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I have nothing to add to the glowing reviews that already make up the body of this catalogue. This book made the same sort of impression on me as a child that the Bible, Torah or Koran might make on a religious person. It is, in my opinion, a superior example of flawless storytelling and I cannot praise it highly enough.Buy two- one for yourself and one to give to someone you love deeply.
Before I started reading this book I was unsure weather this would be a good investment of my time. While I usually like books like this, for some reason I was not expecting much from it. I was happily proven wrong however and it turned out to be a highly addicting book,and I ended up plowing through it in two nights reading. Sadly it is very short coming in at just over 180 pages, but it was good enough I am going to give the other books in the cycle a try, and if you are into fantasy books I would not hesitate to recommend this to anybody that can appreciate a good fantasy book.Oh, and I forgot to mention, this book covers a VAST landscape, you will NOT get bored of the scenery lol.
Overall:This is a good story that mostly breaks the, "Show, Don't Tell" Rule. Evil, Light vs. Throughout the adventure, there are a lot of timeless themes: Good vs. But if you're a fan of rich details, great dialogue, exciting action, and a story that pulls you in, you'll be disappointed with the book. The pacing is good for readers that just want to know what happened to Ged. (This book could easily have been 500 pages instead of 197).
Younger readers can grow up with Ged and older readers can reflect back on their childhood memories. Because Earthsea deals with self discovery, your age and life experiences will shape the way that you view the story. These themes transcend generations so everyone should be able to enjoy the story to some degree.World:Earthsea is a medieval fantasy world mostly covered by water. Think of the Earth that you know, if the seas rose about 100 feet. I can see why many people love the book and many people don't.Story:The story follows the early years of Ged, and how he became the greatest sorcerer of Earthsea. Nearly all of the major events are wrapped up neatly in each chapter. Because the book is so fast paced, the details are used sparingly (but effectively) and at times the story just whizzes by.
But, if you're the type of reader that wants to visualize the whole adventure and craves depth, then you're not going to like this book at all. Characters:There are a few interesting characters in the book and most of them are likeable, but they really don't get much screen time.Action:There is a bit of action in the book and it's suitable for all ages. Dragons also exist in the world of Earthsea, so if you've got a place in your heart for dragons, that's a plus.Writing Style:The story is linear and chronicles the major events of Ged's life. Dark, self discovery, friendship, growing up, compassion. On the plus side, it's incredibly easy read and the events in the story are good.
There is a magic system based on willpower and knowing the 'true names' of things, but there are also dire consequences for those who don't respect its power. Each 10-20 page chapter represents a challenge that Ged faced: Saving his village from raiders, going to magic school, confronting a dragon. The fast pace of the book and universal themes are good for younger readers. It's more like hearing someone describe the life of Frodo Baggins or Harry Potter in 15 minutes, than reading Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter and experiencing the journey for yourself.
As strange as this may seem, I sought out a book by Ursula K. This particular audio rendition must be fairly old--it sounded as if it was copied from an old recording and the reader sounded like a storyteller, as opposed to the perfect readings that you find on audiobooks today. Ged's quest is not so much to save a world, as it seems is the case with so many fantasy books, but rather to clean up a "mess" that he made as a boy in training to become a wizard. LeGuin and I'm embarrassed to admit that I had never even heard of her until that moment. The story is a bit dry, but the writing seemed fairly colorful and flowed nicely. I stumbled across this audiobook on iTunes and figured it was the perfect opportunity to give LeGuin a try.In the end I'm glad I did, and now I intend to try to get my hands on more of her books. LeGuin because of one of those crazy online quizzes--this one in particular was supposed to determine which fantasy author's works I most "identified with." My result was Ursula K. It's hard to explain the difference, but it really did not sound as if the reader was reading straight from the book, and I found that to be a plus when listening.As for the story, it is a bit of a different take on wizards and their quests.
LeGuin's start to the Earthsea series definitely has the feel of classic fantasy. This was the first time I had ever listened to a fantasy novel instead of reading it, and while I found it was a little more difficult to keep up with things at times, it was definitely enjoyable to listen to. Of course, along the way there are other side adventures and we watch Ged grow and mature through the years. All-in-all I thought it was a great example of fantasy literature and certainly a worthwhile read.
The Wizard of EarthSea, the first of a trilogy by Ursula K. LeGuin, is the compelling and fantastic story of a wizard in the making.Fun reading for all ages.
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