Malafrena
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''Malafrena'' is a 1979 novel by
Ursula K. Le Guin Ursula Kroeber Le Guin (; October 21, 1929 – January 22, 2018) was an American author best known for her works of speculative fiction, including science fiction works set in her Hainish universe, and the '' Earthsea'' fantasy series. She was ...
. The only fantastic element of this novel is that it takes place in the imaginary
Central Europe Central Europe is an area of Europe between Western Europe and Eastern Europe, based on a common historical, social and cultural identity. The Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) between Catholicism and Protestantism significantly shaped the a ...
an country of Orsinia, which is also the setting of her collection '' Orsinian Tales''. In many ways, ''Malafrena'' reads like a 19th-century novel, with its many detailed characters, its political and romantic subplots, its lack of the supernatural, and its settings that range from the mansions of the aristocracy to slums and a prison. ''Malafrena'' is written for an adult audience, rather than children and young adults, the target readership of most of Le Guin's works in the period of 1979–1994.


Plot summary

The story takes place from 1825 to 1830, when Orsinia is ruled by the
Austrian Empire The Austrian Empire (german: link=no, Kaiserthum Oesterreich, modern spelling , ) was a Central-Eastern European multinational great power from 1804 to 1867, created by proclamation out of the realms of the Habsburgs. During its existence ...
. The hero is Itale Sorde, the son of the owner of an estate on a lake called Malafrena in a valley of the same name. Itale leaves the estate, against his father's will, to engage in nationalistic and revolutionary politics in the capital.


Characters

*Itale Sorde: The protagonist of the story. *Laura Sorde: Itale's sister. *Guide Sorde: Itale's father. *Emanuel Sorde: Itale's uncle. *Eleonora: Itale's mother. *Tomas Brelavay: School friend and collaborator in Krasnoy. *Givan Frenin: School friend and collaborator in Krasnoy. *Count Orlant Valtorskar: Neighbor and family friend. *Piera Valtorskar: Neighbor and family friend. *Luisa Paludeskar: A young noble woman in Krasnoy. *Enrike Paludeskar: Luisa's brother. *Amadey Estenskar: A writer from Polana province.


Literary significance and criticism

Mike Cadden notes that ''Malafrena'' has not received as much critical attention as many of Le Guin's other works, primarily because the characters in the story do not connect well with one another. An imperceptible, omniscient author is used to tell the story, and Le Guin herself acknowledges one of the strongest influences on her Orsinian works is Russian literature.Cadden, Mike. ''Ursula K. Le Guin Beyond Genre: Fiction for Children and Adults'', (New York, NY: Routledge, 2005) page 153.
Greg Costikyan Greg Costikyan (born July 22, 1959, in New York City), sometimes known under the pseudonym "Designer X", is an American game designer and science fiction writer. Costikyan's career spans nearly all extant genres of gaming, including: hex-based wa ...
reviewed ''Malafrena'' in '' Ares Magazine'' #6 and commented that "''Malafrena'' seems to say that visionaries are often or usually destroyed, and though tragic, this must always be the case, for humanity cannot progress without them."


References


Sources

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{{Ursula K. Le Guin 1979 American novels 1979 fantasy novels Novels by Ursula K. Le Guin Novels set in the 1820s Berkley Books books Novels set in fictional countries