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A Wizard of Earthsea (Earthsea Trilogy, Book 1)

A Wizard of Earthsea (Earthsea Trilogy, Book 1)

List Price: $7.99
Your Price: $7.19
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: One of the greatest
Review: Way back in the dark ages before the Harry Potter books were published, Ursula K Leguin's Earthsea trilogy was widely agreed to be one of the best fantasy series ever written. Like many others from my generation, I read "A Wizard of Earthsea" at least ten times. After recently picking up my old copy, I was pleased to find that the book stands up remarkably well from an adult perspective. LeGuin's writing is, as always, top notch. She uses a simple vocabulary and short, straightforward descriptions, and doesn't include very many big slabs of dialogue. Consequently, the book remains short (183 pages) and moves quickly from one event to the next. The ending is quite suspenseful. Actually, the entire book is quite suspenseful, and the brief conflict scenes draw you in and make you feel like you're in the middle of the action.

The characters are another of the novel's biggest strengths. The protagonist, Ged, is a young wizard in training. During an attempt to show off his skills, he accidentally unleashes a shadow from the world of the dead and realizes that he must fix his mistake by tracking the shadow down and destroying it. LeGuin doesn't take the sledgehammer approach to characterization; instead, she lets us see Ged's personality and changes through his behavior. Unlike many other fantasy authors, LeGuin doesn't neglect her minor characters, and she develops the relationships between people with great care.

The plot of "A Wizard of Earthsea" is very tight and well organized, with every major confrontation contributing to the overall meaning. A less talented author could easily have taken twice as many pages and not said nearly as much. The system of magic in LeGuin's world is more imaginative than in many other series, and she includes many episodes where Ged employs his magic powers in clever ways. Overall, LeGuin has the one thing that many fantasy authors lack: the ability to have fun. She makes "A Wizard of Earthsea" enjoyably for both children and adults.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Never finished it.
Review: I had heard high praise on this book from many people, so I thought I would give it a try. I am always up for reading a new book, whatever genre it may be. I started reading it. The plot was a little vague to begin with, but I can name a few good books that have a slow beginning, so I gave it the optimistic approach and continued reading. But it never picked up my attention. I always felt disconnected from the characters and plot, and I never felt that I knew anybody's personality. Important people died and people cried and villages were saved and burned, etc. I just didn't care. I felt that this was the story of some random person that I didn't need to be reading. But don't let my review scare you off from reading the book. Different people have different opinions. You might see some entertaining prospect of the book that I have not found, so have at it. Happy Reading.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: I was blown away
Review: When I first read this book I was blown away by the power that Ursula K. LeGuin put into it. I found the characters very appealing and real. Also I enjoyed how fast the story was. The characters did not spend a lot of time on useless talk or stupid love affairs. It was straight to the point of the matter. It is a high fantasy classic that deserves to be shared with all. Ms. LeGuin rates up there with such authors as Tolkein and Anne McCaffrey. This was brilliant book that i would recommend to anyone of any age. I think its ridiculous that great literature such as this, The Hobbit, Lord of the Rings, Alice in Wonderland, C.S. Lewis, C.M. whitlock's The Price of Immortality and so on get classified as "children's books". They are books for everyone with imagination, who enjoys good story-telling, and interesting and unusual characters. They are tales, which leave strong images for years after reading, which make you want to go back to read again and again

Recommended: The lord of the Rings and The Price of Immortality.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A classic work from Le Guin
Review: This has always been one of my favorties. Le Guin creates an independant world where magic is truly real. The characters are well written and believeable and the plot depth is excellent. There is enough action and adventure to satisfy everyone, yet Le Guin weaves an environment complex enough for hard-line fantasy fans. Don't forget the follow up books, The Tombs of Atuin and The Farthest Shore. If you love Tolkein, you will enjoy these too.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A superb read! Good for all ages!
Review: Let's put Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter aside and look at the Earthsea series; it is a superb read without a second doubt of the intense story plotline. Every chapter of the story captures my eye, it makes my reading time all too much shorter.
The story tells of a legendary wizard called Sparrowhawk (real named Ged) in the world of Earthsea. At young age, Sparrowhawk discovers his talent in magic and wizardry, after one victory of protecting his village from the enemy. He was taken away by a wizard to learn the art of magic. However, due to his pride and ambition, a curse was brought to him by his pride. He goes on an adventure of travelling throughout the Earthsea; to search for the cure or answer to his curse.
The writing style is descriptive, and Le Guin really catches the character's personality. After this first book you'll want to read the rest of the series. I strongly recommand it to anyone at any age, even though you are never a fantasy fan. This book may open your eyes to a whole new different view!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A powerful, evocative fantasy tale
Review: Ursula K. LeGuin's novel "A Wizard of Earthsea" is a fantasy that takes place on an ocean world that is speckled with a large number of islands. Earthsea is a pre-industrial society of farmers and fisherman, where the weapons of choice are swords and lances. It is also a world of wizards and dragons.

"Wizard" is a coming-of-age story that follows its hero, Ged, from boyhood to young manhood. Along the way he learns the craft of wizardry. This is a story of friendship and rivalry, of arrogance and self-knowledge. A key concept is the equilibrium that true wizards strive for. Although the story is fantasy, I found Ged's journey to remind me somewhat of the journey of the hero of "The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass," another great coming-of-age story (although a real-life one). This indicates to me that Ged's story, despite its fantasy setting, is firmly grounded in real emotions and ethical concerns.

LeGuin has created a complete and compelling world. Masterfully woven into her narrative are geology, meteorology, linguistics, racial diversity, oral and written literature, dragon biology, and other aspects of this world. Her prose style is simple but elegant, often poetic and mystical; the book has a timeless, classic quality. If you only know LeGuin as the author of classic science fiction, "A Wizard of Earthsea" will reveal her to you as a master of the fantasy genre.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: could be better
Review: The story is fun and complex, but I do not care much for the style of the writing. It seemed too much a takeoff of the style of Tolkien's Silmarillion, though the story somewhat weaker. I would have enjoyed it more had it been written in the form of a true novel.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: great book I loved it!!!
Review: I think that this a good book for kids in fourth grade who like magic and fantasy. I'm in fourth grade and I loved the book. The books that come after it are good to.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Heartfelt Entertainmen
Review: A rousing story that chronicles the coming of age of a young man, much like any you would see on the street today.

This book hits the heart like few others can, as it is easy to relate to the world of magic and dragons. Just yesterday, as I was driving down the street, someone cut me off, and I instantly was reminded of this book, of the struggles and challenges this young wizard faces as he is brought into the mysterious world of magic. I certainly wished, at that precise moment, that I could blow that other driver away with a bit of magic.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Wizard of Excitement and Snore
Review: The Wizard of Earthsea is a comming of age story that tracks the development of a young man. Earthsea has a plot that involves an internal good vs evil theme. Ged, the protagonist goes learns many lessons throughout this novel. First Ged must find his place in as a wizard. Ged is faced with issues that will force him to enter conflict about how to use his magic. Tricked to use his wizardry at an inappropriate time, Ged battles the evil side of himself. Ged must conquer the evil to bring a balance back to his world.
Earthsea is interesting at the beginning but lags a little at the end. I enjoyed the book myself but It can be boring and slow moving, especially toward the end of the novel.


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