A Wizard of Earthsea (The Earthsea Cycle, Book 1)
by Ursula K. Le Guin
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Book Summary Information
Author: Ursula K. Le GuinEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2004-09-28
ISBN: 0553383043
Number of pages: 192
Reading Level: Ages 9-12
Publisher: Spectra
Book Reviews of A Wizard of Earthsea (The Earthsea Cycle, Book 1)
Book Review: A Tough Read
Summary: 3 Stars
Many reviewers have been irked by comparisons between this book and the Lord of the Rings. Having read both I can see that there are some similarities. Like Middle Earth, the world of Earthsea is intricate and detailed and feels authentic. There is a sense of mythology behind the mythology and history behind the history that is rare in modern works of fantasy. I would go so far as to say in many ways Earthsea is more realistic than Middle Earth. Unlike the latter it is gritty and dirty and gets under your fingernails.
Having said that, for me that is where the comparison ends. I found Wizard of Earthsea to be a difficult read. If I were to attempt to summarise the plot, the book is really about one person's journey from humble beginnings on an island to eventual eminence as a wizard. To me that journey is all too often pondering, repetitive and just plain boring. I couldn't help but feel that a brilliant, realistic world had been invented in which nothing very interesting actually happened. I also felt that the importance given to names started off interesting but palled badly towards the end. As a plot device I felt it was overused and often left me unsatisfied. The characters and dialogue also irked me. It felt as if everyone in the world was badly constipated. Just one light-hearted and perhaps even humerous character would have made all the difference, but there were none.
Overall, I'm glad I read this book, but I don't see myself ever reading it again, nor attempting any of the sequels. I give it three stars for the depth of the world that the author has created. I just wish she'd come up with a better story and better characters to go with it.
Summary of A Wizard of Earthsea (The Earthsea Cycle, Book 1)
Ged was the greatest sorcerer in all Earthsea,??but once he was called Sparrowhawk, a reckless??youth, hungry for power and knowledge, who tampered??with long-held secrets and loosed a terrible shadow??upon the world. This is the tale of his testing,??how he mastered the mighty words of power, tamed an??ancient dragon, and crossed death's threshold to??restore the balance.From the Paperback edition.
Often compared to Tolkien's Middle-earth or Lewis's Narnia, Ursula K. Le Guin's Earthsea is a stunning fantasy world that grabs quickly at our hearts, pulling us deeply into its imaginary realms. Four books (A Wizard of Earthsea, The Tombs of Atuan, The Farthest Shore, and Tehanu) tell the whole Earthsea cycle--a tale about a reckless, awkward boy named Sparrowhawk who becomes a wizard's apprentice after the wizard reveals Sparrowhawk's true name. The boy comes to realize that his fate may be far more important than he ever dreamed possible. Le Guin challenges her readers to think about the power of language, how in the act of naming the world around us we actually create that world. Teens, especially, will be inspired by the way Le Guin allows her characters to evolve and grow into their own powers.
In this first book, A Wizard of Earthsea readers will witness Sparrowhawk's moving rite of passage--when he discovers his true name and becomes a young man. Great challenges await Sparrowhawk, including an almost deadly battle with a sinister creature, a monster that may be his own shadow.
LeGuin, Ursula K. Books
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