Voices (Le Guin novel)
A young woman finds her voice in an occupied city.
Voices, published in 2006, is the middle installment of Ursula K. Le Guin's young adult fantasy trilogy, the Annals of the Western Shore. It comes after Gifts (2004) and before Powers (2007). The narrative takes place in Ansul, a fictional city that was once renowned for its scholarship and libraries. The city has been conquered and occupied by the Alds, a desert-dwelling people who consider the written word evil. The book explores themes of cultural and religious conflict, the influence of language and narrative, and the maturation of its central character, Memer Galva.
Quick Facts
- Author
- Ursula K. Le Guin
- Language
- English
- Series
- Annals of the Western Shore
- Genre
- Fantasy
- Publisher
- Harcourt
- Pub Date
- September 1, 2006
- Isbn
- 978-0-15-205678-0
- Preceded By
- Gifts
- Followed By
- Powers
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
After another of Orrec's performances, Desac and his rebels set the Gand's tent on fire, sparking sporadic fighting across the city through the following night. A number of the conspirators, including Desac, are killed in the fire. Sulter learns that the Gand is not dead, but held prisoner by Iddor. A number of fugitives run to Galvamand, followed by Ald soldiers and Iddor, who claims to be the Gand. The Waylord announces that Iorath is still alive, and the Oracle speaks through Memer, crying 'Let them set free'. The soldiers abandon Iddor and return to the palace, where they release Iorath. Iorath orders his soldiers to stand down and allows the citizens inside their palace. Iddor is seized and imprisoned. The Alds retreat to the barracks, and the citizens make plans for governing Ansul. Memer gifts Orrec one of the books from the secret room, and she and Sulter decide to make a library with the books there.
Reader's Guide
Voices is significant for its nuanced portrayal of cultural and religious conflict between the monotheistic Alds and the polytheistic citizens of Ansul. Described as a 'plea for cultural relativity', the novel juxtaposes violent and non-violent means of ending a conflict. It examines enslavement, the treatment of women, and the theme of justice, while tracing Memer's coming of age and the power of words, stories, and writing. The book received acclaim from critics, who praised its characterization of Memer and Le Guin's detailed world building. Multiple reviewers compared it to Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, also prominently featuring the destruction of books. Scholar Elizabeth Anderson wrote that the book '[encouraged] young adult readers to imaginatively approach their own encounters with religious difference.' The novel was a finalist for a Locus Award in 2007.
Did You Know?
- The protagonist Memer Galva is the child of a woman raped by an Ald soldier during the siege of Ansul.
- The Oracle in Galvamand provides answers in the pages of certain books in a secret room.
- Orrec and Gry, the protagonists of Gifts, visit Ansul and catalyze an uprising against the Alds.
- The title 'Voices' has multiple interpretations, including the voices of poets, the Oracle, the people of Ansul, and Memer herself.
More in Novels by Ursula K. Le Guin 1-20
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced