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32nd out of 1,611 books
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10,833 voters
The Earthsea Trilogy (Earthsea Cycle #1-3)
As long ago as forever and as far away as Selidor, there lived the dragonlord and Archmage, Sparrowhawk, the greatest of the great wizards - he who, when still a youth, met with the evil shadow-beast; he who later brought back the Ring of Erreth-Akbe from the Tombs of Atuan; and he who, as an old man, rode the mighty dragon Kalessin back form the land of the dead. And then...more
Paperback, 478 pages
Expected publication:
19879
by Penguin Books Limited
(first published 1968)
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Ursula K. Le Guin's Earthsea Trilogy is one of my favorites. Her style is so unique and the underlying themes in her books are powerful. She has this way of saying a lot without saying much...if that makes any sense.
If you love wizardry this is the book for you. Ged is the name of the Archmage in this series and unlike Gandalf, who is presented as incorruptible, Ged must battle his own demons to gain redemption. The story is from Ged's point of view so he seems more human than the classical rep...more
If you love wizardry this is the book for you. Ged is the name of the Archmage in this series and unlike Gandalf, who is presented as incorruptible, Ged must battle his own demons to gain redemption. The story is from Ged's point of view so he seems more human than the classical rep...more
Having previously read Ursula Le Guin's Left Hand of Darkness, I was a little leery of starting on the Earthsea Trilogy. I found Le Guin's style in Left Hand of Darkness to be very difficult to slog through for me and, while her ideas and story were very well crafted, I did not enjoy my reading experience at all.
My experience with the Earthsea Trilogy couldn't have been more different from that of Left Hand of Darkness. Maybe because Earthsea is more intended for a younger audience, none of the...more
My experience with the Earthsea Trilogy couldn't have been more different from that of Left Hand of Darkness. Maybe because Earthsea is more intended for a younger audience, none of the...more
Unlike the Lord of the Rings, which is three volumes of one book, this consists of three books which are each quite distinct entities to themselves. (I was just too lazy to find all three books and review them separately.) They go together because they share a common protagonist, the erstwhile goatherd known as Sparrowhawk, whose true name is Ged.
The first book, A Wizard of Earthsea, deals with Ged as boy and young man, struggling to come to grips with his power. The second book, The Tombs of At...more
The first book, A Wizard of Earthsea, deals with Ged as boy and young man, struggling to come to grips with his power. The second book, The Tombs of At...more
2 likes · like · see review
Oct 07, 2007
James
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Fantasy or Harry Potter fans
Shelves:
fantasy
These are three beautifully written novels that make up a trilogy that is both highly influential in the modern fantasy trilogy and also highly unlike any trilogy out there.
The first book "A Wizard of Earthsea" follows the story of a young boy named Ged (he has a bunch of other names, but he's Ged) and his adventures as he discovers he is a wizard, goes off to a wizard academy to train, discovers he will be the most powerful wizard ever, and is inextricably linked to a diabolical evil that will...more
The first book "A Wizard of Earthsea" follows the story of a young boy named Ged (he has a bunch of other names, but he's Ged) and his adventures as he discovers he is a wizard, goes off to a wizard academy to train, discovers he will be the most powerful wizard ever, and is inextricably linked to a diabolical evil that will...more
A Wizard of Earthsea
The boy Sparrowhawk leaves his home of Gont and travels to the Island of the Wise to learn wizardry, but in his youth and arrogance he accidentally unleashes a great evil on the world which he must set right. I quite enjoyed this book, especially the use of magic of names, but felt that the language was somewhat forced. It felt sort of forced-Tolkien-ian and jarred a little bit for me.
The Tombs of Atuan
In this one, Sparrowhawk travels to the island of Atuan to try and retriev...more
The boy Sparrowhawk leaves his home of Gont and travels to the Island of the Wise to learn wizardry, but in his youth and arrogance he accidentally unleashes a great evil on the world which he must set right. I quite enjoyed this book, especially the use of magic of names, but felt that the language was somewhat forced. It felt sort of forced-Tolkien-ian and jarred a little bit for me.
The Tombs of Atuan
In this one, Sparrowhawk travels to the island of Atuan to try and retriev...more
This is the edition I bought as a wee lad, I only managed to finish A Wizard of Earthsea due to foolishness of the young. Recently I have finished reading all three books of the original trilogy so I thought I'd link this book to my review of the individual volumes:
A Wizard of Earthsea - My review
In which we meet young goat herder Duny soon to be named Ged and nicknamed Sparrowhawk. This is the story of Ged attending a school of wizardry on Roke Island, a serious mistake he made through hubris a...more
A Wizard of Earthsea - My review
In which we meet young goat herder Duny soon to be named Ged and nicknamed Sparrowhawk. This is the story of Ged attending a school of wizardry on Roke Island, a serious mistake he made through hubris a...more
I love this book so much, probably one of the best fantasy tales I've ever read. Personally, I prefer the first book because the focus is more on Ged, and he's more my age so it's easier to imagine yourself in the book. Haha. I still love the second book though and I'm partway through the third. The great thing is all the different outcomes and hints at what will happen, which keep you guessing and guessing, and none of your guesses are confirmed until you read it in the book, which is what real...more
Ce volume regroupe sous une seule couverture trois romans traitant du monde de Terremer, et en particulier d'Epervier, le plus fameux sorcier que la terre ait porté. Laissez-moi donc vous détailler un peu tout ça.
