'Like Spartan Helen, I caused a war. She caused hers by letting men who wanted her take her. I caused mine because I wouldn't be given, wouldn't be taken, but chose my man and my fate. The man was famous, the fate obscure; not a bad balance.' Lavinia is the daughter of the King of Latium, a victorious warrior who loves peace; she is her father's closest companion. Now of an age to wed, Lavinia's mother favours her own kinsman, King Turnus of Rutulia, handsome, heroic, everything a young girl should want. Instead, Lavinia ...
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'Like Spartan Helen, I caused a war. She caused hers by letting men who wanted her take her. I caused mine because I wouldn't be given, wouldn't be taken, but chose my man and my fate. The man was famous, the fate obscure; not a bad balance.' Lavinia is the daughter of the King of Latium, a victorious warrior who loves peace; she is her father's closest companion. Now of an age to wed, Lavinia's mother favours her own kinsman, King Turnus of Rutulia, handsome, heroic, everything a young girl should want. Instead, Lavinia dreams of mighty Aeneas, a man she has heard of only from a ghost of a poet, who comes to her in the gods' holy place and tells her of her future, and Aeneas' past ...If she refuses to wed Turnus, Lavinia knows she will start a war - but her fate was set the moment the poet appeared to her in a dream and told her of the adventurer who fled fallen Troy, holding his son's hand and carrying his father on his back.
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Good. Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. 288 p. Contains: Maps. Intended for a young adult/teenage audience. May show signs of wear, highlighting, writing, and previous use. This item may be a former library book with typical markings. No guarantee on products that contain supplements Your satisfaction is 100% guaranteed. Twenty-five year bookseller with shipments to over fifty million happy customers.
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New. 2010. Paperback. An exceptional combination of history and mythology-'an intriguing, luxuriously realised novel' FINANCIAL TIMES Num Pages: 320 pages, 1 maps. BIC Classification: FM. Category: (G) General (US: Trade). Dimension: 131 x 198 x 30. Weight in Grams: 262......We ship daily from our Bookshop.
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PLEASE NOTE, WE DO NOT SHIP TO DENMARK. New Book. Shipped from UK in 4 to 14 days. Established seller since 2000. Please note we cannot offer an expedited shipping service from the UK.
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Fine. Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. 288 p. Contains: Maps. Intended for a young adult/teenage audience. In Stock. 100% Money Back Guarantee. Brand New, Perfect Condition, allow 4-14 business days for standard shipping. To Alaska, Hawaii, U.S. protectorate, P.O. box, and APO/FPO addresses allow 4-28 business days for Standard shipping. No expedited shipping. All orders placed with expedited shipping will be cancelled. Over 3, 000, 000 happy customers.
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Seller's Description:
New. Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. 288 p. Contains: Maps. Intended for a young adult/teenage audience. In Stock. 100% Money Back Guarantee. Brand New, Perfect Condition, allow 4-14 business days for standard shipping. To Alaska, Hawaii, U.S. protectorate, P.O. box, and APO/FPO addresses allow 4-28 business days for Standard shipping. No expedited shipping. All orders placed with expedited shipping will be cancelled. Over 3, 000, 000 happy customers.
"Lavinia" is a thoughtful exploration of Vergil's shadowy wisp of a character, the daughter of the king of Latium, as introduced in "The Aeneid" as the fought-for bride of Aeneas. In the poem she has no lines and is not given much character beyond "tearing her golden tresses" at her mother's funeral. Well no more. Le Guin, with deep love and respect for Vergil, decided to delve into the character and her world, suggesting what her life must have been like before the remnants of Trojan society came straggling up their river. First of all, says Lavinia, her hair is dark and always has been. Including even small details such as these, Lavinia tells us the story of her life, gently refuting the poet's portrayal of her while admitting she understands why she may have been perceived as nothing more than a meek, obedient daughter. The writing here is like nothing I've ever read from Le Guin. It is much less dry than her usual style, and more immediately accessible. I've grown accustomed to switching on a certain mode in my brain for processing the dryness when sitting down to read Le Guin, but I found that wasn't necessary at all in this case. There is also a beautiful quality of airiness and earthiness to the atmosphere of the narrative; the whole imagined environment practically hums with life, and Lavinia is a deeply sympathetic and charismatic narrator. The book is an exquisite portrait of Italy before Rome and before the Greek and Latin gods merged. It is also a meditation on gender roles in peace and especially in war, and observes the effects of warfare on the social fabric of a previously peaceful society. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.
