The Books of Earthsea
Ratings17
Average rating4.3
15
Ratings17
Average rating4.3
WINNER OF THE HUGO AND LOCUS AWARDS FOR BEST ART BOOK Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the timeless and beloved A Wizard of Earthsea that “reads like the retelling of a tale first told centuries ago” (David Mitchell)—this complete omnibus edition of the entire Earthsea chronicles, including over fifty illustrations illuminating Le Guin’s vision of her classic saga by Hugo and Locus Award-winning artist, Charles Vess. Ursula K. Le Guin’s Earthsea novels are some of the most acclaimed and awarded works in literature—they have received prestigious accolades such as the National Book Award, a Newbery Honor, the Nebula Award, and many more honors, commemorating their enduring place in the hearts and minds of readers and the literary world alike. Now for the first time ever, they’re all together in one volume—including the early short stories, Le Guin’s “Earthsea Revisioned” Oxford lecture, and a new Earthsea story, never before printed. With a new introduction by Le Guin herself, this essential edition will also include fifty illustrations by renowned artist Charles Vess, specially commissioned and selected by Le Guin, to bring her refined vision of Earthsea and its people to life in a totally new way. [Stories include: “A Wizard of Earthsea”, “The Tombs of Atuan”, “The Farthest Shore”, “Tehanu”, “Tales From Earthsea”, “The Other Wind”, “The Rule of Names”, “The Word of Unbinding”, “The Daughter of Odren”, and “Earthsea Revisioned: A Lecture at Oxford University”.] With stories as perennial and universally beloved as The Chronicles of Narnia and The Lord of The Rings—but also unlike anything but themselves—this edition is perfect for those new to the world of Earthsea, as well as those who are well-acquainted with its enchanting magic: to know Earthsea is to love it.
Reviews with the most likes.
Love for this series is as much beyond my comprehension as love for McCarthy's The Road (and other stuff he wrote).
I actually made a pole in FB fantasy/sci-fi group whether I should read Earthsea or Hainish Cycle first and overwhelmingly, like 95 to 5 Earthsea won. What?
I liked the first book a lot actually. Second book was still decent but I wasn't a big fan. It got better as it progressed. Third book was utter garbage and when I was deciding whether or not to continue I read reviews for fourth only to learn it's even worse, making Ged, the greatest wizard who ever lived, a useless moron to make the main character shine oh that so much more as Mary Sue.
So I'm DNFing. I don't even like Hainish Cycle much, tbh, but it's better than the latter two Earthsea books I read. There's so many other series I want to start or continue with that I'm not going to bother and forcing myself through more of this knowing I'll hate it.
Earthsea all in one place is very nice to have, and it's a nice edition. Included are some interesting notes from the author on how she came to write various things and what she thought about them at the time as well as what she thinks about them years later. The very short stories done specifically for this volume (at the end) aren't that strong but they're still Le Guin. Also included are a couple of essays on Earthsea.
Strangely the illustrations by Vess aren't that great - he's done better quality work in comics - and don't add much.
I started this book 45 years ago and just finished it now!
I got myself this magnificent edition of all the novels, with a few short stories and the author's comments , to finally catch up from where I left off in Mrs. Cooper's primary school class.
At 10 I was avidly reading anything that looked interesting in the little book stand in the corner of the classroom. “ The Wizard of Earthsea” blew my mind, but although in later years I re-read it I never read the others.
Funnily enough I'm glad I waited, because I can see now how the experience and wisdom of Ursula K. Le guin developed over a lifetime as she carried on writing of the world I loved so much.
I can see also how my taste in books and even my world-view was informed by that one book and how my philosophy and politics have evolved in parallel with the following books.
Thank-you Ursula.
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