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Amazon.co.uk Review
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. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Review
The ultimate masterpiece is Craftsman Audio's recording of Ursula le Guin's A Wizard of Earthsea. These are like nothing else on the market, partly because of their superior casing and track listing (so you don't lose your place), but also as stunningly good drama. A Wizard of Earthsea is a thrilling literary masterpiece which adults enjoy as much as children. Karen Archer's immaculate reading captures the purity of the prose, really an epic poem, telling how Ged, a young goatherd, discovers his power as a wizard. The specially composed lute music is exactly right, and this is electrifying. (The Independent On Sunday) --The Independent on Sunday
Craftsman Audio's marvellous, unabridged fantasy novel, A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula le Guin, gets a wonderful reading from Karen Archer. Listen to something that's truly exciting! --Daily Express
Voted number 1 of our top 10 audio book list. This is audio-book perfection; the pacing and delivery of Karen Archer is exemplary. The voices that she conjures for all all the individual characters are impressively unique and her attention to detail shines throughout this production. Craftsman and Archer are of course fortunate to have a book of the quality of Le Guin's A Wizard of Earthsea to work with, but they do it full justice. The tracks on the recording are split into segments of 2-3 minutes and this allows the listener to easily find where they left off. The music, by the Renaissance Players, accompanies the story well but without being intrusive. --Fantasy Book Review --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.
Craftsman Audio's marvellous, unabridged fantasy novel, A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula le Guin, gets a wonderful reading from Karen Archer. Listen to something that's truly exciting! --Daily Express
Voted number 1 of our top 10 audio book list. This is audio-book perfection; the pacing and delivery of Karen Archer is exemplary. The voices that she conjures for all all the individual characters are impressively unique and her attention to detail shines throughout this production. Craftsman and Archer are of course fortunate to have a book of the quality of Le Guin's A Wizard of Earthsea to work with, but they do it full justice. The tracks on the recording are split into segments of 2-3 minutes and this allows the listener to easily find where they left off. The music, by the Renaissance Players, accompanies the story well but without being intrusive. --Fantasy Book Review --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.
Inside This Book
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First Sentence
THE island of Gont, a single mountain that lifts its peak a mile above the storm-racked Northeast Sea, is a land famous for wizards. Read the first page Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
THE island of Gont, a single mountain that lifts its peak a mile above the storm-racked Northeast Sea, is a land famous for wizards. Read the first page Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
12 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
A Wizard of Earthsea ranks alongside Narnia and Middle-earth as a masterpiece of other world fantasy for children. Of course, this claim is made fairly frequently and for every new fantasy writer - but A Wizard of Earthsea has stood the test of time.
Set in a world far more detailed and fully realised than Philip Pullman's or JK Rowling's, this is a powerful tale of a child - Ged - growing up to be a wizard and having to meet the consequences of a single catastrophic failure in adolescence.
Set in a world far more detailed and fully realised than Philip Pullman's or JK Rowling's, this is a powerful tale of a child - Ged - growing up to be a wizard and having to meet the consequences of a single catastrophic failure in adolescence.
The scope is enormous. It wakes feelings of majesty, power, compassion, fear, terror, joy, frustration and freedom. Dragons' lair, the sea, countless islands, twisting streets, tiny villages, the weather and the world of the dead are some of the settings.
The story, the imagination and the author's voice never falter. This is in many respects a perfect work - the same thing that Tolkien achieved in the Hobbit but failed to achieve in the Lord of the Rings, and Lewis achieved with the first six Narnia books but failed in the Last Battle.
A must read - even if you don't like fantasy.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I would say this is a very fine read - in fact, one of those special books that come along every few years that leave you with a strong impression.
I enjoyed this novel as an adult; I doubt I would have as a child. Ursula Le Guin's style is beautiful but quite old-fashioned and sophisticated for children. The author herself said it was not meant to be specifially for children or any genre; personally I feel it would suit adult readers who like Pullman or Potter.
It is not entirely original. The dark force that follows Ged that he has a mission to destroy reminded me very much of Lord of the Rings. But the book contains some amazing passages that filled with awe for the power of the imagination - the scene where Ged first sets the dark spirit free into his world is awesome. These passages elevate this novel to the level of a childrens' classic.
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I first read this book as a child, but have since read it and the other 3 books in the series time and again. Far from finding the character portrayal cold and distant, I idenitified very strongly with the main character Ged and found him a sympathetic and realistic character.
The story essentially develops from a horrific blunder that Ged makes through his own arrogance and pride, and his subsequent travels and trials are his attempt to atone for the wrong he has done. Le Guin is an incredibly talented writer and her descriptions of the places in the book enable you to visualise them perfectly. She also conjurs up a very real feeling of evil in the dark forces that Ged must deal with in order to heal himself. There are enough dragons and magic to keep me happy too! I love her idea that magic is not something to be used whenever you fancy, that a balance must be maintained and again this is something Ged must learn to become fully mature.
Comparisons with Tolkien are erroneous. Le Guin can stand on her own and is incomparable.
This is not just a book for kids - I suggest you read this and every other book Le Guin has ever written!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Real Magic
I loved this book when I first read it, Ged knows how many years ago, when I was eleven or twelve, the book's target age I think. Re-reading it today, I still love it. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Rotgut
A classic
One of the absolute classics of fantasy literature - brilliantly written, well plotted and full of interesting ideas. Read more
Published 21 months ago by Md Lachlan
good story line, shame it's so hard to read
This book is ok, the story line is good but its writen as though its older. This book came out in the 80's or something but the way she has done it, well you would think it was... Read more
Published 22 months ago by Nou
Forget Harry Potter, this is what you want.
When I first started reading this book I did wonder what all the fuss was about. The writing is quite straightforward yet so eloquent. Read more
Published on 11 April 2010 by Mark
Fantastic book for both Adults and Children.
I enjoyed every single minute I spent reading this book, the only real complaint that I have was that it was much too short! Ursula K. Read more
Published on 23 Feb 2010 by Dean G
"A Wizard of Earthsea"
Either people will be interested in le Guin's Earthsea stories or they won't, so reviews aren't too helpful with this kind of fiction. Read more
Published on 20 Nov 2009 by David Brookes
To hear, one must be silent
Ged's journey across the storm-wracked seas of the archipelago of Earthsea, in search of the evil shadow he has unwittingly loosed, parallels his own journey across the difficult... Read more
Published on 9 Oct 2009 by Vatachino
Incredible tale - a fantasy classic
I've read and re-read this book and the others in the series many times since discovering it in my early teens, and the tale never bores me. Read more
Published on 21 May 2009 by Ash
20 odd year olds review who wished he read this as a kid
First off all Fantasy books are compared to Tolkien, his influance is so great that it is difficult to avoid. Read more
Published on 21 April 2009 by Falrah Mintoar
Darkness, Wizards and Dragons
This is the first in a series of books. There are 4 novels in the series and two collections of short stories. Read more
Published on 31 May 2008 by Steven R. McEvoy
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