A Wizard of Earthsea : Ursula K Le Guin : First Edition 1968

A Wizard of Earthsea

By Ursula K. Le Guin

Drawing by Ruth Robbins

Published by Parnassus Press, Berkley, California, 1968. First Edition / Second State. Hardback book in its original dust jacket. 8vo, 205 pages. Illustrated.

CONDITION
A very good copy. The dust jacket has no clipping and is in very good condition except for a 4mm closed tear to the foot of the spine and a 3mm closed tear to the rear bottom edge. Both of these have been repaired using archival tape (which is reversable). Boards have mottling to the cloth. Endpapers very good. All contents present and pages very clean throughout. No writing or names. Overall a very good copy.

Ursula K. Le Guin (1929–2018) was an American author of speculative fiction, realistic fiction, non-fiction, screenplays, librettos, essays, poetry, speeches, translations, literary critiques, chapbooks, and children's fiction. She was primarily known for her works of speculative fiction. These include works set in the fictional world of Earthsea, stories in the Hainish Cycle, and standalone novels and short stories. Though frequently referred to as an author of science fiction, critics have described her work as being difficult to classify.

Le Guin came to critical attention with the publication of A Wizard of Earthsea in 1968, and The Left Hand of Darkness in 1969. The Earthsea books, of which A Wizard of Earthsea was the first, have been described as Le Guin's best work by several commentators, while scholar Charlotte Spivack described The Left Hand of Darkness as having established Le Guin's reputation as a writer of science fiction. Literary critic Harold Bloom referred to the books as Le Guin's masterpieces. Several scholars have called the Earthsea books Le Guin's best work. Her work has received intense critical attention. As of 1999, ten volumes of literary criticism and forty dissertations had been written about her work: she was referred to by scholar Donna White as a "major figure in American letters". Her awards include the National Book Award, the Newbery Medal, and multiple Hugo and Nebula Awards. Feminist critiques of her writing were particularly influential upon Le Guin's later work.

(Loc : Glass Cabinet)