Rating: 
Summary: The loss of magic
Review: "The Farthest Shore" may be the best of the Earthsea books, combining subtle, evocative prose with realistic characterization and a pair of equally important, entwined plotlines. Dragons, magic, wizards, and dozens of different islands are all entwined in an intriguing contrast between the young and the old, death and life.
Arren, prince of Anlad, comes to Roke to tell the wizards there dire news: Magic is seeping out of his country, where words no longer have power and spells are forgotten. The aged Archmage, Ged Sparrowhawk, sets off with the eager, sheltered young prince to find out what is draining the "wells of wizardry."
As they cross Earthsea, they find more difficulties, places where magic is draining away, the dragons are dueling, spells and songs are forgotten, and the dead are crossing over under the influence of a mysterious figure who is at the source of it all. Great changes are in store for both Arren and Ged before they can deal with the strange forces changing Earthsea...
It's undeniable that the original trilogy of Earthsea novels were superior to Le Guin's later Earthsea works, both in literary and storytelling terms. Le Guin's writing had clearly matured somewhat from the more formal manner of "Wizard of Earthsea," as here we have better insight into Arren's thoughts and feelings. The dialogue is also less formal, as we have more jokes, teasing, and an amusing scene where Arren and his "nuncle" Ged are playing around with accents and dialects.
It is still fairly formal; however, the villain of this piece evokes greater horror than did Ged's shadow in the first book. At the same time, deep poignancy is present in such scenes as the dead looking out at the living, and the old woman hysterically crying out her true name, because "there are no secrets, and there is no truth, and there is no death."
The relationship between the young, naive Arren and the more experienced, older Sparrowhawk is the underlying thread in this novel. Though Ged, to Arren, lessons and philosophies are revealed to the reader and spelled out in a way that will leave them thinking carefully. And Le Guin provides an intriguing contrast between age and youth: Ged's experience and wisdom are necessary as Arren knows virtually nothing about what could cause the crisis, while Arren's innocence and loyalty are necessary as a counterbalance.
Ged shows a weariness in this book not present before; his reflections on death and life seem to be connected to his greater age. Arren is an essentially good young man, very realistic in that he is not a spoiled brat, but has never been given the opportunity to do anything difficult and good before in his life. The supporting characters are rarely around long, and none develop the depth of those main two; though many references are made to the previous two books, especially the second, it is not necessary to have read them to understand this.
An entrancing fantasy epic and a thought-provoking look at life and death, this book may be the most fulfilling and well-made of Le Guin's many Earthsea books.
Rating: 
Summary: Good read...not transcendent
Review: '..Shore' is a simple read. It's not a complex book. It doesn't seem to have a deeper meaning. It's just a story about a guy trying to save the world. As such, it's not that interesting. It takes all the reader's energy to stay focused during the interminable paragraphs.The only part I truly enjoyed about this book was Le Guin's depiction of the dragons. They came alive. A few sentences of description and I could actually picture them.
Rating:
Summary: Die to live again. And again. And again. And again.
Review: A Wizard of Earthsea was about identity. Tombs of Atuan was about liberty. The Farthest Shore is the most philosophical, and probably the hardest to stomach of the three. It is about destiny. Things go sour in Earthsea. Colors aren't quite as vivid as before, and life has lost its crisp edge. Dark, envious thoughts brew in the minds of men. Melody, beauty, magic are all vanishing - the True Speech no longer rings true, and singers stop in mid-word, for their songs become meaningless. And all because a man of dark ambition has crippled the Equilibrium - making life and death as one, unleashing Undeath upon the world... Unlike the two previous books, "The Farthest Shore" has a viewpoint character - untried Prince Arren, who accompinies an aging Sparrowhawk on his long journey to find the root of evil. LeGuin does this in order to draw a sharp contrast between the noble Archmage and the mad people - though at times it is irritating to wait for Ged to repeat everything he says in wizardspeak in a tongue Arren can understand. Through Ged, Le Guin formulates her philosophy in much clearer and heavy-handed fashion than she does in previous volumes. Overall, she seems to lean towards a transcendentalist policy, advocating contemplation in favor of action, and seeing man as a mere component of the grand scheme of life. While the reader may feel uncomfortable with LeGuin's blatant didactics, the book quickly acquires a great emotional value as it becomes obvious that Ged won't be able to eradicate the threat easily. I would like to agree with the previous reviewers that some scenes in the book are written in a fashion that is both vague and awkward: among these is the trance scene in Hort Town and Sopli's drowning, which I had to read several times in order to actually understand what happened. Nevertheless, most of the book is lucidly written and the narrative flows very well. The villain is clearly not central to the author's message, and the heroes' meeting with him is anticlimactic. Similarly, the actual climax is not up to par with the rest of the book. "The Farthest Shore" provides a grand finish to Ged's saga, though LeGuin did re-open the setting later to write a fourth book. Excellent, profound reading.
