ursula k leguin A Wizard of Earthsea

[lunababymoonchild]

I'm not at all pleased with myself. I thought that Ursula K LeGuin wrote serious, difficult literature that I would find difficult to understand and that's what stopped me reading her. I got all brave this year and finally picked the Earthsea Quartet that I'd bought years ago (as an aspirational read) and decided to proceed with at least the first book A Wizard of Earthsea. Imagine my chagrin when I found out that it's a children's story aimed at 9 - 11 year olds!

 

I wouldn't mind but I've made that 'it's too difficult for me to read' mistake before, twice (aren't you supposed to learn from your mistakes? I suppose you must if you keep making them).

 

Anyway, this is beautifully written and very short and most definitely not like Harry Potter, although it is about wizards, there are dragons in it and the wizards do keep pets. It's also very moral, I felt.

 

Anyway, recommended. I'll read the other three at some point.

 

 

[KEV67]

I think I started reading it at school, but I found it weird and strange, so I took it back to the library. I think I was a bit young for it. That was the story about everything having a true name? Ursula Le Guin is a bit weird and strange. I read Left Hand of Darkness, which is not a children's book. It was political and philosophical. It was written in the late 60s but stands up well in these times.

[lunababymoonchild]

4 minutes ago, KEV67 said:

I think I started reading it at school, but I found it weird and strange, so I took it back to the library. I think I was a bit young for it. That was the story about everything having a true name? Ursula Le Guin is a bit weird and strange. I read Left Hand of Darkness, which is not a children's book. It was political and philosophical. It was written in the late 60s but stands up well in these times.

Yes, everything has it's true name. I'm sure that the symbolism, most of it anyway, went straight past me. I will read Left Hand of Darkness and I have Always Coming Home, which I will read. I was just surprised that the Earthsea Series is for children, I wasn't expecting that.

[timebug]

I  picked up a hardback copy of the original Earthsea Trilogy (as it was then!) in our good local secondhand bookshop, and did not realise it was primarily for children! I enjoyed it anyway and picked up the subsequent books as they were published.

[muggle not]

I have read all of the Earthsea Series and thoroughly enjoyed the books. And yes, as lBM has stated, I believe there is a bit of morality in the series.