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Four Ways to Forgiveness (Hainish Cycle)

4.08 of 5 stars 4.08 · rating details · 1,085 ratings · 85 reviews

At the far end of our universe, on the twin planets of Werel and Yeowe, all humankind is divided into "assets" and "owners," tradition and liberation are at war, and freedom takes many forms. Here is a society as complex and troubled as any on our world, peopled with unforgettable characters struggling to become fully human. For the disgraced revolutionary Abberkam, the ca...more

Paperback, 304 pages

Published December 14th 2004 by Harper Perennial (first published 1995)

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Oct 30, 2010 Kat Kennedy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fun-fantasy, kat-s-book-reviews, leaves-awesomeness-behind, favorites

I think I may have found a new girl crush in Ursula K. Le Guin and her collection of four short stories, Four Ways To Forgiveness.

I never did like weak, insipid damsels in distress.

princess peach

In fact, I think it is those very characteristics that cause me to pull away from and revile books like Fallen, Twilight and Hush Hush. It seems to me that in these books, nobody aspires to be anything more than Mrs. Cullen and to terrorize the local woodland creatures as some sort of gothic reverse of Snow White.

fuck!

Fuck...more

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Oct 06, 2010 Tatiana rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: sci-fi, 2010, short-stories, favorites, locus, hugo

Writing this review is hard, simply because I don't think I am equipped to adequately relay Ursula K. Le Guin's genius. She is one of the cleverest writers I have ever come across and her anthropological science fiction never ceases to amaze and distress me.

Of course, at the core of every sci-fi novel lies an alien world. The one depicted in this collection of 4 interconnected novellas is particularly gruesome IMO. This collection of stories is about slavery, freedom, and women's liberation. But...more Writing this review is hard, simply because I don't think I am equipped to adequately relay Ursula K. Le Guin's genius. She is one of the cleverest writers I have ever come across and her anthropological science fiction never ceases to amaze and distress me.

Of course, at the core of every sci-fi novel lies an alien world. The one depicted in this collection of 4 interconnected novellas is particularly gruesome IMO. This collection of stories is about slavery, freedom, and women's liberation. But even more, it is about understanding and forgiveness. Le Guin makes it possible: to understand and forgive a disgraced leader of the the War of Liberation who is accused of embezzlement and debauchery; for a Werelian officer, disgusted by a female representative's of Ekumen (the Envoy) childishness and loose behavior, and the Envoy, turned off by the officer's uptight, proprietary behavior towards her, to understand each other and fall in love with the very qualities they had thought off-putting; for a representative of a better, more peaceful world, to come to understand how a refusal of newly freed men to allow their women the same freedoms can be justifiable.

There are many profound things touched upon in this book: the destructive, alienating nature of slavery; the futility of just giving people freedom when they never dared to want it and never fully understood it; that freedom begins with sexual freedom, a freedom within our bodies; the wrongness of simply bringing one's ideas of liberty to force upon people without understanding the people's culture, no matter how right and humane these ideas are. I think Le Guin articulates the last argument very well in this quote:

"You can't change anything from the outside in. Standing apart, looking down, talking the overview, you see pattern. What's wrong, what's missing. You want to fix it. But you can't patch it. You have to be in it, weaving it. You have to be part of the weaving."

Truly, there are so many things that I loved about these 4 stories, I can't quite express it. Le Guin brings often under-appreciated genre of science fiction to a whole new level. I am in awe of her talent.(less)

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Sep 26, 2012 Helena rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy-sci-fi

Four interconnected love stories between people from different and difficult backgrounds. All of them end up finding their way to -don't say forgiveness. don't...- to forgiveness, which clearly consists in an understanding partner and an useful occupation. It's settled in many planets, but it's mainly about one, Yeowe, that joins the narrative advantages of having just freed itself from a colonial, pro-slavery regime and being ruled by chauvinistic pigs. Luckily, none of the characters are nativ...more Four interconnected love stories between people from different and difficult backgrounds. All of them end up finding their way to -don't say forgiveness. don't...- to forgiveness, which clearly consists in an understanding partner and an useful occupation. It's settled in many planets, but it's mainly about one, Yeowe, that joins the narrative advantages of having just freed itself from a colonial, pro-slavery regime and being ruled by chauvinistic pigs. Luckily, none of the characters are native of wherever they end up finding their particular brand of happiness. It's manicheistic; all things Ekumen are very likely to be good, and all things patriot are probably bad. I don't mind. There probably is much to be gained of the contact of others, specially if they are older, academically better and have a working peaceful system of govern, but I'm a worried about how the ideology at work might translate in real life.

