Quote:
Originally Posted by JSWolf
I'll do you one better and say that the first book should never have been written.
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I strongly disagree (about the Earthsea Trilogy). Those three books are brilliant. I recently re-read them, and they are still brilliant. I was impressed by how short they are, and how much she fit into the narrative without the story seeming rushed or incomplete. LeGuin is an excellent writer.
As for the remaining stories, Tehanu was a bit of a shock, because it was dramatically different from the rest of the stories, and much more personal, from what I understand. It doesn't make a smooth series, but I have no problem with writing reflecting personal growth or re-using the same setting (she created it, after all). I haven't read Tehanu or the other one in a long time, so I will need to go back, because I can't remember if they stand on their own as stories. I did enjoy one of the short stories that was set in Roke, but I wouldn't really call it part of the series.
I am re-reading the Chronicles of Amber (as I mentioned in the other thread), and I have to say it is one of the best *stories* I think I have read - suspense, intrigue, swashbuckling, sex, magic, mystery, betrayal, supernatural monsters and creepiness. Well done, and I like Zelazny's style (from tough-guy film noir to purple prose on the same page, or even same paragraph). That said, my memory of the second half the series (after Courts of Chaos) was that it was confused, had lots of people rushing around, and lots of characters appearing and disappearing all over the place. I didn't read more than two books, though, and it had been a while since I had read the original series, so I was a little fuzzy on all the different characters. Right now, my impression is that the second series should not have been written, and the first series should stand on its own (it was five books, but they were pretty slim). I am going to give it another go when I finish the first series, and see if reading through the whole thing helps.