| Plot Summary of Tehanu - Earthsea 4 |
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"It is the last book of the Earthsea series. Ged lost his magic power and returns to Gont, where he meets Tenar again. She adopts a child, severely burned by her parents. While Ged tries to cope with his loss, the young Tehanu, learnes about the dragons and tries to understand her origins. She learnes that she belonges to the dragons, but stays with the humans."
irina, Resident Scholar
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"This is the fourth and final volume in the Earthsea quartet (following A Wizard of Earthsea, The Tombs of Atuan and The Farthest Shore).
In this book, Ursula K. LeGuin goes back to Tenar, now a middle-aged farm woman, to tell us the story of her life after the events of The Tombs of Atuan. Only recently a widow, she decides to take the child Therru under her wing, a little girl who has been cruelly raped and terrifyingly burned and maimed by her parents who, fearing her, wanted to get rid of her.
The story goes on to describe their life on the farm on the island of Gont, Therru growing up, and their perpetual flight from the child's family who want to "finish the job".
Tehanu was written some fifteen years after the original Earthsea trilogy, and the evolution in Ursula K. LeGuin's style, as well as the maturation of the whole Earthsea world are quite noticeable.
This is a stunning conclusion to the series, that got me hooked right from the beginning. And what a pleasure to meet again with all the main characters of Earthsea!"
crooty, Resident Scholar
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"This entire book takes place on Gont, the island of Ged/Sparrowhawk's birth. Bereft of most or all of his magic powers from the epic battle in book three, he has returned to Gont to hide from the world. This book centers on Tenar, the girl he rescued from the Tombs of Atuan in book two about 25 years before, now an older woman, and Therru, a young girl raped and burned into disfigurement, and left for dead. The two strange women bond and settle in the farmhouse of Ogion, the wizard who first mentored Ged, and who dies of old age early in the story. Ged and Tenar take to each other, but friends and enemies are searching for the former archmage, and the little girl's attackers are also still out to get her. Although the dragon Kalessin makes several appearances in this story, _Tehanu_ is comparatively free of sword and sorcery, concentrating more on the lessons and triumphs of childhood and advanced age."
David Loftus, Resident Scholar
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| Review Analysis of Tehanu - Earthsea 4 |
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Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Composition of Book
Descript. of chases or violence - 10%
planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 20%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 50%
Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 20%
Tone of book
- sensitive (sigh....)
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION?
- fantasy world/fantasy past
Inner Struggle
Yes
Plotlet:
- fighting a personal illness/handicap
Adversaries are…
- dragon buddy
Is this an adult or child's book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
GIANT monster(s)
Yes
Family relations
Yes
Main Character
Identity:
- Female
Profession/status:
- farmer
Age:
- 40's-50's
Has magical/special powers?
Yes
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
Physique
- average physique
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- 20's-30's
Profession/status:
- mage/magician
Has magical powers?
Yes
Magical/mental powers of main antagonist:
- mind control
- can cast all sorts of spells
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- a moderate amount
How sensitive is this character?
- mean, arrogant
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- average physique
Setting
Terrain
- Water
- Mountains
- Forests
Earth setting:
- during "Tolkien" (fairytime) times
A substantial portion of this book takes place on a non-Earth planetary body:
- humans in a primitive/fantasy society
Takes place on Earth?
Yes
Planet outside solar system?
Yes
Style
Person?
- mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death?
- moderately detailed references to deaths
Sex in book?
Yes
What kind of sex:
- vague references only
How much dialogue?
- roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
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