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97th out of 797 books
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2,606 voters
The Earthsea Quartet (Earthsea Cycle #1-4)
A superb four-part fantasy, comparable with the work of Tolkien and C.S. Lewis, the "Earthsea" books follow the fortunes of the wizard Ged from his childhood to an age where magic is giving way to evil. As a young dragonlord, Ged, whose use-name is Sparrowhawk, is sent to the island of Roke to learn the true way of magic. A natural magician, Ged becomes an Archmage and hel...more
Paperback, 691 pages
Published
October 28th 1993
by Penguin
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Sep 23, 2009
Martine
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
people who like fantasy with a philosophical slant
The Earthsea Quartet contains the first four of Ursula LeGuin's Earthsea novels (I believe there are five now, plus a collection of short stories). Earthsea is a large archipelago of islands, some of which are inhabited by dragons, but most of which are inhabited by humans. It's a fairly well-realised world which never gets bogged down in unnecessary details, unlike many other fantasy series. LeGuin sticks to basics, both in terms of world-building and in terms of style. Her writing is sparse an...more
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I'm giving this five stars because when I was about eleven, it changed my reading life forever. I had never been so captivated nor so terrified by a single story. For some time, I could not walk inside our house at night alone without imagining Ged's shadow reaching out behind me.
It was the first real fantasy book I'd ever read, with the exception of fairy tales. It did for me what Harry Potter must have done for many children some decades later. Afterwards, I went through every fantasy and sci...more
It was the first real fantasy book I'd ever read, with the exception of fairy tales. It did for me what Harry Potter must have done for many children some decades later. Afterwards, I went through every fantasy and sci...more
I've read the first three books of the quartet three times, and the last one, Tehanu once. I liked A wizard of Earthsea best on first reading. I was slightly disappointed by the second reading. By the third reading none of the first three books was as good as I remembered them, and the fourth, Tehanu, was positively boring.
So I would have given the first book four stars on first reading, three on the second and two on the third. The tombs of Atuan three on the first reading, two on subsequent r...more
So I would have given the first book four stars on first reading, three on the second and two on the third. The tombs of Atuan three on the first reading, two on subsequent r...more
“Землемория”, иконичното фентъзи на Урсула Ле Гуин
http://www.knigolandia.info/2011/05/b...
Аз и фентъзи, да бе, да! Ама не. “Землемория”, магично име, една вълшебница Мория… абе стари неща. Някога като малък четох части от поредицата и затова държах точно творбата на Урсула Ле Гуин да бъде изборът на литературен клуб “Книга за теб” по тема фентъзи, за да имам удобен повод да се заровя сред дебрите й. Очакваше ме и дълъг път София-Бургас-Пловдив-София, така че спокойно напреднах сериозно с нея и...more
http://www.knigolandia.info/2011/05/b...
Аз и фентъзи, да бе, да! Ама не. “Землемория”, магично име, една вълшебница Мория… абе стари неща. Някога като малък четох части от поредицата и затова държах точно творбата на Урсула Ле Гуин да бъде изборът на литературен клуб “Книга за теб” по тема фентъзи, за да имам удобен повод да се заровя сред дебрите й. Очакваше ме и дълъг път София-Бургас-Пловдив-София, така че спокойно напреднах сериозно с нея и...more
I would not recommend these books to anyone. The dragons and wizards parts of the books are well-written and imaginative, but the archaic, reified gender roles are offensive. I suspect Le Guin was attempting to convey some version of second-wave feminism with the idea that women are Freudian beings of the earth/caves/womb/darkness whose place is in the home and certainly not in school or civic life. The power of (heterosexual, fertile) women is described as reproductive only, while men's power l...more
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I was given this Ursula Le Guin classic also by Pip and read it within a few days at the Nepali orphanage. It’s a collection of the first four Earthsea novels written in the 60s and 70s. The first, A Wizard Of Earthsea, is definitely the best, about a boy becoming a wizard (like in Harry Potter) and embarking on a Search and Destroy of evil demons. The second is shorter story about rescuing a priestess from meaningless worship, the third a fairly good quest involving the reversal of magic’s dimi...more
Four lovely stories, where social commentary blends with fairy tales in a discreet way. The four novels tell the story of Sparrowhawk, a powerful mage in many conventional ways, except that the cycle doesn't begin or end quite where you'd expect it to, thus showing Sparrowhawk's life in a rather moving light.
