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Earthsea Cycle #1-6
The Books of Earthsea
Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the timeless and beloved A Wizard of Earthsea—“…reads like the retelling of a tale first told centuries ago” (David Mitchell)—comes this complete omnibus edition of the entire Earthsea chronicles, including over fifty illustrations illuminating Le Guin’s vision of her classic saga.
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.
Contents:
Introduction
“Earthsea Revisioned” (a retrospective essay by the author)
A Wizard of Earthsea
The Tombs of Atuan
The Farthest Shore
Tehanu
Tales from Earthsea
The Other Wind
“The Word of Unbinding”
“The Rule of Names”
“The Daughter of Odren” (never before published in print)
"Firelight" (never before collected with other Earthsea stories; originally published in Paris Review Summer 2018)
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.
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.
Contents:
Introduction
“Earthsea Revisioned” (a retrospective essay by the author)
A Wizard of Earthsea
The Tombs of Atuan
The Farthest Shore
Tehanu
Tales from Earthsea
The Other Wind
“The Word of Unbinding”
“The Rule of Names”
“The Daughter of Odren” (never before published in print)
"Firelight" (never before collected with other Earthsea stories; originally published in Paris Review Summer 2018)
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.
1008 pages, Hardcover
First published November 23, 2018
2,299 people are currently reading
15.9k people want to read
About the author
Ursula K. Le Guin
854 books28.2k followersUrsula K. Le Guin published twenty-two novels, eleven volumes of short stories, four collections of essays, twelve books for children, six volumes of poetry and four of translation, and has received many awards: Hugo, Nebula, National Book Award, PEN-Malamud, etc. Her recent publications include the novel Lavinia, an essay collection, Cheek by Jowl, and The Wild Girls. She lived in Portland, Oregon.
She was known for her treatment of gender (The Left Hand of Darkness, The Matter of Seggri), political systems (The Telling, The Dispossessed) and difference/otherness in any other form. Her interest in non-Western philosophies was reflected in works such as "Solitude" and The Telling but even more interesting are her imagined societies, often mixing traits extracted from her profound knowledge of anthropology acquired from growing up with her father, the famous anthropologist, Alfred Kroeber. The Hainish Cycle reflects the anthropologist's experience of immersing themselves in new strange cultures since most of their main characters and narrators (Le Guin favoured the first-person narration) are envoys from a humanitarian organization, the Ekumen, sent to investigate or ally themselves with the people of a different world and learn their ways.
She was known for her treatment of gender (The Left Hand of Darkness, The Matter of Seggri), political systems (The Telling, The Dispossessed) and difference/otherness in any other form. Her interest in non-Western philosophies was reflected in works such as "Solitude" and The Telling but even more interesting are her imagined societies, often mixing traits extracted from her profound knowledge of anthropology acquired from growing up with her father, the famous anthropologist, Alfred Kroeber. The Hainish Cycle reflects the anthropologist's experience of immersing themselves in new strange cultures since most of their main characters and narrators (Le Guin favoured the first-person narration) are envoys from a humanitarian organization, the Ekumen, sent to investigate or ally themselves with the people of a different world and learn their ways.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 553 reviews
February 3, 2019
It was awesome to have all these books in one place and read them in order. I've read the whole series before, but I got a lot out of reading them back to back. Each of the books is great, and I have a lot of favorite moments from the whole thing.
I thought the illustrations were alright. They didn't exactly blow me away. From what I could tell, they didn't add much? But they didn't get in the way of anything. I guess overall it was nicer to have illustrations than to not have them?
The stories have mostly aged really well. The dragons get more and more interesting with each book. The stakes of magic are fascinating. And I really liked the archipelago setting and the differences between the islands. Ah. Yeah go read these if you like dragons and magic and a slowly unfolding world and larger story. There's a very harsh change in tone starting in book 4, but it's all excellent. And there's a real grappling with death and the afterlife that has a lot to say. Actually the death talk is remarkably beautiful near the end. Le Guin uses Tenar to say some profound thoughts.
The language is incredible too. I learned a lot about the little details and flourishes that bring a world to life and distinguish the cultures even as they're tied together.
Okay it is monstrously heavy though. I had to find new ways to read just to keep holding the book. I got used to it by the end, but it's definitely not a book you can take in your backpack or on the train. It needs its own little reading shrine. Hey but if any series deserves a shrine, this isn't a bad pick.
I thought the illustrations were alright. They didn't exactly blow me away. From what I could tell, they didn't add much? But they didn't get in the way of anything. I guess overall it was nicer to have illustrations than to not have them?
The stories have mostly aged really well. The dragons get more and more interesting with each book. The stakes of magic are fascinating. And I really liked the archipelago setting and the differences between the islands. Ah. Yeah go read these if you like dragons and magic and a slowly unfolding world and larger story. There's a very harsh change in tone starting in book 4, but it's all excellent. And there's a real grappling with death and the afterlife that has a lot to say. Actually the death talk is remarkably beautiful near the end. Le Guin uses Tenar to say some profound thoughts.
The language is incredible too. I learned a lot about the little details and flourishes that bring a world to life and distinguish the cultures even as they're tied together.
Okay it is monstrously heavy though. I had to find new ways to read just to keep holding the book. I got used to it by the end, but it's definitely not a book you can take in your backpack or on the train. It needs its own little reading shrine. Hey but if any series deserves a shrine, this isn't a bad pick.
March 8, 2025
En el archipiélago de Terramar hay dragones, magos y espectros, talismanes y poderes. Es un mundo gobernado por la magia y, ante todo, por laspalabras: cada cosa posee su nombre verdadero, el designado durante la Creación, cuyo conocimiento otorga a los hechiceros el dominio sobre los elementos y los animales.
Sus gentes, sencillas y tranquilas, tienen como único objetivo conseguir la paz y la sabiduría..📖✍️
Las obras completas de Terramar aparecen en un compendio completamente ilustrado por primera vez. Ya era hora..
Puntuación:🐉🐉🐉🐉, 5.
Este compendio se ha creado para celebrar el quincuagésimo aniversario de la publicación de Un mago de Terramar, un único y lujoso volumen que incluye todas las novelas y los relatos de Ursula K. Le Guin basados en el mundo de Terramar.
Es una obra completamente ilustrada, con más de cincuenta imágenes a color y en blanco y negro creadas por el aclamado artista Charles Vess, premiado con el World Fantasy Award, y la verdadera visión de Le Guin, además de la última palabra sobre Terramar.
-Dos relatos cortos, ambos primeros embriones de Terramar: La regla de los nombres y La palabra de desvinculación.
-Las seis novelas de Terramar: Un mago de Terramar, Las tumbas de Atuan, La costa más lejana, Tehanu, Cuentos de Terramar y En el otro viento.
-El último relato enternecedor sobre Ged y Tenar, Luz de hogar,
-El relato La hija de Odren, publicado por primera vez.
-La conferencia que Le Guin leyó en Oxford en 1992: Terramar revisada: niños, mujeres, hombres y dragones.
-Un nuevo prólogo de Le Guin, donde le presenta Terramar a los nuevos lectores y les da la bienvenida a aquellos que vuelven al archipiélago.
Poco se puede decir a estas alturas del cuento sobre Le Guin y su obra más reconocida. Es un clásico que todo amante de la fantasía debe llegar a leer.
Su estilo a veces me ha parecido algo denso aunque querer leer todo sobre Terramar es toda una aventura así que me lo esperaba. Lo que más ha destacado han sido sus personajes. Me han gustado muchísimo lo reales y palpables que son. Un mundo de fantasía de lo más clásica pero que ha envejecido realmente bien pues llega al corazón. Te conquista...
Eso es Terramar y lo define sin necesidad de extenderme más en la reseña. Aventuras y personajes memorables que te acompañan.
Un debe leerse en toda regla. Y de la misma manera que Ursula K Le Guin... ¡LEER A BUJOLD, INSENSATOS!...✍️🧐
Sus gentes, sencillas y tranquilas, tienen como único objetivo conseguir la paz y la sabiduría..📖✍️
Las obras completas de Terramar aparecen en un compendio completamente ilustrado por primera vez. Ya era hora..
Puntuación:🐉🐉🐉🐉, 5.
Este compendio se ha creado para celebrar el quincuagésimo aniversario de la publicación de Un mago de Terramar, un único y lujoso volumen que incluye todas las novelas y los relatos de Ursula K. Le Guin basados en el mundo de Terramar.
Es una obra completamente ilustrada, con más de cincuenta imágenes a color y en blanco y negro creadas por el aclamado artista Charles Vess, premiado con el World Fantasy Award, y la verdadera visión de Le Guin, además de la última palabra sobre Terramar.
-Dos relatos cortos, ambos primeros embriones de Terramar: La regla de los nombres y La palabra de desvinculación.
-Las seis novelas de Terramar: Un mago de Terramar, Las tumbas de Atuan, La costa más lejana, Tehanu, Cuentos de Terramar y En el otro viento.
-El último relato enternecedor sobre Ged y Tenar, Luz de hogar,
-El relato La hija de Odren, publicado por primera vez.
-La conferencia que Le Guin leyó en Oxford en 1992: Terramar revisada: niños, mujeres, hombres y dragones.
-Un nuevo prólogo de Le Guin, donde le presenta Terramar a los nuevos lectores y les da la bienvenida a aquellos que vuelven al archipiélago.
Poco se puede decir a estas alturas del cuento sobre Le Guin y su obra más reconocida. Es un clásico que todo amante de la fantasía debe llegar a leer.
Su estilo a veces me ha parecido algo denso aunque querer leer todo sobre Terramar es toda una aventura así que me lo esperaba. Lo que más ha destacado han sido sus personajes. Me han gustado muchísimo lo reales y palpables que son. Un mundo de fantasía de lo más clásica pero que ha envejecido realmente bien pues llega al corazón. Te conquista...
Eso es Terramar y lo define sin necesidad de extenderme más en la reseña. Aventuras y personajes memorables que te acompañan.
Un debe leerse en toda regla. Y de la misma manera que Ursula K Le Guin... ¡LEER A BUJOLD, INSENSATOS!...✍️🧐
December 31, 2018
I received this beauty for Christmas from my daughter Libby. While I have read almost everything in this book already I am still so excited to have it. The illustrations are beautiful and I want to reread all of these wonderful books again.