The stories are slow to pick up, and end on the satisfying natural conclusion wholly invented by fiction. Frankly, slavery and male chauvinism are rather tired themes, specially on this planet with no history. It has to rediscover all from scratch. On the good side:
(view spoiler)

The first story's characters are old people, and the orthodoxally interesting part of their lives is over. Is that politically incorrect? The fact is that the only thing going on is the romance; and it's a fairly common one, contrived by the oldest, really really old, ancient, tricks in the book.
(view spoiler)

I might have found it sweet, but it info dumped me to boredom. I might have liked the male protagonist, only I didn't, because I don't have pity to spare for corrupt politicians. And she was strong and independent, but only by omission, because we didn't know that much about her. On the whole, it's a shame, because I'm usually a sucker for willful old people.

I liked the main character of the third one, but the story focussed on his relationships with women and glossed over his involvement in the feminist movements of Yeowe. I find that I enjoy to read about a man who chooses to defend the rights of women. I am led to understand that black people are sick of being portrayed in fiction with a white person as a spokesman. As far as I'm concerned, men are welcome to defend us in fiction. Of course, I would object if he created the movement, but he's just willing to participate, and it's curiously moving.

The fourth one... happens... and its plot is very contrived and the main character is a bit too perfect and I should have skipped it, even though it's the longest.

The second story I liked. It was about two people made enemies by their upbringing, their experience, their beliefs, and most of all their temperament, locked up in one room. The characters are people who can think. Reflexions about how difficult it is to understand one another are always welcomed in my book.
There also seems so be some thinking about personal semi philosophical concepts and individual mottos, specially for the male characters: hold fast to the one noble thing, global and regional truths, and I can't remember the others (or even if there were any) but it's a great way to build a distinct character in a story so short and so focused in sci-fi's social problems.(less)

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Jan 31, 2012 Emily rated it 4 of 5 stars

Four Ways to Forgiveness contains four novella set on the planet Werel and its colony planet, Yoewe. Werel has a violent and oppressive history and although having become technologically quite advance, the practice of slavery is still the basis of their society.

The first story is set on Yeowe following their War of Liberation and features an old woman and her relationship with a former Chief of the revolution. This story seems mostly to serve as exposition and a commentary on how elders are trea...more Four Ways to Forgiveness contains four novella set on the planet Werel and its colony planet, Yoewe. Werel has a violent and oppressive history and although having become technologically quite advance, the practice of slavery is still the basis of their society.

The first story is set on Yeowe following their War of Liberation and features an old woman and her relationship with a former Chief of the revolution. This story seems mostly to serve as exposition and a commentary on how elders are treated in the burgeoning free era.

Next, we follow an Ekumenical sub-envoy and her struggles with the extremely misogynistic practices in place on Werel. She is trying to bring enlightenment and is treated alternately like a man and a precocious child, but just wants to be seen as an independent woman. This is difficult for the Werelians to deal with.

The third story begins on Hain, which is nice because of all the talk so far in this series of the Hainish and the Ekumen having originated there, none of the action has ever been set there. It is interesting to note that there are still some “backwards” and “rural” areas of Hain. It is not the enlightened utopia I had come to think of judging by its description and the characters in other books who are from there. The narrator of this tale begins life in a rural area and grows to be an Envoy to Werel. His early life and training period are quite interesting and his adventures on Werel serve to tie some threads together from the first two stories.

This Envoy will also appear in our fourth story, which is presented as a memoir of a woman who is born in slavery on Werel, but because of some very fortunate events is able to participate in a Werelian slave-revolt, learn to read, write and teach, and finally end up on Yeowe helping to continue the revolution and enlightenment there.

The themes throughout are, of course, forgiveness, as well as how two people from different walks of life can find love together. Each of these stories features a set of very unlikely lovers, often of different planets of origin, who find common ground. This could be applied as a metaphor for mixed-race relations here in America (or even on Planet Earth). The other main theme is feminism. The revolution on Yeowe originated in the women’s camp, but after liberation, women are still treated as property, often with less power than they had as slaves. The message seems to be that many men need to have someone to oppress in order to feel powerful, even if they have been oppressed themselves and know how that feels. Of course, as the society grows and becomes more “civilized” the genders need to be treated more equally. This is also a comment on Earthly societal norms.

