Grr

[ladyofastolat]

Grr! I wrote a post this morning, but didn't finish it. Since LJ now saves drafts, I was able to finish it at work, but couldn't post it, since I often can't update from work. I'm home briefly now, before going to a meeting in Cowes, and went to post it from the saved draft. I did indeed post it... then noticed it had posted the incomplete saved draft from this morning, not the draft of the completed version. I deleted it... and now it's lost the draft, too, so I'll have to start again from scratch.

Or not bother. Summary was: musings about book sequels, with mentions of Robin Hobb, and Tehanu. Talk about "The King of Attolia", that I read yesterday. A review of "The Thief" by Megan Whalen Turner (the book that "The King of Attolia" is the second sequel to.) Key message: Great book! Not so great sequel. Great second sequel. Read it!

There. A two page post summarised in three lines. Off to my meeting now.

Comments

[windrunner1981.livejournal.com]

Wait...no...what...?! I want to hear more about what you think of Tehanu!

[skordh.livejournal.com]

OK very interesting. I felt very similarly about Tehanu when I first read it and I still think it jars especially some of the feminist inserts, but I have come to like it a lot more. I think a lot of the writing is Le Guin in her powerful, traditional Earthsea style and I like a lot of the elements. I do think it's fair for her to try and show what it's like being powerless in Earthsea, for example if a nasty mage decides to pick on you. Also in showing Ged powerless and not coming down from the mountain, it is properly following on from the summary we were given at the end of 'The Farthest Shore', and it is interesting to see him try to cope with losing his magery. I would have thought he would have handled it better, given how he coped with some of the vicissitudes of 'The Tombs of Atuan' and 'The Farthest Shore', but there you go.

I don't know if you have read the sequels to the sequel, 'Tales from Earthsea' and 'The Other Wind'. I don't want to spoiler you if not but Le Guin goes on to develop the world even further and (to my mind) unpick not just stuff from the earlier books but also from Tehanu. However, the plot in 'The Other Wind' is more of a traditional Earthsea plot.

I still think that the original trilogy are excellent and the follow-ups don't have quite the same force, but I'd rather have them than not.

P.S. have you read 'The Left Hand of Darkness'? If not I strongly recommend it to you for all sorts of reasons!