Tehanu

The Earthsea Cycle, Book Four

By: Ursula K. Le Guin

Narrated by: Jenny Sterlin

Years before, they had escaped together from the sinister Tombs of Atuan - she an isolated young priestess, he a powerful wizard. Now she is a farmer's widow, having chosen for herself the simple pleasures of an ordinary life. And he is a broken old man, mourning the powers lost to him not by choice.

A lifetime ago they helped each other at a time of darkness and danger. Now they must join forces again to help another - the physically and emotionally scarred child whose own destiny remains to be revealed.

©1990 Ursula K. Le Guin (P)2016 Recorded Books

Like a hot coal

Ursula le guin takes on a new perspective, that of the “powerless”- the women, children, and laymen of earthsea. This book is like a hot coal- it burns with anger, trauma, injustice, and beauty. It deserves to be studied and to be reread over and over.


The narrator did a fabulous job of harnessing tenar’s voice.

My favorite so far

Tehanu is a peculiar book. It’s not an epic adventure through dragon-infested waters or ancient labyrinths. It’s not that kind of book, and if that’s what you’re looking for, you’ll likely be disappointed.
Compared to the other Earthsea books, Tehanu is boring, mundane. It’s about a widow who rejected magical power to pursue a mundane life, and a washed-up wizard who’s struggling to define himself outside of his magical skill. And yet, I can’t help but think that this is my favorite Earthsea book so far.
Ursula K. Le Guin wrote this book years after she finished the first three, and it shows. She had time to mull over the world, mull over the characters, pondering over their growth and motivations and all the “what-ifs”. Tehanu provides a new, nuanced lens to look at the whole series without resorting to retconning or cheap tricks. In a world dominated by male-centric magic and power systems, what power do women have? How is women’s magic fundamentally different than the magic we’ve seen from Ged’s POV? What does daily life look like for ordinary people in Earthsea? What happens to our hero once the dust settles and the full consequences of his sacrifices hit him?

I keep going back to this book again and again. I love the dichotomy between the mystical and the mundane, and Ursula K. Le Guin conveys emotional turmoil and interpersonal drama with a unique sort of skill that gives you the full weight of the drama without crossing into melodrama. It’s a skill evident in everything she writes, but it’s most evident in Tehanu.

All in all, it’s more mundane and grounded compared to the fantasy epics of the previous Earthsea books, but that gives it ample room to explore the full depths of Earthsea’s culture, characters, and philosophy. If you’re the type of person to flock to fan fiction after reading a series because you want more of the characters and the world they live in, Tehanu is the right kind of book for you.

More mature, more intense, and more moving

I felt lukewarm toward the third book of Earthsea, but am so glad I continued with the series as this installment of Earthsea is completely different. More mature, more intense, and more moving than any of the previous books, this book abandons all pretense of being a book for children. This story expands and deepens the themes used in Earthsea to such a mature level that frankly, without my experience as a parent I don't think I could have enjoyed it as much. As it is, I was surprised at how relatable the main character was. You know you're dealing with a great writer when a 40 year old dad can relate on so many levels with a mother in her 60's. Speaking of that, this is the only Fantasy book I can think of with a elderly woman as a protagonist, and it makes me wish more Fantasy was written with older main characters.

While never explicit, the book deals with many dark themes, with the book opening on a scene of the main character taking care of a 6 year old girl who was beaten, raped, and thrown into a fire to die. This sounds overwhelmingly dark, but the writing is handled so deftly that the story never felt too heavy to continue.

There are so many themes touched on in this book that it is hard to list them all, but one of the main themes is power. The main character is a woman in a world run by men, and her story deals with the questions of what kind of power does a woman have? In contrast, Ged, the former wizard is now having to reassess his life now that he no longer has power. Yet as far as he has fallen, and how much his power reduced, he still has more power than a woman in many ways, simply because he is a man in a world run by men.

We are also shown what was up to this point mostly hinted at: Wizards are misogynists. They refuse to train women in the magical arts, and cast spells on themselves so as not to have sexual urges, so that their magic remains "pure", as if being with a woman could somehow stain their magic. Often they say "Weak as Womens' Magic" or "Evil as Womens' Magic". When confronted with this, even Ged, who up to this point seems to be the wisest characters in Earthsea, proves he also has these prejudices and claims "if women could use magic, what would a Wizard be but a magician who can't have children?" or something to that effect. You need to get woke Ged.