LeGuin has long been a pioneer of feminist science fiction. She is adept at spinning an engaging tale that stands alone on its own merit, as well as presenting an underlying message that is almost sneaky in the way it inhabits the readers mind and (hopefully!) transforms the reader’s attitudes on the subject.(less)

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May 20, 2013 ScoLgo rated it 4 of 5 stars

Here are four inter-related stories that revolve around the planets of Werel and Yeowe. Yeowe was originally colonized by Werel in order to mine its resources using slave labor. At first, only male slaves were imported to work Yeowe. After the first 100 years, women slaves were also introduced. Several hundred years later, there is a rebellion and Yeowe wins its independence. All of these stories take place after that rebellion -- yet women on both worlds are still second-class citizens with few...more Here are four inter-related stories that revolve around the planets of Werel and Yeowe. Yeowe was originally colonized by Werel in order to mine its resources using slave labor. At first, only male slaves were imported to work Yeowe. After the first 100 years, women slaves were also introduced. Several hundred years later, there is a rebellion and Yeowe wins its independence. All of these stories take place after that rebellion -- yet women on both worlds are still second-class citizens with few rights.

Betrayals: A short and poignant story that introduces us to life on Yeowe after the revolution. A disgraced leader of the revolt lives in exile, half-mad with grief and regret. A former slave woman befriends him and nurses him back to health. The bond they form is both tenuous and unexpected.

Forgiveness Day: During the annual 'Forgiveness Day' celebrations on Werel, the Ekumen's female envoy is kidnapped along with her male state-assigned bodyguard. This is a classic situation where two people who don't like each other are forced to co-exist. They move through the standard modes; from outright dislike, to grudging respect, and to ultimate friendship. Le Guin handles the telling beautifully and in a way that really puts you inside the character's heads.

A Man of the People: This story tells of the Ekumen's male Envoy to Yeowe and how he comes to help affect change for the people of that world. Especially for the women.

A Woman's Liberation: This is the most graphic story of the group. It follows the life of Rakam, a female slave on Werel, from childhood to old age. Her experiences are brutal and unflinching. There is rape, torture and murder. The worst thing about it is how commonplace and accepted these things are. It's just part of the life the slave women are forced to live. However, there is also beauty, humanity and redemption along the way as we follow Rakam from Werel to Yeowe where she finds that she must escape slavery all over again.

Highly recommended. Especially if you have read any other Hainish Cycle stories.(less)

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Dec 03, 2012 Encruzilhadas Literárias rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: catarina, editorial-presença

Existem algo de único na Ursula Le Guin, isto é, uma pessoa pode amar ou odiar os seus livros. Seria de imaginar que uma escritora a que estamos habituados mantém um certo nível de escrita, ou pelos menos um certo estilo, mas não, Le Guin não o faz. O seu livro "Lavinia" não pode ser comparado nem ao "Ciclo de Terramar", nem ao "Dia do Perdão". O "Tormento dos Céus" é também ele outro livro totalmente à parte. A ligá-los a todos há apenas uma linha com a qual se escreve o nome da autora. Quem le...more Existem algo de único na Ursula Le Guin, isto é, uma pessoa pode amar ou odiar os seus livros. Seria de imaginar que uma escritora a que estamos habituados mantém um certo nível de escrita, ou pelos menos um certo estilo, mas não, Le Guin não o faz. O seu livro "Lavinia" não pode ser comparado nem ao "Ciclo de Terramar", nem ao "Dia do Perdão". O "Tormento dos Céus" é também ele outro livro totalmente à parte. A ligá-los a todos há apenas uma linha com a qual se escreve o nome da autora. Quem lesse "O Dia do Perdão" ou "O Tormento dos Céus" não acreditaria que é da mesma autora de "Tão Longe de Sítio Nenhum", eu própria me surpreendo de cada vez que me atiro a um livro desta escritora.

O próximo dela na minha lista será ou o "Changing Planes" ou "A Mão Esquerda das Trevas", espero ser surpreendida... Mas isso já sei que vou ser...

Outras informações curiosas (que nada tem a ver com o livro em si):

Yom Kipur

É o dia do perdão - quando Deus perdoa a todo Israel. Durante esse dia, nada pode ser comido ou bebido, inclusive água. Não é permitido lavar a boca, escovar os dentes ou banhar o corpo. Somente o rosto e as mãos podem ser lavados pela manhã, antes das orações. Não se pode carregar nada, acender fogo, fumar, nem usar eletricidade. O jejum não é permitido para crianças menores de 9 anos, pessoas gravemente enfermas, mulheres grávidas e aquelas que deram a luz há menos de trinta dias.

Se uma pessoa enquanto estiver jejuando passar mal, a ponto de quase desmaiar, deve-se lhe dar comida até que se recupere. Se houver perigo de uma epidemia, e os médicos da cidade aconselharem que é necessário comer a fim de resistir à moléstia, exige-se que todos comam.

Existem outras proibições, além daquelas contra trabalhar, comer ou beber. As relações conjugais são proibidas, bem como o uso de perfumes e ungüentos, excepto para fins médicos. Além disso, sapatos e outras peças da indumentária feitas de couro não podem ser usadas no Yom Kipur, pois não se pode usar nenhum material para o qual seja necessário matar um animal.

