Ursula Le Guin - A Wizard of Earthsea

"A Wizard of Earthsea" may come off as following the traditional archetype of a wizard coming of age in wizarding school and fighting evil, but there are quite a few things that make it unique.

For one, when Le Guin wrote the book, that wasn't an archetype. Young adult fantasy didn't really exist then.

Also, the book doesn't feature war. Le Guin thinks that stories of wars between good versus evil are over-told and that there are more important stories to tell. The story is about Ged, the protagonist, coming of age, realizing his shortcomings, and overcoming and accepting his personal demons. The conflicts are no less epic and the victories no less sweet for the lack of war.

One of the reviews that I read before reading "A Wizard of Earthsea" included the line, "A 1968 book with a non-white hero! LOVE." Being a white person, I might not have even noticed that fact if I hadn't read the review, but it was both true and heartening.

The writing style was different than I'm used to. It had an old-fashioned fantastical lyrical storybook feel. It was interesting seeing a different style, but I think that, while I appreciated the lyricalness, I prefer less whimsical styles.

Overall, a very good exploration of humans and meaning.