Un Mag de Terramar (1968)

Just as good on my second readthrough. Hopefully I'll remember it better now. I think the narrator of the audio version had just the right lulling tone that I zoned out the first time, but I made sure to pay attention this time. (I tried two narrators and greatly prefer Rob Inglis to Harlan Ellison; Ellison made the tone too light IMO, but Inglis matched the classic slightly weighty fantasy vibe I associate with this series.) It's a fantastic coming-of-age set against the backdrop of a magical, stunningly described world, with profound life lessons perfectly entwined. I think knowing what happens in later books and knowing who Ged becomes made his growth even more poignant this time around. ( )

A well written and enjoyable to read fantasy book. The story was fairly simple but in a comforting sort of way, and is a coming of age kind of story as well as magical one. There are so many fantasy books that go either with a kind of medieval Europe setting, or mirror a foreign culture with overused tropes and stereotypes. This book didnt do that and the world the author creates is vivid and interesting. The book strikes a good balance between characters, ideas, and story, and has good pacing. I can definitely see why this book is so special to people and has influenced the fantasy genre. ( )

What a beautiful book, with diverse characters and a plot that differs from all the fantasy I've been reading of late, no war. Recently I read Powder Mage, Mistborn, First Law, Zelazny's Amber, and I've enjoyed them very much but this book was really a departure. A brilliant adventure with hardly any violence yet exciting enough to keep you reading, long after I should have been asleep. The best part of the book is the prose that I loved, worse part of the book is that it is very short by today's fantasy standard but don't let that stop you from reading it.

I just finished listening to the audiobook and was blown away by how well Harlan Ellison read this book. I've known him as an author but never heard him doing any readings, he brought the text to life and became along with Neil Gaiman one of my favorite narrators. ( )

I kind of always knew I'd love these books when I finally got around to them, so I'm not sure what took me so dang long, but oh well.

The funny thing is, Earthsea isn't the kind of fantasy setting I would draw up, personally. I mean, I'm too horny for orcs and whatnot to settle for humans being the only show in town. And I also don't really vibe with the way magic works here? The whole "knowing a thing's true name gives you power over it" thing has never really worked for me. For me, a thing's (or person's) name is an outward thing, to be worn proudly.

Even though it doesn't really work for me in the abstract, I actually love a lot of the storytelling Le Guin does with the whole true name thing. I like that it's a way to establish intimacy and trust between characters. It's an interesting and intentional way to show that someone is making themself vulnerable. So, yeah. It isn't how I think magic works, or how I enjoy seeing it work in fiction, but that doesn't mean it's bad or wrong or whatever.

I also appreciate that the things I vibe with about the book seem to be the same things that were important to Le Guin herself. She talks in the afterward about how she basically "snuck in" the fact that all the good guys in the book aren't white, and all the bad guys are. And also that she very intentionally avoided a very simple conflict-based narrative that glorified war and militarism.

That's a really good sign to me that going forward I'm really going to continue to enjoy the series. I can't wait to see to see what other stories Le Guin felt moved to tell about this world of hers. ( )

It is often on Fantasy must read lists but I must of waited too long to get to it. I find the subject matter and writing style far outside my current interests. Nov 2021