Após o Yom Kipur, espera-se que haja festa e alegria, não perdendo de vista o fato de que o feriado é um dia santo de júbilo.
- in Wikipédia

Catarina(less)

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Jun 03, 2010 Ryan rated it 5 of 5 stars

Quintessential Le Guin. It's apparently part of the Hainish cycle, which I have never read. This seems like the "Tales from Earthsea" of the Hainish cycle: it's a collection of short stories that easily stand alone, but are part of the same universe as other books, and it's, most likely, the best book in the lot. I've heard, anyway, that people don't get that excited about the Hainish books, so I assume this one may stand out.

It's four, tangential stories that surround a slave rebellion and a wa...more

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Jul 23, 2012 kate rated it 4 of 5 stars

The formal and conceptual strength of Le Guin's pieces build as they go, just as each of her four novellas is longer than the one before it - culminating in "A Woman's Liberation," a truly excellent piece. Le Guin is the master when it comes to science fiction as political allegory - and her worlds never simply reproduce or literal political histories with fantastical names. Rather, she complexifies those politics, experimentally combines one issue with another, and undermines traditional interp...more

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Jan 19, 2012 Libby rated it 5 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this book. It consists of four short stories which are linked in that they cover some of the same events from different points of view and have some of the same minor characters. The four stories are set on some distant planets and have to do with colonization and slavery there. Lest anyone think this sounds like a science fiction novel, it's not--the stories are more anthropological in nature. LeGuin tells her stories in a setting in which she can explore what slavery and gender mean...more

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Jul 25, 2011 manuti rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Otro de la lista de 2004-2005. Este libro de ciencia-ficción me lo regaló «la lectora que se ríe de la ciencia-ficción» y como además tarde algo así como 6 años en leérmelo desde que me lo habían regalado, no contribuyó a que hubiese muchos más libros de ese género.
Los libros tienen eso, tienen su momento, empiezas a leerlo y no te engancha, lo ves en la estantería y dejas pasar el tiempo, y de repente un día lo coges y lo lees del tirón.
Este libro no es ninguna obra maestra, le doy 3 estrellas...more

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Feb 03, 2011 martha rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, genre, short-stories

Where have these books been all my life? To make the least original observation possible, really good scifi is good at mirroring reality in intriguing, thought-provoking ways, and this does that perhaps more than any other scifi I've read. The intersections of race and gender and class in this world were so fascinating and moving I kept finding myself wanting to start discussions with people about them, like they were current events.

These stories are about slavery, and the downfall thereof -- t...more

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May 27, 2009 Ariel rated it 5 of 5 stars

When was the last time I read a novel in a day that wasn't a kids book? I couldn't put Four Ways to Forgiveness down. This collection of four novellas tells of the struggles for liberation on the planet Werel and its colony Yeowe. First from slavery, then from the misogynist, fighting gangs that took its place.

It was wonderful experiencing Werel and Yeowe from the perspectives of so many diverse characters. This book can really teach us an understanding of slavery. Le Guin's race and gender poli...more

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Dec 03, 2009 Hazel rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction

I was looking for one of Ursula K's short stories and encountered this book, which is a collection of four novellas set in the Hainish universe. I was drawn in by the first one, about an older woman, but they're all good stories, and nicely woven together. In fact interdependence is a recurring theme, interdependence between individuals, groups and societies.

I used to love Ursula, if only for her committment to examining humanity and human societies, considering our history and our present, and...more

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Jan 23, 2012 Felicity Green rated it 4 of 5 stars

It would be 5 stars; in fact it probably should be five stars but. . but. . somehow, I had trouble with this book. For one thing, it's a romance, or, rather, four romances and I think I'm past the age where I need my social commentary / feminist theory wrapped up in a nice fuzzy romance before I can swallow it. See? It's fuzzy, so it won't slide down!

