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A review by booksbythewindow
Malafrena by Ursula K. Le Guin
adventurous
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
For full review: https://booksbythewindow.wordpress.com/2022/09/28/malafrena/#more-1498
Summary: Malafrena primarily follows recently graduated Itale Sorde, who decides not to join his father managing the family estate but instead move to Krasnoy, the capital city of Orsinia, where he can join with other revolutionaries hoping for Orsinia’s independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire. As the newspaper he and his friends founded starts to rise in notoriety, opposition from the Empire also begins to rise, requiring them to decide if this is something for which they are willing to risk their lives and freedom. Meanwhile, back in his home town, Itale’s sister, Laura, and her friend, Piera, try to move forward with their lives which now look so different to the life Itale has chosen.
Overall Thoughts: Malafrena has definitely been one of my favourite reads of the year so far. I was gripped by the narrative, which took some turns that I did not see coming, and found the primary characters to be engaging and sympathetic, even at their lowest and worst moments. Itale’s journey, particularly in the final section of the novel, felt emotional and complex in a way that left me thinking about it long after I had put the book down. I would definitely recommend Malafrena to anyone who enjoyed The Earthsea Cycle as well as to anyone with an interest in narratives about revolutions in nineteenth-century Europe. Malafrena has definitely confirmed Le Guin as one of my favourite authors and I am really looking forward to reading Orsinian Tales soon.
Summary: Malafrena primarily follows recently graduated Itale Sorde, who decides not to join his father managing the family estate but instead move to Krasnoy, the capital city of Orsinia, where he can join with other revolutionaries hoping for Orsinia’s independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire. As the newspaper he and his friends founded starts to rise in notoriety, opposition from the Empire also begins to rise, requiring them to decide if this is something for which they are willing to risk their lives and freedom. Meanwhile, back in his home town, Itale’s sister, Laura, and her friend, Piera, try to move forward with their lives which now look so different to the life Itale has chosen.
Overall Thoughts: Malafrena has definitely been one of my favourite reads of the year so far. I was gripped by the narrative, which took some turns that I did not see coming, and found the primary characters to be engaging and sympathetic, even at their lowest and worst moments. Itale’s journey, particularly in the final section of the novel, felt emotional and complex in a way that left me thinking about it long after I had put the book down. I would definitely recommend Malafrena to anyone who enjoyed The Earthsea Cycle as well as to anyone with an interest in narratives about revolutions in nineteenth-century Europe. Malafrena has definitely confirmed Le Guin as one of my favourite authors and I am really looking forward to reading Orsinian Tales soon.