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Title: The Tombs of Atuan by Gail Garraty, Ursula K. Le Guin ISBN: 0-689-31684-4 Publisher: Atheneum Pub. Date: 15 November, 1990 Format: School & Library Binding Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $21.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.18 (83 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: Return to the world of Earthsea
Comment: The second book of Ursula Le Guin's Earthsea Cycle, "Tombs of Atuan," is very different from the first book. It features a different coming-of-age tale from Ged Sparrowhawk's, this time of a spirited girl who has been given everything except freedom. More contemplative and disturbing, this is almost as good as "Wizard of Earthsea."
As a little child, Tenar was taken from her family by the priestesses, who said she was the reborn High Princess of the Nameless Ones, the dark, ruthless powers who are in the Tombs of Atuan. Her name is taken away and she was afterwards called Arha (which means that she was "eaten," spiritually), and she is raised in the cold, uninviting temple. When Arha is fifteen, she finds that a wizard has somehow gained entrance to the massive mazelike Labyrinth, committing sacrilege and polluting the "center of darkness" with his staff's light.
He's searching for half of a powerful ring; he has one half, she has the other. She takes the wizard Sparrowhawk prisoner, and for some reason doesn't want to kill him. Instead she listens to his stories about dragons, magic and his home -- until a vengeful priestess learns that Arha is keeping the wizard alive. To escape horrible deaths, they must escape together from the Nameless Ones, and Tenar will be set free in more ways than one.
Ursula Le Guin's worldbuilding was masterful in the first book, and it's no less so in "Tombs of Atuan." The decayed, corrupted, darkness-obsessed religion and culture that Tenar is raised in seems very real. The only spot of warmth and life is Penthe, a childhood pal of Tenar's, who longs to get away from the temple and go live a normal, happy life.
Le Guin's writing is both spare and descriptive; she makes you feel like you know the characters with only a few pages. Her elegantly understated descriptions bring the grey, cold temple and tombs to life. Themes like religion, disbelief, loyalty, redemption, freedom, and enslavement are woven in, but not preachily. The book suffers somewhat when Ged and Tenar are getting to know each other; even during a crisis, Ged spends a lot of time talking about his past and the Ring. It's less a conversation than an infodump.
The relationship between Tenar and Ged is the centerpiece of the book. At first they are enemies, then gradually grow to trust one another even though rationally neither one should. Tenar is a strong, brave, slightly immature girl whose spirit has been kept enslaved to the Nameless Ones, and Ged is the brave, gentle, strong wizard we got to know in "Wizard."
The second book of the Earthsea cycle, while not as strong as the first, is still a compelling book. The dark, tense "Tombs of Atuan" remains a modern fantasy classic. And does it ever deserve it.
Rating: 5
Summary: Mysterious and fascinating
Comment: Of all the books in the Earthsea series, 'The Tombs Of Atuan' is my favourite. The setting of the book is dark and mysterious, it's unusually well thought out and described. As you read about the Eaten One (Tenar) you feel as if reading about ancient, mythical rituals that can't NOT have been true. Le Guin is amazing at describing them and making one feel absolutely taken with the moment she's writing about.
The utterly surprising thing about the book is that it is unmistakably sexual, somehow. There's is nothing that could even be open to such interpretation, but the feeling is definitely there; the revealing of Ged's name seems to be an undescribably intimate moment.
In my opinion, 'The Tombs Of Atuan' seems to be the greatest out of the Earthsea books, if you're not looking THAT much for open symbolism, but rather for that searching and mystical feeling...
Rating: 2
Summary: tombs of atuan: not as good as expected
Comment: The Tombs of Atuan was not as interesting as I expected it to be.I wanted a good, exciting, action-packed book, and the second book of the Earthsea Cycle trilogy didn't do that for me.it was exciting at places, such as in the labrynth maze. but all in all, i wasn't impressed.
the story line was great, fresh, and original, but Ms. Le Guin could've presented it in a better form. the order in which the events happened wasn't exciting. it wasnt like a book that i couldnt put down, such as the Pendragon series kind of realistic fantasy. i read the wrong book.
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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: 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: The Other Wind by Ursula K. Le Guin ISBN: 044100993X Publisher: Ace Books Pub. Date: 07 January, 2003 List Price(USD): $13.95 |
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Title: The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin ISBN: 0441478123 Publisher: Ace Books Pub. Date: September, 2003 List Price(USD): $7.99 |
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Title: The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin ISBN: 0061054887 Publisher: Eos Pub. Date: 01 December, 1994 List Price(USD): $7.99 |
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