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A Wizard of Earthsea

A Wizard of Earthsea

List Price: $35.00
Your Price: $23.10
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Unoriginal
Review: The book tries hard to be something of a Lord of the Rings story, but it rarely succeeds. We are quickly told about Ged and in the first few chapters he has lived about 4 years of his life, we rarely get a second to breathe or really know anyone, but Ged. And we hardly understand him either. It is quite a tedious read and uninteresting from this perspective. There are a few attempts (well, quite a lot actually) to capture the reader's attention, but unfortunately that is just what they are, attempts. This book isn't awful, but it is just like any other Fantasy book or Trilogy and doesn't stand out like Tolkein or Rowling's books. Read it if you like, but I would reccomend something with a deeper storyline, more colorful and dynamic characters, and events that keep the reader's attention and entertains them. This book doesn't do that.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Riveting Novel with a Strange Sense (In Today's World)
Review: This book, being probably Le Guin's most famous fantasy novel, is also one of the strangest. It is different from Lewis' Narnia series and Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings" in that it sees to lack a coherent, unified theme throughout the course of the story. Le Guin takes us down side plots and round-about courses to reach the final destination. I found that it was similiar to V.S. Naipaul's halting, slow, and somewhat dull way of revealing his insights to the reader in many of his non-fiction books. However, like Naipaul, Le Guin is able to finally bring everything together. Very few details and side paths are frivolous; in fact, they reveal deep insights into the protaganist's inner character. The use of foreshadowing (Ged summoning the shade on Gont) and the use of raw, stripped-down writing is something to be admired in this day, when many books lack a true natural, organic feel.

Le Guin's use of minor details (the bauble given to Ged by the strange Kargish woman on the abandoned island) set the stage for various other adventures of Ged. Also, Le Guin creates an elaborate world, the likes of which is only rivaled by Tolkien's Middle Earth.

Le Guin truly created a masterpiece in "A Wizard of Earthsea" and, as such, should receive the praise for her works. However, a newer generation of readers and fantasy novels seems to have swept her writings away. Nevertheless, she ranks only second behind Tolkien in my personal fantasy favorites.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: FANTASY'S MOBY DICK
Review: Well, in a way. Just as Captain Ahab hunted the White Whale, so does Ged hunt the black shadow that he has loosed upon the world of Earthsea. Of course, this is all after we read about Ged's childhood on the island of Gont and how he went to Roke and became a wizard.

One thing that really surprised me with this book was how poetic it was. There are literally dozens of sentences that have alliteration in them, making this work much more beautiful. And yet, I felt a little let down by the storyline. I guess I was expecting a little more action, such as expecting Ged to became the wizard in command of some army that must turn away the foes from some other island--but it's not so. That's not to say that the book is boring, though. It really is interesting, but just not excellent enough for a harsh critic like me to give it 5 stars.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: powerful, but some may not like it
Review: Well, it sems that this is one of those books you either love or hate.

Personnally (and you may be able to tell from the rating!) I think that Ged, and the world Ursula Le Guin created is one of the best I have ever read.

Tehanu was not the greatest, but the Wizard of Earthsea was a fantatastic story, showing the samll details, and the story was not an end-of-the-world type, just the posible end if Ged's world.

Tolkien, Feist, Jordan etc follow the dramtic (ie. global) picture when writing, guin wrote a story from a more intimate perspective, and for that we can only applaud her vision.

everyone who likes fantasy must read this!

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: What do people see in this?
Review: What is this book? I recently finished all three books of the Earthsea trilogy (I always finish books, even when terrable)and having read so many posotive reviews was very dissapointed. This book flowed terrably, had nothing going on and although it did try hard to it had no depth. The world was cool, and so were some of the people inhabiting it. I have read a huge amount of fantasy and this doesn't compare. If you want a classic read Lord Foul's Bane. If you want somthing new try The One Kingdome (Sean Russel).

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: This Book is Absolutely Terrible.
Review: I was supposed to read this book in English class as an assignment back in 7th grade. We started it, and it was terrible! Every single person in our class thought so. We wrote a petition to our teacher saying we shouldn't read it, and so later she told us that, if every single person came in the next day with a paragraph persuading her to let us not read it, she would make us read something else. The next day, twenty-four long paragraphs flooded to her desk, telling about how boring, far-fetched, confusing, and badly written it was. So we didn't have to read it. We still talk about our teacher's terrible choice in reading assignments today! So please, don't bother with this book if you want something that will keep you even remotely interested.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Makes Potter look pathetic
Review: This series of books is phenomenal. Much like the popular Harry Potter books, they're written at a young-adult level. The difference, though, is that the plot, characters, and magic is much more dark and mature. I recommend the Earthsea books to everyone I can; you won't regret reading them. I think one or more also won the Nebula Award. Go get it!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: a classic that doesn't read like one
Review: Le Guin wrote this book before the 400+ page standard for a 'good' fantasy book came about. This book takes you there -- you could be Ged and isn't that really what fantasy books are all about? This one's on par with The Hobbit, Dune, Ender's Game etc., in my top shelf category. The rest of the 'series' isn't a trilogy in today's meaning, rather looking at Ged later in life. I'm not a huge fan of Le Guin, but this one will read as well 100 years from now as today.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Please read and tell me what you think
Review: I read the book A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin.

It’s about a boy named Ged who has magic powers and becomes a wizard. But though he’s a great student and one of the best in his level, he is constantly annoyed and pestered by an older student. Everything seems to be going well when unexpectedly he unleashes a dark shadow who’s utmost want is to take over Ged’s body and wreck havoc in Earthsea. Now Ged has to face it to not only save himself, but also the entire planet of Earthsea.

I liked how everything was magical and explained in great detail. It’s very well written because of all the descriptive dialogue and the characters felt real. I really felt like I was there experiencing it all. Everyone should read this book because it’s one of the best.

Thanks for reading this was my school book report and I thought I'd share it with other people as well.
Thank you!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A Fantastic Fantasy Story
Review: A Wizard of Earthsea not only has a great characters but a great plot as well. Le Guin really spents time on telling about the characters and the scenery and i think it really gives a sense of understanding to the whole thing. The story of a young man growing to be more than he had expected more or less by accident is told throughout the entire earthsea series and this book starts the seires off greatly. I have loved Le Guin's books ever since i first pulled A Wizard of Earthsea of the dusty shelves of the library.


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