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Title: The Other Wind by Ursula K. Le Guin ISBN: 0-441-00993-X Publisher: Ace Books Pub. Date: 07 January, 2003 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $13.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.22 (46 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: Farther West Than West, Beyond The Land...
Comment: Le Guin's latest addition to the Earthsea Cycle is truly a triumph. In the third book in this series, The Farthest Shore, Ged the Archmage sets out on a quest that ends in the restoration of the balance between life and death, the living and the dead... or so it seems. In the Other Wind, Le Guin portrays an unrestful land, where the dead start reaching over the wall that seperates them from the living. We are able to meet the characters from the other Earthsea books again, who have all matured and changed. In fact, Ged and Tenar are leading restful, almost ordinary lives at home. Some readers may find it unsettling to find their hero's lives so changed, and the land of Earthsea quivering on its foundations, but the conclusion of the novel brings together everything good about the books. With this final novel, Earthsea seems to be bound together again, unshakingly, although not without a few seperations... The song of the woman of Kemay presides, hauntingly, over the plotline of the book.
Farther west than west,
Beyond the land,
My people are dancing
On the other wind.
Rating: 4
Summary: Of Promises and Names
Comment: The Earthsea tales, from the very beginning, have always been different from the average fantasy, focusing far more on individual character and actions than on grand battles, and with a dark overtone, dealing with very adult themes of the balance of nature, life after death, love and ambition. The Other Wind is no exception. Still told with Le Guin's sparse but finely drawn prose, this books re-unites almost all of the major characters from the earlier books along with some interesting new ones to deal with the problem of the dead trying to tear down the wall that separates them from the living. And the strength of this book lies directly in this characterization, as we find that the characters from earlier books have changed, sometimes radically, such as Ged, who is no longer arch-mage but rather a quietly satisfied farmer, and the new characters have their own loves, doubts, uncertainties, and inner strengths. The reader will find it easy to empathize with these characters, as all correspond with real people in a very real world.
The plot line is rather sparse, with little action and a lack of strong tension or great dramatic moments. This is far more a 'thinking' book, both about the world of Earthsea, with its evocation of Names and history, wizards and dragons, kings and long-ago promises, and its relation to the 'real' world that the reader inhabits.
By the end of this book, Le Guin has managed to tie up many of the loose ends of the Earthsea world, and provides a very satisfying, if apparently irrevocable, conclusion. The world she has created has been made richer by this final volume. Those who have never entered this wonderful world now have a very complete set of works with which to fall in love with, be captivated and charmed by, and old Earthsea fans will not be disappointed here, even as Le Guin's themes force each reader to examine their own place in the world, their own balance with nature and society.
Rating: 5
Summary: Not your everyday sword and sorcery¿
Comment: Ursula Le Guin is one of the finest writers in any genre, but when she returns to the world of Earthsea that she created so many decades ago, she crafts something that is truly magical. THE OTHER WIND is written with equal parts of strength, grace and delicacy; clarity of phrase forgoing any stylistic pretensions. I found myself frequently pausing to reflect on the language and the story, both subtle yet strong.
One of the notable themes that run through this novel is that of bonds: Bonds between the living and the dead, bonds of duty, bonds of love, and bonds between the past and future. Perhaps it is the changing nature of these bonds that provide the most fuel for the story, in the interaction between familiar characters from the past, and the new that are the focus of the moment. I may make THE OTHER WIND sound too philosophical, but let me assure you that it is sure to be a pleasure simply as a fantasy story, whether you are familiar with the previous books or not.
And if this novel is not enough, pick up the newly released collection TALES FROM EARTHSEA which has even more wonderful short stories from Ursula K. Le Guin.
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Title: Tales from Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin ISBN: 0441009328 Publisher: Ace Books Pub. Date: 07 May, 2002 List Price(USD): $13.95 |
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Title: Tehanu : The Earthsea Cycle by Ursula K. Le Guin ISBN: 0689845332 Publisher: Simon Pulse Pub. Date: 01 September, 2001 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
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Title: The Telling by Ursula K. Le Guin ISBN: 0441008631 Publisher: Ace Books Pub. Date: 09 October, 2001 List Price(USD): $13.95 |
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Title: The Birthday of the World : And Other Stories by Ursula K. Le Guin ISBN: 0060509066 Publisher: Perennial Pub. Date: 04 March, 2003 List Price(USD): $13.95 |
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Title: Worlds of Exile and Illusion : Three Complete Novels of the Hainish Series in One Volume by Ursula K. Le Guin ISBN: 0312862113 Publisher: St. Martin's Press Pub. Date: 15 October, 1996 List Price(USD): $15.95 |
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