On: The Earthsea Trilogy (2003)

[creer]

I loved these books precisely because they were a refreshing look at fantasy. But yes that makes them completely different reading and there's no problem with not liking them. They are not about plot, they are about the emotions of the characters and the mood of the landscape. And I find these extremely emotional to read because of how much they engage us into the emotions and surroundings of the characters. Also really, the mage has found a direction where not doing anything or much is the way. That doesn't help on plot :-) I loved that the books powerfully evoke the emotions of stages of life:

A Wizard of Earthsea, the young wizard

The Tombs of Atuan, the adventure (not about the adventure but about the wizard)

The Farthest Shore, mage at the end of failing magic

Tehanu, retirement, ex-wizard, reconciliation

Tales from Earthsea, short stories of wizards in the field

The Other Wind, more retirement, old wizards, settling accounts

And considering how long apart they are written, I marvel at how well they keep to this effort on emotion and mood.

[pdimitar → creer]

> the mage has found a direction where not doing anything or much is the way

That is completely fine in the real life and it also happens to many people. I just don't find it engaging in a book, you know?

It's like you expect an action movie when going to the cinema and you get two characters smoking and drinking and discussing life during the entire length of the movie.

Maybe in certain moods you will love that but you have expected action that evening and everything else comes across as weird (or even dumb).

Or you have an awesome date with a lady, you are so ready for sex 3 hours later, she seems that she wants it too and then she invites you to her place and dead-seriously asks you to play chess for a few hours with her and expects you to go back to your home after.

Things like that.

It's a disconnect of expectations, sure, but even recognizing that didn't help me appreciate the books.