- Paperback: 279 pages
- Publisher: Mariner Books; Reprint edition (10 April 2009)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0156033682
- ISBN-13: 978-0156033688
- Product Dimensions: 20.1 x 13.2 x 2 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 867,892 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
Lavinia
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Review
"A magnificent act of reimagination, best read alongside a good translation of Virgil (such as that of Robert Fagles, whose translation is quoted here) so that Le Guin's brilliant interweaving of Lavinia's story with the original can be fully appreciated." (THE TIMES )
"A world rich in ritual and piety is evoked, one teeming with divine omens and auguries. It's beautifully done. [An] intruiging, luxuriously realised novel." (James Lovegrove THE FINANCIAL TIMES )
"Ursula Le Guin's vivid novel gives Lavinia a voice. It is a moving testament to the conversations that great writers sustain through the centuries." (Dinah Birch TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT )
"Lavinia is a fantasy built on a fantasy, yet it rings true. Its author writes with a sophistication and clarity that make suspension of disbelief natural. Le Guin's ancient Latium is extraordinary, as is Virgil's, but her characters are rooted, real, ordinary." (THE OBSERVER )
"This is a book that is as perfect as an autumn day or a truly great wine. This is life itself, coaxed onto the page. Such a perfect balance of feeling, metre and storytelling it is hard to describe." (Guy Haley DEATHRAY )
"Lavina is based on events in Virgil's Aeneid; the battle scenes do recall the film 300 or the epics of antiquity. But it's everyday pre-Roman life that fascinates Le Guin: rituals seasonal cycles and the role of women. Lavinia herself has a strong voice, and Le Guin's lyrical prose builds a heroic love story." (WATERSTONE'S BOOKS QUARTERLY )
"Le Guin has lovingly re-created the relatively simple Bronze age culture that ultimately gave birth to Rome. This is one of her finest achievements. It certainly deserves to be at the top of your 'must read' list." (Laurence Osborn INTERZONE )
"If you enjoyed Virgil's Aeneid, you will enjoy seeing that one line fleshed out. If you like classical history, this is a fascinating glimpse of the little warrior states that eventually became part of Rome. For those who like poetic prose, a good story well told, and living through a different mind in another world, then Lavinia will be a book to enjoy again and again." (HISTORICAL NOVEL SOCIETY )
"Lavinia opens a thought provoking window into a long dead world, and offers something interesting from the hands of a writer who is extremely competent and passionately engaged with her subject matter. A fascinating read." (Alex Meehan SUNDAY BUSINESS POST (IRELAND) )
"Impressively written and deftly handled, this is a graceful and enchanting novel that far from marring the legend Virgil created, delicately adds to it in a modest commentary on a character he left undone. Beautifully crafted and skillfully tackled." (DREAMWATCH TOTAL SCI FI )
"Le Guin is a composed writer, clear and measured, and her account of the life of Aeneas's last wife, a woman Virgil scoots over in the The Aeneid, is captivating. This is a work of passion, written with cool expertise: a cracker." (THE SUNDAY TIMES ) --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
"A world rich in ritual and piety is evoked, one teeming with divine omens and auguries. It's beautifully done. [An] intruiging, luxuriously realised novel." (James Lovegrove THE FINANCIAL TIMES )
"Ursula Le Guin's vivid novel gives Lavinia a voice. It is a moving testament to the conversations that great writers sustain through the centuries." (Dinah Birch TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT )
"Lavinia is a fantasy built on a fantasy, yet it rings true. Its author writes with a sophistication and clarity that make suspension of disbelief natural. Le Guin's ancient Latium is extraordinary, as is Virgil's, but her characters are rooted, real, ordinary." (THE OBSERVER )
"This is a book that is as perfect as an autumn day or a truly great wine. This is life itself, coaxed onto the page. Such a perfect balance of feeling, metre and storytelling it is hard to describe." (Guy Haley DEATHRAY )
"Lavina is based on events in Virgil's Aeneid; the battle scenes do recall the film 300 or the epics of antiquity. But it's everyday pre-Roman life that fascinates Le Guin: rituals seasonal cycles and the role of women. Lavinia herself has a strong voice, and Le Guin's lyrical prose builds a heroic love story." (WATERSTONE'S BOOKS QUARTERLY )
