We start with earthsea, by Ursula Le Guin. The cycle consists of a first trilogy, written between 1968 and 1972, then a second, published in 1998 and 2001. We recommend the complete version published in the Pocketbook.
What does it say?
The action takes place in the Earthsea archipelago. On the small island of Gont, Ged, a young goatherd, has a tendency to magic. His aunt, a witch, passes on her some knowledge on the subject. One day, the island is attacked and, thanks to the intervention of Ged who manages to create a fog, the attackers are pushed back. Having heard of this, the mage Ogion decides to take him under his wing. But Ged’s potential and impatience lead Ogion to advise him to go and study at the school of mages on Roke Island.
The first novel, Earthsea Sorcerer, is designed as a learning novel. The sequel evolves towards more traditional high fantasy, but always with this requirement that characterizes the writing of Ursula Le Guin, who collected – among other awards – eight hugo award in his life. Rare facts for the time, the main characters are black, and the narrator of the book is sometimes a female narrator. One thinks in particular of the characters of Tenar or Tehanu, heroines of the second and fourth books.
How is it ?
The first book, The Sorcerer of Earthsea is an order from the small publisher Parnassus Press. Its leader had asked Ursula Le Guin to write a novel for young adults, leaving her the choice of the subject.
Although not a specialist in this audience, the writer responds perfectly to the order and even more, because the book and its successors can largely appeal to all ages. The adventures of Ged (and others) may have been written fifty years ago, but Le Guin’s writing and the themes it develops, infused in particular with Taoism, give them a modernity that has inspired generations of writers and writers. Among these, Margaret Atwood, the author of The Scarlet Maid, for whom the first trilogy is a “memorable exploration of the relationship between life and death: without darkness there is no light; and mortality allows all that is alive to be. »
What magic?
Mages learn the secret name of things. Knowing this name gives you power over the person and the item. By knowing the name of the winds, sorcerers can for example facilitate (or hinder) the navigation of a boat.
Is it adaptable to the screen?
A rich world, successful characters, dragons, an exciting plot: no doubt, earthsea is dream material for an adaptation. So why the two times this was attempted, did the writers/directors walk away from the work to the point that Ursula Le Guin disowned them?
The first adaptation Tales from Earthseawas carried out by Goro Miyazaki, from Ghibli studios, but in a version quite far from the original work. The second on television by the American channel SyFy. If Ursula Le Guin considered that the Japanese film was successful, despite a great distance with her work, she condemned SyFy’s version more severely. The true adaptation of earthsea remains to be written.