But it's Ursula Le Guin, which means it's brilliant, well written and will probably never, ever entirely leave my head. So it should get five star...more

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Jul 13, 2011 Sarah rated it 5 of 5 stars

Every time I think I've made it through all the Ursula LeGuin books at my library, someone brings back another one. I loved this one - four somewhat interrelated novellas on the same worlds, all about forgiveness, freedom/slavery/revolution, and love. This is a nice way to do shorter works - I like it better than several stories that are interwoven chapter by chapter. The characters meet each other, sometimes, but it's not one story, it's still four stories, but now you know four stories about t...more

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Aug 18, 2009 Darceylaine rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

As I near the end of my quest to read every scrap of fiction LeGuin ever wrote, this one does not disappoint. 4 short stories about the same world in the midst of a revolution. I love that her first set of characters are old, and how quiet and personal that story is in contrast with the later stories. I also love her sense of particularity and how truth is local in "A Man of the People." My only criticism is that her stories are trying to cover whole lifetimes,so sometimes go in and out of focus...more

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Feb 12, 2013 Outis rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: science-fiction, politics

A smart and memorable political book about slavery, imperialism, patriarchy and social change. It's mostly reflexive in tone, light in plot and heavy in worldbuilding. It's of course woven with intriguing cultural stuff of the made up variety (including a look at Hain) and Le Guin tempered the exposition and her lecturing with a lot of up-close-and-personal stuff. There are a bunch of interesting and sometimes touching characters as well as several narrators who are often far from omniscient. Al...more

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Dec 12, 2012 Alexandra rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2012

There is just no denying it: Ursula le Guin is one of the greatest writers of the last 50 years (at least), and I firmly believe that the only reason she does not get more recognition for her commentary on race, politics, and - especially - gender - is because she sets much of that discussion off world. But, as I've mentioned before, this makes the discussion both easier to read - it's not my society being critiqued! - and harder-hitting, because when we see our faults in aliens... it hurts more...more There is just no denying it: Ursula le Guin is one of the greatest writers of the last 50 years (at least), and I firmly believe that the only reason she does not get more recognition for her commentary on race, politics, and - especially - gender - is because she sets much of that discussion off world. But, as I've mentioned before, this makes the discussion both easier to read - it's not my society being critiqued! - and harder-hitting, because when we see our faults in aliens... it hurts more, somehow. Or maybe that's just le Guin's genius.

So. Here we have four interconnected short stories (although if we're being technical I think the last two are probably closer to novellas). We have two planets, Werel and Yeowe. Yeowe was uninhabited until the Owners on Werel decided to start mining and farming it, for which they used the labour of their assets. Yes, Werel is a slave-owning society, and a capitalist one (I see what you did there, le Guin - very nice indeed - Marx needs a little chastising sometimes). And within the hierarchy of owner/owned there's a gender hierarchy as well, with women being firmly the lowest section of each caste. Sounding familiar? Well yes, except that here lovely onyx skin is the most prized, and the paler you are - the more 'dusty' - the more obvious your slave status.

Me, I'm one of the palest of the pale whitefellas around. No way can I presume to comment on how people of colour would react to this inversion. For myself, I'll admit that reading the derogatory term 'dusty' did not at first make sense (I thought it was referring to them living in the dirt and dust); and while it was uncomfortable in the context of slave/free, it's awesome to read stories wherein black is desirable and beautiful... and it's not a big deal.

The four stories all deal with the same basic issue and time: the consequences of a revolt of the 'assets' on Yeowe against the Corporation who owned them: consequences for the Owners and the assets, for men and women, and for the alien Ekumen observers (this fits into le Guin's Hainish cycle). For me, while revolutions are interesting and all, it's the aftermath that's really the meat of history. What difference does it actually make? How long do changes take and how long do they hang around? Changing the world is one thing; changing attitudes and desires and beliefs quite another.
The first story, "Betrayals," is set some time after the Liberation, in a nowhere town on Yeowe. It's the story that has least to do with the Liberation itself, although it comes about as a result of it. It's a tale of two old people - and how refreshing is that? - dealing with being old, and the changes in their world, and how frustrating the world can be when you're not able or allowed to make big changes yourself any more... but you can still make small ones, that do make a difference. Bitterness and growth and love. Also gossip, and the downfall of heroes.

"Forgiveness Day" comes first from the perspective of a 'space brat' - a worldly (hmm, or not; she doesn't really have a world) woman of the Ekumen sent to Werel to act as an observer there. Being an observer on tight-knit, inward-facing and closed-mouth Werel was always going to be a difficult task, but having a woman in that position - going out, rather than staying in the beza (woman's side); her own property, rather than a man's; speaking to men as their equal - is yet another kettle of proverbial. Solly deals with it rather bullishly, which is perfectly fair and understandable. What puts le Guin at the pinnacle is that she writes Solly completely sympathetically for maybe a quarter? of the story, and then relates the next section from the perspective of Teyeo, her bodyguard, of whom Solly has a very dim view but who again comes across as immensely sympathetic, and casts some shade on Solly; and then the rest is the two of them in rather a pickle. It's a commanding story of attitudes and cultural perspectives, and change in the face of necessity. It also starts opening up Werel society to the reader, giving hints and clues about how and why it works, which while not making it likeable begins to make it comprehensible.

