The Tombs of Atuan is a fantasy novel by the American author Ursula K. Le Guin, first published in the Winter 1970 issue of Worlds of Fantasy, and published as a book by Atheneum Books in 1971. It is the second book in the Earthsea series after A Wizard of Earthsea (1969). The Tombs of Atuan was a Newbery Honor Book in 1972.
Set in the fictional world of Earthsea, The Tombs of Atuan follows the story of Tenar, a young girl born in the Kargish empire, who is taken while still a child to be the high priestess to the "Nameless Ones" at the Tombs of Atuan. Her existence at the Tombs is a lonely one, deepened by the isolation of being the highest ranking priestess. Her world is disrupted by the arrival of Ged, the protagonist of A Wizard of Earthsea, who seeks to steal the half of …
The Tombs of Atuan is a fantasy novel by the American author Ursula K. Le Guin, first published in the Winter 1970 issue of Worlds of Fantasy, and published as a book by Atheneum Books in 1971. It is the second book in the Earthsea series after A Wizard of Earthsea (1969). The Tombs of Atuan was a Newbery Honor Book in 1972.
Set in the fictional world of Earthsea, The Tombs of Atuan follows the story of Tenar, a young girl born in the Kargish empire, who is taken while still a child to be the high priestess to the "Nameless Ones" at the Tombs of Atuan. Her existence at the Tombs is a lonely one, deepened by the isolation of being the highest ranking priestess. Her world is disrupted by the arrival of Ged, the protagonist of A Wizard of Earthsea, who seeks to steal the half of a talisman buried in the treasury of the Tombs. Tenar traps him in the labyrinth under the Tombs, but then rebels against her teaching and keeps him alive. Through him she learns more of the outside world, and begins to question her faith in the Nameless Ones and her place at the Tombs.
Like A Wizard of Earthsea, The Tombs of Atuan is a bildungsroman that explores Tenar's growth and identity. Tenar's coming-of-age is closely tied to her exploration of faith and her belief in the Nameless Ones. The Tombs of Atuan explores themes of gender and power in the setting of a cult of female priests in service to a patriarchal society, while providing an anthropological view of Kargish culture. Tenar, who became the subject of Le Guin's fourth Earthsea novel, Tehanu, has been described as a more revolutionary protagonist than Ged, or Arren, the protagonist of The Farthest Shore (1972), the third Earthsea volume. Whereas the two men grow into socially approved roles, Tenar rebels and struggles against the confines of her social role. The Tombs of Atuan shares elements of the story of a heroic quest with other Earthsea novels, but subverts some of the tropes common to the genre of fantasy at the time, such as by choosing a female protagonist, and a dark-skinned character.The Tombs of Atuan was well received when it was published, with critics commenting favorably on the character of Tenar, Le Guin's writing, and her "sensitive" portrayal of cultural differences between the Kargish people and the people of the rest of Earthsea. The story received praise for its exploration of religious themes and ethical questions. Le Guin's treatment of gender was criticized by several scholars, who stated that she had created a female protagonist, but within a male-dominated framework. Nonetheless, the novel has been described by scholars and commentators as "beautifully written", and a "significant exploration of womanhood".
As with Book 1, this suffers from audiobook narration that is not terribly engaging by today's standards.
That said, it takes a really long time to figure out how in the heck this is part of Ged's story. And, understanding some time has passed since we saw him last, he doesn't at all feel like the same person. It would have almost felt more satisfying to me as something that happens in Earthsea, sure, but wasn't part of Ged's tale, because it feels so disconnected.
"The Tombs of Atuan" est le deuxième tome du cycle d'Earthsea d'Ursula K. Le Guin, également connu en français sous le nom de cycle de Terremer.
On y retrouve Ged, le héros du premier tome, mais dans un rôle secondaire, d'autant qu'il n'apparaît que dans la seconde moitié du roman. L'héroïne est une jeune fille arrachée à sa famille à l'âge de cinq ans pour servir de Grande Prêtresse d'une religion très ancienne, après la mort de la prêtresse précédente, dont elle serait la réincarnation.
Comme le premier roman, celui-ci peut appaître comme un roman d'apprentissage très classique, mais Ursula K. Le Guin nous propose un très beau récit servi par une écriture empreinte de poésie. L'autrice explore parfaitement la psychologie de sa protagoniste et la question de la religion, du culte, de la foi, et de l'emprise.
Je continue à être séduit par ce cycle, je comprends qu'il soit …
"The Tombs of Atuan" est le deuxième tome du cycle d'Earthsea d'Ursula K. Le Guin, également connu en français sous le nom de cycle de Terremer.
On y retrouve Ged, le héros du premier tome, mais dans un rôle secondaire, d'autant qu'il n'apparaît que dans la seconde moitié du roman. L'héroïne est une jeune fille arrachée à sa famille à l'âge de cinq ans pour servir de Grande Prêtresse d'une religion très ancienne, après la mort de la prêtresse précédente, dont elle serait la réincarnation.
Comme le premier roman, celui-ci peut appaître comme un roman d'apprentissage très classique, mais Ursula K. Le Guin nous propose un très beau récit servi par une écriture empreinte de poésie. L'autrice explore parfaitement la psychologie de sa protagoniste et la question de la religion, du culte, de la foi, et de l'emprise.
Je continue à être séduit par ce cycle, je comprends qu'il soit devenu un classique de la fantasy. Je vais poursuivre directement avec le troisième roman !
I mean what is there to say really. It's classic fantasy. The writing was convoluted and filled with exposition. Characterization didn't go beyond surface level with the majority of the narrative focusing on what they were doing rather than what they were thinking.
