A Wizard of Earthsea

[Beleg Strongbow]

Anyone read it? I hear it's pretty good; I'm considering giving it a read. Any opinions?

[elendili]

twas good but i thought that last book was a let down

[Lief Erikson]

I liked the first book the best, and I liked the other two as well. The primary difficulty I saw in them was probably just me: that books 1, 2 and 3 should have been books 1, 3 and 5. The switching to different periods like it did was a little annoying to me- I wanted to see some of those adventures unfolding, rather than simply hear that they happened. Also jumping so quickly from one point in Ged's life to another was a little bit throwing.

[XRogue]

I liked 'em all. Fun read.

[Meldon]

They're making it into a film series.

[XRogue]

How'd you hear about that, and do you know when it'll be out?

[eowyngirl14]

I read the first one in a book club I was in. I really liked it, but haven't had a chance to read the others yet... iT is definetly worth your while to read it!:)

[ArwenEvenstar]

I've read all of them they're shibey! their really worth reading!

[eowyngirl14]

:) What do 'Shibey' mean?...:)

[ArwenEvenstar]

to tell u the truth i don't know, but I'm pretty sure it's a good thing:)

[eowyngirl14]

LOL... I thought at first it was a typing error and you instead of the 'b' in 'shiby' you meant ot hit a t... Don't ask...:)

[crickhollow]

the first one is on my reading list for Fantasy Literature, so I'll get to read it this semester. :)

[BeardofPants]

I can't believe that you have a fantasy literature class. That must be like heaven. Lucky you. :(

[crickhollow]

It's going to be a terrific class--I posted the book list here (http://entmoot.tolkientrail.com/showthread.php?s=&postid=169802#post169802)

[eowyngirl14]

fantasy! Literature! class! not fair! I want one!!!!!!!

[sun-star]

crickhollow, are you just trying to make us jealous? :)

[crickhollow]

no, i at first I just commented because I had just purchased the book, and so the title stuck in my head when I was reading the forums. My posting my book list was to make you jealous, though. :D j/k

[ArwenEvenstar]

lol its definately B not T I love those books i would never say that they are awesome


*is very jealous of crickhollow* bah my english teacher hates fantasy books she enjoys stupid books. plus she has a beard:rolleyes:

[Beleg Strongbow]

:eek: is she a dwarf? that's disgusting.

Well, I guess I'll try reading them! Thanks for your opinions, mooters.

[Beleg Strongbow]

Just finished book 1: it's not bad! Not LotR or even the Hobbit, but not junk either. Anyone else want to read it? We can start a book club!

[BeardofPants]

I've got a copy on my shelf, but I have to wait 'til I've finished HoME 5 at least.

[Beleg Strongbow]

maybe I should read HOME.

[Beleg Strongbow]

The second book isn't as good. I have to find the third now.

[Beleg Strongbow]

The third book is okay. What bugs me is that they could have been so much better.

[ArwenEvenstar]

rating 10= best 1=crap

A wizard of Earthsea = 8 1/2

The tombs of Atuan = 9

The Farthest Shore = 7

Tahaunu (sp? its the 4th one i kno that) = 6 1/2

feel free to add ur rate

[eowyngirl14]

Wizard of Earthsea 9...
I never read any of the others!:) :)

[Anawiel]

they're really good :) i think it should have been a trio though, becasue the last book doesnt fit in with the others, yet I still think its very good

A wizard of Earthsea = 9

The tombs of Atuan = 9

The Farthest Shore = 7

Tahaunu = 8

[Beleg Strongbow]

Never read Tahaunu. What's it about?

Wizard of Earthsea: 7
Tombs of Atuan: 3
The Farthest Shore: 5

[GrayMouser]

Tehanu is a continuation of the life of Ged and Tenar (from the Tombs of Atuan) a few years after "The Farthest Shore"

Beware, however - the book was written twenty years later, and may come as a shock- say as if Tolkien wrote a sequel to LoTR to reveal Aragorn, Gandalf and the Elves as the Evil Fascist Imperialist Pigs they had been all along.

OK, I'm exaggerating- but only slightly!

I actually liked it, but I read it almost twenty years after I read the trilogy (which I loved)- I think if I read it directly after I probably would have hated it.

ArwenEvenstar, Anawiel- I'd just like to ask out of curiosity- how far apart did you read them - and am I correct in assuming you're both female? I think that would make a big difference as to how you viewed them, in most cases anyway.

[GrayMouser]

BTW, there are two more Earthsea books, neither of which I.ve read

Tales from EarthSea; contains the origins of Wizards and Dragons

The Other Wind; the fifth and presumably final installment, takes up after Tehanu

Both are supposed to be less harsh and didactic (LeGuin's great failing, when she lets it get out of hand) than Tehanu- has anybody read them?

