It has been ages since I fell into a book as hard as I’ve fallen into the Earthsea series. Lately life has felt like a whirlwind, too much happening all the time. In an effort to slow down and savor things, I started commuting via the bus, and have been reading again to fill that time. The Wizard of Earthsea was the fourth book I’ve picked up since this change, and it is one of those books that feels like it clicked into place somewhere inside me.
I used to read tons of scifi and fantasy, but as some point it all just lost meaning. I felt like I was reading to keep up rather than to savor things. The Earthsea books felt like eating a chocolate mousse. Rich but light. The plot wasn’t anything terrible complex or crazy, which used to be what I looked for in a book, but I really found that I didn’t mind. I was more interested in LeGuins writing, and the narrative that she was weaving than anything else. Reading about Ged’s development, and especially watching his youth and reckless abandon reflected in the characters he mentors in The Tombs of Atuan and The Farthest Shore is such a fun dynamic.
I would love to hear if these books scratched that same itch for you, or if you have any others you read at just the right time. I’m starting Tehanu right now, which several people have told me is their favorite of the four. I dont think I’ve felt this excited about going to the library since I was a kid 🙂
by keeperofthepiece