November 18, 2018
Edit: Adding link for 11/10/18 Interview with Charles Vess about working with Le Guin https://bit.ly/2Qzd9PP
* * *
5 stars for this HUGE gorgeous book. Rating is not for the story itself.
I read the first four books years ago in paperback. I mainly bought this particular book because Charles Vess (the illustrator) is one of my favorite artists. I first discovered him when he illustrated Stardust (written by Neil Gaiman), when it first came out as a 4 part graphic novel (1997).
I was surprised when I opened the box. It weighs 5 lbs! When I ordered it I didn't catch that this book is 1000 pages. Normally, I read in bed and I'd knock myself out if it fell on my head. So, I guess I'll read re-read my paperbacks or switch to the ebooks.
* * *
5 stars for this HUGE gorgeous book. Rating is not for the story itself.
I read the first four books years ago in paperback. I mainly bought this particular book because Charles Vess (the illustrator) is one of my favorite artists. I first discovered him when he illustrated Stardust (written by Neil Gaiman), when it first came out as a 4 part graphic novel (1997).
I was surprised when I opened the box. It weighs 5 lbs! When I ordered it I didn't catch that this book is 1000 pages. Normally, I read in bed and I'd knock myself out if it fell on my head. So, I guess I'll read re-read my paperbacks or switch to the ebooks.
March 27, 2019
Yerdeniz’i sadece fantastik bir kitap olarak değerlendirmenin büyük bir hata olacağını düşünüyorum. Hazır olunduğunda okunması gereken, insan olmanın döngüsel süreçlerini, gelişimi anlatan şahane bir felsefe.
Ve Ursula hanım ruhunuz şad olsun.
Ve Ursula hanım ruhunuz şad olsun.
June 10, 2021
Terramar diecisiete años después (Reseña, 2021)
(También disponible en: https://cuadernosdeunbibliofago.wordp... )
Tenía catorce años, estudiaba en el Calasanz. Me sentaba en la fila del medio, en el centro preciso del salón. Detrás de mí estaba Manuel Ignacio. De vez en cuando nos prestábamos libros, Manuel y yo. Fue por él que conocí Terramar. Yo venía de leer Harry Potter, de leer Narnia, de leer Tolkien. Yo venía de leer fantasía épica cuando leí por primera vez a Le Guin. No supe qué me pasó. No supe qué había acabado de ocurrir. Incluso me pareció tedioso, en algunos momentos, su universo. Me aburrí en La costa más lejana. Creo que leí saltándome partes Tehanu. Manuel (en realidad el hermano mayor de Manuel) tenía sólo esos cuatro, hasta ahí. Fue una lectura entre otras, fue una lectura adolescente y apasionada, pero todavía no sabían mis pupilas de sutilezas. Todavía no me preguntaba por el nombre verdadero de las cosas. Todavía no entendía que la derrota y el dolor pueden trascenderse en un acto deliberado de bondad y belleza.
Pasé dos semanas largas inmerso en Terramar, en esta edición hermosa donde están los seis libros de la saga (y cada uno de ellos merecería palabras mejores que estas). Ahora ya no soy joven, ya no leo en la mitad de un salón, ya no busco el héroe invencible. Crecer es hacerse dulce, espero, y en la comprensión de esa dulzura algo se renueva adentro. El fuego deja de ser explosión para convertirse en hoguera, el viento ya no es tormenta sino brisa. No hablo de una pérdida de vigor. Hablo del entendimiento de que existen cosas más valiosas que la fuerza o el poder. Saber eso, saberlo íntimamente en el centro de la carne, es condición necesaria para disfrutar plenamente a Le Guin, para habitar plenamente Terramar. En esta relectura, las islas se han abierto para mí con todo su azar y su vértigo majestuoso. He visto a los dragones remontar la libertad y a los hombres cultivar duraznos. He visto a las mujeres tejer juntas el secreto que da origen a la escuela de magia. He visto a brujas y hechiceros evanescerse de su conocimiento ralo al saber que poseen algo indetectable para el orgullo de los magos.
He visto a la muerte. Y el campo yermo y el muro. Y el río seco. Y las montañas cuyo nombre es dolor. He visto el bosquecillo con sus hojas únicas y contemplé las formas del azar sabiendo que el mundo es también un texto y un lenguaje. He visto la torre de los nombres y la nieve y un animalito muerto en la nieve con la eternidad de su desprendimiento. He visto las grutas de la tierra. He visto las alas agitándose. He visto la soledad, la penumbra, la desidia. He visto la amistad, el amor, la sencillez. Escuché al silencioso murmurar el presagio de un cambio y algo cambió en mí. Seguí la luz del hogar para dejar partir a quienes me hicieron compañía durante madrugadas largas, y el amanecer coincidió con mi retorno a este otro mundo tan similar y tan lejano al archipiélago, tan similar y tan lejano a ese acantilado de Gont donde se escucha el mar.
Y dejo aquí. Quisiera decir mucho más y voy a decir mucho más, pero no quiero restarle a este texto su verdadera naturaleza: una declaración de amor inmenso al universo fantástico que Le Guin propone, un reconocimiento de cómo el lector que fui no alcanzó a ver lo importante por tener los ojos acostumbrados a lo ruidoso, una defensa de la relectura como posibilidad de disfrute, y una palabra de aliento para quienes se aproximan a este mundo por primera vez: sean bienvenides, entren con tranquilidad, habrá agua fresca y pan recién hecho, y esos otros alimentos que sólo la literatura otorga.
(También disponible en: https://cuadernosdeunbibliofago.wordp... )
Tenía catorce años, estudiaba en el Calasanz. Me sentaba en la fila del medio, en el centro preciso del salón. Detrás de mí estaba Manuel Ignacio. De vez en cuando nos prestábamos libros, Manuel y yo. Fue por él que conocí Terramar. Yo venía de leer Harry Potter, de leer Narnia, de leer Tolkien. Yo venía de leer fantasía épica cuando leí por primera vez a Le Guin. No supe qué me pasó. No supe qué había acabado de ocurrir. Incluso me pareció tedioso, en algunos momentos, su universo. Me aburrí en La costa más lejana. Creo que leí saltándome partes Tehanu. Manuel (en realidad el hermano mayor de Manuel) tenía sólo esos cuatro, hasta ahí. Fue una lectura entre otras, fue una lectura adolescente y apasionada, pero todavía no sabían mis pupilas de sutilezas. Todavía no me preguntaba por el nombre verdadero de las cosas. Todavía no entendía que la derrota y el dolor pueden trascenderse en un acto deliberado de bondad y belleza.
Pasé dos semanas largas inmerso en Terramar, en esta edición hermosa donde están los seis libros de la saga (y cada uno de ellos merecería palabras mejores que estas). Ahora ya no soy joven, ya no leo en la mitad de un salón, ya no busco el héroe invencible. Crecer es hacerse dulce, espero, y en la comprensión de esa dulzura algo se renueva adentro. El fuego deja de ser explosión para convertirse en hoguera, el viento ya no es tormenta sino brisa. No hablo de una pérdida de vigor. Hablo del entendimiento de que existen cosas más valiosas que la fuerza o el poder. Saber eso, saberlo íntimamente en el centro de la carne, es condición necesaria para disfrutar plenamente a Le Guin, para habitar plenamente Terramar. En esta relectura, las islas se han abierto para mí con todo su azar y su vértigo majestuoso. He visto a los dragones remontar la libertad y a los hombres cultivar duraznos. He visto a las mujeres tejer juntas el secreto que da origen a la escuela de magia. He visto a brujas y hechiceros evanescerse de su conocimiento ralo al saber que poseen algo indetectable para el orgullo de los magos.
He visto a la muerte. Y el campo yermo y el muro. Y el río seco. Y las montañas cuyo nombre es dolor. He visto el bosquecillo con sus hojas únicas y contemplé las formas del azar sabiendo que el mundo es también un texto y un lenguaje. He visto la torre de los nombres y la nieve y un animalito muerto en la nieve con la eternidad de su desprendimiento. He visto las grutas de la tierra. He visto las alas agitándose. He visto la soledad, la penumbra, la desidia. He visto la amistad, el amor, la sencillez. Escuché al silencioso murmurar el presagio de un cambio y algo cambió en mí. Seguí la luz del hogar para dejar partir a quienes me hicieron compañía durante madrugadas largas, y el amanecer coincidió con mi retorno a este otro mundo tan similar y tan lejano al archipiélago, tan similar y tan lejano a ese acantilado de Gont donde se escucha el mar.
Y dejo aquí. Quisiera decir mucho más y voy a decir mucho más, pero no quiero restarle a este texto su verdadera naturaleza: una declaración de amor inmenso al universo fantástico que Le Guin propone, un reconocimiento de cómo el lector que fui no alcanzó a ver lo importante por tener los ojos acostumbrados a lo ruidoso, una defensa de la relectura como posibilidad de disfrute, y una palabra de aliento para quienes se aproximan a este mundo por primera vez: sean bienvenides, entren con tranquilidad, habrá agua fresca y pan recién hecho, y esos otros alimentos que sólo la literatura otorga.
December 17, 2017
Bitti... Her güzel şey gibi Yerdeniz de bir solukta bitiverdi. Şu an hem mutlu hem de mutsuzum.
Bekle beni Yerdeniz... Yine geleceğim Adalar Diyarı'nın engin kıyılarına.
Bekle beni Yerdeniz... Yine geleceğim Adalar Diyarı'nın engin kıyılarına.
November 21, 2019
In looking for a reason to buy this collection albeit already owning all of the single Earthsea books I decided that my sons (9 and 11) should get to know UKLG, so I needed a German version and, voilà, there was my excuse for buying this beautiful work.
I rated the books seperately in their respective GR threats and even though the overall average wouldn't amount to 5 stars, this collection deserves all of them. Not only is it a different feeling to read all the books and the intermingling short stories back to back, additionally having UKLG's thoughts and reasons to each book as an afterword makes for such a wonderful, rounded view upon the whole world of Earthsea. We dove into this reality and sailed with the other wind happily for over 1000 pages.
The collection contains two stories "The daughter of Odren" and "Firelight" that I never read before. While "The daughter of Odren" highlights the possible misuse of magic, "Firelight" gives a final end to Ged's story in a most gentle and fragile way. The perfect conclusion to book and saga.