Le Sorcier de Terremer
Dans ce premier roman, on découvre l'initiation d'Epervier à la magie, à la fois de la aprt des vieilles sorcières de village, mais aussi dans le cadre plus prestifieux de l'école de magie de Terremer. On est toutefois dans ce cas à l'opposé du Poudlard de Harry Po...more
Le Sorcier de Terremer
Dans ce premier roman, on découvre l'initiation d'Epervier à la magie, à la fois de la aprt des vieilles sorcières de village, mais aussi dans le cadre plus prestifieux de l'école de magie de Terremer. On est toutefois dans ce cas à l'opposé du Poudlard de Harry Po...more
Todella hyvä trilogia! Varsinkin ensimmäinen osa, joka kertoi Gedin varhaisista vuosista ja Roken velhokoulusta, oli mahtava. Siinä oli samaa henkeä kuin Robin Hobbin Narri-trilogiassa, joka on yksi parhaista nykyfantasian saralla. Toinen osa oli myös ihan hyvä, muttei yltänyt aivan samalle tasolle ensimmäisen osan kanssa. Atuanin kohtalosta maanjäristyksen jälkeen olisin halunnut tietää enemmän, samoin Tenarin alkuperäisestä perheestä. Kolmas osa taas oli hiukan heikompi kuin toinen, aukkopaikk...more
I re-read this masterpiece trilogy on a recent Buddhist retreat in New Zealand. It became something of a spiritual road-map for my inner journey. Each book seemed to address, in mythic proportions, the struggles I was having with being an heir to my actions or with feeling bound by dusty habits. Admittedly, there were less dragons in New Zealand, despite what Peter Jackson might lead you to believe.
Le Guin's thoughtful, reflective almost poetic prose engaged me on every level. The story is simp...more
Le Guin's thoughtful, reflective almost poetic prose engaged me on every level. The story is simp...more
Ged, tout jeune apprend les rudiments avec sa tante, dans un petit village de Gont. A la suite de son terrible exploit: créer un brouillard pour repousser les assaillants, il se retrouve sous la tutelle d'Ogion, grand sorcier. Ce dernier décide de l'envoyer à l'école de magie de Roke où il sera formé. Bien loin de se douter de la déchirure et de l'Ombre qu'il délivrerait, contre toute attente, Ged se bat en duel avec un autre élève. De cette terrible erreur, Ged deviendra une proie permanente et...more
Poetic and beautifully imaginative tale. Leguin writes simply and elegantly. She does not waste anyone's time with fluff, yet somehow manages to achieve a depth to her characters and her stories. I wish I could figure out how she does that
Clearly a source of inspiration for the Harry Potter books, The Earthsea Trilogy also tips a hat to JRR Tolkien. A boy discovers he is a wizard by defending his village with magic powers he didn't know he had; he attends a school for magic where he encounters a rival (like Draco Malfoy) and, showing off, attempts to raise the dead thereby unleashing a dark force into the world, getting his face scarred in the process; later in life he must hunt down a Voldmort-like wizard who seeks to defeat dea...more
I first read this trilogy when I was quite young. It must have been during a school vacation, because I read a book a day for three straight days. I have long wondered if I would enjoy the books as much as an adult. Given current time constraints, it took me longer to read the trilogy this time, but I still liked it very much. Each book in the trilogy is an award winner. A Wizard of Earthsea got a 1969 Boston Globe-Horn Book Award and the 1979 Lewis Carroll Shelf Award. The Tombs of Atuan was a...more
The Earthsea Trilogy is a well written series with great plot and wonderful characters. Each book adds and builds on the previous, making the later books definitely more gripping and compelling. The stories were both heartwarming and unexpected. They are comparable in feel to Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and Narnia, but deal with a totally different subject matter. Le Guin has thought out her world well and there is a solidarity and intrigue that keeps you wanting to read more. I would defin...more
I reread the whole thing once a year. Kid's fantasy doesn't get better than this. Actually, grownup fantasy doesn't get better than this. The whole series is a virtuous performance from one of the greatest writers ever to work in the genre. The Tombs of Atuan (vol. 2) is probably my personal favorite; it has a special magic both because of the Borgesian labyrinth setting, and because it's one of the first and greatest feminist subversions of epic fantasy. But A Wizard of Earthsea (vol 1) is prob...more
Jan 27, 2009
Marvin Marc
added it
[grabbed from Amazon.com][return:][return:]Ursula LeGuin is as talented a writer as one could hope to find. She has a deft hand at science fiction and fantasy, but she also layers her work with adult themes of self-discovery and personal evolution, relationship to self and to others, isolation vs. connection, and cross-cultural communication and understanding. In the most thoughtful, interesting, and entertaining ways, she plays with race, gender, age, etc. as social constructs, creating critiqu...more
Il voto è cumulativo ma questo libro ne raggruppa tre appartenenti ad una saga.