"A Man of the People" begins on Hain, with a young boy growing up in a sheltered, insular pueblo... who eventually gets impatient with the local knowledge available and longs for something bigger. Nearly half of the story takes place on Hain as Havzhida learns about universal knowledge and eventually becomes a member of the Hainish delegation to Yeowe. While the previous story showed Werel from an outsider's perspective, seeing Yeowe post-Liberation from such a view is revealing too, not least because the gender hierarchy has been replicated. The rhetoric of freedom, of liberation, is a complex one, and le Guin makes some offerings on how to understand it in this and the next story in particular. I think this story is my favourite, at least partly because it shows how power doesn't have to come from violence, and subversion doesn't have to involve deceit. And the characters are wonderful and varied, and Havzhida is a willing observer - not insistent on participation where that might not be appropriate. Which is something that some activists might do well to understand.

Finally, "A Woman's Liberation" is probably the most difficult to read of the lot. The first is post-Liberation Yeowe, so at least the theory of freedom is present; the second is Werel, where there is no freedom for 'assets' but Solly and Teyeo move freely (mostly); the third is post-Liberation Yeowe too, with Havzhida moving freely and women beginning to do so. "A Woman's Liberation," though, is from the perspective of a bondswoman - an asset - on Werel. She is thus doubly bonded, doubly enslaved, both to her Owner and to the men of her caste. This makes for a sometimes-painful reading experience - not gratuitous, not unnecessary, but painful nonetheless. Things do change, as the name suggests, but le Guin does not hide the fact that changing official status is difficult, and indeed is only one step in losing the 'slave-mind'. Rakam is a glorious character who grows and struggles and is unrelentingly honest with the reader. She's inspirational.

These stories are complex and challenging and absorbing and frustrating because they do not fill in all of the gaps. By the end a general sweep of the history and society of Werel and Yeowe has been revealed, but there is so much more that could be written! This is one of the peculiar gifts of le Guin, I think - she does not tell us everything. Only what we need to know. Which is about liberation, and freedom, and individuality, and community, and love.(less)

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May 20, 2012 Alice rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: gender, sci-fiction

I made the mistake of reading this book while staffing a week long conference (CFW Mark 2) and didn't have enough brain space to fully explore the themes in this collection of short stories. I need to read it one more time.

Set in a futuristic universe in the years following a slave rebellion on a distant planet, freedom is not what it seems as women continue to be oppressed and wars run rampant on the freed planet.

I was surprised that the four short stories actually revolve around four differe...more

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Sep 20, 2011 Ri rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: science-fiction

I don't generally read or enjoy anthologies, but I love this collection because the characters, cultures, and narratives are all so rich and wonderfully full of people of different backgrounds connecting by seeing and working past what keeps them from understanding one another.

But what I really want to say is that the last two stories of this anthology, “A Man of the People” and “A Woman’s Liberation,” are just two beautiful and complementary character-driven stories that have stolen my heart fo...more

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Nov 05, 2012 Kate rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: sci-fi, read-in-2012

"At the far end of the universe, on the twin planets of Werel and Yeowe, all humankind is divided into 'assets' and 'owners', tradition and liberation are at war, and freedom takes many forms. Here is a society as complex and troubled as any on our world, peopled with unforgettable characters struggling to become fully human. For the disgraced revolutionary Abberkam, the callow 'space brat' Solly, the haughty soldier Teyeo, and the Ekuman historian and Hainish exile Havzhiva, freedom and duty bo...more

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Jul 21, 2010 Nikki rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: short-stories-novellas, speculative-fiction

The first story, Betrayals, is pretty nice, in a quiet way. It's set on one of her Hainish worlds, Yeowe, but it's not really alien or sci-fi in any way other than that -- it could easily be a story about our world. Werel is a slave-owning planet, and Yeowe its colony, and for some time when the story is set, Yeowe has had freedom, but they're still all fighting among themselves. That isn't the focus of the story, though it's wound into the background: in the foreground is an old woman, Yoss, an...more The first story, Betrayals, is pretty nice, in a quiet way. It's set on one of her Hainish worlds, Yeowe, but it's not really alien or sci-fi in any way other than that -- it could easily be a story about our world. Werel is a slave-owning planet, and Yeowe its colony, and for some time when the story is set, Yeowe has had freedom, but they're still all fighting among themselves. That isn't the focus of the story, though it's wound into the background: in the foreground is an old woman, Yoss, and a disgraced politician, Abberkam, who have both chosen to do a kind of religious retreat. They come together slowly and talk, a little. Not much really happens, if you're looking for big space opera SF, but the characters feel real and close and are interesting.