Every story is illustrated by Charles Vess. And while at first I was a bit estranged by the unfinished feel of the people's faces this soon became rather a trademark and I found myself more and more looking forward to the next illustration while reading. The greyscale drawings emphasize on nature and buildings and give the most delightful visualisation of this world. Especially the two pages drawings made me sit there and admiring the details. At the end of the book I was not only in love with UKLG's world, but also with Vess' drawings.
A perfect collection!
I rated the books seperately in their respective GR threats and even though the overall average wouldn't amount to 5 stars, this collection deserves all of them. Not only is it a different feeling to read all the books and the intermingling short stories back to back, additionally having UKLG's thoughts and reasons to each book as an afterword makes for such a wonderful, rounded view upon the whole world of Earthsea. We dove into this reality and sailed with the other wind happily for over 1000 pages.
The collection contains two stories "The daughter of Odren" and "Firelight" that I never read before. While "The daughter of Odren" highlights the possible misuse of magic, "Firelight" gives a final end to Ged's story in a most gentle and fragile way. The perfect conclusion to book and saga.
Every story is illustrated by Charles Vess. And while at first I was a bit estranged by the unfinished feel of the people's faces this soon became rather a trademark and I found myself more and more looking forward to the next illustration while reading. The greyscale drawings emphasize on nature and buildings and give the most delightful visualisation of this world. Especially the two pages drawings made me sit there and admiring the details. At the end of the book I was not only in love with UKLG's world, but also with Vess' drawings.
A perfect collection!
March 31, 2019
Questa saga è semplicemente stupenda! Questo volume comprende sia i cinque romanzi che le Leggende di Earthsea.
Il mago
È stata una lettura stupenda, di grande letteratura fantasy. Non ci sono epiche battaglie ma una lotta intima del protagonista, che deve imparare ad accettare il male che ha portato nel mondo per poter riparare e sconfiggere le forze oscure. Per farlo viaggia per il Terramare, incontrando le genti che lo popolano e i draghi dell'Ovest. Tutta la narrazione sembra un preludio alle grandi gesta che il protagonista è destinato a compiere, e che immagino si vedranno nei prossimi libri della serie. Qui, vediamo un giovane mago nel momento massimo della sua formazione morale. Il male non è una forza esterna, ma un nemico interno; da esso non dobbiamo scappare, perché la fuga è vana, ma trovare il coraggio di affrontarlo. È una lotta interiore ma non solitaria; il supporto degli amici è una chiave fondamentale per trovare la giusta strada e realizzare un cammino che da soli potremmo non riuscire a compiere.
Le Tombe di Atuan
Ecco un altro viaggio per il nostro Sparviere, questa volta nelle terre di Kargad. La protagonista però è un'austera Sacerdotessa, somma del suo ordine, che vive in una comunità isolata. In questo secondo volume della saga si continua ad affrontare il tema importante dell'amicizia e della lotta tra Bene e Male. Qui nello specifico è fondamentale il tema della fiducia per la lotta contro le forze oscure. Il Male non si affronta in solitudine, ma si trae la forza necessaria dallo scambio e dall'appoggio reciproci. L'alleanza, ovvero un'unione di pace, è l'arma in grado di sconfiggere tutte le guerre. Il conflitto interiore tra Bene e Male può portare a una rinascita che ci regala il peso della libertà. Essere liberi significa scegliere la strada più difficile, bisogna imparare a portare sulle spalle questo fardello.
Il signore dei draghi
Questo capitolo della saga è quello che mi è parso finora il più complesso. Come i due precedenti, è un romanzo di formazione e il coprotagonista è il giovane principe Arren. Quest'ultimo e Ged vanno alla ricerca della fonte di un grave squilibrio cosmico che sta privando il mondo della sua magia. La magia appare come una grande forza costruttrice ma che deve essere utilizzata sempre con responsabilità. Mantenere l'Equilibrio fra le forze della natura è essenziale per il mantenimento della vita. Un abuso della magia per prolungare innaturalmente una vita significa in realtà mettere a repentaglio la vita nel suo complesso. Di questa lettura mi ha colpito la forza del suo messaggio che ha più chiavi di interpretazione. La lotta tra il Bene e il Male è sempre il tema dominante però qui è molto più sottile la differenza fra le due forze. La promessa dell'immortalità può non sembrare una lusinga ma un fine legittimo. Non ci si accorge facilmente quanto sia egoistico questo desiderio e quanta avidità racchiude. Ma prendere più di quello che ci spetta significa anche sottrarre e impoverire qualcos'altro/qualcun altro. La morte non è una nemica da sconfiggere ma una parte essenziale della vita. Rifiutare la morte equivale a rifiutare la vita stessa.
L'isola del drago
Il quarto capitolo della saga di Terramare è stato scritto vent'anni dopo la prima trilogia. La storia inizia immediatamente dopo le vicende narrate ne Il signore dei draghi, cambiano però fortemente i toni. Questa storia sembra più intima e smette di seguire le epiche avventure di un mago per concentrarsi sulle semplici, ma non meno complesse, vite di due compagni che si trovano a rifondare le loro esistenze. I protagonisti Ged e Tenar questa volta affrontano il tema del Potere. Cos'è? A chi appartiene? Da dove nasce? Ci sono più domande che risposte in questo libro ma ciò che ho apprezzato maggiormente è colei che è il fulcro della storia. La tenace Tenar di Atuan, che ha saputo affrontare l'oscurità e rinascere, lotta per le persone che ama instancabilmente prendendosi cura della piccola Therru. Anche se nella parte centrale la storia è più lenta, con un'assenza quasi totale della magia e in definitiva molto diversa da ciò a cui il lettore della saga era abituato, l'apparizione di uno degli elementi più affascinanti del genere fantasy, il drago, ripaga fortemente un appassionato del genere. Nonostante il finale un po' telefonato ho apprezzato nel complesso anche questa storia, che si conclude proprio nel momento in cui si vorrebbe saperne di più.
I venti di Earthsea
Fra tutti è il libro meno avventuroso e meno incisivo. Anche in questo volume è presente il tema della morte però la storia è più fumosa. I personaggi sono meno sfaccettati, i maghi hanno un'aria impotente, passiva... Mi è piaciuto vedere come i popoli di Terramare trovano una completezza nella loro diversità e come unendosi riescono a trovare una via comune; ma alla storia manca qualcosa questa volta. Forse manca più di tutto il perno centrale della saga cioè Sparviere che esce di scena troppo presto facendo sparpagliare i fili della narrazione.
Leggende di Earthsea
I cinque racconti di Terramare vanno a completare la saga narrando alcuni episodi che si inseriscono cronologicamente fra un romanzo e l'altro. Queste storie fanno riferimento a episodi che vengono accennatati nei romanzi e qui approfonditi. Mi è piaciuto Il trovatore che è un racconto lungo e funge da prequel alla saga perché descrive le origini della Scuola di Roke. Ma più di tutti ho apprezzato Nell'alta palude perché in poche pagine tratteggia benissimo i personaggi e inoltre ho trovato questo racconto ottimo anche come storia autonoma, che può essere apprezzata anche da un non conoscitore del ciclo di Terramare.
Infine ci sono le Appendici approfondiscono la storia remota di Earthsea e ne descrivono le caratteristiche principali. Mi è piaciuto leggere dei miti/fondatori di questo mondo.
Il mago
È stata una lettura stupenda, di grande letteratura fantasy. Non ci sono epiche battaglie ma una lotta intima del protagonista, che deve imparare ad accettare il male che ha portato nel mondo per poter riparare e sconfiggere le forze oscure. Per farlo viaggia per il Terramare, incontrando le genti che lo popolano e i draghi dell'Ovest. Tutta la narrazione sembra un preludio alle grandi gesta che il protagonista è destinato a compiere, e che immagino si vedranno nei prossimi libri della serie. Qui, vediamo un giovane mago nel momento massimo della sua formazione morale. Il male non è una forza esterna, ma un nemico interno; da esso non dobbiamo scappare, perché la fuga è vana, ma trovare il coraggio di affrontarlo. È una lotta interiore ma non solitaria; il supporto degli amici è una chiave fondamentale per trovare la giusta strada e realizzare un cammino che da soli potremmo non riuscire a compiere.
Le Tombe di Atuan
Ecco un altro viaggio per il nostro Sparviere, questa volta nelle terre di Kargad. La protagonista però è un'austera Sacerdotessa, somma del suo ordine, che vive in una comunità isolata. In questo secondo volume della saga si continua ad affrontare il tema importante dell'amicizia e della lotta tra Bene e Male. Qui nello specifico è fondamentale il tema della fiducia per la lotta contro le forze oscure. Il Male non si affronta in solitudine, ma si trae la forza necessaria dallo scambio e dall'appoggio reciproci. L'alleanza, ovvero un'unione di pace, è l'arma in grado di sconfiggere tutte le guerre. Il conflitto interiore tra Bene e Male può portare a una rinascita che ci regala il peso della libertà. Essere liberi significa scegliere la strada più difficile, bisogna imparare a portare sulle spalle questo fardello.
Il signore dei draghi
Questo capitolo della saga è quello che mi è parso finora il più complesso. Come i due precedenti, è un romanzo di formazione e il coprotagonista è il giovane principe Arren. Quest'ultimo e Ged vanno alla ricerca della fonte di un grave squilibrio cosmico che sta privando il mondo della sua magia. La magia appare come una grande forza costruttrice ma che deve essere utilizzata sempre con responsabilità. Mantenere l'Equilibrio fra le forze della natura è essenziale per il mantenimento della vita. Un abuso della magia per prolungare innaturalmente una vita significa in realtà mettere a repentaglio la vita nel suo complesso. Di questa lettura mi ha colpito la forza del suo messaggio che ha più chiavi di interpretazione. La lotta tra il Bene e il Male è sempre il tema dominante però qui è molto più sottile la differenza fra le due forze. La promessa dell'immortalità può non sembrare una lusinga ma un fine legittimo. Non ci si accorge facilmente quanto sia egoistico questo desiderio e quanta avidità racchiude. Ma prendere più di quello che ci spetta significa anche sottrarre e impoverire qualcos'altro/qualcun altro. La morte non è una nemica da sconfiggere ma una parte essenziale della vita. Rifiutare la morte equivale a rifiutare la vita stessa.
