I write this review aware that the average rating of 'gifts' is currently a pitiful 3.36. While there are 'books' like Fourth Wings acclaimed as masterpieces of fantasy, well, okay.

Why is it relevant? Because this is still a modern book (English edition of 2004) that knows how to talk about fantasy and, if we want, also about love and family with the typical delicacy of Le Guin. Even a pastoral setting that would be boring in the hands of any other writer becomes an intricate plot of power relations, of honor, of sensible but toxic traditions, of magic faced with realism, all filtered through the eyes - now open, now closed - of the voice of a boy in the fundamental years of growth.

Orrek is a good narrator and his voice engages throughout the book. Just like a boy, his psyche is tinged with resentment for the difficult relationship with his father, who emerges (by subtraction) as a man of his time, laconic, probably pervaded by an inner life that he doesn't know how to express because he was never taught. This alone would make 'Gifts' a contemporary novel and a step above its shelf mates, but so be it. Le Guin writes a fantasy that can be as sweet as it is thoughtful, that works for both children and adults, and that has something to say.

I don't give a full score for the resolution, which is a bit abrupt, and for the drama that is sustained by the theme of incommunicability with the father, which I found a bit overdone. I also found a bit approximate the way in which for three-quarters of the book no one thinks of calling the equivalent of a healer, even though there are people with this power.

That said, it is a recommended read that I was really happy to listen to (audible).

I am perhaps a little disappointed, but this is more my fault than Ursula's.

Since it's a fantasy coming-of-age story, I anticipated something along the lines of Wizard of Earthsea. However, Gifts is neither that nor does it attempt to be.

In this book, there isn't a great deal of a plot line or world-building. Instead, its focus lies on Orrec's growth and on the politics and struggles within a small community.

It's not a flashy or philosophical book, yet its small piece of the world is well-developed.

It's a warm, unpretentious, and highly satisfying book.

Although it's far from Ursula's best, it still ranks above most other books with similar themes.

Overall, despite my initial expectations not being fully met, I can still appreciate the unique qualities that Gifts has to offer.

It provides an engaging and heartwarming look into the life of Orrec and the community he belongs to.

Even though it may not have the grandeur and complexity of some other fantasy novels, it has its own charm and appeal.

I would recommend this book to those who enjoy character-driven stories and a more intimate exploration of a small world.

It may not be a masterpiece, but it's definitely a worthy addition to any fantasy lover's collection.

Every time I think I have found a Ursula K. Le Guin book that I am not caught by, suddenly I have the hook in my mouth. This particular book, although a bit more rudimentary than her other novels, perhaps because it's YA, has a quite special pace to its story and character development. The way the plot unfolds and the characters grow and change is engaging and captivating. It makes me eager to see what else is in store in this series. Even with its YA classification, it still manages to offer something unique and worthwhile. It's another series that I am now invested in and looking forward to reading more of.

How can a story be so wild and free yet still cosy and close?

Ursula Le Guin masterfully crafts a narrative that takes us on a journey. In one passage, she writes about riding a horse over empty hillsides and taking a refreshing dip in ice-cold river water. In the very next, she delves into the comforting details of oat porridge and the intricate design of a woven shawl.

Le Guin strikes a perfect balance in this coming-of-age fantasy. Orrec, the only child of a clan leader and his foreign wife, lives in a world that resembles our medieval age but with its own unique twists. Some clans here possess magical powers, adding an element of mystery and wonder.

The family is tightly-knit, and the reader gets to know Orrec and his parents intimately. The mother's domesticity is not overlooked, with every detail adding to the rich tapestry of their lives.

Orrec and his best friend/sweetheart Gry face the typical challenges of teenagehood and growing up. But they also have to grapple with the fact that they come from magical lineages and carry the heavy expectations of their clans.

"Gifts" is a sheer joy to read, exuding sophistication and thoughtfulness. It has the depth and substance that one would expect from a much longer novel, making it a truly captivating read.

I have a profound love for Ursula. So, when I discovered that she was venturing into the Young Adult (YA) genre, I was truly excited, and my anticipation was not in vain.

She has maintained her tradition of creating strong characters and presenting powerful ethics and ideas. Of course, compared to works like "The Left Hand of Darkness" or "The Dispossessed", the ethics and interactions between characters in this YA work possess a greater degree of simplicity.

Moreover, with Pullman and Anderson enhancing the depth to which authors can explore in the YA field, I felt a tinge of disappointment that the ethics of the Gifts world were not more prominently displayed.

