Book Review
Lavinia
by Ursula K. Le Guin
This beautiful and thoughtful historical novel retells the last part of Vergil's Aeneid from the point of view of Lavinia, the Latin princess he marries when he arrives in Italy. Lavinia does not speak in the original poem, but Le Guin gives her a full inner and outer life. In the process, she also explores what it means to forge your own path in the context of a society that provides limited options and roles.
The writing is as lovely as any reader would expect from Le Guin. It's lyrical and evocative without being flowery. While a lot happens, Lavinia is not focused on plot, but rather centers around how Lavinia experiences her life and the events that shape it.
by Ursula K. Le Guin
This beautiful and thoughtful historical novel retells the last part of Vergil's Aeneid from the point of view of Lavinia, the Latin princess he marries when he arrives in Italy. Lavinia does not speak in the original poem, but Le Guin gives her a full inner and outer life. In the process, she also explores what it means to forge your own path in the context of a society that provides limited options and roles.
The writing is as lovely as any reader would expect from Le Guin. It's lyrical and evocative without being flowery. While a lot happens, Lavinia is not focused on plot, but rather centers around how Lavinia experiences her life and the events that shape it.