[BeardofPants]

Just to be contrary: I wasn't entirely sold on the first book. Ged moved around too much, and you could never get a sense of "knowing" the places that he'd been to. I don't know if this was deliberate on the authors part or not -- maybe she wanted to emulate what Ged was going through... the brevity of his visits, his isolation, etc. But, it just seemed that she failed to create worlds for me. I just didn't get a sense of delving into a real world that I usually get. Plus that whole "greatest wizard", unleashing the darkness, etc. Hardly a new concept. So yeah, I was a little reluctant to read the next few books, understandably.

My favourite one would have to be Tombs of Atuan. I really got a sense of culture, I guess, from reading this one. At sharp contrast from the first book. And I loved the idea of wandering in the dark.

Fartherest shore: again, some of the plots seemed a little... done. But, I found it to be a better book than the first one.

I really enjoyed Tehanu. I liked that Ged lost his powers, and became a petulant little boy. THAT was new. I didn't get a sense of contrived plot-lines. And I liked that the author hinted at Tenar's power, making it subtle, rather than glaringly obvious.

So, in summation:

A wizard of Earthsea: 6.5
Tombs of Atuan: 8
The fartherest shore: 7
Tehanu: 7.5

[Laurus Nobilis]

I've only read the first one until now, but I liked it a lot. I can't wait to get the sequels.

It was actually better than I expected. I'd heard it was good, but I thought it was just an adventure book- turns out it made me think a lot. It reminded me of Michael Ende in a way... but then, everything reminds me of Michael Ende. :)

You all seem to think the sequels aren't as good, though... Are they at least worth reading, or will they disappoint me?

[Meldon]

I think Fran Walsh was thinking about writing the Earthsea saga. Cool. Heard it from my brother. His Dark Materials series is on the verge of happening as well; they're trying to pitch it to some sci-fi screenplay writer. That'll need a budget.

[eowyngirl14]

Originally posted by Meldon
I think Fran Walsh was thinking about writing the Earthsea saga. Cool. Heard it from my brother. His Dark Materials series is on the verge of happening as well; they're trying to pitch it to some sci-fi screenplay writer. That'll need a budget.

NO! They will ruin His Dark Materiels, if they try to make a movie out of it! I won't let them! I loved those books! I also cried a lot during them... very veyr sad.

[FrodoFriend]

Love these books! The Tombs of Atuan is my favorite. I like the descriptions in The Farthest Shore, of the giant rafts and the kind of life the people lead. Tehanu was also sweet in a delicate sort of way.

I particularly like the kind of magic used - by learning the true names of things. Very cool. Also a world mostly ocean is my kind of place.

[trolls' bane]

I read the first one last year. Well, the end of 7th grade, this year.

[Wayfarer]

*peers*

Some of you people don't watch enough Scifi. I don't know anything about an Earthsea movie, but the Scifi channel is going to be airing an EarthSea miniseries starting (let me see if I've got this right)... December 10.

It's only been advertised every single day... although I suppose most people don't have families who watch Science Fiction television together in the afternoon. :D

Hmm... speaking of the books, my library actually didn't have A Wizard of Earthsea. I suppose I'll pick it up when/if I have the chance...

[trolls' bane]

*peers*

Some of you people don't watch enough Scifi. I don't know anything about an Earthsea movie, but the Scifi channel is going to be airing an EarthSea miniseries starting (let me see if I've got this right)... December 10.

It's only been advertised every single day... although I suppose most people don't have families who watch Science Fiction television together in the afternoon. :D

Hmm... speaking of the books, my library actually didn't have A Wizard of Earthsea. I suppose I'll pick it up when/if I have the chance...
I heard of it. But I only watch it at four am for the twilight zone :D .

[Wayfarer]

Yay! The Twilight Zone! :D

[brownjenkins]

*peers*

Some of you people don't watch enough Scifi. I don't know anything about an Earthsea movie, but the Scifi channel is going to be airing an EarthSea miniseries starting (let me see if I've got this right)... December 10.

It's only been advertised every single day... although I suppose most people don't have families who watch Science Fiction television together in the afternoon. :D

Hmm... speaking of the books, my library actually didn't have A Wizard of Earthsea. I suppose I'll pick it up when/if I have the chance...

thanks for the heads up!

one of my favorite series :D

[Earniel]

I liked Earthsea, it was different from the rest I've read. I could picture the Tombs of Atuan very well in my mind, I loved the way she made them. The Farthest Shore was special too, I loved the dragons! I liked Tehanu less but it was still okay. The last book (what's it called again, The Other Wind?) was very good IMO. But it was a good thing I had read the short story 'Dragonfly' somewhere because without it you miss some of the background of an important character.

