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Loading... Atuanin holvihaudat (original 1970; edition 1977)by Ursula K. Le Guin, Kristiina (käänt.) Rikman
Work InformationThe Tombs of Atuan by Ursula K. Le Guin (1970)
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Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. No current Talk conversations about this book. The second Earthsea story introduces and follows a new character, a young girl, chosen to be the next priestess of the Tombs of Atuan, because she was born on the day the previous priestess died. The parallel with the story of Ged in the first book is interesting for just how their paths are and are not the same. Both accept their lot completely, never regretting leaving their families. Both work to excel. But where Ged's ambition leads him to question and tragically violate core principles of wizardry, Tenar never questions the premises of the cult she belongs to, no matter how evil, until Ged's arrival nearly 2/3's into the book shakes her assumptions. One passing name took me aback: a reference to something in the month of April. Was this meant to make some hiddent connection between Earth and Earthsea? Nowhere else do I recall any other use of a name from our world. Well-told, with a welcome move away from the male-centric first book, but Recommended. 3.5 stars. In many ways a polar opposite to "A Wizard of Earthsea", "The Tombs of Atuan" is small and claustrophobic, taking place in a small temple village filled with a magic heavy laden with dread and fear. The first half feels like a long-winded prologue and the second half is over before you know it. Tenar is sullen and veangeful, although she has good reason to be. There are a lot of reasons to dislike it, but it really sticks the landing where Ged draws her out of her hateful beliefs and grounds her in a supportive, loving friendship. I love this speech he gives her at the end: "You were the vessel of evil. The evil is poured out. It is done. It is buried in its own tomb. You were never made for cruelty and darkness; you were made to hold light, as a lamp burning holds and gives its light. I found the lamp unlit; I won't leave it on some desert island like a thing found and cast away. I'll take you to Havnor and say to the princes of Earthsea, 'Look! In the place of darkness I found the light, her spirit. By her an old evil was brought to nothing. By her I was brought out of the grave. By her the broken was made whole , and where there was hatred there will be peace.'"
Carol Reich (KLIATT Review, March 1995 (Vol. 29, No. 2)) Le Guin's 1970 fantasy for YAs (part two of the Earthsea Trilogy) has held up well over the decades and remains engaging. Narrative predominates throughout, but during the dialogue Inglis' voiced characters are never confusing to the listener. The three main female voices are acceptably done, the two main male voices are well done, the recording is clear, and Inglis is skilled enough to drop out of character for phrases such as "she said." Between the two of them, Le Guin and Inglis paint a vivid picture of the devious, threatening labyrinth that exists both underneath the temple and within the heart of the High Priestess whom the Wizard Ged rescues from service to the Nameless Ones. This book can stand alone. Category: Fiction Audiobooks. KLIATT Codes: JS*--Exceptional book, recommended for junior and senior high school students. 1994, Recorded Books, 4 tapes, 5.5 hrs. Belongs to SeriesBelongs to Publisher SeriesHeyne Science Fiction & Fantasy (06/3676) Puffin Story Books (632) Is contained inAwardsNotable Lists
Arha's isolated existence as high priestess in the tombs of Atuan is jarred by a thief who seeks a special treasure. No library descriptions found.
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Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)813.54Literature English (North America) American fiction 20th Century 1945-1999LC ClassificationRatingAverage:
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My favorite quote (of many):
"What she had begun to learn was the weight of liberty. Freedom is a heavy load, a great and strange burden for the spirit to undertake. It is not easy. It is not a gift given, but a choice made, and the choice may be a hard one. The road goes upward toward the light; but the laden traveler may never reach the end of it." ( )