EarthSea

[lan sam]

I was going to barnes and noble to get Shannara, and there were, like, 19 of them. So instead, I got A Wizard of EarthSea, and the first book, (I only have 25 pages left I think) has been very promising so far.

[Jean]

I've heard that series was pretty good. If anyone else is interest the whole Earthsea cycle is:

1. A Wizard of Earthsea
2. The Tombs of Atuan
3. The Farthest Shore
4. Tehanu

[lan sam]

hehehe. She's a pro at foreshadowing.

" However, he did not return to the the Kargad Lands until he searched for the Magic Ring of the Tombs of Atuan. Which is in the second book. buy it. now."

[Jean]

:) I think all authors do that, but some are more upfront about it. Are you going to read the rest of the books? And if you do, post and tell me if you like the series because I might pick it up.

[lan sam]

I prolly will, but I'm gonna read His Dark Materials first.

[talyn rahl]

Earthsea sucks balls it just doesn't go anywere and the later ones are depressing as hell, makes the Mord-sith torture chapters look like a barney the dinosaur video.

[Elin]

Are you kidding? Ursula le Guin is a genius... She's also written a lot of sf books for adults, and books of short stories, all of it brilliant. Why do you [talyn rahl, that is] find the later Earthsea books depressing? Though, I do remember being a bit disconcerted with Tehanu, because it's really a book for adults whereas the first three are for children (but they're great to read when you're older as well - you get a different perspective). I think she's said once that the first book is about growing up, the second is about sex (symbolically, not overtly) and the third about death (duh). She's been inspired a lot by Jung (e g the Shadow in the first book) and Taoism (e g the concept of balance).

Other great books by her are The Dispossessed, which is a very political book about anarchism and Four Ways to Forgiveness which is a lot about racism and gender. Oh yeah, there's actually two more books in the Earthsea series. One is a book of short stories, Tales from Earthsea, and the second is a continuation of Tehanu, called The Other Wind. It's different in character from Tehanu, though, not as dark. And it completely overturns all your concepts of the mythological underpinnings of the Earthsea world...

PS His Dark Materials is a great series too.

[lan sam]

strange, I just so happen to be reading both...

(actually, I'm reading hitchhikers guide to the galaxy, but don't tell anyone)

[lan sam]

hey, she wrote four books, you only mentioned three...

[Elin]

Well, the two later books (Tehanu and The Other Wind) came later - what I read was just about the original trilogy...

[lan sam]

..oh. I was under the impression that Ged would die in the Farthest Shore, after he becomes uber, but I guess not...

[Dingdin]

You don't want to post something like that lan sam when you're in the middle of a series.... you WANT us to tell you what happens to Ged???

;)


btw I concur with Elin, the Dispossessed is a very good book.

Dingdin

[lan sam]

ok, nowat least I know my secret is safe with you Elin...

[balefire]

Originally posted by Elin
Are you kidding? Ursula le Guin is a genius... She's also written a lot of sf books for adults, and books of short stories, all of it brilliant. Why do you [talyn rahl, that is] find the later Earthsea books depressing? Though, I do remember being a bit disconcerted with Tehanu, because it's really a book for adults whereas the first three are for children (but they're great to read when you're older as well - you get a different perspective)


The 1st 3 are for children? I read them & didn't like them. Well I guess that explains it. I haven't tried Tehanu, but I doubt my opinion will change.

[talyn rahl]

well i don't know i guess i get a bit depressed by somone moaning on for ages about crap, true its been a while since i read them so maybe i was just to young, but i don't know, they just seemed crap