But the story was still very interesting and the world building continues to impress me. I also liked the narrative decision to make the story from Tenar's point of view even though the Sparrowhawk is still decidedly the main character. Nothing to write home about but still looking forward to finishing the last book in the initial trilogy.
Most things grow old and perish, as the centuries go on and on. Very few are the precious things that remain precious, or the tales that are still told.
I'm continuing my slow and steady dive into the world of Earthsea after years of telling myself that I should. I was initially frustrated that I missed these novels as a kid, because I knew I would have loved them. But in some ways I'm glad to come to them freshly now. The edition I'm reading is from 2018 and includes afterwords written then-recently. So not only am I coming to Earthsea freshly as an adult, I've got Ursula Le Guin as a companion... looking back with 40 years of reflection.This book has a very different feel from the first one, but I love the change in characters and tone. There is always more to explore, and I look forward to …
Most things grow old and perish, as the centuries go on and on. Very few are the precious things that remain precious, or the tales that are still told.
I'm continuing my slow and steady dive into the world of Earthsea after years of telling myself that I should. I was initially frustrated that I missed these novels as a kid, because I knew I would have loved them. But in some ways I'm glad to come to them freshly now. The edition I'm reading is from 2018 and includes afterwords written then-recently. So not only am I coming to Earthsea freshly as an adult, I've got Ursula Le Guin as a companion... looking back with 40 years of reflection.This book has a very different feel from the first one, but I love the change in characters and tone. There is always more to explore, and I look forward to what comes next.
The Earth is beautiful, and bright, and kindly, but that is not all. The Earth is also terrible, and dark, and cruel. The rabbit shrieks dying in the green meadows. The mountains clench their great hands full of hidden fire. There are sharks in the sea, and there is cruelty in men's eyes. And where men worship these things and abase themselves before them, there evil breeds.
My heart hurts! Was für ein Buch! Selten Charaktere in nem Buch erlebt, die so liebevoll miteinander umgehen. Und was das Buch über Freiheit zu sagen hat! Ich mags ganz arg :)
This engaging story follows Arha, a child who is tragically taken from her loving mother to act as a high priestess in what was essentially a religous cult. She is separated from everyone else from an early age, and forced to lead a very narrow life that she has been indoctrinated to value. Then, just as she is coming of age, an intruder enters her domain. Fortunately, she is still young and curious (and, perhaps, lonely) enough to question him--and keep him alive instead of having him killed, as she is expected to do.
During this enlightenment, this intruder reminds Arha of her real name (her birth name), and explains his mission, helping her to see her life and surroundings more objectively. In the end, she makes her own decision. I don't think it's spoiling anything to say that this former priestess does escape her old life, but I'll leave …
This engaging story follows Arha, a child who is tragically taken from her loving mother to act as a high priestess in what was essentially a religous cult. She is separated from everyone else from an early age, and forced to lead a very narrow life that she has been indoctrinated to value. Then, just as she is coming of age, an intruder enters her domain. Fortunately, she is still young and curious (and, perhaps, lonely) enough to question him--and keep him alive instead of having him killed, as she is expected to do.
During this enlightenment, this intruder reminds Arha of her real name (her birth name), and explains his mission, helping her to see her life and surroundings more objectively. In the end, she makes her own decision. I don't think it's spoiling anything to say that this former priestess does escape her old life, but I'll leave it at that. And yes, we do meet the main character from the first book (somewhat older and definitely wiser).
The Tombs of Atuan is written in a pleasing style that is paced well with a nice amount of description and detail. I have a high tolerance for detail in realistic novels, but the same amount of detail in science fiction and fantasy is sometimes hard for me to follow. This is no doubt due to a lack of imagination on my part--but anyway, this novel was quite enjoyable, and I look forward to reading the next book of this series.
A deliberate contrast to A Wizard of Earthsea, this story is less successful because the plotting is less clear. Of course, this produces an almost claustrophobic sensation that mirrors Arha's experience of being First Princess. One other thing is the slight miss of characterization with Ged, who comes off as greedy and brusque.
This is the story of the events that made Ged into the famed Archmage that is alluded to in [b: Wizard of Earthsea|13642|A Wizard of Earthsea (Earthsea Cycle, #1)|Ursula K. Le Guin|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1353424536s/13642.jpg|113603]. He travels to the tombs to recover a piece of an artifact only to be made into a prisoner of the high priestess of the temple, the girl without a name who worships the Nameless Ones. A fascinating character exploration of the girl, who is later known as Tenar.
What she had begun to learn was the weight of liberty. Freedom is a heavy load, a great and strange burden for the spirit to undertake. It is not easy. It is not a gift given, but a choice made, and the choice may be a hard one. The road goes upward towards the light; but the laden traveller may never reach the end of it.
And a few …
This is the story of the events that made Ged into the famed Archmage that is alluded to in [b: Wizard of Earthsea|13642|A Wizard of Earthsea (Earthsea Cycle, #1)|Ursula K. Le Guin|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1353424536s/13642.jpg|113603]. He travels to the tombs to recover a piece of an artifact only to be made into a prisoner of the high priestess of the temple, the girl without a name who worships the Nameless Ones. A fascinating character exploration of the girl, who is later known as Tenar.
What she had begun to learn was the weight of liberty. Freedom is a heavy load, a great and strange burden for the spirit to undertake. It is not easy. It is not a gift given, but a choice made, and the choice may be a hard one. The road goes upward towards the light; but the laden traveller may never reach the end of it.
And a few more lines that read like [b: Name of the Wind|186074|The Name of the Wind (The Kingkiller Chronicle, #1)|Patrick Rothfuss|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1515589515s/186074.jpg|2502879] directly references this: His silence became not absence of speech, but a thing in itself, like the silence of the desert.
