Paperback, 288 pages
Spanish language
Published by Minotauro, MINOTAURO.
A young prince joins forces with a master wizard on a journey to discover a cause and remedy for the loss of magic in Earthsea. Darkness Threatens to overtake Earthsea. As the world and its wizards are losing their magic, Ged -- powerful Archmage, wizard, and dragonlord -- embarks on a sailing journey with highborn young prince, Arren. They travel far beyond the realm of death to discover the cause of these evil disturbances and to restore magic to a land desperately thirsty for it.
Har läst klart den ursprungliga Övärlden-trilogin i Modernistas nyutgivna svenska utgåva. Jag har tyckt om alla böckerna. De har i stor grad varit lågmälda med en handling som skrider långsamt fram, i böcker som inte är jättetjocka och utan att bli tråkiga. Har fått reda på att det finns några böcker till som är skrivna i nyare tid som jag tänkte jag skulle leta reda på.
So Arren spoke, fiercely and with command. He had been overawed and frightened too much, he had been filled up with fear, and he had got sick of it and would not have it anymore. He was angry with the dragon for its brute strength and size, its unjust advantage. He had seen death, he had tasted death, and no threat had power over him.
The story starts slowly but soon turns into what is absolutely the most philosophically rich entry in the Earthsea series so far (as I read them in order), beautifully written in Ursula Le Guin's unrivaled eloquence. Every page contains a passage that in most books would be one of the most insightful quotes. The trials I am personally facing right now made the hero's journey in this book speak to my core on a level that I have not experienced before. Neil Gaiman got it …
So Arren spoke, fiercely and with command. He had been overawed and frightened too much, he had been filled up with fear, and he had got sick of it and would not have it anymore. He was angry with the dragon for its brute strength and size, its unjust advantage. He had seen death, he had tasted death, and no threat had power over him.
The story starts slowly but soon turns into what is absolutely the most philosophically rich entry in the Earthsea series so far (as I read them in order), beautifully written in Ursula Le Guin's unrivaled eloquence. Every page contains a passage that in most books would be one of the most insightful quotes. The trials I am personally facing right now made the hero's journey in this book speak to my core on a level that I have not experienced before. Neil Gaiman got it right with "Her words are written on my soul."
So sparing with every word choice, yet soaring in the depths of world and emotion. Le Guin is a master.
"The Farthest Shore" est le troisième tome du cycle Earthsea d'Ursula K. Le Guin, également connu en français sous le nom de cycle de Terremer.
On y retrouve à nouveau Ged, le héros du premier tome et personnage secondaire du deuxième, désormais vieillissant et Archimage. Il est cette fois accompagné dans sa quête par Arren, un jeune prince. Leur but ? Découvrir pourquoi la magie disparait peu à peu des îles d’Earthsea.
Leur voyage les mènera dans le sud et l’ouest de l’archipel, à la rencontre de peuples que nous n’avions pas encore eu l’occasion de découvrir jusque là. Personnellement, j’ai une tendresse particulière pour le peuple des mers. On retrouve également avec plaisir des dragons, souvent cités mais rarement aperçus dans les romans précédents, hormis une scène marquante du premier.
A travers les aventures du vieux mage et de son jeune compagnon, Ursula K. Le Guin nous parle de …
"The Farthest Shore" est le troisième tome du cycle Earthsea d'Ursula K. Le Guin, également connu en français sous le nom de cycle de Terremer.
On y retrouve à nouveau Ged, le héros du premier tome et personnage secondaire du deuxième, désormais vieillissant et Archimage. Il est cette fois accompagné dans sa quête par Arren, un jeune prince. Leur but ? Découvrir pourquoi la magie disparait peu à peu des îles d’Earthsea.
Leur voyage les mènera dans le sud et l’ouest de l’archipel, à la rencontre de peuples que nous n’avions pas encore eu l’occasion de découvrir jusque là. Personnellement, j’ai une tendresse particulière pour le peuple des mers. On retrouve également avec plaisir des dragons, souvent cités mais rarement aperçus dans les romans précédents, hormis une scène marquante du premier.
A travers les aventures du vieux mage et de son jeune compagnon, Ursula K. Le Guin nous parle de la mort et du rapport des êtres humains à cette issue qui peut être terrifiante et malgré tout inévitable. Encore une fois, le récit peut sembler très classique mais révèle une réelle profondeur au lecteur prêt à l’accueillir. Le tout dans un style fin et poétique auquel l’autrice nous avait déjà habitué dans les deux premiers tomes.
Ce roman met fin à la trilogie originale d’Earthsea, publiée au tournant des années 1960 et 1970. Je vais désormais poursuivre mon voyage dans l’archipel avec les trois tomes suivants, publiés dans les années 1990 et 2000.
