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A collection of nine critical essays on the modern social science fiction novel, arranged in chronological order of their original publication. ... Read more

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Le Guin offers a new and intriguing variation on the American tradition of Romance largely under the aegis of science fiction. The Word for World is Forest, The Earthsea Trilogy, and The Dispossessed are studied here along with other works by the writer.

This title, Ursula K. Leguin, part of Chelsea House Publishers’ Modern Critical Views series, examines the major works of Ursula K. Leguin through full-length critical essays by expert literary critics. In addition, this title features a short biography on Ursula K. Leguin, a chronology of the author’s life, and an introductory essay written by Harold Bloom, Sterling Professor of the Humanities, Yale University. ... Read more

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An examination of Le Guin's career, from her obscure beginnings in the science fiction magazines to her rapid rise to the top in the 1970's. ... Read more

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13 scholarly essays, 1 12-page memoir/essay by Ursula Le Guin, 2 *encounters*, 1 book review, by scholars from the U.S. and around the world, including Darko Suvin (Italy), Beth Snowberger (Taiwan), Amy Clarke (UCSD), Vera Benczik (Hungary), Kathleen Keating (Greensboro College), Richard Erlich (Miami U), Linda Wight (Australia), Howard Sklar (Finland), Kasi Jackson (West Virginia U), Jenny Gal-Or (Great Britain), Traci Thomas-Card (U Wisconsin), Marleen Barr (Fordham U), Warren Rochelle (U Mary Washington), Mike Cadden (Missouri Western State U). ... Read more

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Les achats comprennent une adhésion à l'essai gratuite au club de livres de l'éditeur, dans lequel vous pouvez choisir parmi plus d'un million d'ouvrages, sans frais. Le livre consiste d'articles Wikipedia sur : Hannah Arendt, Toni Morrison, Marguerite Yourcenar, Ursula K. le Guin, Zelda Fitzgerald, Diane Duane, Bell Hooks, Sylvia Plath, Marion Zimmer Bradley, Stephenie Meyer, C. J. Cherryh, Helen Hunt Jackson, Patricia Highsmith, Anne Waldman, Gertrude Stein, Frances Sargent Osgood, Catherine Lucille Moore, Fanny Fern, Natalie Clifford Barney, Edna Ferber, Anne Mccaffrey, Maya Angelou, Pearl Buck, Patricia Cornwell, Elizabeth Bishop, Ann Rule, Sarah Helen Whitman, Poppy Z. Brite, Margaret Weis, Lilian Jackson Braun, Elizabeth George, Mary Higgins Clark, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Elizabeth Moon, Kate Chopin, Lois Mcmaster Bujold, Anaïs Nin, Susan Sontag, Betty Mahmoody, Elizabeth Peters, Alice Sebold, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, Deborah Jean Ross, Alice Walker, Carolyn G. Heilbrun, Patricia Anthony, Anne Bradstreet, Harper Lee, Barbara Hambly, Florence Gould, Anne Sexton, Kressmann Taylor, Rita Mae Brown, Carol O'connell, Judith Merril, Yasmine Galenorn, Djuna Barnes, Judy Blume, Catherynne M. Valente, Alice B. Toklas, Lois Lowry, Joyce Carol Oates, Amy Lowell, Janet Evanovich, Craig Rice, Patricia Macdonald, Katherine Paterson, Mary Oliver, Blanche Oelrichs, Phillis Wheatley, Vonda Mcintyre, Octavia E. Butler, Sue Grafton, Shirlee Busbee, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Dorothy Parker, Martha Grimes, Donna Leon, Jane Addams, Sarah Zettel, Karin Slaughter, H.d., Margaret Mitchell, Elizabeth Blackwell, Clarissa Pinkola Estés, Tillie Olsen, Rivka Galchen, L.j Smith, Pat Cadigan, Elaine Cunningham, Jeanne Duprau, Carol Berg, Joan Didion, Willa Cather, Melanie Rawn, Margaret Fuller, Kate Millett, Jessica Verday, Katherine Kurtz, Nancy Kress, Tana Hoban, James Tiptree, Jr, Mary Mapes Dodge, Nancy A. Collins, Diane Di Prima, Siri Hustvedt, Maxine Kumi...http://booksllc.net/?l=fr ... Read more

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Orsinia ... a land of medieval forests, stonewalled cities, and railways reaching into the mountains where the old gods dwell. A country where life is harsh, dreams are gentle, and people feel torn by powerful forces and fight to remain whole. In this enchanting collection, Ursula K. Le Guin brings to mainstream fiction the same compelling mastery of word and deed, of story and character, of violence and love, that has won her the Pushcart Prize, and the Kafka and National Book Awards. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Worth Re-Reading; 4.5 Stars
Most of the stories in this collection were written in 1970s, when LeGuin was at the height of her powers.This is a sustained work of historical fiction, not the science fiction that made LeGuin famous.The stories are a series of well developed vignettes set at various times in the fictional Eastern European nation of Orsinia, which combines features of several nations in Eastern Europe.All the stories in this collection are very well written, combining excellent character depiction and psychological development with a nice feeling for historic events.A recurrent theme is the collision of certain kinds of ideals with the demands and realities of ordinary life. This is some of LeGuin's best work, comparable in quality, though different in character, to books like The Lathe of Heaven.