There are many different ways to enjoy these stories. You can read them like fairy tales, or traditional fantasy. You can go hunting for all the subtle details that undermine the traditiona...more
There are many different ways to enjoy these stories. You can read them like fairy tales, or traditional fantasy. You can go hunting for all the subtle details that undermine the traditiona...more
This is less sci-fi and more on the fantasy side, although when a book is good these distinctions are rather useless. The Earthsea trilogy (which includes a later fourth installment) is ambitious both in scope and form. You can't quite pin down whether what is being told is the story of Ged's life as seen through four milestones in his wizarding career, from childhood until middle-age; or whether it's four different novels with four different protagonists, where only the first novel is about Ged...more
The Earthsea Quartet' is the finest collection of fantasy tales that you are ever likely to read. The magic of Le Guin's Earthsea saga begins with 'A Wizard of Earthsea', an engrossing, mesmerising and beautiful portrayal of one mages struggle with his inner-self. This tale is the birth of Ged's epic, lifelong struggle to keep the balance in the world of Earthsea. 'The Tombs of Atuan' delves into the religious psyche of the people from the Kargad Lands and how this impacts upon Sparrowhawk and t...more
The ‘Earthsea’ trilogy is, I think, the finest work of fantasy written in the twentieth century. What makes it stand out above so many others - quite apart from its beauty and wonder and terror and wisdom - is the fact that it achieves its effects with such perfect economy of style. Post-Tolkien, most fantasies achieve their world-building by layering detail upon detail, accompanied by genealogies, maps, appendices and such-like. Ho hum. Le Guin doesn’t waste a word. Not one. There isn't a singl...more
* A Wizard of Earthsea
Read some time ago. Meh. Improved my appreciation for J.K. Rowling.
* The Tombs of Atuan
Wonderful, the best of the quartet. Unfortunately it's a single gem. I wish it was the last one. The characters are very well portrayed, the conflicts, internal and external just make sense. The storytelling feels effortless. The one book I recommend. And it can be read independently, it's mostly context free.
* The Farthest Shore
Nice wrapping up of the story but it just wasn't enough. On...more
Read some time ago. Meh. Improved my appreciation for J.K. Rowling.
* The Tombs of Atuan
Wonderful, the best of the quartet. Unfortunately it's a single gem. I wish it was the last one. The characters are very well portrayed, the conflicts, internal and external just make sense. The storytelling feels effortless. The one book I recommend. And it can be read independently, it's mostly context free.
* The Farthest Shore
Nice wrapping up of the story but it just wasn't enough. On...more
The Earthsea Quartet is a wonderful fantasy fable full of the colour and world-building you would expect of any good fantasy, but the added depth of complex and layered philosophy and a moral fable embeded into this unique story of young boy's journey into adulthood. Ged, or Sparrow, is a young man growing up on the rocky shores of Gond, a peaceful but difficult place to live, full of goat herders and blacksmiths and the like. He is discovered to have the gifts of wizardry, and this takes him on...more
Comprising four books, so shall jot down as I read each one...
A Wizard of Earthsea - 2 stars
At the moment I feel a little bit like I've been promised a roast dinner and been given a sandwich, and while I like sandwiches they're nowhere near as good as a roast.
Chucking away all the trimmings and sticking to basics, it felt like I was rushed through the story although I did appreciate it's philosophy, and liked the resolution.
The Tombs of Atuan - 3 stars
This one I enjoyed a lot more - partly due...more
A Wizard of Earthsea - 2 stars
At the moment I feel a little bit like I've been promised a roast dinner and been given a sandwich, and while I like sandwiches they're nowhere near as good as a roast.
Chucking away all the trimmings and sticking to basics, it felt like I was rushed through the story although I did appreciate it's philosophy, and liked the resolution.
The Tombs of Atuan - 3 stars
This one I enjoyed a lot more - partly due...more
Having recently read the first book in the Earthsea Quartet - A Wizard of Earthsea - and enjoyed it immensely, I was pleased to find that the library had a copy of the collected novels comprising the Quartet. Unfortunately, none of the other books in the series quite lived up to the promise shown by A Wizard of Earthsea.
The Quartet is supposed to tell the tale of Ged (who goes by his use name Sparrowhawk) and how from his humble beginnings as a bronze-smith's son, he becomes a powerful wizard an...more
The Quartet is supposed to tell the tale of Ged (who goes by his use name Sparrowhawk) and how from his humble beginnings as a bronze-smith's son, he becomes a powerful wizard an...more
Ursula Le Guin tem um estilo bem próprio de escrever. Nestas quatro histórias vemos claramente que seu enfoque está em desenvolver os personagens mais que a trama a sua volta. Apesar disso o universo de Terramar é bastante extenso e completo.
Cada uma das quatro histórias (O mago de Terramar, As tumbas de Atuam, A costa mais distante e Tehanu) são interligadas mas não apresentam prejuízo de serem lidas em separado. Cada uma traz um ritmo e aventura bem distintos.
