The Other Wind by Ursula K. Le Guin

Eleven people attended this discussion at the home of the Brothers Siros. Ten people finsihed the book, which was deemed an “easy read.” Seven had read Le Guin previously and six had read all or some of her EarthSea series. The readers of EarthSea found this to be intriguing and well tied in with the previous storyline. A classic fantasy with dragons and magic, the book dealt with deep philosophies of love, death, and identity. Everyone spoke on how well Le Guin handled prose but for many the novel lacked ACTION. One reader described the pace of the book as “glacial.” This lack of ACTION hampered many readers’ enjoyment, and much we discussed if a new writer could have gotten away with writing such a delicate novel. (Agreement: No) Many people commented on the distant viewpoints, which made them feel disconnected from the characters and their stories. One reader felt the characters were all people whose main emotions happened prior to the start of the novel. For the readers who could survive the last of ACTION, the book explored some interesting ideas. One person felt that Le Guin was on the brink of making a main statement on the nature of power but backed down for some reason. Afterwards several people had burgers at Fuddruckers.

–Judy Strange