$37.43
$7.34 delivery May 28 - June 7. Details
In stock
Usually ships within 4 to 5 days.
$$37.43 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$37.43
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Ships from
Stars and Stripes Bookstore - Always here for you
Ships from
Stars and Stripes Bookstore - Always here for you
Returns
Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt
Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt. You may receive a partial or no refund on used, damaged or materially different returns.
Read full return policy
Returns
Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt. You may receive a partial or no refund on used, damaged or materially different returns.
Read full return policy
Payment
Secure transaction
Your transaction is secure
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
Payment
Secure transaction
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
Amazon book clubs early access
Loading your book clubs
There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again.
Not in a club? Learn more
Amazon book clubs early access

Join or create book clubs

Choose books together

Track your books
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.
Explore Amazon Book Clubs
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

Ursula K. Le Guin
+ Follow
More books from this author
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

Lavinia Paperback – April 13, 2023

French Edition by Ursula K. Le Guin (Author), Marie Surgers (Translator)
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 1,703 ratings
See all formats and editions
{"desktop_buybox_group_1":[{"displayPrice":"$37.43","priceAmount":37.43,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"37","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"43","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"zNjltcSnBGbzJ9ypYYAk4rG5o7KjSLwXbnjt1RcTc7LyjjFAAPLoLS%2FNMIJU1%2B5nJFrbiV%2FxIp8UDB4Ux%2Bz36TNuQHEdBoJlLQHGEsCAufzMfYReNe3QgkW8fYJg30ktOW3u8Bf6lO3EpBywljANbGWjKbGoJTq8EZ7wQ4ocPAy4dU8GRHJsFxwcRbrVFKYZ","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":0}]}

Purchase options and add-ons

In a richly imagined, beautiful new novel, an acclaimed writer gives an epic heroine her voice.

In The Aeneid, Vergil’s hero fights to claim the king’s daughter, Lavinia, with whom he is destined to found an empire. Lavinia herself never speaks a word. Now, Ursula K. Le Guin gives Lavinia a voice in a novel that takes us to the half-wild world of ancient Italy, when Rome was a muddy village near seven hills.

Lavinia grows up knowing nothing but peace and freedom, until suitors come. Her mother wants her to marry handsome, ambitious Turnus. But omens and prophecies spoken by the sacred springs say she must marry a foreigner—that she will be the cause of a bitter war—and that her husband will not live long. When a fleet of Trojan ships sails up the Tiber, Lavinia decides to take her destiny into her own hands. And so she tells us what Vergil did not: the story of her life, and of the love of her life.

Lavinia is a book of passion and war, generous and austerely beautiful, from a writer working at the height of her powers.
Read more Read less
Previous page
  1. Print length
    320 pages
  2. Language
    French
  3. Publisher
    ATALANTE
  4. Publication date
    April 13, 2023
  5. Dimensions
    5.71 x 0.91 x 7.87 inches
  6. ISBN-13
    979-1036001420
  7. See all details
Next page
The Amazon Book Review
The Amazon Book Review
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.
Popular Highlights in this book
What are popular highlights?
Previous page
  1. But then I think no, it has nothing to do with being dead, it’s not death that allows us to understand one another, but poetry.
    Highlighted by 279 Kindle readers
  2. Without war there are no heroes. What harm would that be? Oh, Lavinia, what a woman’s question that is.
    Highlighted by 234 Kindle readers
  3. Where man goes, trees die; or, to paraphrase Tacitus, we make a desert and call it progress.
    Highlighted by 222 Kindle readers
Next page

Editorial Reviews

Review

« Doucement, Ursula K. Le Guin a empli une simple mention faite par Virgile. Attentive aux sonorités, au rythme et à la progression du récit, elle a tressé un roman sur le mode d'un poème. » Libération, Frédérique Roussel

From the Back Cover

Comme Hélène de Sparte, j'ai causé une guerre. La sienne, ce fut en se laissant prendre par les hommes qui la voulaient ; la mienne, en refusant d'être donnée, d'être prise, en choisissant mon homme et mon destin. L'homme était illustre, le destin obscur : un bon équilibre.


« Ursula K. Le Guin complète l'Énéide avec maestria, y apportant sa sensibilité humaniste et transformant cette épopée tragique en un superbe roman. » Mauvais genres, France Culture


« Chez le Latin Virgile, elle n'était rien ou presque ; chez Ursula K. Le Guin, elle est tout. La grande prêtresse américaine de la fantasy s'empare de la femme d'Énée, Lavinia, à peine évoquée dans l'Énéide, pour en faire l'héroine féministe d'une passionnante évocation du
Latium antique. » Télérama


Lavinia, prix Locus 2009, est le dernier roman d'Ursula K. Le Guin.


