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Chargement... Powers (Annals of the Western Shore) (original 2007; édition 2009)par Ursula K. Le Guin
Information sur l'oeuvrePowers par Ursula K. Le Guin (2007)
Nebula Award (105) Chargement...
Inscrivez-vous à LibraryThing pour découvrir si vous aimerez ce livre Actuellement, il n'y a pas de discussions au sujet de ce livre. Beautiful story about slavery and freedom in the same Western Shore setting, although not closely connected with the previous two books. Our protagonist starts out as a slave in what appears to be a warm generous house where he is well treated and given an education. However, the cruel reality of his slave status emerges gradually and then shockingly. He then begins an odyssey through various communities seeking peace and a place where he can make a contribution with his gifts, which include remembering things which haven’t happened yet. Wonderful, deeply moving book. Highly recommended. I think I would read this a different way the second time. I trusted the narrator so much that I made many discoveries with him, even about the treatment of women and slaves. If I had read more critically, I would have been able to see the flaws in his views. As it was, there were only a couple of times that something that seemed fine to him seemed off to me - the general idea of slavery, and the women in the runaway camp. I think that's a positive reflection on this book, though, because a central theme was trust and who to trust and what criteria to use for trusting someone. As with LeGuin's Lavinia, which fixated on the concept of piety, no clear answers are given. She just raises a lot of questions, and she does so in an authentic way through the story of single individual's coming of age. Of the trilogy, this book had the most dramatic tension, especially towards the end. That served to make the end even more satisfying, but I think it would be stressful to read again. I'm fascinated by women authors who include physical violence and war as central themes. When I was younger, I read a lot of Tamora Pierce (and am rereading it now). I understand that when civilization as we know it is gone, physical strength is the most important kind of strength, and I do cheer with Alanna and Kel when they completely massacre the enemy. But I feel weird about it, just as I felt weird about the appearance of war in all three of these books. Along with war come the concepts of cruelty and evil. Our narrator limited our understanding of Hoby and Torm through his youth and his particular perspective, but Hoby never made sense to me. Torm sounded like he was mentally ill, but Hoby just sounded sadistic. I don't know if that was simply how Gav saw him or if that's how he really was, but LeGuin is a smart writer, and I'm sure she intended to make us question Gav's narration. As with all LeGuin's books, the writing was superb. SPOILER: I'm still really concerned about Melle's sister. I know it's unrealistic that they would rescue her, but in my mind, that's what they do as soon as Gavir is made a citizen. A third book in the Annals of the Western Shore and a third first person narrator in a third location. Gavir was taken as a slave as a baby, too young to remember his native Marshes. He is brought up and educated in a city - one of the City States that are forever warring with each other. Initially content with his life, even happy, Gavir is loyal to the House that keeps him, until his trust is tragically betrayed by an event that drives him both mad and away. Thus begins a tour of different societies where Gavir searches for freedom and purpose. This novel appears plotted largely to allow LeGuin to discuss the merits and demerits of various forms of government, rather than to provide a really gripping story - indeed there is little sense of peril despite Gavir's various adventures. This theme of discussing forms of government is prevalent in many of LeGuin's books, most famously The Dispossessed, and is a major pre-occupation of science-fiction as a genre. Here we see it in the Fantasy genre and primarily in the context of defining the nature of "liberty". Liberty is the over-arching theme of the Annals of the Western Shore: In Gifts individual liberty in the context of the family. In Voices the liberty of a people and how to regain it when it has been forcibly removed. In Powers the liberty, apparent and real, allowed a people by its government. Interestingly, books and education play a significant role in all three and it might be that LeGuin's thesis is that true liberty cannot be obtained without uncensored education. Not one of LeGuin's absolute best and suffering in my view from the dearth of direct involvement of Gry Barre and Orrec Caspro, this is nevertheless more worthwhile than many an "adult" "literary" novel by contemporary writers.
Powers is the third in the Annals Of The Western Shore, Le Guin’s latest story cycle for young adults. Gavir is a boy slave in the Household of Arcamand in the city of Etra. He and his sister are Marsh people stolen from their real home when they were very young. Gavir has visions of the future (the ability to remember things before they happen) but has to keep this talent secret as the city people don’t like those who have such powers. Le Guin’s description of the relationships in the Household is masterful. The imbalance between the children of the house proper and the slaves is particularly well done. However there seems to be a default antiquity to the scenario - and pre-echoes of Le Guin’s Lavinia which I read recently but was published after Powers - which is perhaps a little too pat. (This could be a criticism of the Annals as a whole.) The inevitable tragedy occurs as Gav’s sister is killed and, in a daze after the burial, he wanders off and becomes a runaway. The remainder of the book is more or less a travelogue as Gav falls into one person’s orbit or another. The various authorities (powers) with whom Gav comes in contact and in whom he trusts till he learns not to - The Father of Arcamand; Cuga, the hermit who first takes him in; Barna, leader of the runaway slave enclave Gav joins for a while; the elders of his Marsh people to whom he eventually returns - all have different flaws, faces to them which we can see but Gav doesn’t, till changed circumstances force his hand. Gavir’s power is on the face of it a clever method of foreshadowing but is ultimately unsatisfying as it lessens tension. As a result, though others most certainly are, Gav himself never seems to be in jeopardy. Also, his ability as a seer is never really a focal point of the story, which does rather diminish the (ahem) power of the book’s title. Not as convincing, then, as the previous instalments in the Annals Of The Western Shore, Gifts and Voices, but Powers is still a Le Guin and consequently a cut above the average. Final aside. The book’s cover shows a figure, presumably Gavir, fording a river carrying a girl. When he finally does this in the story the girl is actually disguised as a boy. "Le Guin's storytelling prowess transforms small moments into beautiful poignant events......Fantasy readers seeking an intricate and thoughtful examination of a life that is as much endured as enjoyed will find Gavir to be unforgettable." "What a pleasure it is to read a well-crafted story told by a master!... highly recommended." "Gifts is an excellent read for teens of all interests. Fans of fantasy will be particularly drawn to it, but the world is grounded enough in earthly reality that it should appeal even to those who usually avoid the fantastical. Thought-provoking and suspenseful, with a dollop of action and romance, a novel like this is a gift to its readers." Appartient à la sérieAppartient à la série éditorialeEst contenu dansPrix et récompensesListes notables
Young Gav can remember the page of a book after seeing it once, and, inexplicably, he sometimes "remembers" things that are going to happen in the future. As a loyal slave, he must keep these powers secret, but when a terrible tragedy occurs, Gav, blinded by grief, flees the only world he has ever known. And in what becomes a treacherous journey for freedom, Gav's greatest test of all is facing his powers so that he can come to understand himself and finally find a true home. Includes maps. Aucune description trouvée dans une bibliothèque |
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Google Books — Chargement... GenresClassification décimale de Melvil (CDD)813.54Literature English (North America) American fiction 20th Century 1945-1999Classification de la Bibliothèque du CongrèsÉvaluationMoyenne:
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Each book is an independent story, although they are all connected by their themes and also because the main characters of previous books usually play a minor role in the following one. They are coming of age stories. They are also about freedom, and about stories and the power of storytelling.
The first two novels are relatively short and straightforward, while the last is longer and more complex, but the magic of Le Guin's writing is very much apparent in all of them. She writes beautifully, telling her stories with poignancy and hope.
If you are only going to read one, read Powers, the last and best one of the trilogy, but I think it's worth reading the whole trilogy in order to better appreciate the interconnections between them. ( )