Particularmente a 1ª e 3ª são as...more
Cada uma das quatro histórias (O mago de Terramar, As tumbas de Atuam, A costa mais distante e Tehanu) são interligadas mas não apresentam prejuízo de serem lidas em separado. Cada uma traz um ritmo e aventura bem distintos.
Particularmente a 1ª e 3ª são as...more
I really loved these books. I liked the amime that Miyazaki did and of course saw that first, but the books are so much better. It's actually been the first time that I was a little disappointed in Studio Ghibli.
Going into the books I was already aquainted with the character Sparrowhawk and really enjoyed reading the progression of his personality through them. I think my favorite of the four was 'The Farthest Shore'. In that one you really get to see Sparrowhawk as a person and a mage. It's s...more
Going into the books I was already aquainted with the character Sparrowhawk and really enjoyed reading the progression of his personality through them. I think my favorite of the four was 'The Farthest Shore'. In that one you really get to see Sparrowhawk as a person and a mage. It's s...more
I was given this to read at a young age, I estimated 1993 below but it was probably earlier than that going by what I was reading at an even younger age... Suffice to say when you're young and reading like a demon you tend to get books for birthdays and Christmas... But better than that is the moment when an adult hands you a book (or a series of books like this in a single collection) knowing it suits your interests and that it will be a dear classic, kept close and re-read fondly every few yea...more
Ik kende eigenlijk alleen de naam van deze schrijfster want haar stukkies staan vaak in the guardian, dus ik dacht: kom, laat ik eens een mopje van haar lezen!
Blijkt het fantasy te zijn met met tovenaars en draken en zwaarden enzo! Maar ik wil helemaal niet met fantasy gezien worden! Ik ben wel een nerd, maar geen fantasy-nerd. Er is een verschil. Welles.
Dus: ik heb een kaft om het boek gevouwen zodat mijn reputatie intact blijft, en wat blijft: hartstikke mooi!
Ik vond Tolkien en Dune enzo allem...more
Blijkt het fantasy te zijn met met tovenaars en draken en zwaarden enzo! Maar ik wil helemaal niet met fantasy gezien worden! Ik ben wel een nerd, maar geen fantasy-nerd. Er is een verschil. Welles.
Dus: ik heb een kaft om het boek gevouwen zodat mijn reputatie intact blijft, en wat blijft: hartstikke mooi!
Ik vond Tolkien en Dune enzo allem...more
This edition includes the first 4 books of the Earthsea cycle, as well as the map illustrations from each book.
Le Guin is a master of writing, or so to say. The first time I read "A Wizard of Earthsea" I didn't like it. Only some years later I could see why that was: Back then I read the german translation instead of reading the english original. Language is important in the world of Earthsea. If it wasn't, all the spells wouldn't work. Le Guin takes you on an adventure of the Archipelago in th...more
Le Guin is a master of writing, or so to say. The first time I read "A Wizard of Earthsea" I didn't like it. Only some years later I could see why that was: Back then I read the german translation instead of reading the english original. Language is important in the world of Earthsea. If it wasn't, all the spells wouldn't work. Le Guin takes you on an adventure of the Archipelago in th...more
I read the original Earthsea Trilogy quite some time ago in my college years and enjoyed the adventures of Ged. It was interesting to reread them as a middle-aged adult. For some reason I've always had a little trouble getting into this series of books - I don't understand why as once I start reading I enjoy it.
I had the same resistance getting into the fourth book, "Tehanu". This takes a distinct shift from the pure fantasy and moves towards Le Guin's feminist writings. I actually enjoyed *tho...more
I had the same resistance getting into the fourth book, "Tehanu". This takes a distinct shift from the pure fantasy and moves towards Le Guin's feminist writings. I actually enjoyed *tho...more
Incredible fantasy epic. Ursula has an incredible talent for beatufil, lively, deep and romantic writing. I should definitely check out her other works. :)
This book is not your ordinary fantasy. Its beauty, passion and occasional melancholy are sometimes almost too much to handle. I could also find myself caring and sympathising deeply with the main characters and especially Ged. He is an awesome character both as a conflicted young boy and later as an incredibly wise and benevolent wizard.
Perh...more
This book is not your ordinary fantasy. Its beauty, passion and occasional melancholy are sometimes almost too much to handle. I could also find myself caring and sympathising deeply with the main characters and especially Ged. He is an awesome character both as a conflicted young boy and later as an incredibly wise and benevolent wizard.