Traduit de l'anglais par Marie Surgers.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0BN7MRFMC
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ ATALANTE (April 13, 2023)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ French
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 320 pages
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-1036001420
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 10.8 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.71 x 0.91 x 7.87 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 1,703 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Ursula K. Le Guin

Ursula K. Le Guin

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Ursula Kroeber Le Guin (US /ˈɜːrsələ ˈkroʊbər ləˈɡwɪn/; born October 21, 1929) is 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 and essays. First published in the 1960s, her work has often depicted futuristic or imaginary alternative worlds in politics, the natural environment, gender, religion, sexuality and ethnography.

She influenced such Booker Prize winners and other writers as Salman Rushdie and David Mitchell – and notable science fiction and fantasy writers including Neil Gaiman and Iain Banks. She has won the Hugo Award, Nebula Award, Locus Award, and World Fantasy Award, each more than once. In 2014, she was awarded the National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. Le Guin has resided in Portland, Oregon since 1959.

Bio from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
1,703 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Jean A. Summers
5.0 out of 5 stars Poetic and dreamy writing
Reviewed in the United States on December 2, 2012
Verified Purchase
Those who are familiar with Le Guin's writing will not be surprised by the lyrical quality of her writing. This time, instead of plying that language to paint a fantasy world, she re-creates the misty past: At the time of the founding of Rome. Therefore, her setting is not the imagined world, but the real-world past. However, this is not incompatible with her fantasy writing, because the story is based on Vergil's poem The Aenead. As she points out in her afterward, the fall of Troy and subsequent wanderings of Aeneas would have taken place about 1,000 B.C., while current archeology puts the founding of Rome about 200 years later. Therefore, we should say that Usula Le Guin has created a riff on a fantasy work of an ancient colleague, i.e., Vergil.

The story is from the point of view of a character with a very small part in the Aenead, Lavinia. To me, it is beautiful for that reason. I love stories that try to create a sense of what daily life must have been like in those days and times. Le Guin's poetical writing creates a dreamy sense, a feel that's kind of like viewing the past through mists. This atmosphere clothes the strong bones of her plot structure, which is about politics. The war fought for Lavinia's hand was about territory and power, and Lavinia was definitely not a pawn. It's a rousing good story of a test of wills between a strong woman and the men who would own her.

