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A review by nincrony1
The Farthest Shore by Ursula K. Le Guin
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
The third entry in Earthsea is perhaps one of more famous ones in popular culture; mostly as the bones of the novel (in the loosest sense) became the Studio Ghibli film Tales from Earthsea. This instalment is much darker and sadder than previous books, as the world of Earthsea itself becomes consumed by a darkness, the hopeful ending of Tombs of Atuan undone.
In a way, I think this might be the most Earthsea Earthsea book and the strongest exploration of Le Guin’s philosophy for this world. Knowledge does not come without loss. The world works in a fine balance for all life to live and those who seek to unbalance are arbiters of their own doom. Le Guin’s prose is frankly stunning here - it’s crazy that a mere fours years separates this from the first book. I loved the trials of Ged and Arren who lose and gain so much on their journey. It’s easy to see why for so long this felt like the ending of the series, until Tehanu upended that (can’t wait to read that one). My only criticism is that the narrative itself is not as tight as Atuan and can be a victim of its own deliberately slow and occasionally meandering pace at times; though I found it the most thematically rich of the novels. Brilliant stuff.
In a way, I think this might be the most Earthsea Earthsea book and the strongest exploration of Le Guin’s philosophy for this world. Knowledge does not come without loss. The world works in a fine balance for all life to live and those who seek to unbalance are arbiters of their own doom. Le Guin’s prose is frankly stunning here - it’s crazy that a mere fours years separates this from the first book. I loved the trials of Ged and Arren who lose and gain so much on their journey. It’s easy to see why for so long this felt like the ending of the series, until Tehanu upended that (can’t wait to read that one). My only criticism is that the narrative itself is not as tight as Atuan and can be a victim of its own deliberately slow and occasionally meandering pace at times; though I found it the most thematically rich of the novels. Brilliant stuff.