Nevertheless, any time spent contemplating this strange world sheds some remarkable light on our own. I earnestly hope that more of this enlightening perspective will be revealed in the remainder of the series, which I will likely pick up in the near future.

I am eager to see how Ursula further develops the story and explores the complex themes within the YA framework. Her unique writing style and ability to create thought-provoking worlds make her works a must-read for any literature enthusiast.

3.5 ⭐️

I truly felt as if I had been transported into Le Guin's world while reading this book. The atmosphere it created was truly captivating, although the magic within it might not have been entirely original.

The themes and characters were aspects that I quite liked. They had the potential to draw the reader in and make them invested in the story. However, when it came to the plot, it left me with a rather 'meh' feeling. It didn't seem to have the kind of excitement and drive that would have made it a truly outstanding read.

If I remind myself that this book is targeted towards teens, then I can understand that it might be a more enjoyable read for that age group. It is a short and easy read, which makes it accessible to younger readers who might not have the patience or attention span for a more complex and lengthy novel. Overall, it has its strengths and weaknesses, but it's not a book that will blow you away.

The recent publication of the third volume of the Annals of the Western Shore has prompted me to embark on a literary journey. I decided to go back to the beginning and re-read the first two volumes, and then follow it up with the latest installment.

Gifts, the first book, is narrated by Orrec Caspro, the son of his clan's leader. The clans of the uplands possess uncanny powers, known as Gifts, as long as the family blood runs true. However, Orrec's mother is not of the clan or even from the Uplands, where the clans lead an isolated and impoverished existence, engaging in feuds and farming. Orrec's Gift has gone awry and is apparently uncontrollable. It is the Gift of Unmaking, which is destructive, deadly, and a threat to the neighboring clans. To protect those around him, Orrec goes blindfolded, as the Gift cannot operate without looking at that which is to be Unmade. Meanwhile, his friend Gry, whose clan Gift is the ability to call animals, discovers that she is truly Gifted. However, she cannot bring herself to call animals to the hunt. Training horses and dogs is useful, but it is calling to the hunt that really provides income to her family.

Orrec and Gry grow up together and find themselves increasingly at odds with their families and the entire Uplands way of life, which brings tragedy to Orrec.

Gifts delves into the relationship between parents and their children, with a particular focus on parents' expectations. It concludes that it would be better to support and encourage the talents that a child manifests, rather than those the parents have or want their child to have, which may be absent altogether. Forcing parental will on the child might lead to total estrangement.

Another theme explored is the relationship between the Gifts as used by the clans and the clan way of life, which is filled with poverty and fear. Gry suggests that there might be a link between the two, and that there could be more constructive ways to use the Gifts that would in turn make life more peaceful and fulfilling.

It is not a great leap to believe that LeGuin is using the Gifts as an analogy for the general talents shown by humanity. Engineering can be used for warmaking or peaceful purposes, and the arts can be used to propagandize or enlighten. LeGuin would prefer that we choose the constructive use of our talents.

As usual with LeGuin, one is left with plenty to think about. However, as sometimes happens with her books, the plot is almost an afterthought, and the languid prose does not provide much drive. Therefore, I cannot consider this volume to be top-notch by the exceptionally high standards she has set with books such as A Wizard of Earthsea, The Farthest Shore, or The Left Hand of Darkness (among others). Nevertheless, second-rate LeGuin is a goal that most authors can strive for but never achieve.

What was I supposed to think when I picked this up?

I hardly ever actually look inside the book and read the first page or first chapter. It's always the cover and blurb on the back of the book that makes me want to read it. Maybe I should start reading the first page or chapter from now on?

It's written from Orrec's point of view, and when I say written, I pretty much mean exactly that. It's like an autobiography. Orrec, to me, comes across as a bit of an emo person. The way he talks about his life - of trying to learn his power, blindfolding himself for the safety of the ones he loves, listening to his mother read him stories - seems so droll. Like there's absolutely no enthusiasm in him. Ever. He's pretty much like his dad, I guess.

In fact, almost none of the characters come across as very three-dimensional beings. Maybe that's because Orrec is a blindfolded boy, unable to see anything but able to hear what's around him. Okay, I can see (no pun intended) that, but what about before he was blindfolded? He got to know people. He knew his dad. He knew Gry. Her parents. Etc. There was still a clear lacking in the characterization department.

Um, for anyone else who'd read this, can you tell me what the plot was again? I don't think I ever caught onto that one either. Orrec never fit in, and that's what the book was supposed to be about, right? How he fit in with people who had their own powers?