L'isola del drago
Il quarto capitolo della saga di Terramare è stato scritto vent'anni dopo la prima trilogia. La storia inizia immediatamente dopo le vicende narrate ne Il signore dei draghi, cambiano però fortemente i toni. Questa storia sembra più intima e smette di seguire le epiche avventure di un mago per concentrarsi sulle semplici, ma non meno complesse, vite di due compagni che si trovano a rifondare le loro esistenze. I protagonisti Ged e Tenar questa volta affrontano il tema del Potere. Cos'è? A chi appartiene? Da dove nasce? Ci sono più domande che risposte in questo libro ma ciò che ho apprezzato maggiormente è colei che è il fulcro della storia. La tenace Tenar di Atuan, che ha saputo affrontare l'oscurità e rinascere, lotta per le persone che ama instancabilmente prendendosi cura della piccola Therru. Anche se nella parte centrale la storia è più lenta, con un'assenza quasi totale della magia e in definitiva molto diversa da ciò a cui il lettore della saga era abituato, l'apparizione di uno degli elementi più affascinanti del genere fantasy, il drago, ripaga fortemente un appassionato del genere. Nonostante il finale un po' telefonato ho apprezzato nel complesso anche questa storia, che si conclude proprio nel momento in cui si vorrebbe saperne di più.
I venti di Earthsea
Fra tutti è il libro meno avventuroso e meno incisivo. Anche in questo volume è presente il tema della morte però la storia è più fumosa. I personaggi sono meno sfaccettati, i maghi hanno un'aria impotente, passiva... Mi è piaciuto vedere come i popoli di Terramare trovano una completezza nella loro diversità e come unendosi riescono a trovare una via comune; ma alla storia manca qualcosa questa volta. Forse manca più di tutto il perno centrale della saga cioè Sparviere che esce di scena troppo presto facendo sparpagliare i fili della narrazione.
Leggende di Earthsea
I cinque racconti di Terramare vanno a completare la saga narrando alcuni episodi che si inseriscono cronologicamente fra un romanzo e l'altro. Queste storie fanno riferimento a episodi che vengono accennatati nei romanzi e qui approfonditi. Mi è piaciuto Il trovatore che è un racconto lungo e funge da prequel alla saga perché descrive le origini della Scuola di Roke. Ma più di tutti ho apprezzato Nell'alta palude perché in poche pagine tratteggia benissimo i personaggi e inoltre ho trovato questo racconto ottimo anche come storia autonoma, che può essere apprezzata anche da un non conoscitore del ciclo di Terramare.
Infine ci sono le Appendici approfondiscono la storia remota di Earthsea e ne descrivono le caratteristiche principali. Mi è piaciuto leggere dei miti/fondatori di questo mondo.
September 17, 2023
English version below
*****************
Nach nicht unerheblichen 627 Seiten werfe ich nun das Handtuch und breche dieses Buch ab.
Zwei Punkte, die mich durchwegs sehr gestört haben, waren zum einen, dass es so schien, als wäre das Prinzip “Show, don’t tell” zum Entstehungszeitpunkt der Bücher vollkommen unbekannt gewesen. Es wird nie etwas gezeigt, sondern immer nur das Endergebnis beschrieben.
Zum anderen fand ich das Magiesystem unbeschreiblich schwachbrüstig. Le Guin baut es auf dem Prinzip des “wahren Namens” auf, einer Vorstellung, die es in vielen primitiven Kulturen gibt. Aber man erfährt nicht mal ansatzweise, wie die Magie funktioniert. Und dann sprach er den wahren Namen seines Feindes und der Feind war tot. Und dann zauberte er einen Wind herbei und das Boot flog nur so übers Meer.
Die ersten drei Bände waren offenbar eine Auftragsarbeit für den Verlag, der sich Fantasybücher für junge Leser gewünscht hat. Da in den 60er Jahren nahezu ausschließlich Jungs Fantasy- und Abenteuerbücher gelesen haben, war die Zielgruppe wohl 14-jährige Jungs. Ich kann mir beim besten Willen nicht vorstellen, wie ein 14-jähriger Gefallen an den Geschichten finden konnte. Die Charaktere waren flach und wenig sympathisch, der Plot selbst nicht mal mäßig aufregend und die Ausführung - so hoch ich LeGuins SciFi-Romane schätze - ließ zu wünschen übrig.
Der zweite Band mit Arha als Protagonistin war etwas interessanter, während der dritte Band schon komatös langweilig war.
Im vierten Band gefielen mir die feministischen Ideen, die die Autorin verarbeitet hat. Dennoch fiel es mir schwer, beim Lesen nicht schläfrig zu werden.
Und nachdem ich nun mehr als die Hälfte dieses sehr dicken Buches gelesen habe und es mir immer schwerer fällt, hier weiterzulesen, gebe ich nun auf und widme meine Zeit meinen vielen anderen ungelesenen Büchern.
------------------
After a not inconsiderable 627 pages, I am now throwing in the towel and abandon this book.
Two points that bothered me very much throughout were, firstly, that it seemed as if the principle of "show, don't tell" was completely unknown at the time the books were written. Nothing is ever shown, only the end result is described.
Secondly, I found the magic system indescribably weak. Le Guin based it on the principle of the "true name", an idea that exists in many primitive cultures. But you don't even begin to learn how the magic works. And then he spoke the true name of his enemy and the enemy was dead. And then he conjured up a wind and the boat just flew across the sea.
The first three volumes were apparently commissioned by the publisher, who wanted fantasy books for young readers. Since in the 1960s it was almost exclusively boys who read fantasy and adventure books, the target audience was probably 14-year-old boys. For the life of me, I can't imagine how a 14-year-old could enjoy the stories. The characters were flat and not very likeable, the plot itself not even moderately exciting and the execution - as highly as I appreciate LeGuin's sci-fi novels - left a lot to be desired.
The second volume with Arha as the protagonist was a bit more interesting, while the third volume was already comatosely boring.
In the fourth volume, I liked the feminist ideas that the author incorporated. Still, I found it hard not to get sleepy while reading.
And now that I have read more than half of this very bulky book and find it increasingly difficult to continue reading here, I am giving up and devoting my time to my many other unread books.
*****************
Nach nicht unerheblichen 627 Seiten werfe ich nun das Handtuch und breche dieses Buch ab.
Zwei Punkte, die mich durchwegs sehr gestört haben, waren zum einen, dass es so schien, als wäre das Prinzip “Show, don’t tell” zum Entstehungszeitpunkt der Bücher vollkommen unbekannt gewesen. Es wird nie etwas gezeigt, sondern immer nur das Endergebnis beschrieben.
Zum anderen fand ich das Magiesystem unbeschreiblich schwachbrüstig. Le Guin baut es auf dem Prinzip des “wahren Namens” auf, einer Vorstellung, die es in vielen primitiven Kulturen gibt. Aber man erfährt nicht mal ansatzweise, wie die Magie funktioniert. Und dann sprach er den wahren Namen seines Feindes und der Feind war tot. Und dann zauberte er einen Wind herbei und das Boot flog nur so übers Meer.
Die ersten drei Bände waren offenbar eine Auftragsarbeit für den Verlag, der sich Fantasybücher für junge Leser gewünscht hat. Da in den 60er Jahren nahezu ausschließlich Jungs Fantasy- und Abenteuerbücher gelesen haben, war die Zielgruppe wohl 14-jährige Jungs. Ich kann mir beim besten Willen nicht vorstellen, wie ein 14-jähriger Gefallen an den Geschichten finden konnte. Die Charaktere waren flach und wenig sympathisch, der Plot selbst nicht mal mäßig aufregend und die Ausführung - so hoch ich LeGuins SciFi-Romane schätze - ließ zu wünschen übrig.
Der zweite Band mit Arha als Protagonistin war etwas interessanter, während der dritte Band schon komatös langweilig war.
Im vierten Band gefielen mir die feministischen Ideen, die die Autorin verarbeitet hat. Dennoch fiel es mir schwer, beim Lesen nicht schläfrig zu werden.
Und nachdem ich nun mehr als die Hälfte dieses sehr dicken Buches gelesen habe und es mir immer schwerer fällt, hier weiterzulesen, gebe ich nun auf und widme meine Zeit meinen vielen anderen ungelesenen Büchern.
------------------
After a not inconsiderable 627 pages, I am now throwing in the towel and abandon this book.
Two points that bothered me very much throughout were, firstly, that it seemed as if the principle of "show, don't tell" was completely unknown at the time the books were written. Nothing is ever shown, only the end result is described.
Secondly, I found the magic system indescribably weak. Le Guin based it on the principle of the "true name", an idea that exists in many primitive cultures. But you don't even begin to learn how the magic works. And then he spoke the true name of his enemy and the enemy was dead. And then he conjured up a wind and the boat just flew across the sea.
The first three volumes were apparently commissioned by the publisher, who wanted fantasy books for young readers. Since in the 1960s it was almost exclusively boys who read fantasy and adventure books, the target audience was probably 14-year-old boys. For the life of me, I can't imagine how a 14-year-old could enjoy the stories. The characters were flat and not very likeable, the plot itself not even moderately exciting and the execution - as highly as I appreciate LeGuin's sci-fi novels - left a lot to be desired.
The second volume with Arha as the protagonist was a bit more interesting, while the third volume was already comatosely boring.
In the fourth volume, I liked the feminist ideas that the author incorporated. Still, I found it hard not to get sleepy while reading.
And now that I have read more than half of this very bulky book and find it increasingly difficult to continue reading here, I am giving up and devoting my time to my many other unread books.
October 24, 2015
Il mago
****
Le tombe di Atuan
*****
Il Signore dei draghi
****
L'isola del drago
*****
I venti di Terramare
*****
Le leggende di Terramare
****
****
Le tombe di Atuan
*****
Il Signore dei draghi
****
L'isola del drago
*****
I venti di Terramare
*****
Le leggende di Terramare
****
June 19, 2021
Tener la colección completa de Los Libros de Terramar en un solo tomo es una maravilla, aunque mis costillas (sobre las que apoyaba el libro al leer en la cama) no dicen lo mismo. He estado leyendo este libro desde enero, así que básicamente me he pasado medio año surcando las aguas del archipiélago de Terramar. Ha sido una experiencia muy bonita sumergirme en este mundo, aunque en ocasiones resultase agridulce. Agridulce porque esta saga, aunque al principio parece la fantasía convencional y llena de clichés a la que estamos acostumbrados, introduce mucha crítica sobre la sociedad patriarcal y racista en la que vivimos, y de cuyas bases surge la fantasía. La propia Úrsula lo dice varias veces en los comentarios finales de cada libro: no se puede separar la fantasía de la política y la moral. Hay una frase de la autora que me ha gustado mucho con respecto a esto y que creo que es verdad:
«Cuando el mundo gira, no puedes seguir pensando al revés. Lo que era inocencia ahora es irresponsabilidad»
Con esta frase creo que podría resumirse lo que ha sido para Le Guin escribir fantasía a lo largo de su vida, a lo largo de un extenso período en el que el feminismo fue cobrando forma y se fue asentando también en su propia obra. Ha sido una delicia poder recorrer ese camino a través de las páginas de esta edición.