A wizard of Earthsea: 7
Tombs of Atuan: 8
The farthest shore: 8,5
Tehanu: 6,5
(Dragonfly: 7,5)
The Other Wind: 9


I'd love to see the miniseries, but alas they will probably never air it here.

[Yodaman]

I know this is a topic about the novel but I might as well put this q here. Does anyone know if the miniseries is going to be just AWOE of all three books? They say jack s*it on the scifi site.

[Nurvingiel]

Are you referring to "Earthsea", the movie that was made based on the books? I don't know much about it.

[Yodaman]

I don't know, but I mean the new Earthsea miniseries coming onto Sci Fi channel this December, which is just called 'Earthsea'

[Fion]

Hey. I especially love the first book. It has to be one of my favorites. The others are good as well. It wasn't a huge problem for me the whole time gap thing, it was more like the writer was paying attention to the most importent adventures of the character. The begining of his story, some of the things he became famous for, and finally how he helps others complete their storys.

I also heard that Earthsea is going to be a miniseries, and have also seen pics and short clips. I'm very disappointed. Not that I expected to be very good, being made by the SciFi channel. Also the fact that it's going to be the first two books in one is very promising. What I wouldn't give for the first book alone to get a full budget hollywood adaptation.
Anyway, I highly recommend the first book, and you can figure out if you want to continue after you judge from the first.

[Tessar]

I love the EarthSea books.

I really enjoyed the way she set up her magic, so that it was less "mystical" and seemed more about what you know--for instance he beat the little dragons with magic, but with the ancient one it took his knowing a name. I mean how cool is that?

My favorite charactor was probably Vetch. He was such a nice guy, and he ended up having a pretty important part too. :)

[EarthBound]

Ok, you just about have to beg me, hit me, and kick me to get me to not like a fantasy or sci-fi, but I tried to read an EarthSea book, a later one I think though perhaps writen as a pre-series to the main (make sense? lol). Anyway, didn't like it, couldn't finish it. I'm willing to try the series again since I trust mooter's opionions, which books, to be exact, are the ones that rock so much? :confused:

[Yodaman]

Well, I've only read 1+2, but here's the three that I know of (in the order you should read them in):

A Wizard of Earthsea
The Tombs of Atuan
The Farthest Shore

I know there's a couple of other books and a story collection, but I won't worry about that until I find the Farthest Shore.

[Elemmírë]

Ok, you just about have to beg me, hit me, and kick me to get me to not like a fantasy or sci-fi, but I tried to read an EarthSea book, a later one I think though perhaps writen as a pre-series to the main (make sense? lol). Anyway, didn't like it, couldn't finish it. I'm willing to try the series again since I trust mooter's opionions, which books, to be exact, are the ones that rock so much? :confused:

I love them, but the first two, maybe three, are the best. Definitely start with "A Wizard of Earthsea."

Personally, I love the whole philosophical aspect of the books... It's so beautifully Taoist. :)

[PippinTook]

Maybe I'm just impatient and have a shallow taste in books, but I couldn't make it through the first book. I had seen an advertisement for the miniseries on scifi (offtopic, but did any of you watch that miniseries Taken a couple years ago? I loved it, and therefore have clung to the scifi channel since. we watched it 10 hours in a row, dad and I)--and I went to go pick up the book. I thought it was very boring, the characters were so bland and there was scarely any dialouge at all! Someone else mentioned the way Ged moved around constantly, I didn't feel like the story ever really had a beginning or a middle (and heck, I never got to the end!). I didn't like the characters, or feel like there was any character development going on. The character that I thought had the most personality was Vetch, and we didn't get to see him a whole lot. I tend to cling to characters easily, I love them, I think it's what really carries the story, and I didn't feel like that was going on in this book.

*shrugs* Maybe I've just been spoiled by great books that fit my taste so well, but I didn't enjoy it at all. I think I was expecting it to fit along the lines of Eragon or something...I don't know. It needed more dialogue, it felt like it dragged.

[Bombadillo]

YO! The Wizard of Earthsea was the first big book I voluntarily read. I remember being at the Library in second grade, reading the back covers of books, waiting for my mom to find the one I needed for school, and the Wizard of Earthsea sounded so cool to me that I had to read it. And now I don't remember the story at all. In fact I may never have finished it, but now I think I'll pick that up again. I had no idea that it was one in a series or that it was heard-of elsewhere.

I'm really excited now. :D I've been jonesing for a good read lately but haven't been able to get into any books I've picked up.

I'll be back to this thread. :D

[brownjenkins]

enjoy! it's a good one :)

[Jabberwock]

Great series. Unlike most people, I think, I actually think Tehanu is the better book. The first three are mythic in nature, and though I enjoyed them, they didn't touch me the way Tehanu did. Other Wind was just ok. I was not impressed with the movie they made of the Earthsea books, though. Of course, that's usually the case.