About this title: This classic YA fantasy launched the Earthsea series, one of writer Ursula K. Le Guin's most famous sets of books. A WIZARD OF EARTHSEA is a coming-of-age tale set in a magical landscape populated by witches, wizards, and dragons. Despite these familiar fantasy trappings, Le Guin's powerful, lyrical prose allows her to avoid cliché and lend her world its own distinctive mythic quality. Ged, or Sparrowhawk as he's also known, is a precocious, reckless young wizard. When he inadvertently summons up a dark spirit during a spellcasting gone awry, the creature pursues Ged all over Earthsea until ...
read more
Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is described below.
Binding: Mass-market paperback
Publisher: Bantam Books, NY
Date Published: 1984
ISBN-13:9780553262506ISBN:0553262505
Description: Robbins, Ruth. Good. No dust jacket as issued. Signed by previous owner. 1984 Bantam paperback. NOT EX LIB! Clean pages with some light reading wear, barely creased spine, moderate edgewear, light cover scuffing. Glued binding. 182 p. Contains: Illustrations. Earthsea Trilogy 1. read more
Description: Very Good. 0553262505 Mass Market Paperback, Condition: Very Good; this book is in very good condition with light curve to the spine / light reading creases to the covers. read more
Edition: Reprint.
Binding: Mass-market paperback
Publisher: Spectra Books, New York
Date Published: 1982
ISBN-13:9780553262506ISBN:0553262505
Description: Robbins, Ruth. Very good. No dust jacket as issued. Great copy in near-mint condition. No marks inside or out. Clean, tight, just a hint of wear to the covers. Mass market (rack) paperback. Glued binding. 192 p. Contains: Illustrations. Earthsea Trilogy (Paperback), 1. Audience: Children/juvenile; Young adult. read more
Edition: 24th Printing
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Bantam Books, NY
Date Published: 1989
ISBN-13:9780553262506ISBN:0553262505
Description: Book is Good, text is Very Good but both covers have a peeled area where labels removed, has a remainder mark. Size: 6.9 x 4.1 x 0.5 inches. 183 pages. read more
Binding: Mass-market paperback
Publisher: Spectra Books
Date Published: 1982
ISBN-13:9780553262506ISBN:0553262505
Description: Robbins, Ruth. Very good. Mass market (rack) paperback. Glued binding. 192 p. Contains: Illustrations. Earthsea Trilogy (Paperback), 1. Intended for a juvenile audience. Intended for a young adult/teenage audience. Very good read more
Binding: Mass-market paperback
Publisher: Spectra Books
Date Published: 1982
ISBN-13:9780553262506ISBN:0553262505
Description: Robbins, Ruth. Very good. Mass market (rack) paperback. Glued binding. 192 p. Contains: Illustrations. Earthsea Trilogy (Paperback), 1. Intended for a juvenile audience. Intended for a young adult/teenage audience. Very good read more
Binding: Mass-market paperback
Publisher: Spectra Books
Date Published: 1982
ISBN-13:9780553262506ISBN:0553262505
Description: Robbins, Ruth. Good. Mass market (rack) paperback. Glued binding. 192 p. Contains: Illustrations. Earthsea Trilogy (Paperback), 1. Intended for a juvenile audience. Intended for a young adult/teenage audience. read more
Binding: Mass-market paperback
Publisher: Spectra Books
Date Published: 1982
ISBN-13:9780553262506ISBN:0553262505
Description: Robbins, Ruth. Good. Mass market (rack) paperback. Glued binding. 192 p. Contains: Illustrations. Earthsea Trilogy (Paperback), 1. Intended for a juvenile audience. Intended for a young adult/teenage audience. read more
Binding: Mass-market paperback
Publisher: Spectra Books
Date Published: 1982
ISBN-13:9780553262506ISBN:0553262505
Description: Robbins, Ruth. Good. Mass market (rack) paperback. Glued binding. 192 p. Contains: Illustrations. Earthsea Trilogy (Paperback), 1. Intended for a juvenile audience. Intended for a young adult/teenage audience. read more
Binding: Mass-market paperback
Publisher: Spectra Books
Date Published: 1982
ISBN-13:9780553262506ISBN:0553262505
Description: Robbins, Ruth. Good. Mass market (rack) paperback. Glued binding. 192 p. Contains: Illustrations. Earthsea Trilogy (Paperback), 1. Intended for a juvenile audience. Intended for a young adult/teenage audience. Good read more
Binding: Mass-market paperback
Publisher: Spectra Books
Date Published: 1982
ISBN-13:9780553262506ISBN:0553262505
Description: Robbins, Ruth. Very good. Mass market (rack) paperback. Glued binding. 192 p. Contains: Illustrations. Earthsea Trilogy (Paperback), 1. Intended for a juvenile audience. Intended for a young adult/teenage audience. Very good read more
Binding: Mass-market paperback
Publisher: Spectra Books
Date Published: 1982
ISBN-13:9780553262506ISBN:0553262505
Description: Robbins, Ruth. Very good. Mass market (rack) paperback. Glued binding. 192 p. Contains: Illustrations. Earthsea Trilogy (Paperback), 1. Intended for a juvenile audience. Intended for a young adult/teenage audience. Very good read more
Binding: Mass-market paperback
Publisher: Spectra Books
Date Published: 1982
ISBN-13:9780553262506ISBN:0553262505
Description: Robbins, Ruth. Very good. Mass market (rack) paperback. Glued binding. 192 p. Contains: Illustrations. Earthsea Trilogy (Paperback), 1. Intended for a juvenile audience. Intended for a young adult/teenage audience. Very good read more
"It's a wonderful little tale of magic and adventure....until you reach the end and realize the climax of the whole story involves the protagonist, Ged, "hugging it out" with his shadow self. I mean that literally by the way. It's not metaphorical. He literally defeats his nemesis shadow self by hugging it. The book then ends with vague allusions to Ged's future as grand wizard extraordinaire, defeating other wizards, monsters, saving the world, etc....which begs the question: why in the 8 circles of hell didn't she just write a book about that? why did I just read about a kid wizard's emo struggle with his evil self?"
