Preferred to 4

Well! This book is one that I must highly recommend to young bookworms. It is for those who are still too young to read Harry Potter and understand it, or perhaps Narnia is too dark for their gentle souls.

Read along with a child like Sai Fai ♡♡♡♡

This book holds a special charm that makes it an ideal choice for young readers. It offers a world of imagination and adventure that can captivate their minds and hearts. The story is told in a simple yet engaging way, making it accessible to those who are just starting their reading journey. Whether it's a quiet afternoon at home or a bedtime routine, this book can provide hours of entertainment and learning. It can also be a great bonding experience for parents and children to read together and share their thoughts and feelings about the story. So, if you're looking for a book to introduce to a young reader, this one is definitely worth considering.

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This book gave me a sense of familiarity, even though I have no recollection of reading A Wizard of Earthsea in my youth. Perhaps this is because Ursula Le Guin had a significant impact on the fantasy genre. And even if I didn't read it when I was younger, I'm glad to have done so now.

The book's narrative was like a journey as we followed Ged's development. It's a simple coming-of-age story. The main character, Ged, evolves throughout the book, and we can identify with these changes, as they might have happened to us when we were younger, forging a connection with him. Most of the other characters, except for maybe three or four, are minor and don't have many lines. There isn't much dialogue, but the descriptions are plentiful. Nevertheless, these characters seemed to have an inner life, which is due to Le Guin's ability to create palpable and believable characters with very few words.

It's interesting that this book was published in 1968, and the protagonist isn't described as white (Ged has copper-brown skin), nor are most of the other characters. If I'm not mistaken, the only people described as having white skin are the Kargad raiders, "a savage people, white-skinned, yellow-haired, and fierce, liking the sight of blood and the smell of burning towns". This creates a vast contrast compared to some other famous fantasy books, such as Tolkien's works set in Middle-earth. Speaking of Middle-earth, the world of Earthsea feels like a real place where we spend time throughout the narrative, and I'm sure it must be one of the most believable fantasy worlds ever created, along with the former.

I liked that this wasn't a typical story of good vs. evil. Instead, it was something different, more introspective and related to the protagonist, which I won't reveal for those who haven't read it. In a way, reading A Wizard of Earthsea was like reading a very well-written Norse myth or saga, with some excellent passages. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the saga, The Tombs of Atuan, as well as Le Guin's other works, such as her famous sci-fi books.

I understand SUPER well how this book was innovative for the time and inspired hundreds of fantasies that came later... but what a BORING book!

It seems that although it had a significant impact on the genre, the actual reading experience might not have been as engaging as one would hope. Maybe the ideas were ahead of their time, but the execution left something to be desired. It's interesting to think about how a book can be both revolutionary and yet lack the ability to truly captivate the reader.

Perhaps this is a reminder that innovation alone does not guarantee a great read. There are other aspects such as character development, pacing, and overall storytelling that are equally important. While we can appreciate the historical significance of this book, it's also okay to admit that it didn't quite hit the mark in terms of entertainment value.

It's a truly magical book.

Not only did it have the power to transport me to the enchanting lands of Earthsea, but it also managed to take me on a journey back in time. It was an era without the hustle and bustle of the internet, a time when life moved at a slower pace. In that bygone era, friendships between children were often born while they were flipping through books just like this one. These precious books were usually discovered in a dusty old library, hidden away among the shelves.

It's a wonderful return to that analog magic that had the ability to make us dream with so little. It reminds us of the simple pleasures and the power of imagination that existed before the digital age took over. This book is not just a story; it's a portal to a different world and a different time, one that we can visit and cherish whenever we open its pages.

At the core of her excellent fantasy fiction lies a growth story. The well-known catharsis is much more effective if it is the result of a struggle that lasts with age. The hero's endless journey that seems never to end, and so on... See: The Wheel of Time, Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings.

In a similar vein, Ursula has also crafted a story into a similar pattern. Frankly, I was expecting a much richer and more original structure, but on the contrary, I found a very 'expected' story in front of me. I must say that reading 'The Elric Saga' these days gave me a dizzying sense of ease. But of course, this is a matter related to my expectations. Otherwise, Ursula has put a nice story to paper. She has made a good start, and I hope the rest comes in a similar way.

