Rating: 
Summary: Outdated
Review: I found Earthsea to be quite a difficult read. There is no real background about Duny who ends up going from age 4 to a thirteen year old in less than two chapters. He also ends up getting his name changed to Ged by the end of the first chapter. It is not clear to me as to why he was not given the proper name at birth. I also found it difficult to take the story seriously as far as Gont being known for wizards and other forms of sorcery, maybe if I had an interest in fantasy, I may be more impressed by the storyline. The story just seems overdone to me. Even though it was written over thirty years ago, it still seems redundant due to all of the books and movies that have similar storylines. The names of the people and places are difficult to pronounce which made me focus more on what I was trying to pronounce and not the story itself. The theme was unclear to me (if there really was one) and the story seemed to just ramble on aimlessly. While reading this book I could not help but compare it to Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter, which I recently finished. Earthsea sounds so much like both stories, only far less of interest. This could have been a far better story had Duny/Ged not appeared to be going around in circles. And the maps that were included in the story did not help me one bit, it just made me glad that there was one less page to read. Le Guin tries to elaborate on details that do not seem to connect at all to Ged's journey throughout the story. It is a wonder that the book is still in print.
Rating: 
Summary: A World Apart
Review: A world steeped in mystery. A world where a name gives you power over a being. This is the world that young Ged, also known as Sparrowhawk begins his epic journey. After calling a mist to protect his village, young Ged is chosen to be an apprentice. The wizard he is first apprenticed to does not teach him the power words he wishes to know. An ego combined with bravado and ambition lead to great danger for our young hero.
Using his power and a magic he does not understand, young Ged summons a great evil into this world after having his ego bruised. Full of himself and overconfident, he loses control of his spell and launches his own great tale of victory.
This is an interesting book as it actually deals with the consequences of misusing magic. Ged suffers drastically for his "crime" and must set his wrong right. Not an easy task, he doesn't seek fame after his encounter, he merely seeks to make it right. This grand adventure that he undertakes and the taming of the dragon make him famous which is an ironic twist to get what he really desired despite the fact he gave up on it.
Rating:
Summary: Lack of Excitement Rushes through a Book that Drags
Review: The Wizard of Earthsea was hardly the book of excitement I expected it to be. Ursula K. Le Guin follows the life of a young wizard Ged, as he learns to cope with the responsibilities of being a wizard. The story manages to simultaneously fly through the first nineteen years of his life and drag on. Many of the characters and adventures Ged encounters last no more than a few pages and hold little, if any, bearing in the story as a whole.The beginning of the story seems to lag as we wait to find out what exactly Ged's great adventure will be. When he finally finds it, there is still some confusion as to what "it" is. It does pick up a bit from here, and the reader can get more involved in the story. However, then Ged is off on another adventure and the one the reader was interested in is pretty much lost. The end was unfortunately predictable, though I was not disappointed by it personally. It seemed that is was the only real way to end it. The final showdown does prove to be a satisfying read and I finally found some of the excitement and magic I had anticipated. Whether it makes up for the rest of the book, I am unsure, but it does open the possibility of a more successful second and third book.
Rating: 
Summary: A Wizard of Earthsea
Review: A Wizard of Earthsea is a mythical tale by Ursula K. LeGuin about the adventures of a young wizard to be, the curiously named Ged. The book chronicles his induction into magic and wizardry, guiding the reader through Ged's gradual growth and maturation as a wizard. However, the protagonist foolishly and pridefully delves further into magic than he is prepared for, and must correct his mistake in this magical coming of age story.
The presentation of the story, fantastic as it is, is wonderfully executed. The author adheres to the rules of fantasy writing by presenting the reader with clear, believable boundaries and rules to her mythical world, which allows the reader a measure of confidence and relation to otherwise unfamiliar territory. Her diction is comparable to that of familiar fairy tales, which is appropriate, even welcome considering the subject matter. LeGuin's matter-of-fact, sententious word style demands belief, her narration adopting the clipped but descriptively informative tones of a newscaster relaying a factual occurrence. It becomes easy for the audience to lose themselves in such a story; indeed, absorption is almost impossible to resist. The reader quickly transforms from readers into observers as her characters transcend their literary limitations.
The magic in this story has believable jargon, clear laws, and often visible repercussions that makes rampant use unethical for any moral practitioner. Were magic to exist, these elements of restraint would probably color and police its use, and its effect on the story is an increase in the tale's ability to suspend disbelief.
A Wizard of Earthsea is a delightful read for anyone, especially lovers of fiction and fantasy.
