The thing to remember about Earthsea, like all of LeGuin's writing, is that it is less fiction that it is Taoist parable. LeGuin is a philosopher cleverly disguised as a sci-fi/fantasy writer. Her writing is beautiful and languid; her characterization and plotting range from excellent to mediocre. But character and plot serve as a vehicle for the themes of balance, simplicity and serenity that infuse all of her works.

Earthsea is, on its face, a fantasy saga along the lines of Tolkien or Rowling. But underneath the thin veneer of fantastical literary convention is a compelling story about action and consequence, and the nature of the self. Reading Earthsea as if it were fiction is missing most of the point, and will leave the reader confused. The story is told in fragments and scenes, and most of the important action takes place off the page. That seems frustrating and senseless, unless the reader understands that the "important action" is not actually the focus of the narrative.

I think there's a certain amount of "Emperor's New Clothes" phenomenon surrounding Earthsea, as evidenced by the recent TV miniseries. People try to read it as if it were regular fantasy, and then say they like it because so many other people do, afraid to admit that they don't really get it. I don't think Earthsea stands up very well against the other greats of fantasy fiction, if it's read in this light. But the beauty of LeGuin's writing and the significance of Earthsea's message make it a worthy addition to the genre, and to every reader's library.