Four Ways to Forgiveness by Ursula K. Le Guin | Review

[@marksbookmarkedbooks7751]

Loved this book! Le Guin at her best makes me feel like the frog being slowly boiled. Where I'll calmly follow along with the story, appreciating it at an intellectual level and then I get to the end and suddenly I realize I'm an emotional wreck. And all these four stories, and the collection as a whole, did that to me.

[@aliciacampos5789]

This collection is excellent. So powerful, so moving. I especially loved "Forgiveness Day" and "A Man of the People". I read it a long time ago, and these many years later it continues to resonate with me. If anyone is thinking about reading some Le Guin, you cannot go wrong with this collection. Thanks for your great review.

[@bookssongsandothermagic]

Hi Rachel - I watch your videos a lot, and always want to know what you think about the books you read. I think your reviews have a lot in detail in them, which I admire a lot. I discovered Le Guin early this year, after spending 30 years not reading her but hearing about her. "Four Ways to Forgiveness" is the 5th book i've read by her - and I am surprised by the difference in tone between the first two stories and the last two. The last two are far more intense and traumatic (for the characters and in turn for the reader), and I guess the last two stories are more of what I was expecting. The fourth story was amazing I thought, really powerful with a heart warming ending that made you smile as you read it. Ursula K Le Guin always writes brilliantly, so the first two stories aren't bad, they just don't have the weight of the 3rd and 4th I think...As a result, out of the 5 books, it's my least favourite, because of that shift in tone, that puts all of the dramatic weight into the 2nd half of the book; particularly the last story. After finishing the fourth story I still felt that the book was brilliantly written, so I don't think this book has been a big let down, but just a slight disappointment because of the differences between the first and second halves of the book. The first four were such big moments for me as a reader. (Dispossessed, Left Hand, Word for World and Lathe of Heaven). I loved the last story though, and felt compelled to find out what happened to the characters as the last pages beckoned. (I have recently read The Color Purple, and Rakam's experiences have parallels with Celie's in The Color Purple - it's remarkable to see such vivid depictions of slavery in this 4th story). I felt like commenting because of that odd difference in tone; hope it all makes sense....

[@ptlehmann]

A very passionate review, in a good way. Thank you.

[@nunyabizness9574]

I just bought the hardcover first print edition of this book for 50c.

[@kittymachine3798]

Girl, I was getting emotional too! I was thinking of the personal grief or empathy required to write authentically about these issues... I wanted to reach out and hug LeGuin for being able to write this, and you for reading it, and every one of us who has been subjected to violence or oppression. I still have yet to read ANYTHING by this author. What a travesty! I will likely choose something less intense than this collection since I'm sensitive. Do you have a recommendation for where to start?

[@carlosrios790]

Thank you for introducing me to Le Guin! A simply STELLAR sci-fi writer! I just purchased the LOA volumes of The Hainish Cycle. Brilliant! She was a genius. Thanks!

[@joreads8782]

Great review! Your reviews of Ursula K Le Guin’s work have inspired me to pick more of her work up, and when I saw Adam of Memento Mori talk about the Library of America collection, I went out and bought that so I could read all the Hainish cycle books. In there that book is called Five ways to Forgiveness so it seems she wrote another story to go with that collection. I am looking forward to slowly working my way through the books.

[@indiegamebreak]

A really nice, detailed review, thanks. I hadn't heard of this collection, but it sounds like vintage Le Guin, mind-expanding and emotional at the same time. I'd better track down a copy!

[@FinalBlowJoe]

Excellent review as always Rachel; in-depth and personal at once. It's Le Guin who I do want to read more by but I'm unsure when I'll get to this. It may well be quite some time.

[@jwyndham4385]

Very interesting and that gives to talk a lot, I hope to answer / ask tonight if the long day allows me but the beginning is bad then ... But past or the weekend this allows debates.

[@lined01]

People going to the stars have to be capable.