"Le Guin has lovingly re-created the relatively simple Bronze age culture that ultimately gave birth to Rome. This is one of her finest achievements. It certainly deserves to be at the top of your 'must read' list." (Laurence Osborn INTERZONE )
"If you enjoyed Virgil's Aeneid, you will enjoy seeing that one line fleshed out. If you like classical history, this is a fascinating glimpse of the little warrior states that eventually became part of Rome. For those who like poetic prose, a good story well told, and living through a different mind in another world, then Lavinia will be a book to enjoy again and again." (HISTORICAL NOVEL SOCIETY )
"Lavinia opens a thought provoking window into a long dead world, and offers something interesting from the hands of a writer who is extremely competent and passionately engaged with her subject matter. A fascinating read." (Alex Meehan SUNDAY BUSINESS POST (IRELAND) )
"Impressively written and deftly handled, this is a graceful and enchanting novel that far from marring the legend Virgil created, delicately adds to it in a modest commentary on a character he left undone. Beautifully crafted and skillfully tackled." (DREAMWATCH TOTAL SCI FI )
"Le Guin is a composed writer, clear and measured, and her account of the life of Aeneas's last wife, a woman Virgil scoots over in the The Aeneid, is captivating. This is a work of passion, written with cool expertise: a cracker." (THE SUNDAY TIMES ) --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Product Description
'Like Spartan Helen, I caused a war. She caused hers by letting men who wanted her take her. I caused mine because I wouldn't be given, wouldn't be taken, but chose my man and my fate. The man was famous, the fate obscure; not a bad balance.' Lavinia is the daughter of the King of Latium, a victorious warrior who loves peace; she is her father's closest companion. Now of an age to wed, Lavinia's mother favours her own kinsman, King Turnus of Rutulia, handsome, heroic, everything a young girl should want. Instead, Lavinia dreams of mighty Aeneas, a man she has heard of only from a ghost of a poet, who comes to her in the gods' holy place and tells her of her future, and Aeneas' past . . . If she refuses to wed Turnus, Lavinia knows she will start a war - but her fate was set the moment the poet appeared to her in a dream and told her of the adventurer who fled fallen Troy, holding his son's hand and carrying his father on his back.
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
23 of 24 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This has sent me back to those parts of the Aeneid that I used to skip. Ursula Le Guin has brought them to life in a most fascinating and vivid way. She has managed to turn Aeneas, previously considered rather a boringly 'pious' hero, into someone who could be both a good fighter and a good king and someone whose past tragedies did not prevent him from being optimistic about the future. It is often difficult to depict 'good' characters vividly, but she manages it with Lavinia and Aeneas.
The author clearly shows that, despite the attention given to wars and kings in chronicles and epics, they were really on the periphery of human life. Most people most of the time were only concerned with their farms and their families. I am also impressed by the way she dealt with the problem of the epic gods and goddeses interfering with human lives - something that has not been done convincingly since Homer. The dialogue between Lavinia and the poet over this matter maintains a role for the divine in everyday life without having to trip over personifications of it. That may well be closer to the original Indo-European beliefs anyway.
I am most impressed by this book as both a historical novel and a commentary on Virgil.
The author clearly shows that, despite the attention given to wars and kings in chronicles and epics, they were really on the periphery of human life. Most people most of the time were only concerned with their farms and their families. I am also impressed by the way she dealt with the problem of the epic gods and goddeses interfering with human lives - something that has not been done convincingly since Homer. The dialogue between Lavinia and the poet over this matter maintains a role for the divine in everyday life without having to trip over personifications of it. That may well be closer to the original Indo-European beliefs anyway.
