"My imagination makes me human and makes me a fool; it gives me all the world and exiles me from it." - Ursula Le Guin I have had this tiny novel in my possession for many years. I don't know where it came from, I don't know precisely how long I've had it or even where it came from, all I know is that I've never made it to the end. This is absolutely through no fault of the author or the subject matter, as both are entirely up my alley. A Wizard Of Earthsea was even adapted into a film by Studio Ghibli, who have produced some of my favorite films, ever. Why then, have I never finished this book? The only explanation I can offer is that I probably did read the whole thing in a day when I first got it, then set it aside and promptly forgot all about it. Maybe this is a re-read, but in any case, Le Guin writes classic science fiction and fantasy and has been given so many prestigious awards in duplicate that she was made a Grandmaster Of Science Fiction in 2003. Yes, that's a REAL thing.
A quick note on the film adaptation, taken from Wikipaedia, if you're interested, and certainly a good argument for why you should always read the book before seeing the film! In the early 1980s, animator and director Hayao Miyazaki asked permission to create an animated adaptation of Earthsea. However, Le Guin, who was unfamiliar with his work and anime in general, turned down the offer. Years later, after seeing My Neighbor Totoro she reconsidered her refusal, believing that if anyone should be allowed to direct an Earthsea film, it should be Hayao Miyazaki. The third and fourth Earthsea books were used as the basis of the 2006 animated film Tales From Earthsea. The film, however, was directed by Miyazaki's son, Goro, rather than Hayao Miyazaki himself, which disappointed Le Guin. While she was positive about the aesthetic of the film, writing that "much of it was beautiful", she took great issue with its re-imagining of the moral sense of the books and greater focus on physical violence. "Evil has been comfortably externalized in a villain", Le Guin writes, "the wizard Kumo/Cob, who can simply be killed, thus solving all problems. In modern fantasy (literary or governmental), killing people is the usual solution to the so-called war between good and evil. My books are not conceived in terms of such a war, and offer no simple answers to simplistic questions." On to the book itself! First impressions - I am reminded of many classic fantasy series beginnings; a young protagonist widely considered to be gently foolhardy and is ripe for development. Said protagonist is taken under the wing of a character with dubious but not necessarily bad intentions. I read The Magician when I was mayyyyybe fourteen and I was frankly enchanted by this sort of trope. It also reminded me of a trilogy I read many years ago called Damiano, by R.A. MacAvoy - all these books have a wonderful lost-in-a-forest vibe, with lashings of magic, animal familiars and unforeseen consequences. I've said before that once you've read a high fantasy series you've read all of them, but I feel as though this will appeal to my sense of nostalgia. That's not even taking into consideration that Le Guin's novels often deal with topics like social structure, anarchism, environmentalism. Magic in this universe is written in my favorite way - almost like alchemy and certainly in the vein of hedge witchery, herbalists, wise women/folk, in that everything comes with a price, everything must maintain the great cosmic balance and the smallest change could come with a thousand consequences so each sorcerer, each wizard, must learn the true name of things and practice his craft with the utmost care. There's something fun and liberating about magic just being around for the taking but I do find I prefer this difficult way of magic. It seems to me somehow more believable, as though it makes more sense, the need to work for it. Ged, our main character begins his journey as a bit of a self-serving wizard after establishing himself as extremely powerful from the get-go... He does save his entire village, but soon after he begins to display a thirst for power and knowledge that leads him down a path of questionable intentions though not outward evil, and this does provide the essential 'issue' of the book. The rest of the story centers around Ged trying to make up for his boo-boo with various degrees of suffering, hopelessness, and a sprinkling of endangerment to others. "Tell me just this, if it is not a secret: what other great powers are there besides the light?" "It is no secret. All power is one in source and end, I think. Years and distances, stars and candles, water and wind and wizardry, the craft in a man's hand and the wisdom in a trees root,: they all arise together. My name and yours, and the true name of the sun, or a spring of water, or an unborn child, all are syllables of the great word that is very slowly spoken by the shining of the stars. There is no other power. No other name." I'm almost finished with the book and finding that although the writing is gorgeous at times and the concept of magic is beautifully devised, well thought out... There is something lacking in depth. Maybe it doesn't quite meet expectations as far as my perception of LeGuin's particular strengths, as there is a distinct lack of real world friction. Unrest among the peoples of Earthsea is glossed over quickly in the beginning as it provides a platform for Ged's first public display of magic, but doesn't receive much mention further on and though Ged meets with plenty of strife and helps to solve the problems of others, I feel as though the whole world could have used a little more fleshing out. I am used to quite gritty, often bloody, historical fiction and fantasy, and knowing that there are more Earthsea novels leaves me thinking that perhaps this is yet to come, but judging solely on this book alone I would say it's unlikely.
Final Verdict - 5 out of 10 I can honestly say I never made it to the end of this book before, because I was so mad when I finished it and I'd remember being that mad... I really don't care for a weak ending. Oh, boy. It was wrapped up like a neat little package with the simplest of explanations and although it speaks of a future Ged in a position of power, with great deeds done, the book feels like a stand alone adventure that was ended due to time or paper constraints. The end feels like a definitively clumsy end and there's no room for more. The writing is gorgeous, the pondering journey of Ged is a comfortable thing and the ending was not to my liking. Worth reading as a holiday novel, a rainy day book or as an accompaniment for a plane or train ride. It was a short read and as much as I my be disappointed with the ending itself - that resolution happened in the last three pages - the journey to get there was rather sweet. Yevaud the dragon was my kind of big lizard, though. Very sassy.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorCailin Archives
September 2017
Categories
All
|