These are three stories written within a few years, each stands alone but complements the others. I must mention first that they share two important strengths in the setting.
One is that this vast archipelago holds a web of distinct, interconnected and very grounded cultures. Each new location gives the story new vibrancy.
The second is how the naming magic feels like an intrinsic part of the setting and not added for spectacle. Every magic spells changes the very world around, so they are powerful, but also liable to unforeseen consequences. The system is intuitive, it inspires awe, and the reluctance to use it feels like wisdom rather than plot convenience.
A Wizard Of Earthsea remains a classic of fantasy. Ged learns to use magic, but in his hubris unleashes a shadow-beast that haunts him as he crosses half of Earthsea to get rid of it. It is a short novel, easy to read, but with a lot of depth. It raises some contradictions, about the setting, the magic and the nature of the shadow, but far fewer than most fantasy. Recommended for all.
The Tombs Of Atuan is a lot less enjoyable, and the best way to show why is that the plot starts on page 50 of 125. It is too heavy on exposition, stays in one place, little happens, and the tombs never evoked any wonder or menace. Can be skipped, though it has some merit.
The Farthest Shore is a return to form as our heroes travel to find the source of an unease spreading across the islands. The plot takes us across a broad arc of Earthsea, there are new threats and allies at every turn, and there is a sense of encroaching dread. It has flaws, such as one implausible culture and an anticlimactic ending, but the biggest is being very heavy-handed with its themes compared to the first novel's lightness. Ged often feels less like a person and more like a dictionary of wise sayings.
Good as they are, these novels do not treat their women well, using them mostly as temptresses, cruel teachers and damsels to rescue. Eighteen years later, Le Guin would return to the setting to address this, but that is for another review.
There have been two screen adaptations, both abysmal. I still hope another will come because with a competent crew, these could make great television.
Literature The Earthsea trilogy: a great novel, a good novel and the other one.
These are three stories written within a few years, each stands alone but complements the others. I must mention first that they share two important strengths in the setting.
One is that this vast archipelago holds a web of distinct, interconnected and very grounded cultures. Each new location gives the story new vibrancy.
The second is how the naming magic feels like an intrinsic part of the setting and not added for spectacle. Every magic spells changes the very world around, so they are powerful, but also liable to unforeseen consequences. The system is intuitive, it inspires awe, and the reluctance to use it feels like wisdom rather than plot convenience.
A Wizard Of Earthsea remains a classic of fantasy. Ged learns to use magic, but in his hubris unleashes a shadow-beast that haunts him as he crosses half of Earthsea to get rid of it. It is a short novel, easy to read, but with a lot of depth. It raises some contradictions, about the setting, the magic and the nature of the shadow, but far fewer than most fantasy. Recommended for all.
The Tombs Of Atuan is a lot less enjoyable, and the best way to show why is that the plot starts on page 50 of 125. It is too heavy on exposition, stays in one place, little happens, and the tombs never evoked any wonder or menace. Can be skipped, though it has some merit.
The Farthest Shore is a return to form as our heroes travel to find the source of an unease spreading across the islands. The plot takes us across a broad arc of Earthsea, there are new threats and allies at every turn, and there is a sense of encroaching dread. It has flaws, such as one implausible culture and an anticlimactic ending, but the biggest is being very heavy-handed with its themes compared to the first novel's lightness. Ged often feels less like a person and more like a dictionary of wise sayings.
Good as they are, these novels do not treat their women well, using them mostly as temptresses, cruel teachers and damsels to rescue. Eighteen years later, Le Guin would return to the setting to address this, but that is for another review.
There have been two screen adaptations, both abysmal. I still hope another will come because with a competent crew, these could make great television.