The second story, Forgiveness Day, seemed more lively and fun from the word go. Solly, the main character, is an envoy to Werel from the Ekumen, and her observations of the world are more lively than those of Yoss (obviously, for good reasons). The other main character, Teyeo, is more stiff and stern, and you start off biased against him because of Solly, but I got to like him too. It's just odd to go from one to the other, disliking the first when in the POV of the other -- it's third person limited, not first person, but the effect is the same -- and then vice versa. It gets easier, later on. I wish there was just a bit more of Teyeo's POV, but I liked this one, the slow coming together.

The third story, A Man of the People, began on Hain -- now I think about it, how many stories have there been actually set on Hain? which are they? I should look back through the various anthologies and see -- but ended in Yeowe. All of the stories are about freedom, but this one is about women's freedom. The character and the customs he grows up with, and the world he goes to, are all interesting in themselves, but even better when they all tie in to questions like what is freedom? and what is truth? I love the way I can read Le Guin's thoughts on our own history in this. As good an argument against 'SF is just silly escapism' as I've ever seen...

The fourth story, A Woman's Liberation, tied into the third one, and was pleasing because it was a woman's own voice -- the one thing that I don't like so much is that in the third story, the women's liberation is from the point of view of someone who is male, and that one of the women he mentions, important as she is to him, isn't given a name... This fixed that. I liked her voice, the slow and difficult unfolding of her story, and loved the ending, the opening up to what had been taken from her, a full freedom.

I think the latter two stories are my favourite, but all four of them make a world I was happy to lose myself in, for a day.(less)

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Feb 07, 2009 Silvio Curtis rated it 5 of 5 stars

Three worthwhile stories with a few boring or incohesive aspects, then "A Woman's Liberation", which is a real masterpiece. All the stories deal with the slavery-based culture of Werel (this is a different planet from the one in City of Illusions) and with its former colony Yeowe, which has expelled the owner race in a revolution but is still struggling to create a truly free society. In addition, the book contains a section of "notes" on the history and cultures of the two planets. A fifth good...more

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Jun 10, 2008 Mara rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: anyone who wants to change themselves and the world

Shelves: literary_sci-fi

I've been on a real Le Guin kick lately, but this is easily the best of her story sets that I've read in a long time and showcases her great love and understanding of all humanity (and I don't use the hyperbole lightly). Le Guin never goes for the easy solution, the tied-up ending, the parable, or the POINT. As she says, "Stories are not fortune cookies." Her goal instead is to illustrate the opportunities we have as people to improve ourselves through righteous choices and through a collective...more

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Dec 22, 2010 Tatiana rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sciencefiction

This book is four stories about a solar system joining the Hainish Ekumen. Two of the worlds are inhabited, one colonized from the other. The systems have a history of slavery, and some of the stories are told from the point of view of Ekumen observers or ambassadors, others from the point of view of natives of the system, either owner-class or slave-class. All four are very real and alive, and very touching. I'm wondering how UKL came to feel so much for people enslaved, and people dispossessed...more

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Jun 17, 2007 Aerin rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: science-fiction, female-sf-authors-of-the-80s-90s

I've loved everything I've read by LeGuin, and this is no exception. It's four interconnected stories that focus on themes of slavery/freedom, understanding, love and, as the title notes, forgiveness. The setting is the planet Werel and its former slave colony planet, Yeowe. On Werel, a rigid caste system denotes Owners and Slaves, and while women are revered, even among Owners they are hidden away with few rights and no power. And on Yeowe, although the planet has won its independence and the f...more

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Jul 20, 2009 Ratiocination rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: science-fiction, anthologies-collections

"Anthology" might be a little misleading-- this is a set of four interwoven novellas. They share a setting, take place within a few years of one another, and have some minor intersections among their characters. Basically, they each stand alone, but they also come at some of the same notions from different angles. That structure worked well for me, and the individual stories were well done. Certainly parts of them were pretty grim, but that wasn't the net effect of the book-- hence the title, re...more

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Feb 12, 2011 RH Walters rated it 4 of 5 stars

I resist science fiction as a genre but appreciated Le Guin's use of fictional planets and races to make light and elegant observations on racism, sexism, ecological destruction, education and religion. That the characters kept pets and responded to particular rooms in houses gave them enough "humanity" for me to relate to. I skimmed the final few pages, which are notes on the planets of Werel and Yeowe, but enjoyed this foray into invented planets and social systems. I particularly enjoyed the...more

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Oct 20, 2009 Jennifer Klenz rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I haven't read Le Guin in a while. This is my first introduction to the Hainish universe in which Ursula Le Guin creates a world in which to try out ideas about religion and political systems. The different stories are set on different planets or different parts of worlds and from very different perspectives so sometimes got confused about which world was which but I did enjoy it. Recommended for social scientists.