Orsinia: an Imaginary Country in Central Europe, Nevertheless so Real.
Ms. Le Guin is a renowned sci-fi and fantasy writer, winner of several Hugo and Nebula Awards, author of the remarkable "Left Hand of Darkness" (1969) and the "Earthsea" cycle (1970 - 2001).

With "Orsinian Tales" (1976) she surprises the reader with a collection of short stories placed in an imaginary country: Orsinia. This country has all the traits of a Central European one (just as the fictional Ruritania of "Prisoner of Zenda"). The characters names and psychology have resonances of Hungary, Romania and Slovakia, giving a special undertone to all the tales.
The stories take place in different time periods (in the last page of each story, is shown the year of occurrence) allowing the reader to have a side-glance of the historical evolution of the country.

The tales are written in "minimalists" style, that is to say they portray every day scenes, no great adventures or speculations, just insights of ordinary people in ordinary situations. With this simple stuff Ms. Le Guin construct an engaging stories collection, full of touching details as in "Imaginary Countries". Family relationships and interaction with neighbors in a small town are described with a keen and gentle regard in "Night Talks".

This is a lovely sample of Le Guin's short prose.
Reviewed by Max Yofre.

Well written, compelling, and depressing as hell
Orsinian tales is very well written with Leguin's usual economy and grace.But it's frequently depressing.So take in small doses.

Reminds me of a misogynistic male writer from the 30s.
This is my first encounter with Ursula Guinn, and I'm uncomfortable with it and not impressed. True, the prose is well crafted, but the plots are twisted and bizarre, and it truly feels like a man is writing who has a dim view of females, which doesn't please me one bit. I'm not even half way through and not sure I'll finish. I am a great fan of fantasy, fiction and political non-fiction alike, so my typical range is broad. However, I think I'll try a different book, as this one is comprised of short stories with a devastatingly dark and gloomy feel to them. I've heard such great things about Ursula Guinn that I don't want to give up yet; perhaps I'll pick a new book of hers and start over with a clean slate.

Impressive and Inspiring
The Orsinian Tales take place in a fictional country of Orsinia, which could be any of the former Soviet satellite countries in Eastern Europe, with time periods of the stories ranging from the 11th century to 1960's and the centuries in between. After reading the Wizard of Earthsea and the Left Hand of Darkness, I had high expectations of this book and I was not disappointed. It has the same poetic flow and depth of characters that made Usula Le Guin's fantasy and sci-fi books such a pleasure to read and it is now one of my favorite collections of short stories. These stories have nothing to do with fantasy or sci-fi. They are so-called mainstream stories about ordinary people who make extraordinary choices. The story plots are not connected to each other and only two of the stories involve the same characters. The stories, however, are definitely not unrelated: there is a common theme running through them. The characters live in worlds where happiness seems an unobtainable dream and even preserving the belief in your right to happiness is a constant challenge. They encounter situations where a choice must be made between the path of least resistance and the path to struggling for happiness on their own terms. The characters' realizations of their needs, and the (implied) realization of their right to fulfill those needs, are the ingredients for the drama of each story. This theme dawns on you after reading the first several stories and it is the reason why the stories work much better as a collection than they would separately. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Personal stories about animals by women
The following is from the cover review and lists the authors.I agree with what is said and enjoy the writers from the anthology.Inspired writing.
Through Other Eyes Animal Stories by Women, edited by Irene Zahava.
From cover: "This collection of beautifully written stories will be valued by anyone who feels kinship with the natural world, and realizes that our destinies and those of the beings called animals are intertwined.The authors of this perceptive anthology see animals not only as dignified and independent, but also as valuable teachers for us all.
In the moment of profound connection between animal and human, the human has an opportunity to know the world in a new, meaningful way and learn a valuable lesson in humility.In that innocent and magical moment, a rapport is established that transcends all barriers and restores us to ourselves."
Stories by: Cathy Cockrell, Lou V. Crabtree, Annie Dillard, Dian Fossey, Sally Miller Gearhart, Keri Hulme, Sarah Orne Jewett, Janet Kauffman, Ursula K. LeGuin, Doris Lessing, Beryl Markham, Diane McPherson, Yvonne Pepin, Lou Robinson, Meredith Rose, May Sarton, Alice Walker, and Martha Waters. ... Read more

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Volume #3 in the Earthsea Trilogy by the winner of the Hugo and Nebula awards. ... Read more

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This work presents the genre of mythopoeic fantasy from a holistic perspective, arguing that this central genre of fantasy literature is largely misunderstood as a result of decades of incomplete and reductionist literary studies. The author asserts that mythopoeic fantasy is not only the most complete literary expression of a worldview based on the existence of supernatural or spiritual powers but that the genre is in a unique position to transform social consciousness with a renewed emphasis on anticipating the future. The author lays out theoretical foundations for his argument in the first four chapters and then demonstrates how the works of fantasy authors Ursula K. LeGuin, Lloyd Alexander, Madeleine L'Engle, and Orson Scott Card exemplify his argument in the remaining four chapters. ... Read more

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A contemporary novel by the author of "The Left Hand of Darkness", "The Dispossessed" and the "Earthsea" books. Klatsand is a typical American beachside community in which small-town loyalties, betrayals and generations-old resentments combine to produce a powerful crescendo. ... Read more