A Wizard of Earthsea
[Warning: contains mild spoilers]
I first read this book when I was eleven. I remember being really fascinated by it, but having to return the copy to school at the end of the year even though I wasn't done reading it. So I took it out of the library, but by then I was unsure what part I had reached and I frankly don't remember finishing it...maybe that's because I never did. Nonetheless when I thought about trying to get back into really good, classic fantasy, this book came to mind and I knew I needed to read it again.
What makes this book so great isn't the writing or even the setting, although those definitely add to the overall atmosphere. The thing that stands out most about this book is that it's not an archetypal fantasy story of good versus evil. Instead, it is a story that uses magic to discuss the darker side of humanity and a young man's internal struggle with the darkest parts of himself.
There are no major battles in the story, and magic is generally used as a tool for aiding others rather than as a weapon. This is because magic is a careful craft that one must learn, even though it is an inborn talent. Ged, the protagonist of the story, finds at a young age that he has great powers and after apprenticing with a local wizard he goes to a school for wizards. He shows great potential, but he is also full of pride. One day his pride gets the better of him and he attempts a most dangerous spell for resurrecting spirits, but it goes awry and releases a shadow creature into the world. The shadow creature tries to kill Ged, but is sent away from the island. Realizing that he was not respecting the balance of the world and fearing the dangers of misusing magic, Ged becomes much more cautious, quiet, and humble, and his powers and skills seem lessened. He knows that one day the shadow will find him again, and he tries to avoid this by serving in small villages far out in the edges of the sea. Slowly he regains fame for overcoming dragons (using knowledge and words with only a little "fighting") and an evil stone that has taken some powerful people into its thrall. At last he goes with his only friend to face the shadow and defeat it once and for all.
Ursula K. Le Guin writes this novel in a way that makes it feel more like an oral history or a legend that is passed down through generations, and I think it plays well into her concept of Earthsea being a place of small islands that focus largely on farming, and where even magic is concerned with the balance of forces and respecting the earth. It feels as though everything has been more or less the same since the beginning of time because these are people who are faithful to their superstitions and beliefs. I love that Le Guin takes classic genres and write such wonderful pieces, but without sticking to the expected tropes of fantasy and sci-fi. Instead, her books have very political and philosophical themes.
I first read this book when I was eleven. I remember being really fascinated by it, but having to return the copy to school at the end of the year even though I wasn't done reading it. So I took it out of the library, but by then I was unsure what part I had reached and I frankly don't remember finishing it...maybe that's because I never did. Nonetheless when I thought about trying to get back into really good, classic fantasy, this book came to mind and I knew I needed to read it again.
What makes this book so great isn't the writing or even the setting, although those definitely add to the overall atmosphere. The thing that stands out most about this book is that it's not an archetypal fantasy story of good versus evil. Instead, it is a story that uses magic to discuss the darker side of humanity and a young man's internal struggle with the darkest parts of himself.
There are no major battles in the story, and magic is generally used as a tool for aiding others rather than as a weapon. This is because magic is a careful craft that one must learn, even though it is an inborn talent. Ged, the protagonist of the story, finds at a young age that he has great powers and after apprenticing with a local wizard he goes to a school for wizards. He shows great potential, but he is also full of pride. One day his pride gets the better of him and he attempts a most dangerous spell for resurrecting spirits, but it goes awry and releases a shadow creature into the world. The shadow creature tries to kill Ged, but is sent away from the island. Realizing that he was not respecting the balance of the world and fearing the dangers of misusing magic, Ged becomes much more cautious, quiet, and humble, and his powers and skills seem lessened. He knows that one day the shadow will find him again, and he tries to avoid this by serving in small villages far out in the edges of the sea. Slowly he regains fame for overcoming dragons (using knowledge and words with only a little "fighting") and an evil stone that has taken some powerful people into its thrall. At last he goes with his only friend to face the shadow and defeat it once and for all.
Ursula K. Le Guin writes this novel in a way that makes it feel more like an oral history or a legend that is passed down through generations, and I think it plays well into her concept of Earthsea being a place of small islands that focus largely on farming, and where even magic is concerned with the balance of forces and respecting the earth. It feels as though everything has been more or less the same since the beginning of time because these are people who are faithful to their superstitions and beliefs. I love that Le Guin takes classic genres and write such wonderful pieces, but without sticking to the expected tropes of fantasy and sci-fi. Instead, her books have very political and philosophical themes.
Comments
Post a Comment