Le Guin, Ursula K.: Unlocking the Air
Unlocking the Air (1996)
Written by: Ursula K. Le Guin
Genre: Short Stories
Pages: 207 (Trade Paperback)
I've had this book for a little while. I still remember seeing this and the rest in Le Guin's short story collection sitting on the shelves in their shiny-new-cover glory, and I wanted them all. I didn't buy them all, but rather stuck them on a wishlist. This is the one I got, and like all things I want, I put it aside until something inspires me to pick it up again.
What inspired me this time was, well, timing. Le Guin's work is a touchstone for me and my own work. So when I saw a review for A Fisherman of the Inland Sea by jawastew, as well as the commentary for that particular collection, I realized I needed a Le Guin fix ASAP. So I grabbed Unlocking the Air off the shelf and ordered the rest of the books in the collection, which should be arriving any day now.
The premise: I'm gonna grab the description from BN.com, which also matches the description on the back of the book: This collection of mainstream stories, written from the early eighties to the mid-nineties, is a stunning example of the virtuosity of the legendary Ursula K. Le Guin. Diffusing the traditional boundaries of realism, magical realism, and surrealism, Le Guin finds the detail that reveals the strange in everyday life, or the unexpected depths of an ordinary person. Written with wit, zest, and a passionate sense of human frailty and toughness, Unlocking the Air is superb fiction by a beloved storyteller at the height of her power.
Review style: Really general, and I won't be reviewing each of the 18 stories. I will, however, comment on which ones stood out and why, on the ones that I think make this collection worth reading.
If there's one thing I can count on when it comes to Le Guin, it's the beauty of the prose. It doesn't matter if the story sticks with me or reveals its meaning to me: the prose is almost always a joy to study and to read. In fact, I actually finished reading the Ace/Roc Sampler after this, which made the prose in the sampler seem all the more crude, but really just serves to illustrate the difference between writers of the vernacular (first person urban fantasy) and writers of the craft (like Le Guin).
I'll be honest: some of the stories slid right past me. I'd turn the page and flip back, thinking I'd skipped over something, but no, the story would be over, and those endings always felt rather sudden to me. Admittedly, maybe these are stories I can go back to in time and find new meaning and new resolution, but for now, I can't say said stories stood out.
The ones that really did:
Half Past Four: while at first it startled me, I very much enjoyed how each section is essentially a slice of a parallel universe. It tells a slightly different story at the same time of day, using the same characters, only the characters relationships differ from each other. Sometimes two women are mother/daughter and sometimes they're sisters. Sometimes a man and woman are strangers, sometimes they're brother/sister, sometimes they're mother/son. Very fascinating, and I loved seeing how Le Guin linked all these stories together. Not just with the same names, but with similar descriptions and the use of color. It's a story I'll definitely come back to.
Ether, OR: the first thing I loved with this story was the play on the title. It's the name of a city in Oregon, but also is phonetically "either, or," which is rather appropriate for a story about a city that's constantly on the move. It's a charming piece, at times disturbing in certain characters' POVs, but I loved how unified the piece and how all the characters fit together. The end was simply lovely.
Daddy's Big Girl: this story was familiar to me, and when I sat back to figure out why, it's because I've seen younger authors use a similar premise in different types of stories, the premise being that of a girl (sister/daughter/whomever) who simply does not stop growing, and what that means to the family who lives with them. It's a fascinating premise, and I particularly liked this one, because it reminded me how Le Guin is not just an influence, but has a way of tapping directly into the collective conscious. Another story ending that's lovely, but eerie too.
Findings: a short piece, but a telling piece. I've read Le Guin's essays when she talks about the difference between a male narrative and a female narrative. This short story illustrates that difference in a somewhat powerful way.
Olders: I think this was one of the most complete stories in the collection in terms of a whole arc--a beginning, middle, and end. I love the fantasy element of it, and this story too was familiar because I've seen younger writers who've been influence by Le Guin take the meanings and weave them into their own work. This is an excellently solid story, and well worth the price of the collection.
The Poacher: I've read this one before, back in 2005, but I was looking forward to reading it again. Not just to drink in the setting details or to see an outsider's view of Sleeping Beauty, but because it's a beautifully written story whose ending I had forgotten, which is a good thing, as it allowed me to read the story with fresh eyes.
Now, I'll be honest: all of these stories are excellently written, and they're full of myth, of folklore, of feminism and social issues. Anyone familiar with Le Guin's essays (many of which I've reviewed in this journal) will find similar issues driving her short stories, and in some cases, these short stories are slices of life, reflections and interspections, all worth reading, but not always illuminating. I think such interpretation depends on the reader, and as I said before, I think some of these stories will mean more to me at later points of life.
And while I have nothing to say in terms of commentary, these stories also stood out to me:
Standing Ground
The Spoons in the Basement
Unlocking the Air
A Child Bride
Climbing the Moon
The Wise Woman
My Rating
Worth the Cash: any Le Guin fan will enjoy curling up with this text and simply absorbing her stories. They might not all speak to you personally, but the writing in all of them is something to admire, as are the myths, fairy tales, and social issues she brings to life. These stories are most all mainstream, though some have a magical realist or slight fantasy touch. Le Guin cares about people, and it never fails that her stories highlight those people. It's an enjoyable read, and I'm glad I've got the rest of her short story collections on the way.
Cover Commentary: the design of this cover, as well as the design of the rest of the set, which you will eventually see, is just absolutely lovely. Maybe a single book alone doesn't stand out, by side-by-side? They get your attention. In this case, the choice of clouds as the main image is quite fitting to the title of the collection, and I can't complain about that.