A Book Review of Ursula Le Guin’s A Wizard of Earthsea

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A Wizard OF Earthsea, fiction, Sorcery, Sparrowhawk, Tales from Earthsea, Ursula Le Guin

A Tale of wizards, dragons and terrifying shadows – Ursula Le Guin

Prior to reading the book I have watched the animated version (Tales From Earthsea) of the story, which was created by Goro Miyazaki and produced by Studio Ghibli – a Japanese film studio known for its animated feature films -, and I would say I enjoyed watching the film tremendously. However, the book gave me a better understanding of how the protagonist (Ged a.ka. Sparrowhawk) obtained his facial scar, and how his journey to becoming an apprentice for the School on Roke to becoming the Archmage of all Earthsea started.

It also mentions characters not included in the film such as the Wizard Ogion – a wizard known for his ability to tame earthquakes – who came from the village of Re Albi after hearing of Ged’s – or Duny as the villagers called him – heroic deeds to protecting the villagers from invaders using witchcraft. Furthermore, Ogion is the first wizard to give the protagonist his name ‘Ged’ and to recognise his potential for sorcery.

After this event, the two characters set foot on a journey where Ged’s prospect of sorcery is shown as naive through his depiction of what makes a wizard, and his belief to using magic for one’s daily desires. Moreover, during his time with Ogion, he has his first encounter with an enchantress – who is also the daughter of the old Lord of Re Albi – who mesmerises Ged into opening ancient lore books to summon beings from worlds unknown.

Many exciting events follow which will give readers a better understanding of the story, and the main message Ursula Le Guin (the author) wants readers to recognise. I would highly recommend reading this book before watching the film to have prior knowledge about the setting, and the characters of the story. Overall, a good book that I enjoyed reading and would encourage readers of such fiction to try.