Rating: 
Summary: Highlight of fantasy genre
Review: Let me start off by saying that it's very sad people dislike this book just because they heard it's of the same caliber as Tolkien's work and it turned out it wasn't. Ursula Le-Guin is a good author but even good authors have a hard time when they're compared to Tolkien. Was Tchaikovsky a lousy composer just because he wasn't "as good as Beethoven"? (whatever that means) Was Lev Landau stupid just because he wasn't "as smart as" Einstein? Mind you, Le-Guin's world lacks the depth of Tolkien's, but whatever she lacks in completeness she makes up for in compelling plot and characters. Ok, so much for my penny philosophy.I've read the Earthsea novels when I was a kid and have re-read them later on as an adult, and can say that, while I have no special affection for the fantasy genre, these books still stand out as being special. Le-Guin's choice of plot and characters makes this book very unique - instead of grand wizards and epic battles, she chooses a "real life" wizard and tells his story. Instead of the usual "end-of-the-world" theme she chooses his personal battle against a shadow that haunts him - due to his own actions. This book will never become a Hollywood production (thank heavens!), simply because there isn't enough eye-candy in it. That's one of the things I like about it. I am also very fond of Le-Guin's writing style, but that's a more personal choice. If you feel fantasy books are all about knights in armor and robed wizards and flying dragons speaking Shakespearean English and going around saving the world (or destroying it), give this book a try, it might surprise you (for the better, I hope ... ).
Rating:
Summary: The original school of magic.
Review: I'm writing this review because JK Rowling's books about the Hogwarts School of Magic reminded me of this, one of the few perfect novels I've ever read. It's not a light-hearted fairy tale, though it is "high fantasy." It's the story of Ged, from his childhood discovery of his wonderful yet terrible magical powers; to his education at the School of Wizardry on Roke Knoll. There he makes a misstep; overstepping his powers, he accidentally lets loose an evil creature from a shadow world. His self-imposed exile, journeys, and eventual maturation and triumph are written with a deft flair for the beauty and wonder of magic; yet Ms. LeGuin is even more masterful in depicting Ged's character: the young high achiever who must finally make his peace with his inner demons. As a child, I loved it for the idea of a school of magic. I grew older, reread it during a dark teenage time, and cried when Ged finally confronted his inner shadow creature. Later, studying anatomy in medical school, I recalled Ged's long days in the Namer's high tower, learning the true names of things; and bent cheerfully to my task. It still bears re-reading to this day. Readers who enjoy Tolkien, JK Rowling, or Alice Miller's "Drama of the Gifted Child" ought particularly to read it; and readers who didn't like "The Left Hand of Darkness" or "The Dispossessed" should give Ms. LeGuin another try, in this, her finest work. . It is one of my favorite novels and I recommend it to you wholeheartedly.
Rating: 
Summary: Alex from Richview Middle School
Review: The story begins with a kid called sparrowhawk, but his real name is ged. He discovers that he is a wizard, so Ged decides to enroll in a school called school for wizards. the school teaches students about illusions and shadows. when Ged arrives at school on the first day, he meets two boys, Jack and Vetch. But jack and vetch become lords. then Ged goes on a mission to find the head wizard. he finds the island of roke and finds the headmaster. then he leads the headmaster back to school. now ged is considered a hero.
Rating:
Summary: Balance of Power
Review: I first read A Wizard of Earthsea when I was in seventh grade. I could not put it down at the age of twelve. The way Ursula K. Le Guin writes reminds me of a fairy tale told by my grandmother on a rainy Saturday morning. The style is dreamy and reminiscent of old fashioned storytelling at its best. I was able to lose myself in the story, in the people, and in the land. I read A Wizard of Earthsea the second time at the age of 24. The book again captivated and mesmerized me. I am now 32 and I still love this story.
A Wizard of Earthsea is the story of Sparrowhawk, a goat herder from the island of Gont. Sparrowhawk develops an unusual power, which gives him the ability to call animals. When Sparrowhawk learns that he has more power than he can safely control, he leaves his old life behind and travels to the School on Roke.
