Rating: 
Summary: An interesting look at magic
Review: This is my first adventure into the writing of Le Guin, and it was certainly worth it. The magic is unique. Instead of your standard 'Abracadabra' with a wave of a magic wand or a twist of willpower from a special 'kind' of person, a mage has to TRULY understand the object of his wizardry. The world is also believable. I've read books where the author made the whole world seem smaller than Chicago, and other books where the world seemed bigger than the galaxy, but very few authors I've run across that can do both at once. Earthsea is a vast place where the peoples of different lands are inextricably tied together, resulting in a believable vision of a reasonably sized world. My only objection would be that magic comes a little too easily to Ged. He's just a bit too much of a natural, with no particular area where he excels or struggles. He is just THAT good.
Rating: 
Summary: Worth a short visit.
Review: This is the first Le Grin book I've read for many years. WhileI don't remember the details of the earlier books, I do remember thefeeling I had entering her world. And the blend of moral insight, magical powers and occult dangers seems like a familiar and slightly disquieting scent. Le Grin undoubtedly is a skilled myth-maker. Her protagonist is a young man who is learning to use his magical powers. Her world is sparsely but I think rather well realized. (Her maps are more real-looking than Tolkien's.) The outline of the book is rather similar to the great Chinese classic Journey to the West: a hero of great power overreaches himself and is forced to set out on a journey to learn (among other things) humility and self-control. Along the way Le Grin drops the reader thoughts to chew on for a while. "Magic consists in this: the true naming of a thing." (How does that apply to modern genetics?) "The price of the game is the peril of losing one's self." (True whether the game is business, the occult, or modern science.) The ease with which Le Grin's hero, Ged, works magic, I think, threatens the plot and the imaginable quality of her world sometimes. Ged flits from island to island so easily that the world becomes rather too dream-like. He is in danger of becoming too strong to have adventures. The story is about his taming to good, like the Monkey King. Yet one gets the feeling that in Le Grin's world, evil is ultimately stronger. Perhaps this is why her world feels less real, and less enjoyable, to me than those of Tolkien or Lewis, based on a Christian psychology, or that of Journey to the West, based on a rather cheerful Buddhism. Nor do I think her insight or imagination can really be compared with Tolkien in Lord of the Rings or Lewis in Till We Have Faces. And her world seems to have less humor than the other three. While I enjoyed the creative realization of her story, and felt as if she were bringing me near to some depths of psychological insight, I felt a little dizzy from the journey, and was glad to be back on terra firma. But I'll probably take another short visit before long. author, Jesus and the Religions of Man...
Rating:
Summary: The mysteries of Earthsea
Review: This book covers one subject: wizardry. Usula Le Guin writes an incredible tale of a young man who becomes great wizard. She goes into great detail how the world of Earthsea works. A really nice touch is the power of true names.
Rating:
Summary: of lyrical and even archetypal power...
Review: ....a tale of the young Ged becoming a mage, getting past his pride, and learning about the shadow....very good fantasy writing and psychologically sound as well. The trilogy is wonderful.
Rating:
Summary: Jungian psychology at its best...
Review: Not only is the "Earthsea" trilogy a wonderful series for adolescents but it also contains profound wisdom for adults seeking their own path to individuation. Rich in timeless myth, the series has the young mage Ged surmount many trials on his way to understanding himself and therein lies the key to his ultimately becomming the Archmage of Roke. Each book in the series has the main story turn on the issue of trust between two people and upon Ged's courage in facing dark issues either within himself or in the enviroment. Ged is a powerful role for young people developing a sense of their inner integrity and for middle-agers every where beginning to deal with their shadow issues. Of course there are plenty of dragons, battles, transformations and journeys which can be enjoyed simply as a good storey, but don't pass up the chance to re-read to catch the deeper meaning. This series is too good to be eclipsed in popularity by LOTR and the Chornicles of Narnia, "Earthsea" stands on its own! If I haven't convinced you, please read the essay by Noel Perrin in his book, "A Child's Delight."
Rating:
Summary: Very Good
Review: This is the first one of the books I've read by this aurther. And It's not a dissapointment. I liked this book because I like this kind of magic. I'm always likeing magic. And I couldn't put this book down. So don't miss out and not read it.
Rating: 
Summary: Simple and Uninteresting
Review: This book was so unstimulating that i read in in one day just to be rid of it. The characters remain undeveloped as the very modest storyline unfolds itself. For readers of younger ages (10-12) this book would be very interesting because it poses no intellectual difficulties. It passes over months of the characters life with barely a word. It left me with a feeling of com,plete and utter lack of connection with the main character. The fact that someone would even compare this book to Tolkien let alone praising it over him is rediculous. I would actually reread sewctions of the book figuring i must have left out an entire chapter since seemingly important sections of a characters life were just passed by. I would not recommend this book to anyone over the age of 13 unless you have an afternoon to waste.
Rating:
Summary: Probably LeGuin's best work
Review: I'm a big fan of "A Wizard of Earthsea", which I consider LeGuin's best writing, certainly as far as style is concerned. Simplicity in writing style is something she shares with some of the genre's great writers like Arthur C. Clarke and John Wyndham. I read her more popular "Left Hand of Darkness" and "The Dispossessed" simply because they'd won awards, but found them a little dissapointing, probably because they are both Nebula AND Hugo winners for their year and I was expecting more. This book, however, delivers exactly what I was expecting, intelligent fantasy done just right. I appreciate the author's ability to zoom in and out of the story without losing focus. She at some times brings us down to a day by day, person to person level, but can quickly zoom out and weeks or even years pass in a page or two. I found that she picked just the right days in the life of the wizard to hold the reader's interest and still gave the grand scheme of his life. The next two books were very good as well, but didn't capture the wonder of the first. I love the way that LeGuin introduces the reader to the magic of Earthsea, how the magic works and doesn't work etc... This book is well worth any Fantasy lovers time and energy.
Rating:
Summary: The Perfect Start...
Review: 'A Wizard of Earthsea' is the perfect beginning to an awesome quartet of impeccable fantasy. Deeper and more introspective than Tolkein's albeit unassailable 'Lord of the Rings', the characters here are alternately frail and strong, struggling with their humanity, both chained and enriched by their mastery (or lack) of sorcery. Worth reading and re-reading, I found many parallels to life today - my own included - within. A stunning piece of fiction that is continued in good stead by the three successive volumes...
Rating: 
Summary: Good Read, too short and over-hyped...borrow it.
Review: After reading a lot of second rate books I hope Earthsea would be a whole new look on fantasy. It still came out a disappointment, the book is written a little to childish for me. Therefore I am disgusted now when people compare Orsula K. Le-Guin to J.R.R Tolkien, Robert Jordan or George R.R. Martin. Tolkien's, Jordan's and Martin's greatness strength's are detailed stories and worlds. Le-Guin's skills are stuck at a childish level in this book and not fully developed. (Her only excuse is that she was a women stuck in the 60's, and forced to waste her Sci-Fi talents this way). My opinion might be skewed by the high praise this series got, ( given it was probably earth-shattering when it came out) It got a three because everyone will say "You haven't the series yet?"
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