Con respecto a la pluma de la autora, es cierto que había veces que se me hacía muy denso, realmente esta saga no ha sido "lectura ligera". Hay libros que te los bebes, que parpadeas y ya te los has terminado. No es el caso de este libro. Creo que es una saga que hay que disfrutar con calma, con paciencia y con cariño. Es por eso que me he tomado mi tiempo para leerlo, he estado desde enero hasta hoy (19 de junio) alternándolo con otros libros para no saturarme. No obstante, no creo que sea algo malo, simplemente ha sido un disfrute pausado.
Cada uno de los libros de esta saga me ha aportado una cosa diferente, a continuación voy a poner lo que he ido comentando sobre cada uno, con algunos añadidos:
Un mago de Terramar
Esta es la segunda vez que leo este libro y me ha gustado mil veces más que la anterior. He disfrutado mucho del viaje de Ged por los archipiélagos y de su propio crecimiento. Es una novela fantástica con muchos clichés y un viaje del héroe bastante marcado, pero que, de alguna forma, marca una notable diferencia con todo lo que he leído hasta ahora. Quizá sea su pluma, que es capaz de narrar la evolución de un personaje desde sus orígenes humildes adelantándote desde el principio que se convertirá en alguien muy poderoso. Es una mezcla de cotidianeidad y de épica. Y que /todos/ los personajes sean racializados es una maravilla.
Las tumbas de Atuán
Otra vez igual, la relectura la he disfrutado más que la primera vez que lo leí. La diferencia entre el camino de Tenar con el de Ged es muy interesante, y es muy bonito cómo se acaban complementando.
La costa más lejana
Este libro ha sido más oscuro, se nota la evolución personal de la autora y el cambio de su manera de ver el mundo. No obstante, el mundo que nos ofrece no es diferente al de los anteriores libros, es el mismo, y es compatible con la oscuridad que está presente en esta historia. Nos muestra una nueva faceta de Ged: la madurez y la maestría, ha llegado ya a ser ese gran mago de las leyendas. Y aún así, sigue siendo él. En esta entrega tenemos también a su acompañante, Arren, que viaja con Ged por el archipiélago para reparar el mal que está llevando al caos al mundo. Este personaje no se me ha hecho demasiado interesante en comparación con su co-protagonista, pero supone un apoyo importante para Ged a lo largo de su travesía.
Tehanu
Este libro ha sido muy diferente a los anteriores. Más crudo, cotidiano y como un baño de agua fría. Ya no es fantasía épica, es la vida de una mujer que ha decidido vivir alejada de la magia, es el hombre que ha perdido su poder, es la niña a la que le arrebataron todo a pocos años de nacer. Es una historia de amor y de luchas del día a día. | Esto fue lo que escribí antes de leer la conferencia de Le Guin al final del libro. Ella defiende que este libro sí es fantasía épica, solo que está fuera de lo preestablecido por el hombre como épica, que lo considerado propio de mujer se mira desde una óptica de superioridad. Es algo que ella misma reproduce a lo largo de toda la saga con el dicho del archipiélago: «Débil como magia de mujer, maligno como magia de mujer». Asimismo, en este libro Le Guin habla acerca de la sexualidad de los magos en contraposición de la de las brujas e introduce una crítica al patriarcado y la virilidad de los hombres. Creo que de este libro se puede hacer un análisis muy profundo sobre literatura y sobre la sociedad y que tiene mucha "chicha" de la que hablar. A mí es el que menos me ha gustado, pero creo que es precisamente por ese baño de agua fría. Para mí la fantasía suele ser un refugio, pero este libro ha sido un golpe de realidad.
Cuentos de Terramar
Estas 5 historias me han parecido una maravilla. Retoman el espíritu fantástico y bucólico de "Un mago en Terramar", que echaba tanto en falta después de lo árido que fue Tehanu. He disfrutado muchísimo leyéndolas y he me enamorado de nuevos personajes que, con sus diálogos interiores y sus vivencias, han completado un poquito más el mundo que ha creado Le Guin.
En el otro viento
Ha sido un buen final de historia, me ha dado mucha ternurita. Creo que es el libro que más me ha gustado porque me han caído bien todos los personajes, cada uno tenía una pieza que aportar al puzzle. También me ha emocionado bastante que todo termine allí donde empezó. Qué boñito.
Lo que queda después ya es Una descripción de Terramar y una serie de relatos que completan este mundo que ha creado la autora. Quiero hacer especial mención a La regla de los nombres porque me sorprendió el final y creo que es el relato que más me ha gustado de estos últimos.
Finalmente, la ya mencionada conferencia de Le Guin, Terramar revisada, me parece de lectura obligatoria para cualquier fan de la fantasía. Es un placer leerla hablar sobre teoría de la literatura y sobre feminismo, y me han resultado muy interesantes sus análisis.
«Cuando el mundo gira, no puedes seguir pensando al revés. Lo que era inocencia ahora es irresponsabilidad»
Con esta frase creo que podría resumirse lo que ha sido para Le Guin escribir fantasía a lo largo de su vida, a lo largo de un extenso período en el que el feminismo fue cobrando forma y se fue asentando también en su propia obra. Ha sido una delicia poder recorrer ese camino a través de las páginas de esta edición.
Con respecto a la pluma de la autora, es cierto que había veces que se me hacía muy denso, realmente esta saga no ha sido "lectura ligera". Hay libros que te los bebes, que parpadeas y ya te los has terminado. No es el caso de este libro. Creo que es una saga que hay que disfrutar con calma, con paciencia y con cariño. Es por eso que me he tomado mi tiempo para leerlo, he estado desde enero hasta hoy (19 de junio) alternándolo con otros libros para no saturarme. No obstante, no creo que sea algo malo, simplemente ha sido un disfrute pausado.
Cada uno de los libros de esta saga me ha aportado una cosa diferente, a continuación voy a poner lo que he ido comentando sobre cada uno, con algunos añadidos:
Un mago de Terramar
Esta es la segunda vez que leo este libro y me ha gustado mil veces más que la anterior. He disfrutado mucho del viaje de Ged por los archipiélagos y de su propio crecimiento. Es una novela fantástica con muchos clichés y un viaje del héroe bastante marcado, pero que, de alguna forma, marca una notable diferencia con todo lo que he leído hasta ahora. Quizá sea su pluma, que es capaz de narrar la evolución de un personaje desde sus orígenes humildes adelantándote desde el principio que se convertirá en alguien muy poderoso. Es una mezcla de cotidianeidad y de épica. Y que /todos/ los personajes sean racializados es una maravilla.
Las tumbas de Atuán
Otra vez igual, la relectura la he disfrutado más que la primera vez que lo leí. La diferencia entre el camino de Tenar con el de Ged es muy interesante, y es muy bonito cómo se acaban complementando.
La costa más lejana
Este libro ha sido más oscuro, se nota la evolución personal de la autora y el cambio de su manera de ver el mundo. No obstante, el mundo que nos ofrece no es diferente al de los anteriores libros, es el mismo, y es compatible con la oscuridad que está presente en esta historia. Nos muestra una nueva faceta de Ged: la madurez y la maestría, ha llegado ya a ser ese gran mago de las leyendas. Y aún así, sigue siendo él. En esta entrega tenemos también a su acompañante, Arren, que viaja con Ged por el archipiélago para reparar el mal que está llevando al caos al mundo. Este personaje no se me ha hecho demasiado interesante en comparación con su co-protagonista, pero supone un apoyo importante para Ged a lo largo de su travesía.
Tehanu
Este libro ha sido muy diferente a los anteriores. Más crudo, cotidiano y como un baño de agua fría. Ya no es fantasía épica, es la vida de una mujer que ha decidido vivir alejada de la magia, es el hombre que ha perdido su poder, es la niña a la que le arrebataron todo a pocos años de nacer. Es una historia de amor y de luchas del día a día. | Esto fue lo que escribí antes de leer la conferencia de Le Guin al final del libro. Ella defiende que este libro sí es fantasía épica, solo que está fuera de lo preestablecido por el hombre como épica, que lo considerado propio de mujer se mira desde una óptica de superioridad. Es algo que ella misma reproduce a lo largo de toda la saga con el dicho del archipiélago: «Débil como magia de mujer, maligno como magia de mujer». Asimismo, en este libro Le Guin habla acerca de la sexualidad de los magos en contraposición de la de las brujas e introduce una crítica al patriarcado y la virilidad de los hombres. Creo que de este libro se puede hacer un análisis muy profundo sobre literatura y sobre la sociedad y que tiene mucha "chicha" de la que hablar. A mí es el que menos me ha gustado, pero creo que es precisamente por ese baño de agua fría. Para mí la fantasía suele ser un refugio, pero este libro ha sido un golpe de realidad.
Cuentos de Terramar
Estas 5 historias me han parecido una maravilla. Retoman el espíritu fantástico y bucólico de "Un mago en Terramar", que echaba tanto en falta después de lo árido que fue Tehanu. He disfrutado muchísimo leyéndolas y he me enamorado de nuevos personajes que, con sus diálogos interiores y sus vivencias, han completado un poquito más el mundo que ha creado Le Guin.
En el otro viento
Ha sido un buen final de historia, me ha dado mucha ternurita. Creo que es el libro que más me ha gustado porque me han caído bien todos los personajes, cada uno tenía una pieza que aportar al puzzle. También me ha emocionado bastante que todo termine allí donde empezó. Qué boñito.
Lo que queda después ya es Una descripción de Terramar y una serie de relatos que completan este mundo que ha creado la autora. Quiero hacer especial mención a La regla de los nombres porque me sorprendió el final y creo que es el relato que más me ha gustado de estos últimos.
Finalmente, la ya mencionada conferencia de Le Guin, Terramar revisada, me parece de lectura obligatoria para cualquier fan de la fantasía. Es un placer leerla hablar sobre teoría de la literatura y sobre feminismo, y me han resultado muy interesantes sus análisis.