What we might call magic is referred to and separated from wizardry in this book. Wizards are specially trained (and male) on the island of Roke. Magic is the realm of witches and not held in high esteem. A wizard's life is spent learning the true name of things in the old tongue. Power to a mage must be kept in balance. Every action has a reaction.
To me, this sense of balance is the real beauty of the novel. Sparrowhawk, or any wizard for that matter, cannot unthinkingly use a spell without facing consequences. I think this is wonderful way to look at our own society. We have all but eliminated our social sense of consequences. Sparrowhawk finally understands the balance at great cost to his soul and power. What will it take for us to face the consequences of our actions?
Rating:
Summary: Inexplicably entrancing
Review: I swore I wouldn't read Ursula Le Guin for the longest time, but curiosity won out over other things. I picked up a copy of "Wizard of Earthsea" at my local library and settled down to read it. This book follows the wizard Ged, who was born in a Earthsea (a grouping of many, many islands) village in Gont. The boy soon shows signs of great power, the ability to call animals and to laugh even when his tongue has been bound by a spell. But he surpasses the expectations when he saves the village from invaders. A mage named Ogion apprentices Ged--who is known as Sparrowhawk, as knowledge of his true name would give anyone power over him. But Ogion's discipline and lessons are full of silence and self-examination, something which soon sends Ged to the school for mages in Roke. At the school, he meets two boys that will help shape his destiny: kind, easygoing Vetch, and arrogant Jasper who mocks Ged at every turn. The boys all study and grow in their power, but Jasper's pride is unchanged. He finally mocks Ged into a magical duel, and Ged attempts a dangerous magic: to waken a long-dead woman. A monstrous creature made of shadow appears with the woman, and attacks Ged, nearly killing him. Ged remains within the school from then on, for the shadow is pursuing him. But upon the completion of his studies, the now-wiser wizard sets off to an island, where the dread Dragon of Pendor is attacking the natives with its children. The dragon offers him a way to escape the shadow, but Ged refuses for the sake of others. Later, he is tempted again by an entranced queen and a magical Stone -- but again he refuses for the greater good. As the shadow closes in on Ged and his life becomes increasingly imperiled, he must discern what -- and who -- it is, to make himself truly whole. I do not know WHY I liked this book as much as I did. It has many qualities that often annoy me in fantasy - several years are skipped over in a few pages; we know little of Ged's thoughts and emotions aside from "Ged felt this" and "Ged knew that"; it is also written in a spare mythologic style, which is occasionally broken for interludes of spellbinding nature description. It's a little difficult to visualize some scenes, such as Ged's battle with the dragons, but is relatively easy considering the lack of illustration. (I also liked the maps) Ged is a classic hero of high SF and fantasy: he is talented and initially hot-headed, but through his misfortunes is tempered into a more selfless, albeit scarred person (both physically and emotionally). A little like Obi-Wan Kenobi of the Jedi Apprentice novels. I really fell in love with Vetch, though, that gave it an entire star. Vetch is such a DARLING, so kind and understanding toward his haunted friend. I wouldn't qualify this book as being equal to Tolkien (NOTHING can match the Master!) but it definitely has a good place among the high fantasy books. Le Guin's mythologic style and Eastern philosophy tones may not be to everyone's taste, so I advise you to get a peek at a chapter of the Earthsea books before you decide whether or not to buy this. I'll definitely read "Tombs of Atuan" and "Farthest Shore," but am not sure about "Tehanu" (though as a fifth book is reportedly forthcoming, I may read it anyhow). "Wizard of Earthsea" is not the best, but it is pretty high up there.
Rating:
Summary: Must-read fantasy classic
Review: No fan of fantasy should go without reading this. It's that simple. Without question, Earthsea stands alongside Middle Earth, Narnia, and the other "classic" fantasy worlds with amazing strength, holding its own throughout. And like those worlds, the tales of Earthsea are accessible to young readers, and yet offer layers of depth and meaning for older readers. Le Guin weaves a tale in a language seemingly pulled our dreams, gorgeous prose throughout. She tells her tale of good against evil and of the triumph of man over his fears in such a way as to make one think that this is not a story that was written in the 20th century, but rather a story that always was. Perfect craft. A Wizard of Earthsea is a timeless work telling the tale of one man's struggle with magic, and himself. Modern fantasy lovers beware, this is not a typical swords and sorcery romp. Fans of the Dragonlance and TSR books will miss the cartoon-like action, and fans of Robert Jordan and Terry Goodkind will miss the endless meandering that dominates so much modern fantasy. Instead, you simply get a tale crafted of magic and wonder that gets right to the point, never pausing, never dragging, always engaging. Truly remarkable, even decades later.
