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3.89 AVERAGE
3.89 AVERAGE
Could NOT stand the style of this book... I was really looking forward to reading one of the "classics" of fantasy too. I stopped reading fiction altogether for a few months because I was so bored by this book.
It was essentially a good book, but I had to read it for university and after I couldn't attend the classes anymore I didn't have the motivation to finish this
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Minor: Animal death
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
i've tried to read this twice and it never stuck. just don't vibe with fables i guess. last attempt was 2020 i think but date not exact
AUGH!!!!!!!!!!!!
i held off on buying other books in the earthsea cycle because i am NOT an avid fantasy reader and was worried if i bought them all i would hate this then be out $. what ACTUALLY happened is i finished this book last night and proceeded to lay in bed buying the other 2 of the original trilogy (shout out thriftbooks.com) i cannot wait to read them.
this book does so much and so well, which is big praise from me who (again) really cannot stand certain aspects of fantasy. the worldbuilding? digestible and poignant. the characters? unique and endearing. the magical system? intellectual but not overly complex. what i think is MOST effective in this book is how le guin can convey so much emotion and connection with so little use of dialogue... its amazing.
Ged + Estarriol gay OTP
i held off on buying other books in the earthsea cycle because i am NOT an avid fantasy reader and was worried if i bought them all i would hate this then be out $. what ACTUALLY happened is i finished this book last night and proceeded to lay in bed buying the other 2 of the original trilogy (shout out thriftbooks.com) i cannot wait to read them.
this book does so much and so well, which is big praise from me who (again) really cannot stand certain aspects of fantasy. the worldbuilding? digestible and poignant. the characters? unique and endearing. the magical system? intellectual but not overly complex. what i think is MOST effective in this book is how le guin can convey so much emotion and connection with so little use of dialogue... its amazing.
Ged + Estarriol gay OTP
adventurous
challenging
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Ahora que ya tenía claro que la ciencia ficción de Úrsula era de mi agrado, me tocaba probar con mi género favorito: la fantasía.
No sé por qué tenía miedo de que las historias de Terramar me decepcionasen, pero la verdad es que al menos su primera parte la he disfrutado mucho. "Un mago de Terramar" nos cuenta la historia de Gen, un personaje que desde pequeño ya demuestra un gran poder mágico, y que durante toda su vida deberá aprender a controlar y dominar. La magia representa un poder enorme pero también peligroso, que sumira a Gen en varios problemas de los que deberá hacerse responsable más adelante.
Más que por la trama en sí, que a mi personalmente se me ha hecho amena y entretenida, creo que es un libro cuyo peso recae en las reflexiones que plantea una vez que rascas un poco la superficie. El poder, la responsabilidad, la codicia, el odio, la envidia... Todos esos conceptos que Úrsula explora a medida que avanza rápidamente por la historia de nuestro protagonista.
Además, la forma de escribir de la autora es exquisita. Creo que puede ser un libro disfrutable por gente de todas las edades, pudiendo quedarse como una aventura amena o como algo más profundo si vas un poco más allá.
También he creído captar algún aspecto que creo que otros autores han usado para inspirar alguna de sus novelas, como por ejemplo "El nombre del viento" de Patrick Rothfuss, lo cual me ha hecho sentirme aún más familiarizada con la historia.
Seguiré leyendo las Historias de Terramar y espero disfrutarlas todas tanto como esta.
No sé por qué tenía miedo de que las historias de Terramar me decepcionasen, pero la verdad es que al menos su primera parte la he disfrutado mucho. "Un mago de Terramar" nos cuenta la historia de Gen, un personaje que desde pequeño ya demuestra un gran poder mágico, y que durante toda su vida deberá aprender a controlar y dominar. La magia representa un poder enorme pero también peligroso, que sumira a Gen en varios problemas de los que deberá hacerse responsable más adelante.
Más que por la trama en sí, que a mi personalmente se me ha hecho amena y entretenida, creo que es un libro cuyo peso recae en las reflexiones que plantea una vez que rascas un poco la superficie. El poder, la responsabilidad, la codicia, el odio, la envidia... Todos esos conceptos que Úrsula explora a medida que avanza rápidamente por la historia de nuestro protagonista.
Además, la forma de escribir de la autora es exquisita. Creo que puede ser un libro disfrutable por gente de todas las edades, pudiendo quedarse como una aventura amena o como algo más profundo si vas un poco más allá.
También he creído captar algún aspecto que creo que otros autores han usado para inspirar alguna de sus novelas, como por ejemplo "El nombre del viento" de Patrick Rothfuss, lo cual me ha hecho sentirme aún más familiarizada con la historia.
Seguiré leyendo las Historias de Terramar y espero disfrutarlas todas tanto como esta.
adventurous
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A Wizard of Earthsea is an introspective coming-of-age tale where we follow the young wizard, Ged, as he battles with the darkness inside of himself and discovers who he is.
I rate books purely by enjoyment, and this is a book that I respect more than I like. There's no doubt that Le Guin is a talented writer and that she's had a lasting impact on the fantasy genre, but I found A Wizard of Earthsea a little dry and really struggled to stay interested. The way it's written, with long descriptions and little dialogue, made me feel extremely detached from the characters and story, and while I love a good bit of world building, by the end I couldn't stomach the thought of reading about another island.
This is a book that you really have to take your time with. There's a lot packed in to a relatively low page count, but it's almost entirely character focused, so if you're expecting the action-packed pacing of more modern fantasy, you might find yourself disappointed.
I rate books purely by enjoyment, and this is a book that I respect more than I like. There's no doubt that Le Guin is a talented writer and that she's had a lasting impact on the fantasy genre, but I found A Wizard of Earthsea a little dry and really struggled to stay interested. The way it's written, with long descriptions and little dialogue, made me feel extremely detached from the characters and story, and while I love a good bit of world building, by the end I couldn't stomach the thought of reading about another island.
This is a book that you really have to take your time with. There's a lot packed in to a relatively low page count, but it's almost entirely character focused, so if you're expecting the action-packed pacing of more modern fantasy, you might find yourself disappointed.