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January 12th, 2010
04:20 pm - Voices
I have decided to keep a book log this year (like in 2008) because it is interesting to look back on it. The first started-and-finished book of the year is Voices by Ursula Le Guin. This is the sequel to Gifts, and prequel to Powers. It's a young adult fantasy trilogy set in a demi-industrialised coastal realm ('The Western Shore'). Gifts was set in the impoverished northern highlands, where supernatural goings-on are relatively common, and Voices is set in a civilised coastal city, where they are very rare. Some of the same characters appear.
I'm not sure how writing this story overlapped with Lavinia, but I thought the Coastal city owed a lot to Ancient Rome. A kind of idealised more democratic Rome, which 17 years previously was invaded by a patriarchal montheistic desert tribe, who ban books and burn the library. I thought this was a bit soft-centred. I think she gives herself rather a gentle challenge.
The most interesting aspect is the oracular spirit of the library, which is a little bit scary and dangerous, but overall this is a fairly slight book I thought. I enjoyed it, but I speak as a committed fan.
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I liked Voices well enough, but Powers rocked my world (contains many spoilers and also reflections on The Road). Very much looking forward to hearing what you think of it. Thanks. I think I won't read that, to avoid spoilers, and I'll come back to it when I've read it. |
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