Rating:
Summary: Can You Defeat Your Shadow?
Review: This was magical book with lots of cool meaning. In this book there is a very delicate balance and as a wizard Ged had to understand the boundary of being in this balance. Obcourse Ged is a very haughty and challanging kid that does not respect this balance. Because of his obnoctious character, Ged lets off a ghost (his evil shadow) and through the story he runs from it in the dark but cant get rid of it. He then learns the way to defeat it is to say its name. However he cant figure out what its name was. Ged finally gets older and wiser and figures out the ghost is himself and he must face it... It has lots of action with dragons and fights and spooks! WOW what a book!
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful stuff
Review: I loved this story when I first read at high-school
and haven't just re-read it, I've got to say this
is the closest to Tolkien in terms of writing quality
in the fantasy genre (though the tale less epic, the
world less detailed). Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Good, but not Earthsea-Shattering
Review: This is a pretty good book that involves a wizard, a lot of magic, a bunch of islands, and endless voyages of sailing here and there as our main character, Ged, seeks to confront the shadow that he accidentally loosed with a spell. Don't be fooled though. If you are looking for another Tolkien or Lewis...well, such an author simply doesn't exist. But Le Guin may be the next best thing (depending on your tastes). Here's what I liked about the book: 1) Good, solid plot. Although the last 50 pages or so get a little long-winded (no pun intended), the storyline is overall fairly engaging.
2) Unlike many fantasy novels, the storyline doesn't wander aimlessly into an oblivion of minor side-stories.
3) Le Guin's writing style is pretty direct and to the point (almost too direct).
4) Although blatant and abundant, magical powers here come at a price and are bound by certain rules and skills.
5) The Otak! He was, by far, the best character. Unfortunately, Le Guin didn't think so considering she dropped him from the narrative like a bad habit. And the ugly: 1) The narration is performed from a pretty removed point of view. Many events and scenes feel like they do not occur in "real-time," but rather in retrospect or summary.
2) Although, as I said above, the style is direct, it seems to be simultaneously stiff and a tad awkward. Le Guin's prose feels almost too "chiseled." Compared with the serene other-worldliness of Tolkien's "feary" or the sublime simplicity of C.S. Lewis, Le Guin's style seems somewhat lifeless.
3) Not enough Dialogue! Or at least not enough interesting dialogue. This is where Tolkien really is a master...he can make things-real, magical and mythical things-happen in even the most ordinary conversation. I never get tired of it, pages and pages of a single conversation in Tolkien are like taking a mythical journey into an ancient past. With Le Guin, I grow weary after just half a page.
4) Not enough attention to action scenes. The one that stands out most in my mind is when Ged confronts the dark spirits outside the castle on Osskil. It is described very briefly, but I could imagine in my mind a far greater potential.
5) The enemy lacks persona. The "shadow," as it is called, is a very vague enemy. It has no real agents, never speaks, or does much but wander after Ged. It could have been otherwise, Le Guin could have made this guy quite frightening and engaging. Verdict: Deserves 4 stars for a good story, maybe even better for young readers. Unfortunately, there is much "unmined" potential.
Rating: 
Summary: Earthsea more like a puddle
Review: First of all this book was too into names of things. How could naming something give you power over it? I don't know, it was not explained. Also, why did everyone have 2 names? As a coming of age novel, this novel was a pretty good book. But I wish there was more action in this novel. Sometimes Sparrowhawk or Gad or whatever name the main character in this novel was going by just seemed to sail and sail and sail. Boring. Thats ok there are plenty of other fish in the ocean (no pun intended), like the Gor novels which have plenty of action and more of an interesting storyline. PS. I didn't really understand that last part where sparrowhawk/gad goes head to head with the shadowy creature who has hunted him all threw the novel. It was not very clear what happened.
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