. Death, death, death over and over and yet all at once in one moment in his body and brain. And after it, silence."
Rocannon sacrificed a lot for the death of his enemy, and he got to spend his last years happily, away from the torment of other men's minds. Mogien's death especially hit hard, even after all the foreshadowing.
"But he could not shut it out - not the light but the darkness, the darkness that blinded his mind, the knowledge in his own flesh of the death of a thousand men all in one moment. Death, death, death over and over and yet all at once in one moment in his body and brain. And after it, silence."
Rocannon sacrificed a lot for the death of his enemy, and he got to spend his last years happily, away from the torment of other men's minds. Mogien's death especially hit hard, even after all the foreshadowing.
Been a fan of Ursula Le Guin for a long time and decided I should probably read the rest of the Hainish cycle. Ursula does a great job exploring anthropology, race, and really what makes humans humans. She does a good job of blending this within the story, while also captivating your attention with the occasional suspense. It's a good book and beautifully written.
در افسانه‌ها آمده که در سیاره فومالهاوت دوم، بر اثر مالیات بیگانگان (استارلردز)، فقر، دامنگیر نجبای آنگیار شده بود. سلمی، بانوی قصر هالان (هالان)، به یاد کودکی‌هایش می‌افتد و گردنبندی را به یاد می‌آورد که ارزشش به اندازه یک پادشاهی بود و گفته می‌شود مدت‌هاست از خانواده‌اش دزدیده شده و تنها مردمان فوآ می‌دانند که کجاست. او دخترش هالدره را به خواهرش می‌سپارد و بدون اجازه شوهرش سوار بر یک وینداستید (موجوداتی شبیه گربه‌های بزرگ بالدار که جنگجویان آنگیار سوار بر آنها در آسمان به مبارزه می‌کنند) به سراغ مردمان فوآ می‌رود. آنها او را به مردمان گدمیار راهنمایی می‌کنند که دوستداران تاریکی‌اند و در نقب‌های زیر زمین در کوهستان‌های مه‌آلود زندگی می‌کنند. پس از رفتن به نزد آنان، گردنبندش، ارثیه خانوادگی‌اش را از آنان که روزگاری آن‌را ساخته‌اند می‌خواهد، می‌گویند که پیش آنها نیست اما می‌توانند او را به جایی ببرند که گردنبند هست، اما او خود باید گردنبند را از صاحبان جدید بگیرد و او قبول می‌کند. او را از نقب‌های تودرتو برده و بر روی زمین سوار بر غاری می‌کنند که پر از نورهای چشمک‌زن است و با غرشی تکان می‌خورد و سپس به شب بی‌کران می‌روند.
در موزه‌ای در سیاره‌ای دوردست، گاورال روکانون، نژادشناس موزه به همراه رییس موزه، خیره به زیبایی زن بلندبالای زرین‌مویی چشم دوخته‌اند که پوستی تیره دارد و تعدادی از کوتوله‌های گدمیار سیاره فومالهاوت دوم همراهی‌اش می‌کنند. کوتوله‌ها سخنان زن را برای آن دو ترجمه می‌کنند که گردنبندی را که در ویترین موزه دیده می‌خواهد. گردنبندی که ارثیه خانوادگی اوست. و روکانون، حیران از زیبایی سلمی، گردنبند را به او می‌دهد.
اینها همه مقدمه کتاب دنیای روکانون بود. سال‌ها از آن روزگار گذشته و حال، روکانون به همراه هیاتی برای پژوهش درباره این سیاره کمتر شناخته‌شده آمده. سملی سال‌هاست که درگذشته و نوه او، موگین، لرد قلعه هالان است و شرایطی پیش آمده که روکانون مجبور می‌شود به همراه موگین به سفری طولانی و خطرناک دست بزند تا مگر بتواند این سیاره و کل لیگ جهانی (دولت بین‌المللی) را از خطر برهاند.
در موزه‌ای در سیاره‌ای دوردست، گاورال روکانون، نژادشناس موزه به همراه رییس موزه، خیره به زیبایی زن بلندبالای زرین‌مویی چشم دوخته‌اند که پوستی تیره دارد و تعدادی از کوتوله‌های گدمیار سیاره فومالهاوت دوم همراهی‌اش می‌کنند. کوتوله‌ها سخنان زن را برای آن دو ترجمه می‌کنند که گردنبندی را که در ویترین موزه دیده می‌خواهد. گردنبندی که ارثیه خانوادگی اوست. و روکانون، حیران از زیبایی سلمی، گردنبند را به او می‌دهد.
اینها همه مقدمه کتاب دنیای روکانون بود. سال‌ها از آن روزگار گذشته و حال، روکانون به همراه هیاتی برای پژوهش درباره این سیاره کمتر شناخته‌شده آمده. سملی سال‌هاست که درگذشته و نوه او، موگین، لرد قلعه هالان است و شرایطی پیش آمده که روکانون مجبور می‌شود به همراه موگین به سفری طولانی و خطرناک دست بزند تا مگر بتواند این سیاره و کل لیگ جهانی (دولت بین‌المللی) را از خطر برهاند.
A 130 page book! Back in the day (1966) this was much more of a thing than today, or something. I think it was initially published as half of one of those flipbook deals - you know, where you finish the first book and then flip it over upside down and read from the other side? Yes, there's a technical term for that (hence my wiki link).
My copy was a single - exactly matching the image there - not that you care. But I'm kind of an old book geek (among other geekeries), so I CARE. Love the smell of 60s & 70s pulpy paperbacks.
This was one of LeGuin's first books - and it shows. It's not bad in any sense, but I can definitely see how she started with something like this and refined her craft. Still, there's something to be said for cramming an entire epic journey style story into 130 pages. So much that would have been sooo decompressed in a current work. But man was it nice to know that say a kidnapping scene (one of my pet peeves, which may or may not have happened in this book) isn't going to last 40 fucking pages - instead it's more like 3.
I don't have much to say about this... it was simple and fun and threw out some interesting ideas and then BAM done.
THREE STARS
Because it's simple and fun and a nice example of the early genre, especially the SF/F overlap, but nothing awesome.
My copy was a single - exactly matching the image there - not that you care. But I'm kind of an old book geek (among other geekeries), so I CARE. Love the smell of 60s & 70s pulpy paperbacks.
This was one of LeGuin's first books - and it shows. It's not bad in any sense, but I can definitely see how she started with something like this and refined her craft. Still, there's something to be said for cramming an entire epic journey style story into 130 pages. So much that would have been sooo decompressed in a current work. But man was it nice to know that say a kidnapping scene (one of my pet peeves, which may or may not have happened in this book) isn't going to last 40 fucking pages - instead it's more like 3.
I don't have much to say about this... it was simple and fun and threw out some interesting ideas and then BAM done.
THREE STARS
Because it's simple and fun and a nice example of the early genre, especially the SF/F overlap, but nothing awesome.