Ursula K. Le Guin: A wizard of Earthsea (Undetermined language, 1968, Heinemann)
Undetermined language
Published Nov. 22, 1968 by Heinemann.
A boy grows to manhood while attempting to subdue the evil he unleashed on the world as an apprentice to the Master Wizard.
I really liked the book. There are a lot of cool ideas about how the magic works in this universe, and a ton of amazing world building. Earthsea feels like a real place, with its own rules, customs, and quirks.
There is something about the writing style that felt a bit off to me though. I honestly don't know how to explain it.
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An interesting read about the coming-of-age of a wizard in the group of islands known as Earthsea that was raised out of the ocean in the distant past by forces unknown. In this realm, magic and control of an item by magic comes by knowing the true name of the object. This also applies to the wizards; for to reveal to a fellow wizard your true name implies trust that your true name would not be used against you.
The story starts with a young boy who discovers a knack for magic. After learning a few simple spells, the boy manages to protect his village from marauders, which gets the attention of a powerful wizard who proceeds to tutor him. But when the boy's desire for magical knowledge grows faster than the wizard is willing to teach, he goes off to learn it from the school at the heart of …
An interesting read about the coming-of-age of a wizard in the group of islands known as Earthsea that was raised out of the ocean in the distant past by forces unknown. In this realm, magic and control of an item by magic comes by knowing the true name of the object. This also applies to the wizards; for to reveal to a fellow wizard your true name implies trust that your true name would not be used against you.
The story starts with a young boy who discovers a knack for magic. After learning a few simple spells, the boy manages to protect his village from marauders, which gets the attention of a powerful wizard who proceeds to tutor him. But when the boy's desire for magical knowledge grows faster than the wizard is willing to teach, he goes off to learn it from the school at the heart of magic in Earthsea.
There he learns magic and also discovers friends; and possibly make enemies. In his desire to prove himself, he casts a powerful spell that calls up an unknown entity from the dark, which scars him before being pushed away from the school. As he recovers, he learns the truth; the dark entity is still there, waiting for him to emerge and hungry to possess him.
When at last his training is finished, he goes out into the world and protects a region from attacking dragons. But it is only a diversion, for the dark force is there, waiting for him and the time would come when it would possess him, or he will conquer it.
As he encounters and escapes from the force, he gradually learns more about it but lacks one thing to overcome it: its name. Yet, it is only during the final confrontation with the force far from Earthsea itself, does he learn it and, in doing so, learn about himself.
A fascinating, light tale about growing up, making mistakes, learning and making friendships that make the book a nice read.
A must-read in the collection of fantasy classics
Prose is slim and considered, the imagery vivid without being exhausting, but I did not feel engaged with Ged, personally, philosophically, etc.
I appreciate how concise and capable a novel this is; that it is in its way rubbing against the grain of what, in 1969 especially, are the expectations of a fantasy novel and setting.
But I read it today, in a different cultural milieu. While Left Hand of Darkness and The Dispossessed still felt compelling and relevant, Wizard of Earthsea is something I can only imagine once having a greater potency.
