...and I've only watched up to the part where Ogion appears.
The unhappiness fans of Earthsea feel about this miniseries is probably about a variety of divergences the miniseries has from the books.
SPOILER ALERT (of both book and miniseries)!
Here are the differences I can see from just watching the first 20 min or so (I couldn't stomach more in one sitting):
The "amulet" referred to in the voiceover intro of the miniseries probably wouldn't have looked at all like the one they showed, since it was supposed to be called the Ring of Erreth Akbe and was more like a bracelet-like thing as described in the books. The miniseries shows a generic amulet like thing.
The main character and his village are supposed to like deeply sun-tanned, Mediterranean people or darker which Ursula K. Leguin has already talked about in depth so I won't add more here. Needless to say in the miniseries they are the more pasty, northern European looking folks in generic Medieval garb. Also the Kargad warriors were supposed to be differently paler, but in the miniseries they look just like the villagers.
Ged (who should be called Sparrowhawk) does not fall off a cliff in the book, but his use of magic puts him into a coma like state to be revived by Ogion.
4. The miniseries completely reverses the idea of use name and true name by calling the main character by his true name in the book and giving his use name as his true name. Very messed up.
In the book Tombs of Atuan, the high priestess (played by Isabella Rosellini) and her temple are described as minimalist, primitive and ascetic sort of places with building build by the Kargad king as the only ornate sort of places, but int he miniseries the place is seen as a nicer more livable place with the priestesses outfits being very spare. Seemed very contrary to my imagining from reading the book.
Lastly, the Kargad leader (I assume its the Kargad leader) doesn't really apear in the books at all, but is given a prominent role in the miniseries, so that is pretty much all made up.
These comparisons are based on my recollections of Wizard of Earthsea, since I lent the book out and haven't got it back yet.
This is from only the first 20 min... I'm sure if Ursula K. Leguin wanted to be fully and more thoroughly critical of the miniseries she would need multiple blogs.
The character of the books seems completely perverted by the miniseries.
From what I can tell, the Earthsea miniseries is turning out to be a stark counter-example to the Lord of the Rings movies and how not to adapt books to television or film.
Slashdot Mirror
That's all I have to say.
The unhappiness fans of Earthsea feel about this miniseries is probably about a variety of divergences the miniseries has from the books.
SPOILER ALERT (of both book and miniseries)!
Here are the differences I can see from just watching the first 20 min or so (I couldn't stomach more in one sitting):
These comparisons are based on my recollections of Wizard of Earthsea, since I lent the book out and haven't got it back yet.
This is from only the first 20 min... I'm sure if Ursula K. Leguin wanted to be fully and more thoroughly critical of the miniseries she would need multiple blogs.
The character of the books seems completely perverted by the miniseries.
From what I can tell, the Earthsea miniseries is turning out to be a stark counter-example to the Lord of the Rings movies and how not to adapt books to television or film.
Oh well...
- Fandyllic