Tehanu by Ursula le Guin


I only recently discovered that there was a fifth Earthsea book, even though it was published several years ago. So, it being many years since I read them, I decided to re-read Tehanu, which is the fourth and supposedly last Earthsea book and go on to read the fifth one. For people not familiar with the original Earthsea trilogy ... tough ... go read them. I read them as a child and loved them. I have singularly failed to get any of my children to read them, though a dramatised tape of 'Wizard of Earthsea' was one of our favourites for many years until it got mangled and I was unable to replace it. Tehanu was written apparently for the original audience of the Earthsea trilogy, having been written and being set about 20 years or so after the other books. It is a much more 'adult' book, not that I would characterise the original trilogy as 'children's' books. They have wizards and dragons in them, but are about as far removed from the ubiquitous Harry P. as it is possible to be.
Tehanu is a quiet book, without big events. In it we return to the isle of Gont, where the whole story began, to Tenar (from the Tombs of Atuan) who is now a middle aged widow. Into her comfortable, routine life comes a young girl, horribly scarred by fire, whom she takes in without question. Her life takes new turns with the death of Ogion, the subsequent return of Ged and then of her son, but there is the undercurrent of magical 'corruption' behind the scenes which intrudes disruptively into the story.
What I love about Ursula le Guin's writing is that her world is so complete and her characters are so real. She assumes her readers already know what is going on, she doesn't explain anything and references to the previous stories are within the context of real conversations. She draws you right into the world with quite long descriptions of the ordinary people and their lives and their society, they have a real culture and a real history, of which you are made to feel that the story is only a very small part. For a book that was supposed to be the final part it is quite open ended, so I am glad to find I now have another.

Tehanu - Ursula Le Guin
Published by Puffin 1992
ISBN 0 14 034802 6

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