/lit/ - Literature

>>17428167
A Wizard of Earthsea, Earthsea Cycle #1 - Ursula K. Le Guin (1968)
Depending on the specific definition of fantasy, this could be considered the oldest fantasy novel I've finished. I will now ignore all the implications of that statement. Because I didn't read this as a teenager I'm unable to indulge in nostalgia. If I had done so this would probably be a different review entirely.
For me this read like a montage. There's much progression though time and many events occur, but they are told about rather than experienced by the reader. It's almost like a transcription of someone who had told the story orally. That it was as such went against my preferences as it turned out. Would I have enjoyed it more if it were multiple times longer? I don't know.
Regardless of what I think about it, this has clearly been one of the most influential fantasy novels since LOTR. Even if the influence is indirect from an author being influenced by an author influenced by her, it's still present. The influences for it seem to be primarily mythological and philosophical rather than contemporary fantasy novels, but having not read them, this is more an assumption than statement of fact.
The magic is word-based and especially concerned with true names. It is stated that all uses of magic are for good or evil and they must all be balanced in the pursuit of equilibrium. Which to me seems to be a Ying & Yang magic system, which is the evidence of Taoist influence in this as well.
The world is somewhat interesting because it isn't the standard medieval European fantasy setting. I don't believe it'd become that in the later books either. It's an archipelago and there is much traveling between islands. At least a few of these islands are claimed by dragons.
I had previously looked at this and wasn't interested, but since it was the group read, I thought I may as well give it another try, since it's so relatively short. Unfortunately I didn't care about any of the characters or what they did, or much of anything overall. Mostly it was a sequence of seemingly unrelated events that happened, which is fine, but didn't provide sufficient incentive to read the next book. A book being a "classic" or "influential" doesn't matter much to me in terms of my enjoyment.
Rating: 3/5

>>12555786
Imagine reading this as a child in the early 90s and then struggling to internalize the Harry Potter craze 10 years later. This is why I'm on 4chan.

>>11662051
>*blocks your path*

>>9013932
I hear this is the superior YA wizard book series.

>no one posts the GOAT kids fantasy book in these threads

Better than Tolkien 2bh
>>7867295
>>7867367
>>7867503
I remember enjoying all of these.
>>7867349
My parents bought me this once but I never read it, I regret that.
>>7867340
This was fun up until the point when it just becomes Dawkins-tier atheist crap, complete with a strawman church.

I tried to read #2, literally unfinishable