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Gently, pass the final hurdle to a fearless life
Date of Review: Aug 23, 2001
The Bottom Line: Read this book for a warming tale of wise message about very human characters, in a fantastic world...will live in your memory.
What a beautiful book!
The Farthest shore was for many years the final book of the Earthsea series, until LeGuin decided to write Tehanu, a lamentable decision, perhaps, but thats another story
All these books tell tales around the character of Ged, born as a goatherd, and destined to become the mightiest mage of his time. In The Farthest Shore we find Ged at the peak of his power; he is ArchMage of his world of Earthsea, keeper of the balance of the magical world. He is deep and contemplative, a personality of power and beauty.
All is not well, however, in the world of Earthsea. Mages in distant lands bring reports that the words of magical power are losing their efficacy. Practitioners of both the arts Magic, and the arts of painting, singing, dancing
all report that the beauty seems to be going out of what they do. They no longer see a point in attempting to enrich the world.
This unnatural turn of affairs causes Ged to leave the enclave of the Masters and go on a quest across his world in search of the cause of this calamity. Reaching back to his roots he becomes again a simple sailor/adventurer, and seeks that which troubles Earthsea. We watch him visit the furthest reaches of the Vast archipelago that is Earthsea, and we visit some of its most obscure inhabitants. He goes accompanied by a young untested noble named Arren, in whom Ged sees a possible solution to the pressing problem of his worlds future.
An old enemy of Ged lies at the heart of the drain on the worlds magic. Our protagonists journey brings them inexorably toward a confrontation with this icon of anti-magic, and anti-life. In the course of their journey, Ged and Arren come to the disturbing conclusion that the solution to their problem may mean facing their own deaths. Ged has done this before (a central tenet of the first book in the series) but for Arren, learning that life is always no further than a breath from death is a new and difficult hurdle to fearless living. Ged guides and counsels Arren towards this understanding, which he requires to fulfill his destiny.
This then, is the basics of the story. I have always loved this trilogy, and have been meaning for some time to reread its final chapter (as I said, there is a later addition, but I shall block it out with all my capacity for denial and pretend it never happened!) and review it for Epinions. This book is just so beautiful. Ged is the epitome of wise husbandry of power. Take for example, that he has the ability to bring about outrageous storms, focus them in both direction and force, and yet we find he will sit patiently dead in the water, awaiting the wind if and when it should come ,rather than blow a gust into his own sails
.his magic is for the assistance of natural balance, and he will not use it for his own ends. It is illustrations such as this which make this an exceptional book.
As I said, in the first book of this series, Ged has previously faced the issue of death, and it is central to the plot of Farthest Shore. The story comes full circle in this regard, and a much older and much wiser Ged is now able to cast the reflections of his learned wisdom through his teaching of Arren. The youngster , not unlike the young Ged, is full of portents for the future, and is keen and sharp, but unlearned in self mastery, and this book is as much a novel of rite of passage as anything else. Arren often seems the extension of Ged. As Geds contribution to the world is coming to its climax and ending, he imparts the teaching that a sense of fulfillment, and a life lived in beauty, has more meaning than all the power in the world. Indeed, that a life lived in beauty is, in actuality, all the power in the world.
This for me, is the finest book LeGuin has written. Despite the erudite language of her science fiction contributions, left hand of darkness et al, it is Farthest shore in which she reaches the reader most personally, and most movingly. She is known and remembered for her contributions to the literary discussion of gender, of political systems, and more, but here she shows what is best in herself
her gentle heart, and her vision of a world where all the power there is could not bring one breadth more humanity to its owner. Whilst a good song can be sung by a lover of music, men may be touched. If there is ever a time where no-one wishes to sing , humanity is nothing.
What do you take me for? Because you are called Archmage do you take me for a village sorcerer? I who alone amongst all mages found the way of immortality, which no one ever found !
Maybe we did not seek it said Ged.
Enjoy
Some of my other science fiction book reviews:
Rama Revealed Prelude to Space Stand on Zanzibar The Demolished Man The Stars my Destination Cat's Cradle The Gods Themselves Watchmen A Canticle for Leibowitz The Hammer of God The Left Hand of Darkness Flowers for Algernon Lord of Light Rendevous with Rama The Tombs of Atuan The Dispossessed I am Legend The Einstein Intersection Earth Abides Peace on Earth The Farthest Shore Methuselah's Children A Call to Arms To your Scattered Bodies Go The Lion of Comarre / Against the Fall of Night To Say Nothing of the Dog The Doomsday Book Frankenstein Unbound Batman - The Dark Knight Returns Imperial Earth A Case of Conscience Solaris The Sands of Mars The Land of Laughs Eden His Masters Voice Citizen of the Galaxy King David's Spaceship The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch Double Star The Fabulous Riverboat Songs of Distant Earth Way Station The Fountains of Paradise The Long Tomorrow Lincolns Dreams Alas Babylon More Than Human 1984 The Forever War All the Myriad Ways I Sing the Body Electric Gateway Flow my Tears, the Policeman Said This Immortal The Moon is a Harsh Mistress
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