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pamjohnson01's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Re-read it
waiting4catbus's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
relaxing
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
5.0
necessaryfictions's review against another edition
5.0
"Where’s the guy with the shining staff? Who’s going to do the big magic? A little girl? Oh, come on. That’s not a hero tale!
I didn’t want it to be. By the time I wrote this book I needed to look at heroics from outside and underneath, from the point of view of the people who are not included. The ones who can’t do magic. The ones who don’t have shining staffs or swords. Women, kids, the poor, the old, the powerless. Unheroes, ordinary people—my people. I didn’t want to change Earthsea, but I needed to see what Earthsea looked like to us.”
“Therru is the key to the book. It wasn’t till I saw her that I could begin to write it. But what I saw took me aback. Therru isn’t ordinary at all. Her life has been ruined at the start. She is not just powerless, but crippled, deformed, and terrorized. She cannot be healed. The cruel wrong done her came with the breakdown of the society of Earthsea, which the new king may be able to repair; but for Therru, what reparation?
“What cannot be mended must be transcended.”
Maybe the change coming into Earthsea has something to do with no longer identifying freedom with power, with separating being free from being in control. There is a kind of refusal to serve power that isn’t a revolt or a rebellion, but a revolution in the sense of reversing meanings, of changing how things are understood. Anyone who has been able to break from the grip of a controlling, crippling belief or bigotry or enforced ignorance knows the sense of coming out into the light and air, of release, being set free to fly, to transcend.”
le guin's afterword holds the key, there's not much more i need to say. this book is everything i have been hungry for in earthsea top to bottom. therru forever. tenar forever.
I didn’t want it to be. By the time I wrote this book I needed to look at heroics from outside and underneath, from the point of view of the people who are not included. The ones who can’t do magic. The ones who don’t have shining staffs or swords. Women, kids, the poor, the old, the powerless. Unheroes, ordinary people—my people. I didn’t want to change Earthsea, but I needed to see what Earthsea looked like to us.”
“Therru is the key to the book. It wasn’t till I saw her that I could begin to write it. But what I saw took me aback. Therru isn’t ordinary at all. Her life has been ruined at the start. She is not just powerless, but crippled, deformed, and terrorized. She cannot be healed. The cruel wrong done her came with the breakdown of the society of Earthsea, which the new king may be able to repair; but for Therru, what reparation?
“What cannot be mended must be transcended.”
Maybe the change coming into Earthsea has something to do with no longer identifying freedom with power, with separating being free from being in control. There is a kind of refusal to serve power that isn’t a revolt or a rebellion, but a revolution in the sense of reversing meanings, of changing how things are understood. Anyone who has been able to break from the grip of a controlling, crippling belief or bigotry or enforced ignorance knows the sense of coming out into the light and air, of release, being set free to fly, to transcend.”
le guin's afterword holds the key, there's not much more i need to say. this book is everything i have been hungry for in earthsea top to bottom. therru forever. tenar forever.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny
Moderate: Rape
parsleyperson's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
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? It's complicated
4.0
archiebb's review against another edition
dark
hopeful
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
The very last part of the book much happened and it was kinda scary in a good way! The bad wizard capturing them by luring them out to see sick Moss. And having her have to crawl like a dog etc.
3/4s of the book was in her other style that I saw more in her speculative fiction: way more thoughtful and conversation based.
I liked reading the note at the end about how she took 18 years in between the first three and writing this and that helped her to return to this character from book 2 in a more deep way. I loved getting to have another book with Tenar. And I liked thatSparrowhawk had to contend with losing his power.
Le Guin so often does play around with different societal gender constructs and it was interesting seeing what she did with this one and the conversations around womanhood and power etc.
I do wish we got to see more from Theru's perspective especially bc she was dehumanized so much by so many people.I loved that she got to be the power wielder in this one. And that we saw that through her eyes. But I wish there was more of that POV.
Minor note:I haaaated her son (in a the author did a great job way) and i felt so bad for her knowing how awful he turned out and how she felt responsible and also got the brunt of his misogyny.
3/4s of the book was in her other style that I saw more in her speculative fiction: way more thoughtful and conversation based.
I liked reading the note at the end about how she took 18 years in between the first three and writing this and that helped her to return to this character from book 2 in a more deep way. I loved getting to have another book with Tenar. And I liked that
Le Guin so often does play around with different societal gender constructs and it was interesting seeing what she did with this one and the conversations around womanhood and power etc.
I do wish we got to see more from Theru's perspective especially bc she was dehumanized so much by so many people.
Minor note:
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism
Moderate: Sexism
Minor: Child abuse, Incest, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Fire/Fire injury
cicizzy's review against another edition
inspiring
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
I love how the epilog from Ursula Le Guin is contextualizing the book.
It is not supposed to be a hero’s story but a story of the powerless people living in the world of heroes.
It is not supposed to be a hero’s story but a story of the powerless people living in the world of heroes.
zenwar's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The Earthsea books have been a staple of my reading life. I have read them all many times, and Tehanu has typically been a challenge for me, because it shifts the focus and alters the recipe for what a “hero story” can be. It’s now one of my favorites. I have come to love Tenar and her story.
nige_lu_cas's review against another edition
4.0
I wish this book was longer. Especially towards the end. I have more questions than answers…
But every man in this book (except Ged and, ugh, Lebannen ig) can go to hell!
Overall, this was such a good deconstruction of the Earthsea world and I can’t wait to see where Tehanu’s journey goes.
But every man in this book (except Ged and, ugh, Lebannen ig) can go to hell!
Overall, this was such a good deconstruction of the Earthsea world and I can’t wait to see where Tehanu’s journey goes.
epioxy's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
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? Yes
2.5
corbierre's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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
4.5