There are so many themes explored that I can't even touch on them all. But I will say this book choked me up many times. And as challenging as it was, I think this book elevated the whole series. I'm sure there are some that consider this a "Feminist" book, but I never felt like there was an agenda other than presenting the world from a woman's perspective. This is an amazing book for any (older) teen, and I'd recommend it as an unflinching look at life from the perspective of a woman with all the wisdom of a lifetime behind her. I'd also recommend it to anyone else who likes a damn good book that will make you think.

I'd also recommend it to people who love dragons. And who doesn't love dragons?

Fully beauty

There is a full plot, development and action; it involves some reaction and limits that the earlier part of the series does not, and how to deal with those limits. Many important thoughts are developed along with shocks and motion on the story.

A Master Class in Closure, Le Guin's Best

The ending Earthsea deserves after decades (canonically and literally) of toil. We finally have the entire picture of Ged's life, and seen through the eyes of his greatest contributions to Earthsea: a boy made king, and a priestess made woman. Truly I have never read a better ending to a series in my life.

Le Guin is incredible

really interesting change in perspective after the last three. this book challenges each character fundamentally, as well as the world and culture of earthsea, as well as our own world in what it shares with earthsea. it took a more difficult but ultimately rewarding path, and i have nothing but respect and awe for the author.

some developments do seem convenient or heavy-handed, but they are still effective and don't get in the way of the engaging emotional journeys of the characters - which i see as the main exploration of the book.

the performance was also fantastic.

underappreciated!

Many who love the original Earthsea trilogy will complain that Tehanu feels out of place, on-the-nose feminist, and not as grand or exciting as the first three volumes. I understand where they're coming from, but frankly would say it's from a place of light sexism and underappreciation for the complexity that Le Guin is weaving into her characters and world here! Earthsea as portrayed in the first three volumes IS overtly patriarchal --- women are property of fathers and husbands, witches are considered less savory members of society even as their magical adept is demanded by their villages, and women are not permitted to study at the magical institute on Roke and become fully respected users of magic, as wizards are. Being a series written by a woman, with compelling female characters, and taking up in Tehanu where her characters, her readers, and Le Guin herself are older and more thoughtful than in the earlier volumes, it's no wonder that the nature of society, magic, and culture of Earthsea are being examined through Tenar's eyes. Not to mention there are explorations of broader issues of sex, aging, abuse, duty, and sense of selfhood that readers in the real world can relate to. Le Guin truly deepens the beloved characters of Ged and Tenar in realistic, unidealistic ways, ultimately giving them a tenuous but hopeful future. At the same time, the lore deepens intriguingly with Tehanu, Kalessin, and the dragon-people, leading into The Other Wind nicely. Give it a chance -- if you're a woman you may identify with the feelings of duty, self-actualization, and frustration, and if you're a man you can learn a thing or two from it.

Exploring power & freedom? Read the book

Gender and Power Issues Queried, and Romance!
Stunning reader for a worthy text. Engaging world building. Would you suggest reading this to discuss in class with Bluest Eye? I would.
Ged is delivered dragonback to Ogion's aerie, awaited by Tenar (GHE) and her adopted, abused and marred child. Adventures ensue, LeGuin at her mature best.
Keep your eye on young Therru as she learns to use the other part of her mind and heart, a self not destroyed by her abusers. Tenar sees herself as The Eaten One in Therru and determines to restore her with love and vitamins. The response of each person to the scarred child will trigger a tiny self examination in the reader. Have I done that? Would I?

Such an improvement

A long time passed between The Farthest Shore and this, and it truly shows in the writing. In the early Earthsea books, the story lunges from one point to the next. The Farthest Shore takes more time to play out, but this book really takes its time. And then it abruptly ends. I like the end. It is a good one, but I must say I would have liked it if more time was spent building toward it. It's a minor complaint. Just a bit more foreshadowing would have been nice.

A true evolution of characters

To write a story of such depth, one must experience life on those levels. I can see how easily it would be to misinterpret this book. But if you can shift perspective, you may find beauty, love and truth within. For that which cannot be mended must be transcended.