For seven years Mikey and I have been exploring a few pledges. We pledged to no longer make decisions based on money, to live from waste and from...
Continue »
Earthsea Ursula K. Le Guin's Earthsea cycle has become one of the best-loved fantasies of our time. The windswept world of Earthsea is one of the greatest creations in all of fantasy literature, frequently compared with J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle Earth or C.S. Lewis's Narnia. The magnificent saga begins with A Wizard of Earthsea, continues in The Tombs of Atuan and The Farthest Shore, and concludes with Tehanu each book a treasure of wisdom, wonder, and literary wizardy.
A Wizard of Earthsea Ged was the greatest sorcerer in all Earthsea, but once he was called Sparrowhawk, a reckless youth, hungry for power and knowledge, who tampered with long-held secrets and loosed a terrible shadow upon the world. This is the tale of his testing, how he mastered the mighty words of power, tamed an ancient dragon, and crossed death's threshold to restore the balance.
Review:
"The first volume of her wonderful and haunting fantasy trilogy for children; as good as anything she has written for adults, or perhaps even better." The Reader's Catalog
Review:
"Among the looms of fantasy fiction, Ursula Le Guin weaves on where J.R.R. Tolkien cast off. It's a large claim; heresy perhaps to legions of Hobbit fanciers. But in a superb trio of novels, Le Guin's invented world of Earthsea fuming with dragons and busy with magic has replaced Tolkien's Middle Earth as the chosen land for high, otherworldly adventure." Sunday Times (London)
Synopsis:
A boy grows to manhood while attempting to subdue the evil he unleashed on the world as an apprentice to the Master Wizard.
Synopsis:
Ged was the greatest sorcerer in all Earthsea, but once he was called Sparrowhawk, a reckless youth, hungry for power and knowledge, who tampered with long-held secrets and loosed a terrible shadow upon the world. This is the tale of his testing, how he mastered the mighty words of power, tamed an ancient dragon, and crossed death's threshold to restore the balance.
Ursula K. Le Guin was born in 1929 in Berkeley, California. She has written more than a hundred short stories. Among her honors are a National Book Award, five Hugo and five Nebula awards, the Kafka Award, a Pushcart Prize, and the Harold D. Vursell Memorial Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. She lives in Portland, Oregon.
Katherine Stuart, January 14, 2009 (view all comments by Katherine Stuart)
This is my second reading of the Earthsea trilogy and I am just as enchanted as I was with the first reading. Le Guin captures the character of Ged with such clarity and without overproduction. She crafts the story of his coming of age with such a light touch without preachiness. I admire the lengths to which she takes this character even to the point of death and then brings him back.
Was this comment helpful? | Yes | No (7 of 13 readers found this comment helpful)
ericdt2, January 16, 2008 (view all comments by ericdt2)
It is such a fantastic novel not about wars and violent acts of humanity, but about fixing problems and trying to understand both yourself (as you are put in the main charachter's shoes) and those around the main character. I read "The Wizard of Earthsea" in the summer of 2005 when I went to New Zealand with People to People, having typed only the word "Wizard" into an online search box -- I am glad I picked the first book that appeared. It's now one of my two favorites books --ever.
Was this comment helpful? | Yes | No (11 of 17 readers found this comment helpful)
timlarson99, May 26, 2006 (view all comments by timlarson99)
A Wizard of Earthsea was the first novel of fantasy literature introduced to me a the age of 12. It was, however not chosen by our class to read, but another book. Enthralled nonetheless, I took it upon myself to read this book and have since fallen in love with its land, people and the mysteries therein. From there I have ventured into many far fantastical lands, but this was my first experience and I shall never forget it. It is a great book that can awaken in the mind of a child the thoughts and desires kindling, but never fully known, in a heart.
Was this comment helpful? | Yes | No (31 of 53 readers found this comment helpful)
"Review"
by The Reader's Catalog,
"The first volume of her wonderful and haunting fantasy trilogy for children; as good as anything she has written for adults, or perhaps even better."
"Review"
by Sunday Times (London),
"Among the looms of fantasy fiction, Ursula Le Guin weaves on where J.R.R. Tolkien cast off. It's a large claim; heresy perhaps to legions of Hobbit fanciers. But in a superb trio of novels, Le Guin's invented world of Earthsea fuming with dragons and busy with magic has replaced Tolkien's Middle Earth as the chosen land for high, otherworldly adventure."
"Synopsis"
by Libri,
A boy grows to manhood while attempting to subdue the evil he unleashed on the world as an apprentice to the Master Wizard.
"Synopsis"
by Random,
Ged was the greatest sorcerer in all Earthsea, but once he was called Sparrowhawk, a reckless youth, hungry for power and knowledge, who tampered with long-held secrets and loosed a terrible shadow upon the world. This is the tale of his testing, how he mastered the mighty words of power, tamed an ancient dragon, and crossed death's threshold to restore the balance.
Powell's City of Books is an independent bookstore in Portland, Oregon, that fills a whole city block with more than a million new, used, and out of print books. Shop those shelves — plus literally millions more books, DVDs, and eBooks — here at Powells.com.