January 21, 2019
This is my third or fourth time reading Earthsea. I read it in about a week, and I'm sad there isn't more. Earthsea is perhaps the 20th century's greatest contribution to fantasy literature--and I say that specifically with Tolkien in mind. Middle Earth is arguably better worked out, with books and books of backstory that are still dribbling out. But Le Guin rewrites fantasy, and rewrites heroism, in ways that Tolkien could never have imagined.
What is Le Guin doing here? First, it's a fantasy without war. There are swords, and there are struggles; but there are no giant pitched battles. Second, there's a recognition that evil is internal, that it's not a matter of good guys and bad guys, Gandalf vs Sauron, and all that. To struggle against evil, you need to recognize that the evil is within you, and you are within it. An external enemy is too easy and too simplistic. That insight completely changes the nature of heroism; it's not about acting against the Enemy, it's about understanding how you're part of the Enemy, and then doing only that which you have no choice but to do (roughly in Ged's words).
Third, the latter three books re-envision the role of women, who aren't just bystanders, but central actors, heroes. If you look at much young adult fiction these days, it's difficult to imagine a time when all heroes were inevitably male, just as it's hard to imagine a time when fantasy heroines were rare. But they were. And Le Guin's women aren't just men with breasts. The latter three books are about women coming to power, and taking power within a system that has rejected them--and finding that their power is central to healing their world.
And last--all the books are about rejecting the lie of immortality. That's so tightly tied to the books in the series it's hard to write about without spoilers. The paradox of living is that life and death are bound together. The only way to live is to embrace death, not to escape it--and in trying to escape death, previous generations of mages have wounded creation by creating a loveless, soulless topography from which even the dead want to escape.
That's a lot to handle in one series. It's possible that other writers have been as bold; Patricia A. McKillip has written novels that turn away from battle (my favorite is The Forgotten Beasts of Eld), and with female heroes (Eld again, and of course Riddle-Master--though Raederle spends most of the series rejecting her power). I'm sure there are others. Le Guin acknowledges her debts to Tokien, McCaffrey, and other fantasy authors. But I don't think anyone has been as bold as successfully, nor written so well in the process.
There are a few things I didn't like about this edition. This is a giant monster of a book. It's nice to have everything in one place: all six books, plus four short stories, two of which (I think) have never been published. But it's uncomfortable to read. The pages are just too big. It's sort of like reading a pulpit bible--fine if you're standing at a lectern, not fine if you're lying in bed. (I have a similar edition of Lord of the Rings, with gilt-edged pages even, and it has the same problem.) Why do publishers do this?
I didn't particularly like the illustrations, though I don't know what I would have liked better. Le Guin has always made the point that the Hardic people are dark-skinned, and the people in these illustrations never seemed dark enough. Le Guin also says that, while the first three books are "young adult fiction," the last three definitely aren't; and the illustrations seemed more appropriate to a book I'd find in the teen section of the library.
But those are small complaints. At this point, all I can do is look forward to reading Earthsea a fourth or fifth time.
What is Le Guin doing here? First, it's a fantasy without war. There are swords, and there are struggles; but there are no giant pitched battles. Second, there's a recognition that evil is internal, that it's not a matter of good guys and bad guys, Gandalf vs Sauron, and all that. To struggle against evil, you need to recognize that the evil is within you, and you are within it. An external enemy is too easy and too simplistic. That insight completely changes the nature of heroism; it's not about acting against the Enemy, it's about understanding how you're part of the Enemy, and then doing only that which you have no choice but to do (roughly in Ged's words).
Third, the latter three books re-envision the role of women, who aren't just bystanders, but central actors, heroes. If you look at much young adult fiction these days, it's difficult to imagine a time when all heroes were inevitably male, just as it's hard to imagine a time when fantasy heroines were rare. But they were. And Le Guin's women aren't just men with breasts. The latter three books are about women coming to power, and taking power within a system that has rejected them--and finding that their power is central to healing their world.
And last--all the books are about rejecting the lie of immortality. That's so tightly tied to the books in the series it's hard to write about without spoilers. The paradox of living is that life and death are bound together. The only way to live is to embrace death, not to escape it--and in trying to escape death, previous generations of mages have wounded creation by creating a loveless, soulless topography from which even the dead want to escape.
That's a lot to handle in one series. It's possible that other writers have been as bold; Patricia A. McKillip has written novels that turn away from battle (my favorite is The Forgotten Beasts of Eld), and with female heroes (Eld again, and of course Riddle-Master--though Raederle spends most of the series rejecting her power). I'm sure there are others. Le Guin acknowledges her debts to Tokien, McCaffrey, and other fantasy authors. But I don't think anyone has been as bold as successfully, nor written so well in the process.
There are a few things I didn't like about this edition. This is a giant monster of a book. It's nice to have everything in one place: all six books, plus four short stories, two of which (I think) have never been published. But it's uncomfortable to read. The pages are just too big. It's sort of like reading a pulpit bible--fine if you're standing at a lectern, not fine if you're lying in bed. (I have a similar edition of Lord of the Rings, with gilt-edged pages even, and it has the same problem.) Why do publishers do this?
I didn't particularly like the illustrations, though I don't know what I would have liked better. Le Guin has always made the point that the Hardic people are dark-skinned, and the people in these illustrations never seemed dark enough. Le Guin also says that, while the first three books are "young adult fiction," the last three definitely aren't; and the illustrations seemed more appropriate to a book I'd find in the teen section of the library.
But those are small complaints. At this point, all I can do is look forward to reading Earthsea a fourth or fifth time.
February 27, 2022
Review nur des ersten Teils: Der Magier der Erdsee
Zunächst war ich mit zwei Ernüchterungen konfrontiert: 1. Stilistisch ist die Geschichte eher für Jugendliche geschrieben und ich hatte Literatur für Erwachsene erwartet, 2. Im Mittelpunkt stehen männliche Figuren und ich hatte, weil Le Guin so gehandelt wird, starke Frauen erwartet. Die, wie ich inzwischen weiß, spielen aber erst in den folgenden Teilen der Reihe eine wesentliche Rolle.
Dennoch liest sich diese Geschichte sehr gut. Dass ich verschiedene Motive wie weißbärtige alte Magier, Drachen usw. etwas abgedroschen finde, liegt wohl eher an meinem verhaltenen Interesse an Fantasy – das Genre funktioniert nun einmal über genau solche Motive. Gut gefallen mir dagegen die teils schwarzweißen, teils farbigen Illustrationen; ebenso wie die Landkarte am Anfang, auch wenn diese so komplex ist, dass man nicht auf Anhieb jeden erwähnten Ort findet.
Auf jeden Fall schreckt mich die Lektüre nicht ab, mich irgendwann den folgenden Teilen zu widmen, wenn auch nicht gleich jetzt.
Das Nachwort sollte noch erwähnt werden: Le Guin erklärt dort, warum es in ihrer Geschichte, anders als sonst oft in der Fantasy, keine Kriegsszenen gibt. Ein Held, dessen Heldentum darin besteht, andere umzubringen, ist für mich uninteressant, und ich verabscheue die hormonellen Kriegsorgien unserer visuellen Medien [...]
Man kann gerade nicht einmal Fantasy lesen, ohne sich an unsere Realität erinnert zu fühlen.
Zunächst war ich mit zwei Ernüchterungen konfrontiert: 1. Stilistisch ist die Geschichte eher für Jugendliche geschrieben und ich hatte Literatur für Erwachsene erwartet, 2. Im Mittelpunkt stehen männliche Figuren und ich hatte, weil Le Guin so gehandelt wird, starke Frauen erwartet. Die, wie ich inzwischen weiß, spielen aber erst in den folgenden Teilen der Reihe eine wesentliche Rolle.
Dennoch liest sich diese Geschichte sehr gut. Dass ich verschiedene Motive wie weißbärtige alte Magier, Drachen usw. etwas abgedroschen finde, liegt wohl eher an meinem verhaltenen Interesse an Fantasy – das Genre funktioniert nun einmal über genau solche Motive. Gut gefallen mir dagegen die teils schwarzweißen, teils farbigen Illustrationen; ebenso wie die Landkarte am Anfang, auch wenn diese so komplex ist, dass man nicht auf Anhieb jeden erwähnten Ort findet.
Auf jeden Fall schreckt mich die Lektüre nicht ab, mich irgendwann den folgenden Teilen zu widmen, wenn auch nicht gleich jetzt.
Das Nachwort sollte noch erwähnt werden: Le Guin erklärt dort, warum es in ihrer Geschichte, anders als sonst oft in der Fantasy, keine Kriegsszenen gibt. Ein Held, dessen Heldentum darin besteht, andere umzubringen, ist für mich uninteressant, und ich verabscheue die hormonellen Kriegsorgien unserer visuellen Medien [...]
Man kann gerade nicht einmal Fantasy lesen, ohne sich an unsere Realität erinnert zu fühlen.
March 28, 2020
This journey has come to an end, and I am feeling really grateful for this series and at the same time sad that it ended. Please read this book, all I have to say!
February 13, 2022
Y volver, volver, volver a Terramar...
February 20, 2020
I'm not sure I can recommend this huge collection highly enough. I have read a *LOT* of fantasy over the decades, and the Earthsea books remain my favorite series of all time, and LeGuin one of my favorite authors. I think it was A Wizard of Earthsea that first really got me into fantasy and inspired me, and I think its narrative voice inspired my own voice in my own first novel. It was not on the "Appendix N" list of Gary Gygax, and I'm not surprised (he preferred pulpy, adult stuff, and Earthsea was originally marketed for young adults), but I always thought that it ought to have been on the list - fantasy that inspired my own early forays into D&D and fantasy. This massive tome collects all 6 Earthsea books and a few short stories related to Earthsea - a weighty collection! And illustrated! It's a beautiful book. I did notice a couple of minor typos (in The Farthest Shore, there is a reference to the mountains in the Dry Land being named "Paln," rather than "Pain" - "Pain" is definitely correct, but the island of Paln features prominently in the story, so I can understand why the editor didn't catch it - and in the final story, "Firelight," Ogion the Silent's true name is given as "Elehal" rather than the correct "Aihal" a number of times - Elehal was a character in one of the stories from Tales From Earthsea). But these relatively minor textual errors do not detract from the fact that this is a wonderful compilation of some of the best fantasy fiction every written!
