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I really want to be the type of person who always has something to say after reading a book. Unfortunately, I find that my thoughts are often scattered and incoherent. Rare is the book that excites me to write immediately after finishing it. (Not that I have much to say here either. I'm afraid I haven't mastered the art of reading books closely and critically.)
Worlds of Exile and Illusion is composed of three books, which are all part of Le Guin's Hainish novels. Their connection is implied throughout the text, with references to planets, races or events from the other novels, but they can each stand alone as separate novels.
Of the three, my favorite is most definitely the last one - City of Illusions. It was intriguing from the beginning but it was really towards the end that it transfixed me. The dilemma of having to trust an enemy that is known to lie and is committed to making you believe the lie really made me question who to believe. I also liked that it set the tone for the succeeding Hainish novels since we were finally introduced to the Enemy.
The second novel - Planet of Exile - I enjoyed significantly less than the other two. I felt that it didn't establish much reason for me to care about the characters fate. The descriptions of the war between the Gaal and the farborns and their allies I also found to be tedious. However, I felt that it was a good prerequisite reading to City of Illusions. This glimpse into Falk's/Ramarren's history gave me more reason to care about him.
Rocannon's World - the first novel - was also a good prerequisite reading. It established the context of the League and offers a peak into how it operates and its relationship with neighboring planets. The direction it took was quite different from what I thought it would be based on the first few chapters. I kind of wish it was more about the League and less about the journey to infiltrate the enemy base but it was still entertaining.
I'm glad there is an omnibus for the first three novels. I think it's a great starting point for Le Guin's Hainish novels and I'm quite excited to delve into the other novels (although I suspect this will take a long time since these books seem to be hard to find). I haven't felt this excited for a series in a long time. I'd love to piece together where all the events fit in a (loose?) timeline.
Worlds of Exile and Illusion is composed of three books, which are all part of Le Guin's Hainish novels. Their connection is implied throughout the text, with references to planets, races or events from the other novels, but they can each stand alone as separate novels.
Of the three, my favorite is most definitely the last one - City of Illusions. It was intriguing from the beginning but it was really towards the end that it transfixed me. The dilemma of having to trust an enemy that is known to lie and is committed to making you believe the lie really made me question who to believe. I also liked that it set the tone for the succeeding Hainish novels since we were finally introduced to the Enemy.
The second novel - Planet of Exile - I enjoyed significantly less than the other two. I felt that it didn't establish much reason for me to care about the characters fate. The descriptions of the war between the Gaal and the farborns and their allies I also found to be tedious. However, I felt that it was a good prerequisite reading to City of Illusions. This glimpse into Falk's/Ramarren's history gave me more reason to care about him.
Rocannon's World - the first novel - was also a good prerequisite reading. It established the context of the League and offers a peak into how it operates and its relationship with neighboring planets. The direction it took was quite different from what I thought it would be based on the first few chapters. I kind of wish it was more about the League and less about the journey to infiltrate the enemy base but it was still entertaining.
I'm glad there is an omnibus for the first three novels. I think it's a great starting point for Le Guin's Hainish novels and I'm quite excited to delve into the other novels (although I suspect this will take a long time since these books seem to be hard to find). I haven't felt this excited for a series in a long time. I'd love to piece together where all the events fit in a (loose?) timeline.