The ending was just... as bland as the rest of the book. It didn't offer any real surprises or resolutions. It felt like the author just gave up and wrapped it up quickly. Overall, I was quite disappointed with this book. The concept had potential, but it was executed poorly. The characters were flat, the plot was unclear, and the ending was lackluster. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone.

This is a truly remarkable short novel. The writing is of a very high quality, filled with engaging characters and a captivating plot.

However, I do have one minor criticism. It seemed to me that the novel functioned more as a prelude to a much larger story rather than a complete and self-contained narrative.

While this may be intentional on the part of the author, it left me with a sense of incompleteness. I found myself longing for more details, more development of the characters and their relationships, and a more satisfying conclusion.

Nonetheless, I must admit that the author has a great deal of talent and potential. The short novel has piqued my interest and left me eager to see what else they have in store. I look forward to reading more of their work in the future and seeing how their writing evolves.

Memory is a faulty thing, and it needs to be inscribed to be remembered.

"Realizing that your life is a story while you are in the midst of it can help you live it to the fullest.

Of course, it is not wise to think that you know how your life will proceed or how it will end. This is something that can only be learned when it is over.

Even when it is over, even if it is someone else's life, even if it is the life of someone who lived a century ago and whose story you have heard a hundred times, when you listen to the story, you are suddenly seized by a fear as if you don't know how it will end; thus, you live the story, and it lives within you. This is the best way I know to cheat death.

Death thinks it has ended the stories. It can never understand that the stories don't end with it but within it.

"The stories of others can become a part of one's own story, can form the foundation, the ground upon which one's own story is built."

It is a short and fantastic narrative, yet it contains so much reality within it. I can never cease to be amazed and in awe of Ursula's ability to do this.

After finishing the first book of the series, The Lathe of Heaven, I felt as if I had eaten a very delicious meal. My stomach was never full, but I wanted the taste on my tongue to stay with me a little longer.

Once again, you have left me in a delightful dilemma, Ursula!

Wow. This was a truly remarkable and powerful book for young adults. However, I really didn't anticipate anything less from the talented Ursula K. Le Guin.

The clans of the Uplands are shrouded in rumors of having extraordinary powers. Orrec knows firsthand that these rumors are indeed true as he is a part of this神秘的 world. His family possesses the dangerous power of unmaking - the ability to look at something and undo its very essence. This power can be perilous for those who lack control over it. The story follows Orrec as he grows up in a world filled with rival clans, each with their own unique powers. Although these powers are often threatened, they are rarely used against one another.

One of the criticisms I had of some of her previous works was that I found it difficult to relate to the characters. This might be due in part to the fact that writing styles have evolved since she first penned "A Wizard of Earthsea." In her earlier works, the characters, while they had their share of problems, didn't possess the same level of complexity as they do today. Perhaps this is because life itself was not as complex back then. I don't want to delve too deeply into this, but things were undeniably simpler. While simpler stories can be enjoyable for their straightforward nature, they don't always translate well to the convoluted and complex world we live in today.

But Le Guin has lived through to our times, and her writing has changed somewhat to adapt to this new reality. I'm not sure if this is a good or bad thing. So many people cherish her earlier works that I wonder if they mourn the alteration, no matter how slight it may be. For me, however, it's just another way for her to expand her creative range.

I truly adored the concept of the talents and how it seems that some families are at a disadvantage with their powers, unable to protect themselves from other families who might use their powers to harm them. And I loved how Orrec found his own path in this challenging world.

There are some truly profound ideas explored in this book. While other young adult books might strive to answer all the questions they raise, Le Guin takes a more realistic approach. Her characters can wonder and be curious, but they may never have their curiosity fully satisfied, just as we do in our own lives when it comes to so many things.

This book is a testament to Le Guin's enduring talent and her ability to create a rich and engaging world that will captivate readers of all ages.

Le Guin's grace is truly without equal.

This small and comforting story is drenched in her bright, hopeful, and moving poetry that masquerades as prose. Once more, she conjures up magic and constructs a delicate, palpable narrative based on the art of not employing it. Once more, her characters and dialogues are profoundly human and exquisitely believable. Her knowledge and the details in描绘 the non-human world - in this young-adult fantasy that is so vivid in the materiality of survival - are a precious augmentation.

I'm saddened that it was so brief. I dread the day when I will have read all of her books because no one else can melt my heart as she does!

Le Guin's works are like precious gems, each one shining with its own unique light and charm. Her ability to create such engaging and thought-provoking stories is truly remarkable. I can't wait to explore more of her literary world and be transported to new and wonderful places.