August 23, 2022
3.5/5
Currently reading
February 14, 2024Il mago
Piacevole, anche se non c'è quasi azione. Non me lo aspettavo così introspettivo. Mi sembra però un po'... semplice? Non mi sono affezionata a nessun personaggio, anche . Lettura, per ora, davvero estiva e leggera.
Le tombe di Atuan
Già meglio, e decisamente più cupo. Se il primo libro mi è sembrato per bambini, qui ho cominciato a chiedermi se non possa diventare il giusto regalo di natale per un ragazzino più grandicello. Quello che mi enusiasma è l'abilità di tenerti incollato alla pagina anche se, in fondo, non succede chissà cosa.
Il signore dei draghi
Ok, questo mi è proprio piaciuto, la trama è più articolata e Arren, il comprimario, è davvero un bel carattere, con un buon arco di crescita.
L'isola del drago
Finora quello che mi è piaciuto di più. Tuttavia trovo che, anche questa volta, il finale sia anticlimatico. Kalessin è un deus ex machina semplicistico.
Piacevole, anche se non c'è quasi azione. Non me lo aspettavo così introspettivo. Mi sembra però un po'... semplice? Non mi sono affezionata a nessun personaggio, anche . Lettura, per ora, davvero estiva e leggera.
Le tombe di Atuan
Già meglio, e decisamente più cupo. Se il primo libro mi è sembrato per bambini, qui ho cominciato a chiedermi se non possa diventare il giusto regalo di natale per un ragazzino più grandicello. Quello che mi enusiasma è l'abilità di tenerti incollato alla pagina anche se, in fondo, non succede chissà cosa.
Il signore dei draghi
Ok, questo mi è proprio piaciuto, la trama è più articolata e Arren, il comprimario, è davvero un bel carattere, con un buon arco di crescita.
L'isola del drago
Finora quello che mi è piaciuto di più. Tuttavia trovo che, anche questa volta, il finale sia anticlimatico. Kalessin è un deus ex machina semplicistico.
September 24, 2021
Feeling very mixed about all these books. I will say this collected edition is great, the illustrations are beautiful - that being said the stories inside are...inconsistent? I think overall they were ok - like maybe the hype for Le Guin ruined the stories for me but overall I'm just dissapointed in them. The strongest two were for sure tombs of Atuan and Tehanu (both would probably get 4 starts if I rated them individually), honestly the rest are.....kind of mediocre? somewhere between 2 or 3 stars? like they aren't bad stories, I think anyone who would pick thse up would not have a bad time... and that's what I had....not a bad time for the most part, but honestly if someone asked me for some fun YA books to read I would not point at Earthsea.
May 1, 2021
I: Czarnoksiężnik z Archipelagu skończony i nie wiem jeszcze, co mam myśleć o Ziemiomorzu. Wszystko pędzi na łeb na szyję w dodatku mam wielki problem z geografią świata Le Guin i przemieszczeniem się bohaterów po nim, co oczywiście wpływa bezpośrednio na trudny do określenia czas akcji. Plusem jest to, że jest to zebrane w jeden tom, bo mógłbym nie lecieć szybko po kolejny do księgarni. Czytam dalej.
II: Koniec tomu drugiego. Zaczynam powoli rozumieć fenomen Le Guin, to nie jest zwyczajne fantasy. Historia Tenar jest piękna, bardzo baśniowa no i wspaniale napisana.
Autorka w bardzo subtelny sposób buduje niewiarygodnie ciekawy świat Ziemiomorza. Niewiele zdradzając pozwala na snucie domysłów i mnogość interpretacji. Oczywiście czytam dalej, bez przerw.
III: Najdalszemu brzegowi" jest już zdecydowanie bliżej do typowej powieści drogi osadzonej w świecie fantasy. Le Guin stworzyła urzekającą relacje mistrza z młodym uczniem, a wszystko to opakowała wciąż powiększającym się i równie nieoczywistym, jak wcześniej światem Ziemiomorza, gdzie nic nie można brać za pewnik. Jestem zachwycony tym zbiorem!
IV: "Tehanu" to do tej pory najbardziej intymna i najspokojniejsza część cyklu Ziemiomorza. Le Guin porusza w niej tematy takie jak rola kobiet w tradycyjnym społeczeństwie, starość, mierzenie się ze stratą, a główny wątek magi i równowagi mocy to tylko pretekst do snucia opowieści o trójce bardzo doświadczonych przez życie ludzi na wyspie Gont. To chyba, jak dotąd mój ulubiony tom ze świata Ziemiomorza.
V: "Inny wiatr" okazał się finałowym tomem historii Ziemiomorza w którym dzieje się wiele, mimo to, że Ged siedzi sobie grzecznie na Goncie i pasie kozy :) Rolę najważniejszych bohaterów przejmują kobiety i smoki, które w końcu pojawiają się na dłużej. Rozwiązanie okazuje się spójne ze światem, jaki stworzyła Le Guin, choć wciąż wiele pozostaje niedopowiedziane.
VI: "Opowieści z Ziemiomorza" są najmłodszym tomem i pełnią funkcję uzupełnienia do poznanej historii. Pięć opowiadań, lepszych i gorszych zdradza nieco więcej o powstaniu szkoły na Roke, odsunięciu kobiet o magii, ale Le Guin nie zapomina też o Gedzie i jego przygodach. Szkoda, że tych opowiadań nie powstało więcej, bo na koniec niesamowicie przykro jest mi rozstawać się z tym światem. Seria jest do ponownego przeczytania, tym bardziej pozostałe książki autorki.
II: Koniec tomu drugiego. Zaczynam powoli rozumieć fenomen Le Guin, to nie jest zwyczajne fantasy. Historia Tenar jest piękna, bardzo baśniowa no i wspaniale napisana.
Autorka w bardzo subtelny sposób buduje niewiarygodnie ciekawy świat Ziemiomorza. Niewiele zdradzając pozwala na snucie domysłów i mnogość interpretacji. Oczywiście czytam dalej, bez przerw.
III: Najdalszemu brzegowi" jest już zdecydowanie bliżej do typowej powieści drogi osadzonej w świecie fantasy. Le Guin stworzyła urzekającą relacje mistrza z młodym uczniem, a wszystko to opakowała wciąż powiększającym się i równie nieoczywistym, jak wcześniej światem Ziemiomorza, gdzie nic nie można brać za pewnik. Jestem zachwycony tym zbiorem!
IV: "Tehanu" to do tej pory najbardziej intymna i najspokojniejsza część cyklu Ziemiomorza. Le Guin porusza w niej tematy takie jak rola kobiet w tradycyjnym społeczeństwie, starość, mierzenie się ze stratą, a główny wątek magi i równowagi mocy to tylko pretekst do snucia opowieści o trójce bardzo doświadczonych przez życie ludzi na wyspie Gont. To chyba, jak dotąd mój ulubiony tom ze świata Ziemiomorza.
V: "Inny wiatr" okazał się finałowym tomem historii Ziemiomorza w którym dzieje się wiele, mimo to, że Ged siedzi sobie grzecznie na Goncie i pasie kozy :) Rolę najważniejszych bohaterów przejmują kobiety i smoki, które w końcu pojawiają się na dłużej. Rozwiązanie okazuje się spójne ze światem, jaki stworzyła Le Guin, choć wciąż wiele pozostaje niedopowiedziane.
VI: "Opowieści z Ziemiomorza" są najmłodszym tomem i pełnią funkcję uzupełnienia do poznanej historii. Pięć opowiadań, lepszych i gorszych zdradza nieco więcej o powstaniu szkoły na Roke, odsunięciu kobiet o magii, ale Le Guin nie zapomina też o Gedzie i jego przygodach. Szkoda, że tych opowiadań nie powstało więcej, bo na koniec niesamowicie przykro jest mi rozstawać się z tym światem. Seria jest do ponownego przeczytania, tym bardziej pozostałe książki autorki.
July 24, 2024
Non saprei come definire questa saga...
Da una parte, i primi 2 libri, mi hanno lasciato estasiata (a tratti). Ci sono degli elementi e degli svolgimenti assurdi. Spesso ho pensato "wow, geniale". Dall'altra parte, una noia e una lentezza disarmante.
Probabilmente questo tipo di fantasy non fa per me. Un tomo di circa 1500 pagine, privo di azione. Dove succede veramente poco.
Diciamo che forse l'obiettivo era, mostrare un tipo di fantasy del tutto "poetico", fatto di riflessione e saggezza, ma dopo poche centinaia di pagine diventa tutto molto pesante.
Peccato, avevo grosse aspettative...
Da una parte, i primi 2 libri, mi hanno lasciato estasiata (a tratti). Ci sono degli elementi e degli svolgimenti assurdi. Spesso ho pensato "wow, geniale". Dall'altra parte, una noia e una lentezza disarmante.
Probabilmente questo tipo di fantasy non fa per me. Un tomo di circa 1500 pagine, privo di azione. Dove succede veramente poco.
Diciamo che forse l'obiettivo era, mostrare un tipo di fantasy del tutto "poetico", fatto di riflessione e saggezza, ma dopo poche centinaia di pagine diventa tutto molto pesante.
Peccato, avevo grosse aspettative...
April 9, 2023
съвършено издание.
February 23, 2025
Several friends expressed amazement that I'm first reading the Earthsea books in 2025. I love Ursula Le Guin's sci-fi novels, but somehow never tried this fantasy series before. Given my preference for sci-fi over fantasy, I wonder whether I would've got past the first book without being lent a monumental volume containing the entire series. A Wizard of Earthsea is beautifully written, but took me a while to get into. Only when it the protagonist was being pursued by a creepy spectre did I become genuinely interested. The second and third books I then found compelling and enjoyable from start to finish. The short stories and latter two novels were also involving, but different as they were consciously written as adult rather than YA fiction. The novels form a contiguous narrative, with some of the short stories as tangents. Together they explore the metaphysics of Earthsea, an archipelago of many islands in a vast sea. I loved Le Guin's ecological concept of magic:
That is from The Farthest Shore, the third book in the series and my favourite. It has an ostensibly simple yet profound and philosophical plot, which is revealed at a pace perfectly gauged for tension. A quest with wizards and dragons becomes an enquiry into what makes people human. The Farthest Shore struck me as precursor of the His Dark Materials trilogy. Although the two are very different in their details, they are similarly concerned with the destabilisation of barriers between life and death.
