Rating:  -
For two decades, Ursula Le Guin's landmark EARTHSEA cycle was considered a trilogy. The surprise publication of a fourth novel in 1990, TEHANU, generated expansive critical acclaim and represents Le Guin's courageous and brilliant feminist deconstruction of her own fantasy masterwork.
Tenar of the Ring, priestess-heroine of THE TOMBS OF ATUAN, has become a middle-aged farmer's widow, who abandoned both wordly fame and the promise of esoteric power for 'a man, children, life'. Those children grown, she adopts an abused girl, Therru, and later the responsibility of caring for the archmage Ged. Ged, having defeated a great evil which threatened all Earthsea, has returned from the lands of death, as related in THE FARTHEST SHORE, but has lost his magecraft and potentially his will to live. The course of the story reveals a shining destiny for burned Therru and the tender budding of a relationship between Tenar and Ged.
While direct statements in TEHANU of the feminist agenda are a little heavyhanded, the gentle unfolding of the world of feminine experience through Tenar's activities is moving and perceptive: the ceaseless 'women's work', the harmony of feminine companionship, the joys and fears of motherhood and the bitter acknowledgement that women must always be conscious of 'doors locked' against the violence of men.
The consummation of Tenar and Ged's relationship was for me the climax of the novel, and as powerful a landmark in Ged's journey towards self-knowledge as naming his own shadow in THE WIZARD OF EARTHSEA. The wizardly denial of sexuality, and of the worth of women, must end for Ged with the loss of his power, and he makes a halting progress to Tenar's side and to reclaiming the selfhood and masculine identity he believed poured away with his power. The 'Song of Ea' proclaims: 'In silence, the word...in death, life'. Le Guin adds now that only through acceptance of woman can man be found - and vice versa.
Le Guin has always been a writer who challenges, who believes implicitly that one of fantasy's most vital functions is precisely that - to challenge. 'Tehanu' is the name of a star which Tenar, claiming the power of Naming hoarded by men throughout the earlier Earthsea novels, discovers to be also Therru's True Name. TEHANU is a bright beacon for modern fantastists prompting them to re-examine their motives for reading and writing fantasy - do we search out fantasy to liberate ourselves, to reveal truths about our real world, or is it a reactive, conservative, destructive urge all too often valorising patriarchal ethics system which exclude women and women's magic?
TEHANU's conclusion is a little abrupt and unsatisfying, raising more questions than it answers: why do men fear women, why must power for one must be gained through disempowering others, would breaking the hegemony of mages be good for Earthsea, can two natures can exist in one body? Thankfully, THE OTHER WIND, the latest Earthsea novel, continues the mighty task Le Guin has set herself and begins answering some of those questions.
Rating:  -
I've read the first four books of this series and overall am very impressed with the author's ability to have the reader "live" the charcters life almost without knowing one has been drawn in. This book though, like book two, The Tombs of Atuan, is one that has less magic and "historical" adventurous intensity than the others. That's o.k. if your flexable in your tastes.
I agree with the disappointed reviewer that there are departures from what was to be expected given the previous book. Also, there are some more "modern" expressions that take the reader out of the antique setting and mood. Even given that it is an interesting "chapter" in the series. I came online to order the next book. Enjoy.
Rating: -
In this book, Arha, Tenar, now known as Gohi, is living her life as a widow on the isle of gont when she is summoned to help a child in a nearby village. Badly burned and abused, the child is still living, and Gohi takes her in her care. As the story unfolds, we see the return of Ged's master, and Ged himself. Ged is in terrible shape, having lost his mage-powers. And worse still, a local mage has placed a curse upon Gohi. Not until the end is the final mystery unveiled.
The only problems I had with this book was that it wasn't always right to the point. Still, the magic of this book kept me reading late until I finished it. I recommend this only if you've read the previous Earthsea books, otherwise it won't make a drop of sense.
Rating: -
It is interesting to see many negative reviews of this book, I loved the other perspective of it and how it deals with the great forgotten of history, the mundane, ordinary and routine (ie a lot of relationships!). Fantasy (if a genre lable can be given to this book) like most other types of history is too often dominated by war as the defining moment, Earthsea and Tehanu in particular show that it need not be so. To me the story was gripping, touching and facinating. I enjoyed seeing how the heroine lived day to day, and the influence of the magical world on her life. It's a shame that many won't enjoy this story, but great stories are not only found in tumultous conflict. Cant wait to read the shortstories and the other wind.
Rating:  -
This is not typical LeGuin, and it is barely Earthsea. If you enjoyed the mystery, the deep magic, and rich atmosphere of Earthsea, then avoid this. This story follows the extremely boring, unmagical life that Goha lives. Throw in a burned, raped little girl, and Ged without any magical powers (or much else to offer) and you have 288 pages of pure boredom. You get to follow Goha as she mends clothing, cares for goats and chickens, cleans, and ponders a woman's role in a male dominated world.
There are exciting adventures and mysteries going on all around Goha and Earthsea, yet frustratingly LeGuin chooses not to follow any of these. The finale adds to the insult as LeGuin wraps up this directionless story within the last two pages. It will leave you wondering what the heck you just read, and why in the world LeGuin chose to explore this mundane magicless tale in Earthsea.
Boring, boring, boring.
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