Rating: 
Summary: Slow Pace
Review: Le Quin takes the reader through the magical powers of a young
boy name Ged. He is a young boy who is born with exceptional
powers. He is trained to become a wizard with all the powers he
have, but his pride becomes over him.Through the trials and
tribulations Le Quin carries the reader through the fears he
faces in the aspects of his life. Ged becomes to hungry for
power and knowledge that he lets out the birth of the shadow
with the tremendous amount of pride he has. He masters the words
of power to maintain his balance throughout the end of the book. I think Le Quin did an O.K. job on this book, but I think it
could have been a lot more intesting. I didn't find a lot of
interest in the beginning of the book, because the beginning was
at a very slow pace. After reading a few chapters the book
became a better interest to me. Eventually the pace of this book
becomes a lot faster and interesting after you get through the first
few chapter. I advise anyone to read this book because it is a very
interesting book that focus on the setting on a island and begins with
a young boy with extreme powers that is hungry for knowledge.
Rating:
Summary: Well-done standard fare
Review: LeGuin's first book in her Earthsea series is wholly satisfying but is not groundbreaking. It tells the story of simple country-folk type Ged encountering both the wide world around him as well as the darkness that dwells within himself. Earthsea is populated with straightforward individuals and a smattering of magical, otherworldly beings (including dragons). It is a standard fantasy world, and the coming-of-age tale of Ged is a standard fantasy plot. LeGuin's famous focus on the importance of names and their relation to being able to do magic is an interesting twist. Perhaps given its age (first published in the 1960s, I believe) the book was groundbreaking at the time. Read now, it is simply a solid novel that beckons one to read the next.
Rating:
Summary: The Search for Identity
Review: The Wizard of Earthsea is an interesting story of a young boy, named Ged, in search of his own identity. Ursula Le Guin uses very vivid descriptions to expand the depth of the readers understanding of the scenery and of the characters of her story. Ged starts off as a young, curious boy, interested in all that is unknown to him, and wanting to acquire the knowledge of wizardry. His quest leads him through many trials and tribulations. His learning starts with the local witch, his Aunt, to his beloved master, Ogion, who warns him of his wanting to learn too quickly, and then to the known school of wizardry. The most obvious of these trials is the birth of the shadow, which is released through his pride, arogance and ignorance of the unknown. His first fear and then quest for the "shadow" is the true test of gained knowledge of his own identity. His misuse of pride in his skill brings him a humility that is needed for him to fullfill his destiny and to become the greatness that all but him are aware he will be. While this book is full of adventure and insight, it is, in some places, difficult to get through. The scenes are long, and in great detail, which looses the readers interest. It is the ending that is the most interesting for those interested in double imaging and the human psyche. Though the book is not very long, it makes for a long read. If you look at this story as a preface to the adventures of Ged as the "Archemage" of Earthsea, then it makes it much more interesting. I am interested in seeing how the other two stories to the trilogy are written, and wether or not this preface is worth it's attention to detail.
Rating:
Summary: A Slow Beginning
Review: A Wizard of Earthsea began slowly but ended with a bang. In the first five chapters, I only found one adventure that truly kept my interest. It was not until the sixth or seventh chapter that I became interested in Ged, the protagonist, and his adventures. The storyline reminds me of the typical teenage boy who wants to be free and not live by the rules that are set for him until he gets himself in too deep and eventually must find his way home again. Le Guin throws some magic in the mix and comes out on top with A Wizard of Earthsea. In this story, Ged is the young man that does not want to live by the rules. He allows his jealousy and need to impress people with his skill as a mage to get the best of him, until he unleashes an evil that wants to crush his soul. Ironically, Ged realizes that home, which for him is with Ogion his Wizard Master, will set him free. I did find some passages too tedious to even read that I would skim through those dry parts, but I held out and finished the novel. I am glad I did because by the last chapter, I could not wait to find out how Ged conquers his demon. Not only does Le Guin take the reader through an exciting come-of-age journey, but she also teaches the reader a moral lesson. Unfortunately, I have no desire to read the rest of the series
Rating:
Summary: Imaginative and Creative Work
Review: I first read A Wizard of Earthsea with my gifted fifth grade class in 1993. My students loved this story and could not put the book down. It is very well written.
Rating:
Summary: Bravery
Review: A Wizard of Earthsea was a confusing read. This particular book was filled with many examples of courage and bravery. Ursula Le Guin used a creative mind when writing this book. Her amin charcter Ged was based on one with courage. Ursula Le Guin used this character to show a brillant example of bravery. This book showed how one faced their fear head on no matter what the consequences. Ged faced fear and uncertainty in its face.
Although I did enjoy this book and it was relatively short in read, I did find fault in Le Guin's use of names for her mystical places. I found it hard to focus or keep the names straight. The names were a little diffcult to comprehend and to remember which place was associated with the charcters. I do understand that the names of her places bring a sense of fantasy and mystery to the book, whereas the reader is pondering whether these places actually existed but again the titles of these places I found hard to remember.
I do give credit to Le Guin when it comes to her writing. She expressed herself and her ideal of bravery/courage by getting straight to the point. She did not let the story linger or draw it out which is good in some instances due to the fact taht some storyines you like for it to linger and take it's time to get to the point and you want it to take its time (e.g. romance novels.)
She got straight to the point and showed her example of what it means to have courage and be brave whatever the cost. I would recommend this book to other readers especially high school students who could always use an example of what is means to be courageous and brave.
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