The book is also lovely in that it enables the reader to climb into what was plausibly the spiritually oriented mindset of people during those times. Gods and spirits were intimate presences. Omens were not questioned. The daily routine was intertwined with tokens of reverence, such as sprinkling salt and meal, prayers to sweep out the granary, ceremonial offerings and rituals guiding daily life. I finished the book wishing I could stay in that mindset and move through my day with that same close connection to the Infinite, turning everyday routines into prayer. For those who are cynical, perhaps this is a turn-off. For those who have a little spiritual thirst, this is the ultimate romance novel.
5 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
doggies
4.0 out of 5 stars Not Her Standard Fare
Reviewed in the United States on April 29, 2010
Verified Purchase
This novel was another well-written book that could only be the result of LeGuin's fusion of her intelligent imagination, detailed research, and able integration of cultural details regarding day-to-day life. It is a pleasure to read even if you aren't familiar with the Aeneid (I have only scant knowledge of it).
For this long-time fan of LeGuin's, I found her usual underprinning of Tao philosophy well replaced with the religiuous experience of the early Latins (though without the sense of a practitioner).
Some readers may find the interaction with the poet and discussion of flash forwards a distraction they could live without. I think they help remind us of the authors' creation and how it relates to the epic poem. LeGuin's discussion in the afterword should resolve any lingering issues of her choices and direction for this work. It fits well with her earlier critical discussions/essays on her work.
LeGuin again proves that the best "formula" is a well-told story. Give this one its due (a second reading also bares this out).
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Constant Reader
5.0 out of 5 stars Smart, Engaging, Creative
Reviewed in the United States on May 5, 2021
Verified Purchase
When Ursula LeGuin has written a book, that is usually enough reason to read it. In this case, it was the only reason why I bought this book on a Kindle daily deal. The book tells the story of a woman who is named in Virgil’s Aeneid. There are no details in the classic poem about her or her life except that she married Virgil’s hero Aeneas in alignment with a prophecy. Since I barely remember anything from the little that I was taught about the classics I was not particularly drawn to the subject of the story. No worries. There is a tiny bit of a slow start but as soon as the poet appears in her visions everything gets interesting. The story is rich in details of the life in ancient Italy and enhanced with snippets from Troy, Dido’s Carthage, and foreshadowing of the founding of Rome. There is nothing dull or academic in tone. The writing is talented, and the pages turn quickly. The prophecies, politics, personalities, religion, and “tribal” allegiances are seamlessly integrated into the story. The relationship between the poem and reality are blurred in a remarkably interesting way. I assure you that you will not be lost or confused even if you know nothing about the Aeneid. To me, it was easier to relate to Lavinia than it was to Madeline Miller’s Circe.
3 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English
Florentin Blanc
5.0 out of 5 stars Un livre merveilleux et profondément émouvant
Reviewed in France on February 9, 2024
Verified Purchase
Un des derniers écrits de Le Guin et un des plus beaux. Je peux à peine en parler sous le poids de l'émotion. Profondeurs de l'amour, de la perte, du deuil, de la beauté.
Lisez le.
One person found this helpful
 Report
Isabella
5.0 out of 5 stars Utterly compelling
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 9, 2023
Verified Purchase
This was my first reading of an Ursula Le Guin novel and I was utterly hooked by both subject and narrative. Having been brought up in Italy I was already familiar with Virgil and the Aeneid, which I'd studied at school, and the detailed knowledge of the author about her subject shines through without ever weighing the story down, which retains a compelling luminosity and lightness of touch throughout.
I found the development of Lavinia (a minor character in Virgil's poem) both believable and natural, as if it were a story that had always been there, just waiting to be discovered. No doubt that is due to Le Guin's mastery in storytelling: her descriptive powers are so good that reading the book to me was an intensely visual experience, rather like watching a very good film - at no time did I get bored or wish to skip to the end to find out what happens, because every page was compelling.

Having never read any of Le Guin's novels before as I'd always heard her defined as a brilliant author of science fiction - a genre I've never had much interest in - I had settled on Lavinia precisely because it was clearly not a science fiction topic, and I was intrigued by the poetical-historical premise of the book. I'm so glad I took the plunge, as what I learned was that this is an author who transcends definitions and genres, and is able to effortlessly draw the reader in due to her wonderful storytelling skills. I look forward to discovering more of her work!
Highly recommended.
Report
pained
5.0 out of 5 stars Mythical history
Reviewed in Canada on April 5, 2021
Verified Purchase
I enjoyed reading the story of how Rome.was.established, the separations, the rituals. It was a love story, love of country, family , land , and husband and wife.
Beginning of civilization, the hierarchy of kings over their subjects and the subjects loyalty. The warrior farmer eventually giving up sword and shield for hoe and the.land.
Report
Ale
4.0 out of 5 stars Un originale sviluppo di un mito classico
Reviewed in Italy on May 11, 2021
Verified Purchase
Un bel libro che sviluppa in maniera originale il mito di Enea e la storia scritta da Virgilio. Come al solito una narrazione articolata e piacevole da parte della Le Guin che ci introduce un personaggio totalmente dimenticato dell'Eneide, mostrandoci il suo punto di vista e una nuova prospettiva sul carattere dell'eroe e degli altri protagonisti della vicenda.
One person found this helpful
 Report
Cliente de Amazon
5.0 out of 5 stars Maravillosa
Reviewed in Spain on May 9, 2015
Verified Purchase
Lavinia esta basada en los últimos 6 libros de la Eneida de Virgilio. Nos cuenta la llegada de Eneas al Latium, y el establecimiento de los troyanos en Italia que daría pie a la fundación de aroma según la leyenda expuesta por Virgilio. Pero la historia está contada desde el punto de vista de Lavinia, hija de Latinus y futura esposa de Eneas. Aunque el desarrollo es un poco lento, la historia esta contada de manera magistral con innumerables detalles inventados por la autora pero que suenan plausibles y verídicos gracias a la capacidad narrativa de Ursula K. Leguin. La novela te hace sumergirte en la posible vida en el Latium de la edad de bronce, antes de la fundación de Roma y describe a los personajes con una riqueza y mimo poco habitual. Toda una delicia de libro.
3 people found this helpful
 Report