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Jul 28, 2011 Eric Stahl rated it 5 of 5 stars

Back when movie makers were playing with intertwining stories from different people's perspectives, Ursula K LeGuin had already nailed down just how much our lives depend on where and when we are. Take the chance on this one, and LeGuin will catapult to to the top of your favorite authors. Science fiction as it is meant to be written.

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About Ursula K. Le Guin

As of 2011, Ursula K. Le Guin has published twenty-one novels, eleven volumes of short stories, four collections of essays, twelve books for children, six volumes of poetry and four of translation, and has received many awards: Hugo, Nebula, National Book Award, PEN-Malamud, etc. Her recent publications include the novel Lavinia, an essay collection, Cheek by Jowl, and The Wild Girls. Forthcoming...more As of 2011, Ursula K. Le Guin has published twenty-one novels, eleven volumes of short stories, four collections of essays, twelve books for children, six volumes of poetry and four of translation, and has received many awards: Hugo, Nebula, National Book Award, PEN-Malamud, etc. Her recent publications include the novel Lavinia, an essay collection, Cheek by Jowl, and The Wild Girls. Forthcoming in 2012, Finding My Elegy, New and Selected Poems. She lives in Portland, Oregon.

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Ούρσουλα Λε Γκεν (Ursula Kroeber Le Guin, Berkeley California, 21 Οκτωβρίου 1929 - ) Πολυγραφότατη, πολυδιάστατη και πολυβραβευμένη Αμερικανίδα ποιήτρια και συγγραφέας του χώρου της «Επιστημονικής Φαντασίας» αλλά και των παιδικών διηγημάτων.

ΠΡΩΤΑ ΧΡΟΝΙΑ
Γεννήθηκε στο Μπέρκλεϋ της Καλιφόρνιας από τον ανθρωπολόγο Άλφρεντ Κρέμπερ (Alfred L. Kroeber) και την συγγραφέα Θεοδώρα Κρέμπερ (Theodora Covel BrownKracaw Kroeber), σπούδασε στο «Radcliffe College» και εν συνεχεία Φιλολογία (γαλλική και ιταλική αναγεννησιακή λογοτεχνία) στο «Πανεπιστήμιο Columbia». Το 1953 παντρεύτηκε στην Γαλλία τον ιστορικό Σαρλ Λε Γκεν (Charles A. Le Guin), που έγινε καθηγητής Γαλλικής Ιστορίας στο «Portland State College» του Όρεγκον και απέκτησε μαζί του 3 παιδιά.

«ΕΠΙΣΤΗΜΟΝΙΚΗ» ΚΑΙ «ΜΕΣΑΙΩΝΙΚΗ» ΦΑΝΤΑΣΙΑ
Από τα μέσα της δεκαετίας του 1960 συνέγραψε περισσότερα από 100 διηγήματα (που εκδόθηκαν σε 8 τόμους), 3 συλλογές δοκιμίων, 5 ποιητικές συλλογές, 19 νουβέλες και 13 παιδικά βιβλία, αλλά είναι περισσότερο αναγνωρισμένη για τα έργα της στον τομέα της «Επιστημονικής» και «Μεσαιωνικής» Φαντασίας, όπου συγκαταλέγεται ανάμεσα στους σημαντικότερους σύγχρονους δημιουργούς (πιο γνωστά στην Ελλάδα είναι τα βιβλία της «Ο Αναρχικός των Δύο Κόσμων», Αθήνα, 1992 και «Το Αριστερό Χέρι του Σκοταδιού», Αθήνα, 1990, 1994). Το 1990 αιφνιδίασε το αναγνωστικό κοινό της όταν πρόσθεσε δίχως προειδοποίηση στην έως τότε τριλογία του «μαγικού» «κύκλου της Γαιοθάλασσας» («A Wizard of Earthsea», «The Tombs of Atuan» και «The FarthestShore», 1968 - 1972) το σκληρό «Τεχανού», για το οποίο έλαβε το Βραβείο Nebula.(less)

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Quotes from Four Ways to Forgiveness

“There are two kinds of knowledge, local and universal.” — 9 people liked it

“I have told the story I was asked to tell. I have closed it, as so many stories close, with a joining of two people. What is one man's and one woman's love and desire, against the history of two worlds, the great revolutions of our lifetimes, the hope, the unending cruelty of our species? A little thing. But a key is a little thing, next to the door it opens. If you lose the key, the door may never be unlocked. It is in our bodies that we lose or begin our freedom, in our bodies that we accept or end our slavery. So I wrote this book for my friend, with whom I have lived and will die free.” — 8 people liked it

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