This book arrived really fast and in the expected condition. I had a very pleasant experience with this seller and i would recommend them to anyone.

In A Wizard of Earthsea, Ursula LeGuin creates a high-fantasy story that has these strengths:
--accessible to young readers
--a hero whose pride is his downfall and whose downfall is his salvation
--a sense that love, power, and justice will conquer in the end
--an appreciation of the power of names
--wise and clever characters like Ogion and the Doorkeeper
--an interesting island-based world and possibly the first fictional "school of magic"

Off-setting these strengths are these weaknesses:
--a phony high-English tone that doesn't belong to a writer from Portland, Oregon and makes it very difficult for me to read the first three books in the series (esp. this one)
--a partriarchal power system that LeGuin doesn't even consider questioning until the fourth book, Tehanu
--a flaw in the basic plot: ambiguity about what the evil force really is that the hero is struggling with--an ambiguity that gets cloudier the more one thinks about it after finishing the book.

In spite of these flaws, I would recommend The Earthsea series to readers of all ages, esp. the Tombs of Atuan and my personal favorite, Tehanu. It is necessary to read all the books to appreciate the later ones.

This book had a very classic fantasy feel. While it was faster and easier than Tolkein, it didn't quite wrap me up in it's story the way the Lord of the Rings did. Le Guin gives us the story of Ged, following his hero's journey. Book 1 tells of his humble beginnings and the mistakes he made. I recommend this to any big fantasy fan as a foundation stone of modern fantasy. But in the later books I hope to get more of an addictive feel. I didn't feel enough sympathy for Ged, the story was told from too much distance.

I have tried the Harlan Ellison audio book and didn't like his reading style. I much preferred the one at this link.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Wizard-Earthsea-Cycle-1/dp/1874703531

Go to www.amazon.co.uk and search for "Earthsea Archer" to find Karen Archer's audio book. It's a much nicer reading in my opinion.

This woman is a master. Simply put, for those who've never heard of it, this is story of a wizard and his shadow. Sparrowhawk is a boy in small farming village when his aunt, the village witch, notices he has some aptitude for spellwork. She begins to train the boy herself, teaching him all the craft she knows. When his village is attacked by brigands, he manages to thwart the bandits by weaving together simple spells that he knows. This feat, especially by one so young and untrained, draws the attention of many, including the mage, Ogion the Silent. Ogion takes the boy on as an apprentice, but finding his tutelage under Ogion slow and exasperating, Sparrowhawk decides to leave his master and go to the school for wizards on the isle of Roke. It is on Roke that he finds the best and worst in himself and others. Le Guin's writing is pure poetry:

"As their eyes met, a bird sang aloud in the branches of the tree. In that moment, [Sparrowhawk] understood the singing of the bird, and the language of the water falling in the basin of the fountain, and the shape of the clouds, and the beginning and end of the wind that stirred the leaves: it seemed to him that he himself was a word spoken by the sunlight." p. 35, paperback.

I realize this sort of high language is not everyone's cup of fantasy, but Le Guin has a way of getting under my skin like few other authors can manage to do. This is my go-to book for Harry Potter fans who need something new.

I have read the book many times, but I highly recommend that if you can find it, listen to it on audio as read by Harlan Ellison. The man is obviously in love with the story, because he brings such a fine energy to the telling - he gets into every character, every description, every word, with everything he has.

And of course, the story doesn't end there, although it can stand on its own, without sequel, the other books, especially the ones that primarily concern Sparrowhawk, The Tombs of Atuan and The Farthest Shore, are just as enchanting and engrossing as A Wizard of Earthsea. Be aware that the later stories, Tehanu, The Other Wind and Tales from Earthsea are little darker in subject and tone, and are not as accessible to younger readers.

And, please, for the love of Jeff, stay away from the movie produced a few years ago. Ged is not white. Le Guin made it a point to have people of many races represented, and the filmmakers did not honor her intentions.