Rating:
Summary: A great book, where fantasy tells of real wisdom.
Review: An excellent book in one of the greatest fantasy series of our time. In this volume the author takes the philosophy aspect of the series to its highest, most impressive level. It's a great story with also great wisdom.
Rating:
Summary: Anyone Can Relate!
Review: As a man going through the troubles of growing old, it is easy to see why so many, whether young or old, can relate to this novel. It is filled with symbolism that many readers simply overlook. While on the surface it seems a simple fantasy story, children flock to the tale of magic and wonder, as well as the challenges that face both the aging Ged as well as the youngster Arren, who must suddenly live up to the responsibilities that come with his position, much like the hardships children today must face of turning off their televisions and starting their homework. The challenges faced by the young today and in this mythical past are synonymous. The same applies to the struggles of those losing their vitality, adults. Ged and the wizards are losing their magic, much as men lose their potency and ability to function well, as do women in the midst of menopause. Both aging men and women will find this book refreshing and thereapuetic, and one doesn't need to feel alone when suffering from impotency. I know.
Rating: 
Summary: again almost 5
Review: As with the second book I loved it but there is too much of a span of time between the first and the second. When you leave off with the second book Ged and Vetch return from Ged over coming the shadow, in the third it starts some 15 years later. Now Ged is the Archmage. What happened in the 15 year span. Even a brief telling would be sufficent. Even with that the book was great. Kept me intrigued as to what will happen next.
Rating:
Summary: The Battle Against Evil
Review: Evil is prepared to end life as it is known in Earthsea. The world and its wizards are losing their magic, and it is up to Ged powerful Archmage, wizard, to seek out the only one or the only thing that can help. He must embark on a sailing journey with young prince, Arren, and travel beyond the realm of death to discover the cause of the evil and restore the land's magic. The story stays exciting all the way through, and will not dissapoint.
Rating:
Summary: A view from the protagonist to its sidekick.
Review: For the first and second series of the Earthsea, you'll find in this book suddenly Sparrowhawk, the famous Earthsea wizard, is not the protagonist. The main character has pass down to his accompany, a prince, that aids the wizard's voyage in the sea. The islands of Earthsea is losing balance and magic powers from every continent. Wizards are losing their Name and power, dragons are dying, and even Roke (Wizard school) is dying out its faith among their Names. Sparrowhawk begins a journey to seek the origin of the illness. Overall, I think this book is much more intense and overwhelming than the last book (Tombs of Atuan). Everything is a mystery in the Earthsea, and characters have changed from the last two books. The mage himself is becoming old and tiresome, but he is still able to restore the balance to Earthsea. If you are a Earthsea fan, remember to read this book! You won't regret it!
Rating: 
Summary: Personal Politics
Review: For those of you that don't know, Ursula is an ardent feminist. She's taken an engaging, wonderful classic trilogy and destroyed it by using the storyline to forward her own personal agenda. Anyone who's read the first three will be sorely disappointed in the fourth.
Rating:
Summary: A Classic of YA Fiction
Review: Having recently re-read all of the volumes of the original trilogy, I feel comfortable in saying that "The Farthest Shore" is the masterwork of the set. After a somewhat disappointing volume 2 ("Tombs of Atuan"), LeGuin writes a fantasy classic about a magical world that is having its magic mysteriously disappear. Like "Tombs," the hero of the trilogy, Sparrowhawk/Ged, is not the main focus of the novel. In this case, though, our focal point is an interesting and heroic character in his own right. The book is not without weaknesses, however. The villain is never very well defined, and though the threat of losing magic is very real, the figure behind the threat is less compelling. Even with this weakness, though, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this book to a young reader--or even an adult afficionado--of fantasy literature.
|