You should buy this as a gift for young friends. Because it is a story written to be read while growing up.

7/10

Ok, so it was over four years ago that I first delved into the Earthsea series, reading through the initial three or four books. To be honest, my memory of those readings was rather hazy. I thought a reread was in order, and here I am. Since then, I've heard countless wonderful things about this series. Given that it's a classic fantasy published decades ago, it's truly fascinating to observe what has changed and also to see the influence it has had.

A minor issue I had with this particular book is its brevity. Despite being only two hundred pages long, it covers an extensive plot. I found myself desiring more depth and for more details to be shown rather than simply told. However, I understand that this book is targeted at a younger audience and considering the time it was published, I do think it's excellent.

I would say that this book largely holds up well. The worldbuilding is especially good and interesting, with a vast and expansive world. I'm a sucker for maps, and the map of Earthsea is simply beautiful, amazing, and incredibly detailed. I love it. There are numerous places of interest that are already explored in this book, and a lot of the worldbuilding feels mystical, grandiose, and magical in nature, with so many diverse locations to discover. I've read more complex worlds with more history, but from a storytelling perspective, in achieving what Earthsea needs to achieve for this story to work, I think it did so splendidly.

I found Ged, or Sparrowhawk, to be a well-developed character who served as a solid protagonist. He wasn't extraordinary, but his story in this book, which takes him from a mere child to a wizard of Earthsea, as the novel is titled, is a well-written journey. People have compared it to something similar to the Odyssey (which I haven't read but am familiar with the story), and I think that's an appropriate comparison. For Ged to achieve his primary goal, there are numerous other adventures and perilous quests along the way. It certainly isn't the most emotional or brilliant story I've ever read, but it does accomplish all the goals it needed to.

I also think it's great that Ursula K. Le Guin decided to create a fictional world with diverse skin tones and that later in the series, she had a female character as the protagonist in one of her novels. This was simply not done during that era when most existing fantasy was similar to Lord of the Rings. This really set Earthsea apart, and I think because of that, it has held up much better than some classic fantasy that I've read and was published after Earthsea, as they were too busy imitating Tolkien instead of doing something new and original.

So, I will definitely be continuing with the series and hope to read it to completion (I do own all the books on my Kindle, I just have to get around to them). I'm positive that I'll enjoy most of these books and think it will be a great experience. 7.5/10

Why do I generally read fantasy? Because I love to slowly immerse myself in a foreign world and experience adventures up close with the characters.

Why do I also read classic fantasy from time to time? Because I find it interesting to see how the beginnings of genre literature differ from today's works and how the social context at the time of creation influences a work.

Why have I deliberately read more books by female authors this year? Because my library is generally too male-dominated and because I find it exciting to see how male and female literature differs in the respective genre.

What did I find in this 50-year-old work by the recently deceased Ursula Le Guin? NOTHING. For me, it was a complete disappointment. The writing style is really bad. Nothing is shown, only described. The pace of the book is much too fast. What she squeezes onto 100 pages, Rothfuss expanded in The Name of the Wind in a very similar story to 700 pages. Therefore, the book has no atmosphere for me, although the created island world had a lot of potential. Classic fantasy literature doesn't have to be worse than current works. Current writers must learn this if they are always treated as potential successors to Tolkien. But Tolkien is more modern and more balanced regarding women if one thinks of the importance of the roles of the elves in The Lord of the Rings. But in Earthsea, hardly any women appear and if they do, their roles are negatively defined as "sorceresses" or "witches". Almost a sexist book.

The book was originally supposed to be written for older children. But for me, this is no excuse for the points of criticism. Young people also have the right to a carefully introduced story, detailed worldbuilding, and heroes who don't constantly put themselves in danger without a plan. Above all, they have the right that their imagination develops, in that the author does not reduce the character traits and attributes of a person like on a hero card in a role-playing game through her writing style.

Un mago de Terramar

3.5/5

This is a novel about magic in a fantastic world.

«In the world of Terramar, there are dragons and specters, talismans and powers, and the laws of magic are as inevitable and exact as the laws of nature.»

