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Revisiting Amazing Stories Revisit: Paul Levinson Reviews the 2020 Series Matt’s Reviews: A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin RETRO REVIEW: ATTACK ON TITAN: PART 1 New Releases in Science Fiction/Fantasy/Paranormal Romance for JUNE 3 Excerpt: A Treason of Magic, by Melissa Marr
Fantasy

Matt’s Reviews: A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin

book cover: A Wizard of Earthsea by Urula Le Guin

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Clarion Books
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ September 11, 2012
  • Edition ‏ : ‎ Illustrated
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 320 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0547773749
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0547773742
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 10+ years, from customers
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 4.19 x 0.5 x 6.88 inches
  • Book 1 of 6 ‏ : ‎ The Earthsea Cycle
  • Author: Ursula K. Le Guin
A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin is one of those classic books you think everyone has read and remembered, but I either hadn’t read this before or did not recall it. It is the story of Ged, a rural village boy, who finds out he has the potential to be a great wizard. As he improves his skills, he lets his pride get the best of him and unleashes a ‘shadow’ upon the world that threatens to defeat him and use his own powers against the world at large. Much of the story is a long chase scene, first the shadow pursuing Ged and then Ged pursuing the shadow. He encounters friends and dragons and other adventures along the way that help him clarify his aims and his approach.
This was originally written as a book for juveniles, and it works for that very well, but there is a depth to this story beyond the surface. The thoughts of the shadows in each of us and making choices to either succumb to those shadow forces or to try to defeat them or to accept them and move on with them. One of the best things about Le Guin’s narrative is that much of it almost reads like poetry. Her language is fresh and archaic and lush at the same time. The basic story is fairly simple and straight forward, but Le Guin’s telling of it adds texture to the world of Earthsea that makes it more fulfilling than the simple story it is.
Writing about the story now, I realize it landed deeper in my mind than I thought when I finished reading. The mark of a good book is what it tells you as you read it. The mark of a great book is what it tells you after you thought you were done. I am not a huge fan of fantasy books, but this is a good one. Maybe a great one.
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Revisiting Amazing Stories Revisit: Paul Levinson Reviews the 2020 Series

book cover: A Wizard of Earthsea by Urula Le Guin

Matt’s Reviews: A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin

RETRO REVIEW: ATTACK ON TITAN: PART 1

New Releases in Science Fiction/Fantasy/Paranormal Romance for JUNE 3

Excerpt: A Treason of Magic, by Melissa Marr

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