I am most impressed by this book as both a historical novel and a commentary on Virgil.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I read this, utterly spellbound, in-between the weekend obligations of a momentarily single parent. It set a mood - of mystical wonder, of historical adventure, of female power - that lasts not only through the book but as a spark of inspiration as I cooked, drove the kids around, and cleaned. It is the perfect entertainment that also passes the bar of serious literature, in a way similar in quality to the Mists of Avalon, also a myth/history reconstruction from the point of view of a strong yet very human woman.
This is the story of the Latin queen who married Aeneas, the exiled Trojan, who arrived on the shores of Italy and spawned the line of kings that founded Rome. The reader is treated to a portrait of her mind and faith as she navigates life in a tiny kingdom hemmed in by enemies and the fragile alliances that her father established to safeguard an oasis of peace for a few years. The times, of course, are extremely savage, the religion polytheistic but also spirit-driven, lending a vivid feeling of the sacred in certain places with dreams and omens, mystical seats of unexplained power, and the cooperation of outside events in accordance with her religious vision.
Livinia is a beauty coming of age, with a range of suitors that includes the formidable Turnus, a cousin whom her insane mother champions. Her choice will, she knows, determine the balance of power for central Italy, perhaps establishing an empire the likes of which has never been known. Turnus is a vital and egotistical prince, who will surely resort to violence to unite the two kingdoms if she refuses him. She is undecided and goes to sacred ground to seek the advice of greater powers. There, she meets a spectre from across time, who speaks to her of her fate and responsibility as Aeneas approaches. He is her destiny, a merging of peoples that will give rise to Rome.
All of this may sound too fantastical to allow readers to suspend their disbelief. However, with a truly masterful performance, LeGuin pulls it off to perfection. I found Livinia's feelings and emotions completely believable, as executed in the consistent mood of awe and the power of fate that permeates every page. It is as if you are there experiencing it with her. There are several passages where she describes the shield of Aeneas, whose images appear alive, evoking pivotal moments over the next 800 years of Roman history, to the time of Augustus.
As she tells the story, Livinia's voice is a unique literary creation. So far as I understood it, she is speaking as a timeless piece of art, a poetic ideal who has been given immortality by Vergil in the spic poem, The Aeneid. The poet's power is seen as a magical attempt to plumb the truth of a life, even though she is a minor character in his poem. His act of creation has liberated her from time, yet she tells the story of her life and sometimes disagrees with him. It is a dialogue unlike anything I have ever seen in a novel. Again, like her religion, it is completely believable.
This book can stand on its own. But as a classics major, I was awed at the accuracy of LeGuin's references and the way she weaved historical information into a mythic narrative. Her subtlety and erudition are great joys, with every page dense with historical allusion and mystery at ancient supernatural powers.
This masterpiece is the first book I was able to finish by LeGuin, whose science fiction has never grabbed me. Warmly recommended.
This is the story of the Latin queen who married Aeneas, the exiled Trojan, who arrived on the shores of Italy and spawned the line of kings that founded Rome. The reader is treated to a portrait of her mind and faith as she navigates life in a tiny kingdom hemmed in by enemies and the fragile alliances that her father established to safeguard an oasis of peace for a few years. The times, of course, are extremely savage, the religion polytheistic but also spirit-driven, lending a vivid feeling of the sacred in certain places with dreams and omens, mystical seats of unexplained power, and the cooperation of outside events in accordance with her religious vision.
Livinia is a beauty coming of age, with a range of suitors that includes the formidable Turnus, a cousin whom her insane mother champions. Her choice will, she knows, determine the balance of power for central Italy, perhaps establishing an empire the likes of which has never been known. Turnus is a vital and egotistical prince, who will surely resort to violence to unite the two kingdoms if she refuses him. She is undecided and goes to sacred ground to seek the advice of greater powers. There, she meets a spectre from across time, who speaks to her of her fate and responsibility as Aeneas approaches. He is her destiny, a merging of peoples that will give rise to Rome.
All of this may sound too fantastical to allow readers to suspend their disbelief. However, with a truly masterful performance, LeGuin pulls it off to perfection. I found Livinia's feelings and emotions completely believable, as executed in the consistent mood of awe and the power of fate that permeates every page. It is as if you are there experiencing it with her. There are several passages where she describes the shield of Aeneas, whose images appear alive, evoking pivotal moments over the next 800 years of Roman history, to the time of Augustus.
