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A review by ellie_gard_1998
Lavinia by Ursula K. Le Guin
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
""She's pious.' By that word I meant responsible, faithful to duty, open to awe.'
Anything I might say about this novel short of an essay might be a understatement. Le Guin is always insightful, always challenging, always analytical, but in "Lavinia" the eponymous protagonist embodies all these aspects of her author in a manner that repeatedly struck me speechless. This book, in stride with Virgil's "Aeneid," offers not only a suspenseful and vivid story but a compassionate meditation on womanhood, companionship, steadfastness, and what piety could really mean. Entering into one of Le Guin's novels always feels like jumping in at the deep end of the pool, but if you tread water long enough to see what beauty exists about you, such an effort is well worth it.
Anything I might say about this novel short of an essay might be a understatement. Le Guin is always insightful, always challenging, always analytical, but in "Lavinia" the eponymous protagonist embodies all these aspects of her author in a manner that repeatedly struck me speechless. This book, in stride with Virgil's "Aeneid," offers not only a suspenseful and vivid story but a compassionate meditation on womanhood, companionship, steadfastness, and what piety could really mean. Entering into one of Le Guin's novels always feels like jumping in at the deep end of the pool, but if you tread water long enough to see what beauty exists about you, such an effort is well worth it.