"Le Guin's book held a great potential trap for the fantasy writer, but she steered well clear of it. This is the first book in what is known as the Earthsea Cycle. She has imagined a new world which requires some description and explanation. It would be easy for her to be sucked into the kind of "world-building" approach I so fear from fantasy literature. The world she imagines is a world of archipelagos - no huge continents, just lots of small, medium and large landmasses (islands) scattered about. Each island has the potential for her to imagine a new and different people/culture, which she does, in fact. Yet, the background world in which she sets her story always remains in the background - it plays its proper role without ever dominating the story, which is always front and center. This is not a fantasy world for role-players that must be completely fleshed out to allow GMs to run their campaigns. The focus is on the story (and it is a good one), and on the development of the protagonist. Her main character is a young man who will become one of the greatest wizards of his world. Not only do we get the standard boy-to-man plot, but we also get the traditional fantasy quest plot, and yet there is nothing too traditional or stale about this plot-line. Indeed, the story is woven together so tightly it draws the reader in and won't let them back out until it is over. Now there is probably some classic literature out there which does both these plots better, or in richer fashion, (Who will ever improve on the quest plot which is the heart of Homer's Odyssey, for example?) but even they may not be written in such a fluid and attractive way."
"After finishing A Wizard of Earthsea this morning, it dawned on me just how much this book inspired Miyazaki and the Zelda games. Wind Waker could almost be based on this book, and so many of Miyazaki's themes and archetypes are borrowed from Le Guin.
***
For the first time since reading the Elric Saga in high school, I am not only enjoying a traditional fantasy, but I am wishing that it were longer and more slowly paced.
Don't get me wrong, I love how Le Guin sets the pace of A Wizard of Earthsea at a breakneck speed, but there are many things that she brushes over that I wish more time was spent on.
For instance, I would love to know more about the time Ged spent on Low Torning.
I guess this is a good thing. Le Guin is leaving me wanting more, and I am not yelling, "get on with it!"
also find myself surprised at some of Ged's learning and training. Sometimes his masters say wonderful little things. Sure, they are closer to platitudes than any real wisdom, but they are still great. It reminds me of the Tao in this regard, and I've read that some consider the Earthsea books to be a Taoist parable. I am looking forward to exploring this aspect more.
Is Earthsea to Taoism what Narnia is to Christianity? Probably not entirely, but I think the similarities are there. Sure C.S. Lewis was probably more concerned with Christian allegory, his intentions were not at all transparent, nor did they need to be, but Le Guin has also been known to preach at times.
But there was also the moment with the Master Doorkeeper. The way Ged faces this challenge, and the Doorkeeper's response, is, in many ways, similar to how Jesus says all we need to do is knock and enter. All we need to do is ask and we will be set free - this is a very imoprtant aspect in Christianity, and Le Guin uses this at a key point in her story. I believe this is also something similar to what the wise sage would say in the Tao, and only stengthens my belief that the world's righteous religions and spiritual paths really aren't all that different.
Be it a Taoist or Christian parable, the road probably leads in the same general direction, and the lessons are too similar to dismiss for quarrels regarding dogma.
***
So in my continuing quest to find a traditional fantasy to read, one that doesn't bore me, and one that is well written, I have turned to one of the three pillars of modern fantasy: Ursula K. Le Guin's The Earthsea Trilogy.
And surprise, surprise, it is really, really good. I read through about 50 pages last night, and I totally fell in love with the book.
Yes, it is a bit simple. However, Lu Guin writes with a real sense of urgency here. Because the books in this trilogy are short, totaling just over 600 pages combined, she gets to the pointy in a snappy, and yet unhurried, manner. As they should, each chapter sets up a scenario, delivers a punchline, and developers the characters and plot. It's simply a solid book.
It's also entertaining, and the world is interesting. I actually found myself checking the little map of the area because I wanted to know where the Ged, the main character, was at during his journey.
I am loving the heck out of it - perfect December reading."
"The first book of the Earthsea Cycle starts off much as you'd expect. A young boy, Sparrowhawk, discovers that he has special powers, is sent to a wizards' school where he is hailed as the next big thing, and gets a bit too proud for his own good. So far, so clichéd. What is original is that in his eagerness to show off, Sparrowhawk (now called Ged) unleashes an evil shadow that kills people and haunts him. Can he hide from this shadow, or does he have go on the offensive? He tries both, unsuccessfully at first. And so a long journey ensues in which Ged sees far-flung corners of the world, learns the true nature of things and eventually overcomes his fear of that which he has unleashed, which gets an interesting philosophical twist at the end.
With its distant and detached but nevertheless pleasant tone, A Wizard of Earthsea adroitly sets the tone for the rest of the Earthsea series, which has a more old-fashioned and mythological feel to it than most other fantasy series. It's not a perfect book; the story feels a bit disjointed at times, and it would have been nice if Le Guin had gone into a bit more detail on occasion, rather than staying on the surface. Still, it's an interesting and exciting story, featuring some nifty Taoist ideas on balance (here called 'the equilibrium') and a lot of Le Guin's trademark name magic. A well-deserved four stars -- closer to four and a half stars, actually."
We guarantee every item's condition, as described on Alibris. If you are not satisfied that an item is as described, return your purchase for a refund.
rating