Perh...more
**WARNING: Possible Spoilers**
My favorite quotes from each book, to sum up the lesson of each:
Book 1: Wizard of Earthsea
"Until that moment Vetch had watched him with an anxious dread, for he was not sure if this was Ged in the boat with him, and his hand had been for hours ready to the anchor, to stave in the boat's planking and sink her there in midsea, rather than carry back to the harbours of Earthsea the evil thing that he feared might have taken Ged's look and form. Now when he saw his frie...more
My favorite quotes from each book, to sum up the lesson of each:
Book 1: Wizard of Earthsea
"Until that moment Vetch had watched him with an anxious dread, for he was not sure if this was Ged in the boat with him, and his hand had been for hours ready to the anchor, to stave in the boat's planking and sink her there in midsea, rather than carry back to the harbours of Earthsea the evil thing that he feared might have taken Ged's look and form. Now when he saw his frie...more
This was a very fun read, and one which I think across the four novels had elements of excellent writing and some things very poorly written, as well as some sublime construction of themes and some implemented very clumsily.
Individually, I would have given A Wizard of Earthsea 3/5 , The Tombs of Atuan 4/5, The Farthest Shore 4/5 and Tehanu 2/5. I was in two minds whether to continue reading after finishing the first of the four, since I felt that what was ultimately a good story in a well-establ...more
Individually, I would have given A Wizard of Earthsea 3/5 , The Tombs of Atuan 4/5, The Farthest Shore 4/5 and Tehanu 2/5. I was in two minds whether to continue reading after finishing the first of the four, since I felt that what was ultimately a good story in a well-establ...more
I am part way through reading these stories again. I first read them back in the early '70s and enjoyed them then. After such a long gap I've come to them again and found the stories quite unsatisfying. As stories go, they're OK but the problem with all fantasy is that there is no root in the real world. To compare them to Tolkein or Lewis or even J.K.Rowling does all those writers a disservice. Fantasy writing has always struck me as very lazy writing. If your hero is stuck, then a bit of magic...more
Absolutely superb. One of my favourite books (or in this case - four books in one). Ged is a wonderful character, Le Guin's writing does not get caught up in the unnecessary wanderings that seem to push fantasy books these days from 300 pages to 1000 pages of mostly unreadable fluff. These are truly excellent stories (just for reference - my favourite is "The Tombs of Atuan"). Other reviews will fill you in on the details of what the books are about, suffice for me to say I would recommend this...more
Back in the day when many, or even most, hours of my free time was spent going from one end to another of my home town's library's SF & fantasy selection I consumed numerous books of fantastic, I was still aware that there were still many works of wondrous influence, books that in their own ways defined fantasy still out there unread; the smallish library just didn't have all the great fantasy books in the world, in fact it probably had more of the horrendous ones (I'm looking at you Tad Wil...more
A classic series of books that I remember reading breathlessly for 2.5 books when I was a teen, and then inexplicably abandoning. I wanted to finish the third story, once and for all, and in the meantime Le Guin wrote a fourth book in the series, so I read that, too.
She's a wonderful writer, but so very serious. Not a moment of levity to be found, but plenty of message. I'm glad I finally read them, but I now know why I stopped halfway through the third book back when I was a pipsqueak. Serious...more
She's a wonderful writer, but so very serious. Not a moment of levity to be found, but plenty of message. I'm glad I finally read them, but I now know why I stopped halfway through the third book back when I was a pipsqueak. Serious...more
First things first: I read this book after seeing the anime, Tales from Earthsea. The anime's plot sucked big time, with a lot of holes and unanswered questions, but that's another story. I was enchanted by the world of Earthsea, so I decided to get the book. Before buying, I read a blurb on the front cover of my edition, which says, "Rowling can type, but Le Guin can write - Guardian." Fantastic! Even more reason to buy it.
As I read on, it became increasingly clear to me that the blurb was very...more
As I read on, it became increasingly clear to me that the blurb was very...more
See, when someone recommends me a book, I am usually much more inclined to read it, because I like to listen to other people (especially when they used to live with me and knew about my interests in fantasy) and also because an endorsement must be worth something, right? So I dove right in to the Earthsea Quartet, thinking it would be great and amazing and earth-shattering. I'll review each book individually, because that really makes more sense, and my opinions vary (hence the middle-of-the-roa...more
I thought it was quite good!
Book 1 was definitely my favourite out of all 4. I thought it seemed very interesting to follow Ged in his quest to confront his enemy. It is also interesting to learn about how the Magic System works in the Earthsea books!
Book 2 kind of threw me a bit if I must be honest! It starts with a random girl in a random place! I was expecting to read more about Ged and what he did after book 1! But instead we get to read about the "Eaten one"... The ending of the book become...more
Book 1 was definitely my favourite out of all 4. I thought it seemed very interesting to follow Ged in his quest to confront his enemy. It is also interesting to learn about how the Magic System works in the Earthsea books!
Book 2 kind of threw me a bit if I must be honest! It starts with a random girl in a random place! I was expecting to read more about Ged and what he did after book 1! But instead we get to read about the "Eaten one"... The ending of the book become...more
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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
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