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Lavinia Audiobook
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(3.01) - 2,930 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Highly acclaimed author Ursula K. Le Guin lends a resonant voice to a pivotal yet often overlooked character of Vergil's The aeneid. Born into peace and freedom, Lavinia is stunned to learn that she will be the cause of a great war-or so the prophecies and omens claim. Her fate is sealed, however, when she meets a man from Troy. "... masterful ..."-Publishers Weekly, starred review
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"Wow. Just wow. This was profoundly beautiful. I regret every minute I didn't read this book. Perhaps I'm a special kind of perfect audience for this book--it had everything that would appeal to me. It's a woman's story, ancient history, Roman legend, the Aeneid, with touches of magic. "
— Stephanie (5 out of 5 stars)
Lavinia Listener Reviews
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Mariajose Miguel Reyes, 6/28/2021
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" This book came right when I was in the middle of an Aeneid obsession. It was the perfect complement to Virgil's masterpiece, a retelling of the latter part of the story through Lavinia's eyes, written in LeGuin's exquisite, crisp prose. "
— Chantel, 2/18/2014 -
" Possibly the last novel by my favorite author, Lavinia made me feel as though I was inside a Kurosawa film or a late Beethoven quartet. "
— Peter, 2/7/2014 -
" Reviewed on The American Book Center Blog. "
— Oscar, 11/25/2013 -
" Good book! I recommend having a copy of the Aenid by your side so you can look up the parts of the poem she is referencing (books 6-12) to see how she interprets what Virgil has to say. Now I want to read Dante Aligheiri's Inferno! "
— Robin, 11/23/2013 -
" A retelling of Virgil's Aeneid from the perspective of Lavinia. Lavinia is a self-aware character, questioning her poet author and her place in his work. Le Guin details the rituals of life during an uncertain time for all, and especially for women. "
— Kerri, 11/8/2013 -
" Le Guin is a fan of Vergil, so it makes this book a (very brilliant) fanfic? "
— Pirkko, 6/28/2013 -
" An interesting direction for Le Guin to take. Kind of a strange artifice, but she is always worth reading "
— Darceylaine, 4/8/2013 -
" This was Amy's pick for SDBBE. Amy always picks books that I would never, ever, ever read but I'm always glad I did. I knew nothing of the aenid and it sure would have helped. But all in all, I'm glad I read it. "
— Janeece, 3/16/2013 -
" I rather enjoyed the afterword after having finished the book. It just... made certain details pop & made me wonder about the history of the Romans, etc. "
— Christina, 2/26/2013 -
" Good story. Poor Lavinia, although she does a great job. "
— Becca, 12/9/2012 -
" The bronze age as a science fiction/fantasy setting "
— Amy, 11/28/2012 -
" This is the first Ursula Le Guin book I've read, and after hearing so many adoring reviews of her work I think I was expecting something a little more, well, epic. "
— Anna, 11/17/2012 -
" Horrible book. Sorry I bought it. "
— Carolyn, 9/19/2012 -
" it was kind of confusing at first but in the end i thought it was one of the best books i've read. "
— Katey, 7/15/2012 -
" I didn't finish but I got pretty close. I just couldn't bring myself to care about these characters. "
— Samantha, 10/22/2011 -
" Well written, as usual, and the story is elegant and well done, for the moment. "
— Meor, 9/18/2011 -
" novel-based-on-ancient-poem, myth, cities, fantastic-reality, epic, pg "
— Ramona, 6/21/2011 -
" Naturally, when Ursula K LeGuin chooses to take on a character from myth, she works magic: both changing a minor female character into a different kind of hero and enhancing our understanding of the pre-Roman world. There are many layers of meaning here, making a very satisfying read. "
— Jane, 5/2/2011 -
" I have to read this again, slower. My first Ursula LeGuin book. Definitely not my last. "
— Tapanga, 4/26/2011 -
" Not as good as the earthsea series, but if you enjoy The Aeneid, you'll love it! "
— Jodi, 4/18/2011 -
" I REALLy liked this. If you like pre-roman fiction, this is good stuff. "
— Saleris, 3/12/2011 -
" I am reading this book for my new book group with other parents at Kyler's school. It is our first book to read for the group. We meet later this month to discuss.update: Not a bad book but I wouldn't read or recommend if not for my bookgroup. "
— Julie, 3/8/2011 -
" Lavinia never speaks in The Aeneid. However, Ursula K. LeGuin gives her a voice in her novel. Lavinia is a tale about passion, war, religion - all the stuff that currently fills our newspapers. "
— Ms., 2/27/2011 -
" An excellent historical fiction book about the wife of Aeneas and the mythical founding of Rome. "
— Emily, 2/9/2011
About Ursula K. Le Guin
Ursula K. Le Guin (1929–2018) was an American author of novels, children’s books, and short stories, mainly in the genres of fantasy and science fiction. She has also written poetry, literary criticism, and essays. She was widely recognized as one of the greatest science fiction writers in the history of the genre. She won both the Hugo and Nebula Awards on several occasions, as well as the National Book Award, the PEN/Malamud Award, and many other honors and prizes. In 2014, she was awarded the National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters.
About Alyssa Bresnahan
Alyssa Bresnahan is a dynamic dancer, actor, and audiobook narrator. She has narrated over two hundred audiobooks, has earned twenty Earphones Awards, and was named one of AudioFile magazine’s Golden Voices. In 2009 she was a finalist for the prestigious Audie Award for best fiction narration.