Lavinia in Into the Forest

From the Bookshelf of Into the Forest…

Lavinia

Ursula K. Le Guin

Start date: November 15, 2017

Finish date: January 14, 2018

Discussion: Retellings

Find A Copy At

Libraries

Group Discussions About This Book

Showing 2 of 55 topics — 835 comments total

Retellings

Lore Olympus: A discussion thread for the webcomic
By Danielle · 2 posts · 12 views

last updated Jul 25, 2019 07:53PM

Spinning Silver Spoilers Allowed
By Christine · 35 posts · 144 views

last updated Feb 05, 2019 07:05PM

showing 10 of 10 topics view all »

What Members Thought

Dec 20, 2008 Rebecca rated it really liked it

Yay for voicing marginalised women. :p Obviously, the language is a diminuation. Stick figure sketches replace stained glass scenes.

*likes 'em ornate*

Lavinia's ultimate revenge upon the poet who denied her words is to credit him these... "Oh Lavinia, you are worth ten Camillas. And I never saw it. Well, never mind."

*wipes tear at immortal eloquence* ;)

*predicts ruckus in the Underworld*

...more

4 likes · Like · see review

Nov 28, 2017 Melanti rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: mythopoeic-award, e-book, historical, group-reads, mythic, 2017

There's something about Le Guin's writing I just can't relate to. I wish I could like her stuff more, but, alas, I don't.

I was going to give this 3 stars, since it's not terrible. But considering the last 100 pages took me over 8 hours to read, (and that's only a tad bit slower than the first 150 pages) 2 is more appropriate. It just didn't hold my attention at all. ...more

3 likes · Like · see review

Dec 02, 2019 Katy rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Finished. This one is slow moving, but well done.

12/2/2019: Just started, but I love Le Guin's prose, "...t's not death that allows us to understand one another, but poetry." ...more

3 likes · Like · see review

Jan 11, 2017 Tam G rated it really liked it

Shelves: history-historical, classics, world-lit, war-and-battles, women-s-issues

I liked this very much. Interestingly enough, it seems to suffer only where it's forced to follow the Aeneid, as if the war and drama of that plot line are just bumps in the life of Lavinia herself. Fate forces, Fate cuts off, but Fate is not true life.

This novel shines in two regards. It allows its people to be religious in their own way. The pagan beliefs of the native Latins is portrayed naturally, and even beautifully. Le Guin's anthropologist background weaves a perfect background. The con ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Jul 12, 2014 Adriel rated it really liked it

Shelves: historical-fiction

Beautiful, rich writing brings the story to life.

1 like · Like · see review

Sep 13, 2009 Sienna rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2009

I am embarrassed to admit I've never actually read the Aeneid 鈥� only took a year of Latin and somehow never picked up a translation. Typical Le Guin in that I loved it (and Lavinia) more with each page.

Thanks to my husband for buying this for me. ...more

Like · see review

Apr 09, 2012 Lia rated it it was amazing

Shelves: library, to-buy, read-in-2012

Beautifully crafted novel... but what else do we expect from Ursula K. Le Guin? The ending was particularly gorgeous... as was the discussion about gods on pages 64-66.

What a dreamy Summer read this was. It will stay with me for a long time... maybe forever.

"Oh, never and forever aren't for mortals, love."

Then let me "end" the way Lavinia did... ...more

Like · see review