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I found a discarded copy of A WIZARD OF EARTHSEA in my gym locker in junior high. I
wasn't familiar with Ursula K. Le Guin or her Earthsea tetralogy, but I thought the cover
illustration of a ship crossing the ocean was childlike and evocative. I had discovered a
few meaningful novels in the same manner, so I didn't think twice about reading A WIZARD
OF EARTHSEA. The novel's compelling cover art was indicative of the complexity of the
fantasy world within. The most recent editions of the novel don't have the same
illustration, but the story is just as satisfying today as it was years ago.
Frequently compared to J.R.R. Tolkien's THE LORD OF THE RINGS and C.S. Lewis' THE
CHRONICLES OF NARNIA, Le Guin's Earthsea books are beloved as classics of science fiction
and fantasy literature. But it's a mistake to limit the appeal of the series to science
fiction or young adult fiction enthusiasts. All of the novels, and A WIZARD OF EARTHSEA,
in particular, are allegorical and will intrigue anyone interested in folklore, eastern
philosophy and the quest for self-knowledge.
Growing up, Le Guin was heavily influenced by Lao Tzu's TAO TE CHING: She has written her
own translation of the Chinese classic and its influence is deeply felt throughout the
Earthsea tetralogy. In A WIZARD OF EARTHSEA, Ged is an awkward, proud and impulsive young
wizard who repeatedly uses his considerable powers recklessly. Ogion, his quietly powerful
master and the wizards he encounters at school try to make Ged understand that the world
exists in a delicate balance between good and evil, light and dark, yin and yang. When he
uses his talents unwisely --- usually to humiliate his rivals --- he risks disrupting this
balance and opening the door between the realms of the living and the dead. One of his
masters explains why Ged must use his power sparingly:
"But you must not change one thing, one pebble, one grain of sand, until you know
what good and evil will follow on that act. The world is in balance, in Equilibrium. A
wizard's power of Changing and Summoning can shake the balance of the world. It is
dangerous, that power...It must follow knowledge, and serve need. To light a candle is to
cast a shadow...."
For fans of Star Wars, the wizards of Earthsea are like Jedi Knights and their
power is very similar to "the Force." A limited number of men possess power (in
varying degrees) and they must make sure that the equilibrium between light and dark is
constantly maintained. Ged serves as an apprentice to Ogion so that he may learn the
Hardic language of the wizards and the dragons that dwell on the fringes of Earthsea.
Ged's ability to control the world around him and transform himself comes from his
knowledge of the Hardic tongue. Before the islands of Earthsea became civilized, it was
populated by ancient creatures who spoke this language. All of the characters in the
tetralogy have names they use on a daily basis (like Ogion) and ancient names that contain
their true essence (Ged, for instance). To know the true name of a thing or person is to
recognize it and have complete mastery over it. Ged's acts of wizardry usually involve
finding these forgotten names and using them to protect himself or others from harm.
Like the other books in the Earthsea tetralogy, A WIZARD OF EARTHSEA is essentially a bildungsroman.
Ged, powerful, but dangerously arrogant and reckless is forced to make a dramatic internal
transformation. Attempting to humiliate a rival, Ged recites an ancient spell that
unleashes an undead spirit that attacks him viciously. The undead creature is like Ged's
doppelganger and literally follows him to the ends of the earth to inhabit his body. The
creature is also a metaphor for the dark side of Ged's personality: Ged must acknowledge
and embrace his weaknesses before he can conquer his double. When he appears in the second
book of the series, THE TOMBS OF ATUAN, he has evolved completely.
Le Guin accomplishes a great deal in this relatively short novel. In only a few pages, she
establishes Earthsea as a believable world filled with brilliantly realized characters.
Ged's story is engrossing and meaningful on several levels. The other novels in this
series, THE TOMBS OF ATUAN, THE FARTHEST SHORE and TEHANU enhance and elaborate on the
fascinating world that Le Guin introduced in A WIZARD OF EARTHSEA.
--- Reviewed by Allie Cahill
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