- Paperback: 478 pages
- Publisher: Puffin Books, UK (1987)
- ISBN-10: 014031766X
- ISBN-13: 978-0140317664
- ASIN: B00122M1MU
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,668,780 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Arren, the Prince Enlad...Ged, the Archmage of Roke...The young prince brought harsh news. There was no longer true magic in Enlad; the mages had forgotten their spells. The springs of wizardry were running dry...With Arren, Ged set out to meet unknown dangers, to confront his own past, and to test the ancient prophecies.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I've read and re-read this book/these books many times since discovering it in my early teens, and the tale never bores me. Even after only 6 months I will dip in to it again only to be hooked once more by the stories therein. It is always suspenseful, intriguing and, oddly for a fantasy, quite believable. Le Guin's characters and world are so well fleshed out, with such convincing clarity, that you are truly sucked in to this realm. As with all the best fantasy novels, the comprehensive map at the front of the book gives you a great reference point from which to trace the movements of the main characters, further bringing you in to their world and allowing you to imagine sailing between the many islands of Earthsea (if you're a gamer - think Zelda Wind Waker on a grander scale).
The stories themselves focus on Sparrowhawk, or Ged as he is really called. The tales focus on three periods of his life - his youth, and the attainment of his power, culminating in a terrifying face-off with an evil he brought in to the world in a moment of pride and arrogance; his middle years, as a wizard of incredible power who goes on a great quest to save a young girl from the Unnamed Ones in an underground labyrinth; and finally, his later years as an aging wizard of great wisdom, who must stop the light leaking from the world, by way of dealing with dragons and the land of the dead. All three are brilliantly told and incredible to read. Recommended for any one who is a true fantasy fan, or even just likes a great story!
The stories themselves focus on Sparrowhawk, or Ged as he is really called. The tales focus on three periods of his life - his youth, and the attainment of his power, culminating in a terrifying face-off with an evil he brought in to the world in a moment of pride and arrogance; his middle years, as a wizard of incredible power who goes on a great quest to save a young girl from the Unnamed Ones in an underground labyrinth; and finally, his later years as an aging wizard of great wisdom, who must stop the light leaking from the world, by way of dealing with dragons and the land of the dead. All three are brilliantly told and incredible to read. Recommended for any one who is a true fantasy fan, or even just likes a great story!
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This book is an outstanding magical fantasy tale, certainly better than Harry Potter, more on a par with Lord of the Rings.
The story is self contained, very readable, and the story is compelling. Good and evil fight it out, dragons do what dragons do, but nothing is predictable.
Classed as a children's book, this is one that I will certainly never grow out of, my copy has been read to distruction, so another one ordered.
If you're looking for a bedtime story to read an under 7, the first book of the three would make an excellent choice, my 18 yr old daughter still worships it, and its probably the last book I would ever part with.
The story is self contained, very readable, and the story is compelling. Good and evil fight it out, dragons do what dragons do, but nothing is predictable.
Classed as a children's book, this is one that I will certainly never grow out of, my copy has been read to distruction, so another one ordered.
If you're looking for a bedtime story to read an under 7, the first book of the three would make an excellent choice, my 18 yr old daughter still worships it, and its probably the last book I would ever part with.
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I would echo the other reviewer's observation that this is far superior to the Harry Potter books. Better writing, more imagination and a truly epic set of stories. If you've seen the lamentable TV adaptation, fear not, they didn't do these books one ounce of justice. I wouldn't say that these books are much like Tolkien, though; they're more sparingly and elegantly written.
Ursula Le Guin is a genuinely great writer and although these books are ostensibly the story of a wizard, from his childhood, through epic quests and acquiring the wisdom of age, the author uses the story to examine morals, language, politics, war, the roles of men and women in society and so much more. She presents a fully realised world with it's own races, customs, languages and mores.
The prose is lucid, elegant and clear; no words are wasted. I enjoyed 'A Wizard of Earthsea' when I was eleven - I was captivated by the world of Earthsea, thrilled by Sparrowhawk's quest and terrified by the shadow hunting him in the dark. Re-reading years later I was just as captivated, delighted that the book can still raise a chill but also amazed to find that I had missed so much detail in my childhood reading; missing, as I pictured the book that first time around, that so many of the characters are people of colour, for example.
A wonderful trilogy for children (older children or strong readers, probably) and adults alike.
Ursula Le Guin is a genuinely great writer and although these books are ostensibly the story of a wizard, from his childhood, through epic quests and acquiring the wisdom of age, the author uses the story to examine morals, language, politics, war, the roles of men and women in society and so much more. She presents a fully realised world with it's own races, customs, languages and mores.
The prose is lucid, elegant and clear; no words are wasted. I enjoyed 'A Wizard of Earthsea' when I was eleven - I was captivated by the world of Earthsea, thrilled by Sparrowhawk's quest and terrified by the shadow hunting him in the dark. Re-reading years later I was just as captivated, delighted that the book can still raise a chill but also amazed to find that I had missed so much detail in my childhood reading; missing, as I pictured the book that first time around, that so many of the characters are people of colour, for example.
A wonderful trilogy for children (older children or strong readers, probably) and adults alike.
Listmania!
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