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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 ... ).
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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.
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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.
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Summary: Great Epic Fantasy
Review: In "A Wizard of Earthsea," Ursula K. Le Guin has a very distinctive tone that shines out and makes the book different from other works of fantasy. From the opening page you see how Le Guin is like a storyteller that is reading or telling something to you, as the story that is being told is very descriptive and easy to follow. This makes this novel a classic of the fantasy genre, among other things which will be discussed later on. Our main character, Ged (Sparrowhawk) is a resident of Earthsea, a huge world of islands. He is blessed with a gift in magical arts, and he is sent to work as a prentice of Ogion, the master wizard of Gont. Ged feels that he is leading a humdrum life with Ogion and doesn't think that he is learning anything that could advance his gift in magic. Ged decides to go to a wizardry school on the island of Roke to study with other young men of his age. But before he leaves Ogion, Ged attempts a spell and unleashes a shadow that will follow him and try to take over his soul. When Ged gets to the school he makes a very good friend, Vetch. After graduating from the wizardry school Ged goes and fights dragons and does a few other things, but mainly is trying to defeat the shadow that is trying to take over him. Up until the climactic finish that will leave you ready for the following "Earthsea" books, this novel will entertain. In a way this book is a lesson on life. The novel shows how our main character, Ged, goes through the first stages of his life and must cope with things that come up. At the wizardry school he must deal with the vile Jasper and come over this boy's tauntings. When he travels on a boat throughout the sea he has to survive and cope with stresses from the shadow. This book shows how people could overcome the odds when everything seems like it is going against them. Most of the novel is descriptive and there is not a whole lot of dialogue, which I happen to love. Although Le Guin's writing style may get a bit tedious at times this book was written by a master of not only fantasy, but also the English language, so the book is still great. That said the description of the novel makes the book feel very realistic. Le Guin's world is very believable and is fun to read. In addition, the characterisation for the main character Ged is wonderful and I'm sure that as the series progresses I (and you, if you pick up this book) will feel more for him. "A Wizard of Earthsea" is a short novel but don't think that this book isn't good because it is not as long as other epic fantasies. In fact, it is better than most of today's fantasy. I am wholeheartedly looking forward to reading the next two novels in this trilogy, and possibly the others of the series. Happy Reading!
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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?
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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.
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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: Where Are The Negative Stars When You Need Them?
Review: I give this book five stars. No, wait, I mean negative five. I cried when I read this book. Seriously, I ran and sobbed in the closet for about half an hour; that's how much I hated it. There are much, much better fantasy stories out there. I'm very strict with myself about the integrity of my reading- that is, I don't allow myself to skip anything or skim over boring parts. Unfortunately, I realized after I was finished with AWoE, the whole novel was one enormous boring part and I should have flipped through the pages and called it a day. The author has somehow managed to turn an archetypal journey into an over-reaching, unsubtle literary disaster.
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Summary: A VERY Inspiring Start into the Fantasy World
Review: I read this book in about 3 days, on and off, and I was so inspired by it. It wasn't my first fantasy book, but it made me want to read more and more of the genre (despite my decision to read all fantasy series years ago). It is so exciting to read this book. I read it at age 13, and am saddened to think I hadn't read it earlier. It has all of the elements of a fantasy book, but is written better than most. It doesn't overkill with words like Terry Brooks (whose writing I do love, especially Shannara) or say too little. You love the technique (Le Guin is the best female fantasy/science fiction writer in the world, in my opinion). I can't describe the feeling you have towards Duny/Sparrowhawk/Ged, and are saddened when it ends after, what, 160 pages? That is the only downside: This book is so short. At least there are 5 others in the series, though. This is a piece of literature that every elementary school student should read. I am happy to say I will introduce this to my nephews/nieces when they grow up. It will be worth it for them. Darn it, this review made me want to read it again. I knew that would happen....
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Summary: Fantasy that Transcends
Review: Ursula K. Le Guin occupies an unusual place in the world of science fiction and fantasy largely because she refuses to do what is expected in the genre. Where fantasy is defined largely by the work of J.R.R. Tolkien, which involves grand battles, mighty wizards, and vast armies contesting matters of simplistic good vs. evil, Le Guin constructs her fantasy world around shades of gray, around the complexity in single individuals. The result is work that reaches outside the genre even as it alienates some within. "A Wizard of Earthsea" is such a book. Ged defies the stereotypical Gandalf-type wizard in that he is young and foolish, his wisdom not appearing at the beginning of the story but growing through it, much as wisdom in real people does. He can fight great monsters, and he does, but this story is about the monster within, about the dark side found in each of us. Le Guin brings this to life through magic and faces her protagonist with a choice that we each, at some point in our lives, must face: will darkness consume me? The result is a work quite unlike anything else in fantasy. Like all great writers, Le Guin does more than tell a story. She makes you think as you read, challenging your easy assumptions, using the unreal world of myth to illuminate the real world of now. If the ethical simplicity of "Lord of the Rings" or "Harry Potter" leaves you unsatisfied, come to Earthsea and discover yourself, shadow and all.
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