I actually found this to be the weakest book of the trilogy. For the first two books, while I didn't love the flowery, yet dry writing style, I found the story to be interesting and cohesive for each. This one I found to be quite disjointed and poorly paced. I didn't really end up loving the characters, and I found the climax to be extremely underwhelming.
As for the series as a whole.. listen, I didn't walk into this expecting to love it. I love Le Guin as an author, primarily from her science fiction works (more specifically her Hainish Cycle books). I find her commentary to be expertly crafted and timeless. She is always just so correct about everything, and it is even more impressive to think that she was writing these extremely popular yet controversial books in the 1970's. She's an icon. Which is why I wanted to …
I actually found this to be the weakest book of the trilogy. For the first two books, while I didn't love the flowery, yet dry writing style, I found the story to be interesting and cohesive for each. This one I found to be quite disjointed and poorly paced. I didn't really end up loving the characters, and I found the climax to be extremely underwhelming.
As for the series as a whole.. listen, I didn't walk into this expecting to love it. I love Le Guin as an author, primarily from her science fiction works (more specifically her Hainish Cycle books). I find her commentary to be expertly crafted and timeless. She is always just so correct about everything, and it is even more impressive to think that she was writing these extremely popular yet controversial books in the 1970's. She's an icon. Which is why I wanted to read these books, to really get a sense of her progression as an author. I wanted to see how her writing style evolved and improved, and I certainly got to see that.
The Earthsea books are quintessential classic fantasy. Largely inaccessible, dense writing without a lot of character voice. But at least they're very short. The did what they sought to do. I'm actually really looking forward to picking up the next book, Tehanu, as it was published much later when I believe Le Guin really solidified her writing style. Here's hoping!
The best in the series so far. There was such a beauty and tenderness tot he relationships and it felt liek I was learning valuable life lessons in a non-preachy way. I don't know how else to explain this, but I think this is one of those books that changes your life for the better, including broadening and deepening compassion and perspective on life. I am a better person for reading this.
The world-at-risk arc continues now to conflict over appearing vs doing, fearing to act and fearing death.
Where the previous installments were easy reads I had a little more difficulty parsing this one. It can have been my mood, but I didn't find the story as compelling.
Still a decently entertaining read, though.
This one grew on me quite a bit. It's more directly Taoist in its inspiration than the previous two books and is a lot about the nature of life and death and how life is defined by having an end and you shouldn't be that concerned about death because you're going to die, we all are, that's the point (well, the full stop really). Brings back dragons and these seem if anything more traditional Fantasy dragons than in "A Wizard of Earthsea." Go into this expecting a quest adventure and you will be disappointed. Expect Ged retreading the story of AWOE with his own disciple (who nonetheless has no magical ability whatsoever; but Ged is fine with that, the world can't consist of just wizards. Arren has courage and is also a skilled swordsman with a sword that is cursed - not really the word - to be used only …
This one grew on me quite a bit. It's more directly Taoist in its inspiration than the previous two books and is a lot about the nature of life and death and how life is defined by having an end and you shouldn't be that concerned about death because you're going to die, we all are, that's the point (well, the full stop really). Brings back dragons and these seem if anything more traditional Fantasy dragons than in "A Wizard of Earthsea." Go into this expecting a quest adventure and you will be disappointed. Expect Ged retreading the story of AWOE with his own disciple (who nonetheless has no magical ability whatsoever; but Ged is fine with that, the world can't consist of just wizards. Arren has courage and is also a skilled swordsman with a sword that is cursed - not really the word - to be used only in defence of the good). Left a far better feeling than I thought it would. And there's silk weavers, more stories should include them. And there are raft-dwellers - people of a sea-city, not a fixed platform but a flotilla that only makes land once a year. At times the prose approached the purple of Cormac McCarthy and at times i was indeed reminded of that author (at least once. Very similar or perhaps more like 'In the Rogue Blood'), but not only that.
I loved this book, the series and Sparrowhawk. These books are gems. I’ll definitely reread.
A great thematic exploration of mortality, capitalism, and coming of age, Le Guin once again at her best.
I think I liked this novel more than Tombs of Atuan, but again the ending feels almost anticlimactic. Maybe I've just been spoiled for fantasy that is not about action by writers like Jim Butcher and Seanan McGuire. Le Guin writes metaphors more than stories; everything has a meaning. It makes the stories progress more like philosophical arguments at times, which certainly does not diminish my appreciation, but it certainly forces me to read slowly, and with less enthusiasm than I tend to approach most fantasy/SF.
Oh Ye who think you know people, Read and learn. 😍
I enjoyed it the first time I read it in 1973, not so much on the second readin in 1995.
