#26

Yeah very episodic, although quite common for its time I guess and kids’ books still do this sometimes - the early Harry Potter books tend to have quite a complete mini story in each chapter.

I also found A Wizard of Earthsea very cold: so many characters dying or dark things happening to our main character. There isn’t much joy, I guess?

#27

That was the stuff I liked about it.

And the stuff I didnt like about it? No. 6 you wont believe! Wizard school

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#28

I almost followed up the no joy thing by saying I bet you liked that :grinning:
Wizard schools, man!

Did you ever try reading The Name of the Wind?

#29

Nah what is it?

#30

Beautiful prose but at its heart is a story about a wizard…university!

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#32

Fun fun fun!

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#33

No more wizard education at any level for me pls

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#34

off topic does anyone like scarlett thomas? really like her main works (popco and end of mr y specifically) so decided to read her worldquake series even though they are kids books, pretty good if you like wizard education

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#35

104 pages through The Dispossessed at the moment and enjoying it a lot. Had ignored her up to now for no good reason

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#36

I found the Orsinia book really stuffy at first, but when it got going it was excellent. In the introduction to Malafrena she wrote something like that she realised it was effectively The Disposessed before she wroye The Disposessed.

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#37

I have seen them and fortunately I didn’t really like the illustrations much (too fussy), otherwise I would have been tempted.

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#38

Can I surprise you? I love this too! She really writes so well about suffering and cruelty in such an empathetic way.

#39

Didn’t like wizard of earthsea that much but will continue with the rest if they’re better
love all the adult stuff I’ve read

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#40

You definitely helped :slight_smile:

And then @anon26275971 gave me a copy, and shortly after I got The Lathe of Heaven for Christmas, then I have read about 80% Le Guin this year.

So far:
Complete Hainish novels and stories
Complete Orsinian works
Lathe of Heaven
The Found and the Lost collection
About a third of The Real and the Unreal collection

Got the complete Earthsea and expanded edition of Always Coming Home ready to go, then need to search of more minor works, stories missing from the above collections, non-fiction stuff (as @Scagden rightly says as non-fiction writing is brilliant too), want to read her Tao Te Ching translation as well. Might not bother with the poetry, but if I am going to read any poetry it’ll be hers.

I may have a bit of an obsession.

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#41

Then please read the first half of The Finder as it is devastating and beautiful, but stop there and pretend it finishes.

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#42

I read Left Hand of Darkness, The Dispossed, and Earthsea a while ago, and have recently been going through her other books as and when I find them in charity/second hand book shops/fop. Big big fan. I hope her documentary does become available in the UK.

Left Hand and Dispossed are amazing. the Earthsea books are all good also, although I think I preferred the first two and Tales From Earthsea.

I really enjoyed her Birthday Of Worlds collection and Eye Of The Heron.

The Orsinian Tales, Lavina, Winds Twelve Quarters Vol1, Planet Of Excile, and Lathe Of Heave collection were good but not amazing.

Also read the Unreal & The Real Vol 1, and have Vol 2 to read next. And then I will need to find some more of her books to read!

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#44

It may come as no surprise, but I really enjoyed that documentary that was on BBC4 the other night. Recommended watching, mostly just because of having so much of her talking herself.

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#45

This thread reminds me I need to read so much more!

Read Left Hand of Darkness for the first time recently, and cried at some of the stuff towards the end. I cry all the time but books don’t set me off, and I really didn’t expect it from one that spends a lot of time going into the dry machinations of the world.

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#46

Read everything, it is worth it.

(or at least get The Dispossessed)

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#47

Currently on book three of Earthsea, going to have so much to write when I finish the lot.

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