A Wizard of Earthsea

, #1

Paperback, 183 pages

English language

Published Aug. 12, 1980 by Bantam Books.

ISBN:
978-0-553-14863-3
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(21 reviews)

A boy grows to manhood while attempting to subdue the evil he unleashed on the world as an apprentice to the Master Wizard.

26 editions

reviewed A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin (Earthsea Cycle, #1)

Slow-paced and enoyable read

I enjoyed reading this. With her thoughtful writing style, the author did a wizardly job in creating the perfect mood for this slow-paced, sombre, yet hopeful adventure. I could feel Ged's unease and determination as if I had been with him.

I was enchanted by the interesting concept of magic in Earthsea. And I also liked that we accompany Ged, of whom we know from the start that he will be a great wizard, from his very beginnings of his magical journey, when he was still inexperienced and short-tempered.

The cherry on top was the world building, which was a real charm! On Ged's voyage, I often could grasp the feeling of being on the open sea, a remote island or at the edge of the world.

reviewed A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin (The Earthsea Cycle, #1)

Review of 'A Wizard of Earthsea' on 'Goodreads'

I'm glad I finally read this classic from 1968. When I was heavy into Lord of the Rings in my teenage days, one of my closest friends was into the Earthsea books, but I never got into them. This time I stuck with it and was entertained to read the story of Ged, who would once be the strongest mage of the world of Earthsea.

Along the way I felt a bit sad that to make it as a female writer back then, you had to fill your story with men, and men only. There are only 3 notable women in the story at all, it's like they don't exist or are irrelevant. Minor quibble, after all this is a book from the 60s.

I enjoyed it, but it didn't wow me, yet I will likely finish the series.

Review of 'A Wizard of Earthsea (The Earthsea Cycle, Book 1)' on 'LibraryThing'

Sweetly told coming-of-age story, that preaches Daoism as much as Daoism may be praught. I loved how it takes a very male story and turns machismo into a self-punishing weakness, but was also troubled by how even Le Guin wrote a story in which the women were all minor characters and very limited in what they could do. I gather later Earthsea books fix that, and look forward to them.

Review of 'A Wizard of Earthsea (The Earthsea Cycle, Book 1)' on 'LibraryThing'

Sweetly told coming-of-age story, that preaches Daoism as much as Daoism may be praught. I loved how it takes a very male story and turns machismo into a self-punishing weakness, but was also troubled by how even Le Guin wrote a story in which the women were all minor characters and very limited in what they could do. I gather later Earthsea books fix that, and look forward to them.

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