Review of Le Guin's The Telling I just finished Ursula K. Le Guin's The Telling. The telling takes place in the Hainish Cycle, the same setting as Left Hand of Darkness and Worlds of Exile and Illusion. The books don't seem to be directly connected (I've only read Left Hand of Darkness and The Telling so far), so don't worry about getting caught up in a series. They stand alone well.
The Telling is not Le Guin at her best. The lead character, Sully, is very well developed, and displays Le Guin's grasp of development. Sully has been sent to the planet Aka as one of four Observers for the interstellar Ekumen. Aka is a planet of extreme capitalism tied into a religion that has systematically destroyed the planets past (including all books and language). Sully relates her past (Earth is in the grip of fundamentalist fanatics). And though Le Guin edges toward preachy (or at least emphatic toward her world-view) through Sully, she never carries it to the point of detracting from the story or creating frustration. Le Guin has a mastery over the English language that elevates her writing to a poetic standard. Every sentence adds to the experience. The book is written in a gentle tone with a good deal of subtle humor and careful observation of the day-to-day lives of the rural town Sully finds herself in. In the rush of the final few chapters, the ending seems a little abrupt, and the secondary characters don't develop as fully as they could have. But Le Guin is definitely the author to read for thoughtful science fiction, and The Telling does not disappoint.  ¶   0 comments