A Wizard of Earthsea, by Ursula Le Guin

It's hard to believe I haven't read this fantasy classic until now. I'm surprised so many young children read it, though, because the language and style is not simple nor quick to read. It reminds me of The Lord of the Rings; epic and sweeping, with much description and little action or dialogue. Despite losing interest a couple of times, I liked it. The writing style is rather similar to "The Left Hand of Darkness," which I enjoyed much more, perhaps because it's science fiction instead of fantasy. I just find it hard to get into fantasy novels anymore; Patrick Rothfuss' "The Name of the Wind" is the only one I've been able to get into in the last several years. Though I didn't love it, I'll read the rest of Le Guin's classic series, if only so people stop giving me weird looks when I say I haven't.