Nel primo il protagonista Ged viene presentato e compie il percorso di conoscenza di se. Carino, anche se un po tirato per le lunghe. Nel secondo Ged compie una delle sue imprese più memorabili. Tutto giocato sulla divinizzazione delle potenze oscure, con tanto di catacombe, sacerdotesse vergini e quant'altro l'ho trovato proprio palloso. Il terzo è il passaggio della conoscenza da Ged a colui che è destinato a gover...more
Nel primo il protagonista Ged viene presentato e compie il percorso di conoscenza di se. Carino, anche se un po tirato per le lunghe. Nel secondo Ged compie una delle sue imprese più memorabili. Tutto giocato sulla divinizzazione delle potenze oscure, con tanto di catacombe, sacerdotesse vergini e quant'altro l'ho trovato proprio palloso. Il terzo è il passaggio della conoscenza da Ged a colui che è destinato a gover...more
I think there is a great subtlety to this three-book compilation, but I'm not sure that I'm too subtle a person! I liked her ideas of magic, but I really didn't like Ged. I appreciated his silence and his purpose. . . but I just really didn't "get" Ged.
I enjoyed the "Tombs of Atuan" the most of the three stories. It was powerfully written and very dark--but once again, I just didn't really like the story. I was glad that she was rehabilitated from her human-sacrifice-offering priestessness, but...more
I enjoyed the "Tombs of Atuan" the most of the three stories. It was powerfully written and very dark--but once again, I just didn't really like the story. I was glad that she was rehabilitated from her human-sacrifice-offering priestessness, but...more
Never really followed Le Guin's fantasy works previously, having just joined the SFBC, I picked up this omnibus edition. The writing was wonderful; their was a sense that each word was picked with care; not too much detail, not too little, just enough to evoke the tale she wanted to tell. In the current world of 800+ page books (I'm looking at you, Mr Erikson), I appreciate economy.
Story-wise; it's a slight twist on a familiar trope; the Magician's rise to Mastery from obscurity to SavingTheWor...more
Story-wise; it's a slight twist on a familiar trope; the Magician's rise to Mastery from obscurity to SavingTheWor...more
This book could be a case study in how not to write a fantasy novel. Start with poorly-drawn characters the reader will feel indifferent about. Add a world that isn't very interesting. Complete it by having the characters do next to nothing of significance. Then, when the climactic battle comes the reader has nothing invested in the outcome.
In this novel, Ursla LeGuin has succeeded in making dragons and wizards seem tedious and boring, which is no small feat.
I'll try to reiterate the plot, but...more
In this novel, Ursla LeGuin has succeeded in making dragons and wizards seem tedious and boring, which is no small feat.
I'll try to reiterate the plot, but...more
May 01, 2011
A
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
2011,
speculative-fantastic-magical
Finished all 3 books, haven't managed to write out full reviews for each, but soon, I assure you.
A Wizard of Earthsea
Was almost immediately swept into Le Guin's lyrical yet eminently readable prose. Essentially a bildungsroman in structure, beginning with Ged's childhood and ending when he is a young man. There is a bit of action, some battles here and there, but per usual Le Guin's narrative is often picaresque/episodic, built more on the small personal interactions between characters and the i...more
A Wizard of Earthsea
Was almost immediately swept into Le Guin's lyrical yet eminently readable prose. Essentially a bildungsroman in structure, beginning with Ged's childhood and ending when he is a young man. There is a bit of action, some battles here and there, but per usual Le Guin's narrative is often picaresque/episodic, built more on the small personal interactions between characters and the i...more
My ILL request of Oct 16th finally arrived! Melody will be sitting on the edge of her chair until I finish it, right MMM??
12/14/10 As noted above, I'm on page 255 of the trilogy, but I wanted to post my thoughts about the first book WIZARD OF EARTHSEA - before I get too involved in the next books. I'm almost done with TOMBS OF ATUAN.
