A Wizard of Earthsea

A great story that straddled the line between literary and pop much better than the shoplit I've been listening to lately. I love a yarn about some guy going to some place and having misadventures along the way, I sure do. Better yet the themes of pride and the balance with nature and each other that comes from a devotion to living well. To living with mistakes as well as coming to terms with them as we try to make it right. IDK, I have a cold.

Libby Audiobook, Recorded Books.

Авторка недарма є легендою жанру фентезі, доволі класичний для підліткового фентезі набір кліше вона змогла піднести на новий рівень.

Кожен аспект книги заслуговує на похвалу: і детально продумана світобудова та система магії, що чудово її доповнює, і персонажі зі своїми реалістичними недоліками та цікавими арками, і таємничий, і в тому жахаючий, аспект противника головного героя, а також чудовий темп та ритм історії, що не виснажує, але і дозволяє проковтнути історію за один день.

Не можу не згадати важливий аспект книги, що полягає у конфронтації читача з певними упепедженнями. Про це згадується не одразу і на цьому не загострюється увага, але більшість персонажів мають землисто-червону або і темнішу шкіру. Що цікаво, багато видавців та ілюстраторів не пройшли цей своєрідний тест, і на ілюстраціях до багатьох видань зображені білі люди. Що й казати, в адаптації 2004 року Геда зіграв Шон Ешмор - буквально Айсмен😅

I enjoyed reading this. With her thoughtful writing style, the author did a wizardly job in creating the perfect mood for this slow-paced, sombre, yet hopeful adventure. I could feel Ged's unease and determination as if I had been with him.

I was enchanted by the interesting concept of magic in Earthsea. And I also liked that we accompany Ged, of whom we know from the start that he will be a great wizard, from his very beginnings of his magical journey, when he was still inexperienced and short-tempered.

The cherry on top was the world building, which was a real charm! On Ged's voyage, I often could grasp the feeling of being on the open sea, a remote island or at the edge of the world.

I did really enjoy reading this, and will almost certainly go on to read the other Earthsea books.

I came to Earthsea after reading several of Le Guin's Hainish cycle books and short stories, including some of the earliest ones like Rocannon's World. I can see similarities with the earliest Hainish cycle works, from around the same time - an emphasis on male characters, for example - which I am sure would have been handled differently by the same author had she written them later on. But there are still a lot of great ideas here, and it is far more open-minded than most fantasy literature of its era.