As she tells the story, Livinia's voice is a unique literary creation. So far as I understood it, she is speaking as a timeless piece of art, a poetic ideal who has been given immortality by Vergil in the spic poem, The Aeneid. The poet's power is seen as a magical attempt to plumb the truth of a life, even though she is a minor character in his poem. His act of creation has liberated her from time, yet she tells the story of her life and sometimes disagrees with him. It is a dialogue unlike anything I have ever seen in a novel. Again, like her religion, it is completely believable.
This book can stand on its own. But as a classics major, I was awed at the accuracy of LeGuin's references and the way she weaved historical information into a mythic narrative. Her subtlety and erudition are great joys, with every page dense with historical allusion and mystery at ancient supernatural powers.
This masterpiece is the first book I was able to finish by LeGuin, whose science fiction has never grabbed me. Warmly recommended.
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I confess to having never read The Aeneid, in Latin or in translation. However, that was not necessary to allow my full enjoyment of Ursula Le Guin's mystical fantasy centered on the young princess Lavinia. In Virgil's epic poem, Lavinia,daughter of King Latinus, has a walk-on non-speaking part. Here she is centre stage, a modern, intelligent, wise and political young woman who takes risks for her people, at the same time, doubting her own reality.
It reminded me of the almost unobtainable, 'Till we have Faces' by CS Lewis in the mystical background to the tale. There is conflict, romance and suspense in this gripping story which has been been compared to `I Claudius'. For readers who never read `fantasy', start here and discover just how good and different it can be.
It reminded me of the almost unobtainable, 'Till we have Faces' by CS Lewis in the mystical background to the tale. There is conflict, romance and suspense in this gripping story which has been been compared to `I Claudius'. For readers who never read `fantasy', start here and discover just how good and different it can be.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Moving and beautifully written evocation
This is a novel about Lavinia, the woman Aeneas marries in Virgil's "Aeneid" after he arrives in Italy following the sack of Troy. Read more
Published 14 days ago by M. F. Cayley
Meandering tale
As a long-time reader, and admirer, of many of Ursula Le Guin's novels; Lavinia had me curious about what this re-imagining based on a part of Virgil's Aeneid, and the bringing to... Read more
Published 5 months ago by Belochka
Giving a voice to the voiceless
I enjoyed this book for its credible evocation of a very different time and place; for the sense it gives of research thoroughly done but applied with a light hand; and most of all... Read more
Published 13 months ago by S. L. Parkinson
brilliant
A beautifully written, beautifully researched fusion of history and mythology. I can't get enough Ursula Le. Read more
Published 16 months ago by Katinka Brindl
A communion between poet and creation
A beautiful elegiac novel inspired by a character from Virgil's Aeneid. We get that sense of Le Guin's admiration for a simple but not simplistic life where the deep satisfactions... Read more
Published 16 months ago by Pensato
ghost voicing
Le Guin is a genius... always has been..
This is her at her best... or even better.
i must say i HATE the Phoenix Book cover, but there you go.
This is her at her best... or even better.
i must say i HATE the Phoenix Book cover, but there you go.
Published 19 months ago by mike dickman
Believable recreation
I hadn't read any of Le Guin's books for a long time though I remember enjoying her SF novels and the Earthsea books. Read more
Published 21 months ago by EMB
Much more than just a retelling of Virgil's Aeneid
I didn't even really realise that Ursula Le Guin's latest novel was based around the Aeneid until I got a fair way into it. Read more
Published on 24 May 2010 by Gabrielle O
A nice discovery of what may have been outside the heroes
It takes the view of the woman who, in all big stories, causes the chaos but is almost never investigated. Read more
Published on 12 Aug 2009 by Ms. K. M. J. Gatelet
languorous and moving
I'm used to the fast-moving plots of children's books and found parts of this too wordy and slow, but other sections were beautiful and moving, so it's worth persisting if you're a... Read more
Published on 4 July 2009 by Caroline Lawrence
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