WoE - was a bit slow starting for me, but once Ged/Sparrowhawk/Duny did the spell to call up the dead and got more than he bargained for, I was hooked. My only quibb...more
12/14/10 As noted above, I'm on page 255 of the trilogy, but I wanted to post my thoughts about the first book WIZARD OF EARTHSEA - before I get too involved in the next books. I'm almost done with TOMBS OF ATUAN.
WoE - was a bit slow starting for me, but once Ged/Sparrowhawk/Duny did the spell to call up the dead and got more than he bargained for, I was hooked. My only quibb...more
Book One - A Wizard of Earthsea
This is about a young man's journey from a lonely poor boy to a wizard of legend. I think This little adventure is well written. It is about the way pride and envy can make you loose yourself. This is one man's quest to find it again before it destroys him forever Just like any quest it is full of adventure, joy and pearl.
The moral of it all being to face your fear head on and beat it before it beats you. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes fantasy esp...more
This is about a young man's journey from a lonely poor boy to a wizard of legend. I think This little adventure is well written. It is about the way pride and envy can make you loose yourself. This is one man's quest to find it again before it destroys him forever Just like any quest it is full of adventure, joy and pearl.
The moral of it all being to face your fear head on and beat it before it beats you. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes fantasy esp...more
Very disappointing.
This book was recommended to me by one of my favorite professors, so it's hard to say I really didn't like it. But I really didn't. The plots are rambling and formulaic, the characters are flat, and the narration aspires to poetry but comes off as awkward and over-the-top. Everything in the story has been done better by some other author, usually Tolkien.
Maybe I just don't know how to read this style, but the general sense I get from it is negative. Le Guin does make her main...more
This book was recommended to me by one of my favorite professors, so it's hard to say I really didn't like it. But I really didn't. The plots are rambling and formulaic, the characters are flat, and the narration aspires to poetry but comes off as awkward and over-the-top. Everything in the story has been done better by some other author, usually Tolkien.
Maybe I just don't know how to read this style, but the general sense I get from it is negative. Le Guin does make her main...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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Read A Wizard of Earthsea. I'd heard a lot of recommendations for this, but I was disappointed. It seemed like Le Guin was trying too hard to make "fantasy" language, and focusing not enough on character or story. The whole "plot" ended up concluded within 2 pages, and it was pointless. I'm going to try the 2nd book and see if it gets any better, just because so many people I respect had rec'd it to me.
3/24/09- Finished The Tombs of Atuan. A huge step up from the first book. There are important...more
3/24/09- Finished The Tombs of Atuan. A huge step up from the first book. There are important...more
This wizard fantasy is way deeper and more evocative than anything JK Rowling ever came out with. The first book, "A Wizard of Earthsea" follows the schooling of Ged, a wizard apprentice who is so young and impulsive and eager to show off his skills that he unleashes a "shadow" of pure evil into the world which he must now seek and destroy on his own. The second book "Tombs of Atuan" follows a young girl, Tenar, who is raised as a priestess for an (unbeknownst to her) evil cult, before Ged comes...more
The first of the trilogy, A Wizard of Earthsea, introduces readers to Ged (aka Sparrowhawk) and follows him to wizard school where he learns all of the words and spells that make him one of the most powerful wizards in all of Earthsea. In The Tombs of Atuan, then second book, Tenar is taken from her family as The Chosen One to be the guardian of the tombs of Atuan. In her time there she meets Ged (now middle-aged) who is searching the tombs for a specific treasure. The third, The Farthest Shore,...more
The Earthsea Trilogy takes a place next to Lord of the Rings as one of the most influential and original fantasy series written. I have read it many, many times, and can't recommend it highly enough.
The world of Earthsea is quite original (although it has since had many imitators), and the tale of Ged the Wizard is told in a high literary style that is somewhat reminiscent of Isaac Dinesen or Edna O'Brien, although much sparer, in keeping with her overall fairy-tale tone.
Under the influence of T...more
The world of Earthsea is quite original (although it has since had many imitators), and the tale of Ged the Wizard is told in a high literary style that is somewhat reminiscent of Isaac Dinesen or Edna O'Brien, although much sparer, in keeping with her overall fairy-tale tone.
Under the influence of T...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ursula Le Guin - Where to Start? | 4 | 26 | Nov 14, 2012 09:58am | |
| Fantasy Book Club: Earthsea | 3 | 116 | Oct 16, 2011 03:43am |
As of 2011, Ursula K. Le Guin has published twenty-one novels, eleven volumes of short stories, four collections of essays, twelve books for children, six volumes of poetry and four of translation, and has received many awards: Hugo, Nebula, National Book Award, PEN-Malamud, etc. Her recent publications include the novel Lavinia, an essay collection, Cheek by Jowl, and The Wild Girls. Forthcoming...more
More about Ursula K. Le Guin...
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“To hear, one must be silent.”
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