Tuesday 13 January 2009

The Tombs of Atuan by: Ursula K. LeGuin

The Tombs of Atuan Earthsea Book 2 Ursula K. LeGuin Various Editions Book one The Wizard of Earthsea was required reading for a children's literature course I did back in 1999. I enjoyed it so much I read all the books and collections of short stories set in that world. Yet even though this novel finishes by revolving again around Ged, it is really about Tenar/Arha, a young girl believed to be the reborn High Priest of the unnamed ones. (Nameless ones.) Her name is taken from her at 6 years of age, a year after she was taken from her family and home. She is given the name/title "Arha" - "the one without a name." She grows, learns and becomes high priestess under the tutelage of Kossil, priestess to the God-Kings and Thar of the God Brothers. Then one day she sees Ged in the under tomb, and he has magic light. She traps him in the labyrinth. She then chains him and visits with him. Kossil finds out about this and plans to kill them both. Tenar, fearing this, visits Ged in the treasury where she has hidden him. He renames her Tenar and together they escape and return the Ring of Erreth-Akbe to the inner islands that they may have peace. For the 9th rune that had been lost when the ring was broken when the rune was cut in half. Now with both pieces Ged could recover the rune and restore peace. The book ends with them in the city of Havnor. Note: Pay close attention to the names of boats in the series. In this one Ged guides a boat called Lookfar. The Books of Earthsea: A Wizard of Earthsea - 1968 The Tombs of Atuan - 1971 The Farthest Shore - 1972 (Winner of the National Book Award) Tehanu: The Last Book of Earthsea - 1990 (Winner of the Nebula Award) Tales from Earthsea - 2001 The Other Wind - 2001 The Short Stories of Earthsea: The Word of Unbinding - 1964 The Rule of Names - 1964 Dragonfly - 1997 Darkrose and Diamond - 1999 The Finder - 2001 The Bones of the Earth - 2001 On The High Marsh - 2001 Chronology: The Word of Unbinding The Finder Darkrose and Diamon The Rule of Names The Bones of the Earth A Wizard of Earthsea The Tombs of Atuan On the High Marsh The Farthest Shore Tehanu Dragonfly The Other Wind Note: The short story "Dragonfly" from Tales from Earthsea is intended to fit in between Tehanu and The Other Wind and, according to Le Guin, is "an important bridge in the series as a whole". Also check out this great Earthsea site. It should be noted as well that these books have editions in Children's (9-12) Teen, Sci-Fi and adult fiction, It appeals to a very wide audience. (First written as Journal Reading Notes in 1999.)

1 comment:

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