The author creates a fantasy world as the novel progresses. In our current times, other writers spend half a novel creating the much-touted worldbuilding. However, this woman, in 1967, with just four strokes according to the needs of the action, four magical words, and the flying goats, a spell to clear the fog, and the mist comes. It's that easy to create a promising mage in one chapter.

Now this young man with the power to do magic will have to go through a learning process. That's what the novel is about, the formation of the boy mage, his frustrations in adolescence, and his unease until he finds himself.

The young man will find himself in many different situations and places. Indeed, the story never stops or stands still. However, I haven't found truly exciting moments to wait with a bit of mystery and attention for what might happen. It seems quite linear to me, sometimes uninteresting. It's curious, but the moment when there is the most tension is when the boy gets slapped by the father in the commotion in the first chapter. And that's despite Ursula not wanting violence in the novel.

Overall, it's possible that this type of reading isn't for me, but I don't think it's a bad book or that it's poorly written at all. On the contrary.

The book has a prologue by the author herself, written 40 years after its publication. It's very interesting because it gives the keys to the novel and what it meant to write fantasy in those years. It's better to read it after finishing the story of the mage.

«You thought, as a child, that a mage was someone who could do anything. That's what I thought, once. And all of us. And the truth is that as a man acquires more power and wisdom, his path narrows until finally he doesn't choose and simply does what he has to do…»

***Wanda’s Summer Carnival of Children’s Literature***

Even the most accomplished sorcerer has a humble beginning, and Ged is no exception. His start is rather harrowing as he gets a bit too full of himself. This charming juvenile novel is all about balance. It explores the balance in the world and within a human being. I deeply regret not having discovered it many years ago.

I can clearly understand why it has been compared to both Tolkien’s Middle Earth and Lewis’ Narnia. The world-building in this novel is truly excellent. After reading about the school for wizards and all the masters teaching their specialties, I can't help but wonder if J.K. Rowling ever came across it. Moreover, those instructors play a crucial role in guiding Ged to correct the mistake he made out of pride.

Another significant theme in the novel is that power can be extremely dangerous if misused. It delves into the balance between desiring power for its own sake and desiring power to assist others. When Ged confronts dragons, he uses his power to help those in need. However, when he unleashes a dark power into the world, it is driven by his own ego.
It is a great pity that this series is not more widely known. It seems to have been overshadowed by the works of Tolkien, Lewis, and now Rowling. Nevertheless, it truly deserves much more attention as it has valuable lessons to impart to people of all ages. It offers profound insights into the nature of power, balance, and self-discovery.

I read it in three nights, and what a delightful experience it was to get lost in this world.

If your heart is longing for reading fantasy, I truly recommend it. It will be very enjoyable for you. :>

It is available in paperback at a low price. (However, I think this hardcover version of the book can be found.)

This book took me on an amazing adventure. The story was full of magic, mystery, and interesting characters. I was completely immersed in it from the very beginning.

The author's writing style was engaging and easy to follow, which made it a pleasure to read. I found myself looking forward to every moment I could spend with this book.

Whether you are a fan of fantasy or just looking for a good read, I highly suggest giving this book a try. You won't be disappointed.

The interesting point regarding this book is the year of its publication, which shows how far ahead Ursula K. Le Guin was in her time. This is one of the main factors that, in my opinion, makes A Wizard of Earthsea (or any other pronunciation she has :) remembered as a masterpiece in the history of fantasy.

The world of Earthsea is very vast, but this is not a reason for Le Guin to easily pass over the descriptions of the regions and places in this huge world. Overall, in terms of descriptions, Earthsea is considered a very good book and is by no means boring.

The translation of the book was very good, and one could even say it was flawless if we want to be a bit lenient.

Now, let's move on to the fact that the title of the book and the name of the author were misspelled.

The next interesting point is that this book was written by the great professor Ursula K. Le Guin, and I didn't even see a single female character accurately accounted for in the first two hundred pages. :))

Really, I don't understand the author's insistence on focusing the story on male characters, and I don't know if there was a deliberate or necessary reason for this or not!

And this very issue is considered a great weakness of this book for me, in addition to the fact that the number of characters in the first book was also extremely low. (The number of important characters doesn't even reach the number of fingers on one hand.)

Overall, it was a pleasant and interesting experience.

Definitely, definitely read it and enjoy it.