Paperback, 208 pages

English language

Published May 31, 1984 by Bantam.

ISBN:
978-0-553-26847-8
Copied ISBN!
OCLC Number:
23278312

View on OpenLibrary

4 stars (30 reviews)

When the prince of Enlad declares the wizards have forgotten their spells, Ged sets out to test the ancient prophecies of Earthsea.

13 editions

Wonderful

4 stars

I listened to the audiobook version of this story, which was narrated by Rob Ingles. Many years ago he performed the Lord of the Rings; it was a wonderful surprise to hear that old favorite voice retelling this story. Perhaps because of this narration I felt there were echoes of Tolkien's work. An old wizard, a rising king, a long journey.

I loved the characters, particularly Ged. The idea of a great person who is also extremely humble, a sorcerer who loves to sail — I appreciate the juxtaposition.

I could also see a bit of Le Guin's interest in the Tao Te Ching seeping into the story. When Ged and the other characters discussed leadership, they depicted Lao Tzu's ideal of a sovreign who did very little and allowed people to govern themselves. Strange to have a story of the ascendency of a King to play upon anarchistic themes.

When one door is closed many more are open

4 stars

Content warning mild spoilers inside

Review of 'The Farthest Shore (The Earthsea Cycle, Book 3)' on Goodreads

5 stars

Sometimes a person dies, and yet they still live. While at some level this novel is another wonderful yarn about wondering the Earthsea and discovering its wonders, on another, it explores what it means to let the person everyone knows us as die, to allow another one to be born. The cyclical ebb and flow of selfhood is continuous, and we see one cycle of it here, not writ large, but writ small, in the lives of two people. The sea and the self, so deeply intertwined for the people of Earthsea, has lessons for the reader as well.

This quote is a stunner, and one of my favorites from any of LeGuin's books.
"You will die. You will not live forever. Nor will any man nor any thing. Nothing is immortal. But only to us is it given to know that we must die. And that is a great …

Review of 'The Farthest Shore (The Earthsea Cycle, Book 3)' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

Another excellent book by [a:Ursula K. Le Guin|874602|Ursula K. Le Guin|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1244291425p2/874602.jpg]. Here she brings a more adult Ged/Sparrowhawk to the narrative, a fantastic unfolding of what she accomplished in the previous two books. You can notice the growth of the character Ged, now in his winter and on the edge of the land without sun.

In a similar manner to the second book, [b:The Tombs of Atuan|13662|The Tombs of Atuan (Earthsea Cycle, #2)|Ursula K. Le Guin|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1166571534s/13662.jpg|1322146], Ged gets to the aid of another character, the immature and passionate Arren/Lebannen, teaching him important lessons about life and death.

The end of the book is impressive, showing how [a:Ursula K. Le Guin|874602|Ursula K. Le Guin|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1244291425p2/874602.jpg] knows how to keep the pace, style and the raise an amazing climax such as seen in the previous books, [b:A Wizard of Earthsea|13642|A Wizard of Earthsea (Earthsea Cycle, #1)|Ursula K. Le Guin|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1353424536s/13642.jpg|113603] and [b:The Tombs of …

Review of 'The Farthest Shore' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

Another excellent book by [a:Ursula K. Le Guin|874602|Ursula K. Le Guin|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1244291425p2/874602.jpg]. Here she brings a more adult Ged/Sparrowhawk to the narrative, a fantastic unfolding of what she accomplished in the previous two books. You can notice the growth of the character Ged, now in his winter and on the edge of the land without sun.

In a similar manner to the second book, [b:The Tombs of Atuan|13662|The Tombs of Atuan (Earthsea Cycle, #2)|Ursula K. Le Guin|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1166571534s/13662.jpg|1322146], Ged gets to the aid of another character, the immature and passionate Arren/Lebannen, teaching him important lessons about life and death.

The end of the book is impressive, showing how [a:Ursula K. Le Guin|874602|Ursula K. Le Guin|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1244291425p2/874602.jpg] knows how to keep the pace, style and the raise an amazing climax such as seen in the previous books, [b:A Wizard of Earthsea|13642|A Wizard of Earthsea (Earthsea Cycle, #1)|Ursula K. Le Guin|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1353424536s/13642.jpg|113603] and [b:The Tombs of …

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Subjects

  • Fiction
  • Children's 12-Up - Fiction - Fantasy
  • Children: Young Adult (Gr. 10-12)
  • Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic
  • Fiction / Fantasy / General
  • Fantasy
  • Magic