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A review by beansandrice
Tehanu by Ursula K. Le Guin
emotional
reflective
sad
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? No
5.0
Undoubtedly the peak of Earthsea for me. The premise made me cringe, and I was worried it wasn't going to turn out alright. But Tehanu is the greatest example of why so many remember Le Guin's work so fondly.
I know some people have been disappointed by how this book frames the course of Tenar's life, but I think it makes sense looking at Le Guin's biography. These are her thoughts on womahood as she's seen it over the course of her life as someone born in the 30's, writing just as a new wave of feminism begins to emerge. If some of the ideas about femininity seem antiquated in this book, I think that stems from the fact she was just entering her 60's when writing it. She seems very aware of what society believes that must mean for her, yet it's clear she still had a great deal of her life to live in the years to come. This isn't a statement about how she wishes all women must live, but an ode to women who have been left behind. Left behind by a time that refused to see their worth and power. Tehanu complicates the previous books by finally giving the female perspective on Earthsea that I've longed for since Tombs of Atuan, but not once does Tehanu cheapen what's come before.
For this and much else, it's by far my favorite among Earthsea.
I know some people have been disappointed by how this book frames the course of Tenar's life, but I think it makes sense looking at Le Guin's biography. These are her thoughts on womahood as she's seen it over the course of her life as someone born in the 30's, writing just as a new wave of feminism begins to emerge. If some of the ideas about femininity seem antiquated in this book, I think that stems from the fact she was just entering her 60's when writing it. She seems very aware of what society believes that must mean for her, yet it's clear she still had a great deal of her life to live in the years to come. This isn't a statement about how she wishes all women must live, but an ode to women who have been left behind. Left behind by a time that refused to see their worth and power. Tehanu complicates the previous books by finally giving the female perspective on Earthsea that I've longed for since Tombs of Atuan, but not once does Tehanu cheapen what's come before.
For this and much else, it's by far my favorite among Earthsea.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, Child abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Ableism
Moderate: Rape and Pedophilia