I was also very fond of the second book in the series, The Tombs of Atuan, and Tenar proved to be my favourite character in the whole series. I wonder if her experiences as The Eaten One were an inspiration for the wonderful Locked Tomb series? The subsequent Tehanu and The Other Wind are more challenging yet deeply rewarding fare. They widen the reader's view of Earthsea beyond its wizards and heroes, to show the significance of ordinary lives - particularly women's lives. After spending a lot of time on Roke, the wizard school to which no women are admitted, Tehanu gives some insight into the much-maligned witches. It's not just wizards who have a concept of Equilibrium:
The 992-page collected edition that my friend kindly lent me was a little unwieldy, but more than made up for that with its beautiful presentation (including gorgeous illustrations by Charles Vess) and the inclusion of afterwords with the author's thoughts on each of the books. I found it fascinating to learn how Le Guin came to publish the six books over 31 years and how she feels about each in retrospect. She also comments insightfully on the fantasy genre more generally:
The latter books of Earthsea are recognisably more mature and complex than the former three in tone and content, as you might expect, and that is part of the joy of reading them in order. I rather regret not happening across the series at a younger age, or being put off by the wizard-and-dragon-ness if I did, as teenage me would surely have enjoyed them. Nonetheless, adult me definitely did as well. A full collection with authorial reflections was definitely a good way to approach them as an adult, whereas a teenager would probably find that too intimidating and prefer them split up. Whatever age you might do so, Earthsea is a beguiling place to visit.
"Do you see, Arren, how an act is not, as young men think, like a rock that one picks up and throws, and it hits or misses, and that's the end of it. When that rock is lifted, the earth is lighter; the hand that bears it is heavier. When it is thrown, the circuits of the stars respond, and where it strikes or falls the universe is changed. On every act the Balance of the Whole depends. The winds and seas, the powers of water and earth and light, all that these do, and all that the beasts and green things do, is well done, and rightly done. All these act within the Equilibrium. From the hurricane and the great whale's sounding to the fall of a dry leaf and the gnat's flight, all they do is done within the Balance of the Whole. But we, insofar as we have power over the world and over one another, we must learn to do what the leaf and the whale and the wind do of their own nature. We must learn to keep the Balance. Having intelligence, we must not act in ignorance. Having choice, we must not act without responsibility. Who am I - though I have the power to do it - to punish and reward, playing with men's destinies?"
"But then," the boy said, frowning at the stars, "is the Balance to be kept by doing nothing? Surely a man must act, even not knowing all the consequences of his act, if anything is to be done at all?"
That is from The Farthest Shore, the third book in the series and my favourite. It has an ostensibly simple yet profound and philosophical plot, which is revealed at a pace perfectly gauged for tension. A quest with wizards and dragons becomes an enquiry into what makes people human. The Farthest Shore struck me as precursor of the His Dark Materials trilogy. Although the two are very different in their details, they are similarly concerned with the destabilisation of barriers between life and death.
I was also very fond of the second book in the series, The Tombs of Atuan, and Tenar proved to be my favourite character in the whole series. I wonder if her experiences as The Eaten One were an inspiration for the wonderful Locked Tomb series? The subsequent Tehanu and The Other Wind are more challenging yet deeply rewarding fare. They widen the reader's view of Earthsea beyond its wizards and heroes, to show the significance of ordinary lives - particularly women's lives. After spending a lot of time on Roke, the wizard school to which no women are admitted, Tehanu gives some insight into the much-maligned witches. It's not just wizards who have a concept of Equilibrium:
"Will you be about the house?" she asked him, across some distance. "Therru's asleep. I want to walk a little."
"Yes. Go on," he said, and she went on, pondering the indifference of a man toward the exigencies that ruled a woman: that someone must be not far from a sleeping child, that one's freedom meant another's unfreedom, unless some ever-changing, moving balance were reached, like the balance of a body moving forward, as she did now, on two legs, first one then the other, in the practise of this remarkable art, walking...
The 992-page collected edition that my friend kindly lent me was a little unwieldy, but more than made up for that with its beautiful presentation (including gorgeous illustrations by Charles Vess) and the inclusion of afterwords with the author's thoughts on each of the books. I found it fascinating to learn how Le Guin came to publish the six books over 31 years and how she feels about each in retrospect. She also comments insightfully on the fantasy genre more generally:
We may, I said, turn to fantasy seeking stability, ancient truths, immutable simplicities; but the realms of Once-upon-a-time are unstable, mutable, complex, and as much a part of human history and thought as the nations in our ever-changing atlases. And in daily life or in imagination, we don't live as our parents and ancestors did. 'Enchantment alters with age, and with the age. We know a dozen different Arthurs now, all of them true. The Shire changed irrevocably even in Bilbo's lifetime. Don Quixote went riding out to Argentina and met Jorge Luis Borges there.'
To this I add: As the virtual world of electronic communication becomes the world many of us inhabit all the time, in turning to imaginative literature we may not be seeking mere reassurance nor be impelled by mere nostalgia. To enter with heart and mind into the world of the imagination may be to head deliberately and directly toward, or back toward, engagement with the real world.
The latter books of Earthsea are recognisably more mature and complex than the former three in tone and content, as you might expect, and that is part of the joy of reading them in order. I rather regret not happening across the series at a younger age, or being put off by the wizard-and-dragon-ness if I did, as teenage me would surely have enjoyed them. Nonetheless, adult me definitely did as well. A full collection with authorial reflections was definitely a good way to approach them as an adult, whereas a teenager would probably find that too intimidating and prefer them split up. Whatever age you might do so, Earthsea is a beguiling place to visit.
December 9, 2018
Finished the first half of the Earthsea Sextet
The idea of individual immortality, an endless ego-existence, is more dreadful to me than the idea of letting go the self in death to rejoin shared, eternal being. I see life as a shared gift, received from others and passed on to others, and living and dying as one process, in which lies both our suffering and our reward. Without mortality to purchase it, how can we have the consciousness of eternity? I think the price is worth paying. (Afterword to The Farthest Shore, p. 390)
December 25, 2018
Eine meiner liebsten Fantasy-Reihen überhaupt. Diese illustrierte Gesamtsausgabe ist wunderschön.
Shelved as 'paused'
April 2, 20221. Band: Ein Magier von Erdsee
Schöner Start in die Geschichten rund im Erdsee, ein Inselreich, und Ged. Klassische Fantasy und Coming of age mit einem jungen Helden. Magie, Drachen, Abenteuer, alles was das Fantasy-Herz begehrt. 4 Sterne.
2. Band: Die Gräber von Atuan
Die Geschichte um Tenar hat mir weniger gut gefallen. Ged kommt im Verlauf der Geschichte hinzu und dann wird es auch besser und spannender. Tenar wird wohl in späteren Bänden wieder eine Rolle spielen. 3 Sterne
3. Band: Das fernste Ufer
Diese hat mir wieder sehr gut gefallen. Es kommen auch viele philosophische Passagen vor, über den Sinn des Lebens, den Tod und die Frage, ob ewiges Leben so erstrebenswert wäre.
Schöner Start in die Geschichten rund im Erdsee, ein Inselreich, und Ged. Klassische Fantasy und Coming of age mit einem jungen Helden. Magie, Drachen, Abenteuer, alles was das Fantasy-Herz begehrt. 4 Sterne.
2. Band: Die Gräber von Atuan
Die Geschichte um Tenar hat mir weniger gut gefallen. Ged kommt im Verlauf der Geschichte hinzu und dann wird es auch besser und spannender. Tenar wird wohl in späteren Bänden wieder eine Rolle spielen. 3 Sterne
3. Band: Das fernste Ufer
Diese hat mir wieder sehr gut gefallen. Es kommen auch viele philosophische Passagen vor, über den Sinn des Lebens, den Tod und die Frage, ob ewiges Leben so erstrebenswert wäre.
March 27, 2024
Le he puesto 4⭐️ porque fue pionero en muchos sentidos y un paso adelante en la fantasía (protagonistas de color, mujeres protagonistas, villanos blancos,…) En general ha sido una lectura muy lenta y solo la recomendaría a alguien con muchas ganas de leerlo. Si que es muy interesante leer los 6 libros, porque a medida que avanzas, vas recordando los primeros libros con más cariño y ves la evolución de los personajes.
March 31, 2024
While I haven't read this edition as yet (I say that as I would like to get a copy), I have read all the Earthsea stories and novels included in this omnibus edition in other editions. For me the range from some of my favorites of fantasy literature to some just darn good yarns and with the addition of illustrations by Charles Vess, an artist whose work I really admire, I can not imagine that this isn't going to be a beautiful edition.
UPDATE: Well, I bought myself this book as a birthday present and it IS beautiful. No, I take that back ... it's GORGEOUS! And low and behold there is a new short story that I have not read and new essay by the author. I'll be getting to it in the next couple days, but I'm already raising my rating from 4-stars (which is what I put on it when I hadn't see the book yet) to 5-stars. This is an absolutely STUNNING volume.
One last UPDATE: And now I've finished. I was also pleased that there is a new Introduction to the volume and there are new "afterwords" for each of the books included. And the final story is a wonderful epilogue to the entire series. If you've never read Earthsea it has one of my highest Rickomendations.
UPDATE: Well, I bought myself this book as a birthday present and it IS beautiful. No, I take that back ... it's GORGEOUS! And low and behold there is a new short story that I have not read and new essay by the author. I'll be getting to it in the next couple days, but I'm already raising my rating from 4-stars (which is what I put on it when I hadn't see the book yet) to 5-stars. This is an absolutely STUNNING volume.
One last UPDATE: And now I've finished. I was also pleased that there is a new Introduction to the volume and there are new "afterwords" for each of the books included. And the final story is a wonderful epilogue to the entire series. If you've never read Earthsea it has one of my highest Rickomendations.
January 14, 2019
Don't get me wrong, I love the story. That one star is definitely not for the story. When I first heard there going to be an illustrated edition, I imagined something like the latest gorgeous fully illustrated volumes of Harry Potter. Alas. This book turned out to contain very few illustration, and at the same time to be unreasonably thick (as a function of being too small) and unwieldy. And my main problem is the font. It's too small to be comfortable, and not because I don't like small fonts in general: it's objectively smaller than in the rest of the normal-font books I have. In summary, a book heavy enough to kill with, not easy to hold, with tiny letters and a handful of illustrations doesn't make for a good illustrated edition.
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