# Earthsea?



## wowzer77 (Sep 16, 2006)

Ok, so I'm debating whether to buy the Earthsea books.  I've heard a mix of opinions, but most of the reviews on Barnes and Noble's website aren't descriptive enough or are by young readers.  I would like to know if this book is worth reading.  I am a lover of fantasy, especially Terry Brooks.  Will this series appeal to me?


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## Augur (Sep 16, 2006)

I've only read about a quarter of the first Earthsea book, and I didn't enjoy it very much. It wasn't horrible, but it was written in a top-down manner, as in, _told_ and not _shown_. "Ged is a boy. He lives on an island. He is poor. But he is magical." etc. That's an exaggerration, obviously, but that's the impression I have from over a year ago.

But as stated, I didn't read but a quarter of the way into the book, so it might be the best thing ever after that point. The plot was certainly up-to-par up to that point. I was just looking for a story, and not a story synopsis.


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## Spherical Time (Sep 16, 2006)

I had a difficult time with it as well.  Which is odd because some of the things that she writes are beautiful.

It's a fantasy classic though.  Maybe you should get it from your library instead of buying it.


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## kalibantre (Sep 16, 2006)

I'm studying fantasy in a few weeks and this is on myh reading list, not got to it yet but if my lectureres are recommending it, it can't be comletely awful.

try the library before a buy.


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## Hodge (Sep 16, 2006)

People, Ursula le Guin is only one of the most respected authors of all time... She's like the Robert Heinlein of fantasy.


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## kalibantre (Sep 17, 2006)

and now the quartet comes with the Hodge seal of approval. You've got to buy it.


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## Fictitious (Sep 17, 2006)

Truly. Although the novels themselves didn't particularly appeal to my taste in the way they were written, the plot and the idea itself were incredible.


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## Spherical Time (Sep 18, 2006)

Hodge said:
			
		

> People, Ursula le Guin is only one of the most respected authors of all time... She's like the Robert Heinlein of fantasy.


Stranger in a Strange land sucked, in my opinion anyway.  I might have read it when I was too young though.  Someone said that it's better if you take it as a satire of religion, but I prefer Good Omens.

The Door Into Summer, on the other hand, was a phenomenal work of science-fiction, and the Puppeteers is masterful.

I'm not a Tolkien fan either.  Or Gaiman, for that matter.

It's possible to respect the masters without liking the things that they've written.  These five writers have great imaginations, and really came up with some truly amazing ideas.  Some parts of what they've crafted are the true pinacles of writing, but sometimes those jewels are set in rough stone.

Of all of these, only Terry Pratchett makes the list of my favorite writers.  The others are classics (or instant classics, in the case of Gaiman), but not my favorites.

Then again, Michelle West, whom I love, is a writer that most people can't stomach.


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## wowzer77 (Sep 18, 2006)

alright I'm thinkin library.  If I like it I'll probably buy though.


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## Shade (Oct 27, 2006)

I loved the first one when I was younger. Anyone see the movie they made of it?


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## playstation60 (Oct 27, 2006)

Have not taken the time to read the books yet, but saw the made for TV movie on the Sci-fi channel not too long ago.  It's a pretty good flick.  I would like to read them, some day.


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## blademasterzzz (Nov 3, 2006)

Excellent fantasy. Ged's shadow is one of the few things in fantasy books that actually made me afraid and captivated, as opposed to rolling my eyes. Too bad the market's overrun with dripping, shallow shit like Jordan or Goodkind. 

The earthsea books have depth.


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## Talia_Brie (Nov 3, 2006)

There was a telemovie made of it a few years ago, but before anyone goes out adn gets the DVD, this is what Miss le guin thinks of it:



> I've tried very hard to keep from saying anything at all about this production, being well aware that movies must differ in many ways from the books they're based on, and feeling that I really had no business talking about it, since I was not included in planning it and was given no part in discussions or decisions.
> 
> That makes it particularly galling of the director to put words in my mouth.
> Mr Lieberman has every right to say what his intentions were in making the film he directed, called "Earthsea." He has no right at all to state what I intended in writing the Earthsea books.
> ...


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