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SPOILERS FOR THE WHOLE SERIES
I’ve always known it. To my very core. I’ve even discussed it with quite a few people. I’m sure many of you know it as well and have also discussed it.
Everyone is aware of it, there’s no doubting that, but sometimes I feel that people forget to mention it. Or they forget to include it in their discussions of the books.
I think they do this because it is so obvious that to many people it does not need discussing.
I think though that it is at the very core of what Terry is writing about. Sure Terry has some great philosophical elements to his work and they tend to take centre stage when we sit around discussing the books.
But I’d like to talk about something a bit simpler then all of that for a minute. I’d like to shine a light on this topic for just a moment so we can all honestly sit back and enjoy the simpler things about Terrys novels.
I’m talking about love. Specifically the love Richard and Kahlan have for eachother. As I said before, we all know it, it’s obvious. But just think about the novels for a second.
I challenge anyone to try and convince me that WIZARD’S FIRST RULE was not (at least in a large way) a love story. Boy meets girl. Boy falls in love with girl. Boy can’t have girl. Boy solves problem. Boy gets the girl.
Almost everything Richard does is because of his love for Kahlan. Take the ending of Wizards First Rule. He was stuck and was almost contemplating surrendering to Darken Rahl the knowledge of the Book of Counted Shadows so that Kahlan could live.
His solution was to come to understand the value of love. He loved her completely. No hesitations or regrets. He knew of her power, and yet he knew of the counter to it. He had committed his heart completely to her.
Think about what a Confessors power does – it makes the person fall in love with the confessor. It destroys their mind to knowing nothing else but the love for the confessor.
Think about the times Kahlan touched people and needed their protection. They fought like they were 10 men. They fought with the utmost determination that you only get when you love someone completely.
Richard’s mind wasn’t destroyed. It was who he was. And look at how he fights when Kahlan’s life is on the line. Look at all the things he goes through. His determination to save Kahlan from the beheading prophecy in STONE OF TEARS is proof just as is his utmost determination in the CHAINFIRE Triology to find her.
Or what about in STONE OF TEARS when Kahlan demanded that he put on the Rada Han. Sure Richard was not thinking straight but the one thing he swore he would never voluntarily do again, he did because of Kahlan. The collar petrified him because of his time with Denna, yet he put it on.
He did a similar thing in FAITH OF THE FALLEN when he gave up his freedom for her. He willingly went with Nicci to save Kahlan’s life. He would have gone to the underworld and back for her.
Terry’s books are about so many different things and I love them because of that. But when I think back to the very first time I read Wizard’s First Rule, I noticed straight away that it was in a large part a love story between the two main characters.
After rereading CONFESSOR I just couldn’t help but see some of the simplicity of the series. As I said in the opening paragraphs, I’ve always known it.
I read this love story between Richard and Kahlan and can’t help but admire it. The love of these two people (yes I call them people because they are real to me) is spellbinding. I don’t see this kind of love story anywhere else in fiction.
Though I do see it in real life. I see it when I look into Kim’s eyes everyday.
And those of you who have been lucky to meet Terry and his lovely wife Jeri, well, lets just say that its easy to see where Terry gets his inspiration for love from. He doesn’t have to look too far.
Now I’ve seen a lot of people go around spouting off philosophical comments about the series (and yes I’ve been one of them) and these comments remain true. They are just as much a part of the brilliance of these novels as is what I’m talking about now.
It’s just that sometimes I feel the conversations regarding the novels are a little one sided in some respects. Its like the lessons we learn within the novels about balance.
Magic requires balance. I think the same applies to these novels. The complex themes and philosophies Terry interweaves throughout the story on one hand, and the simplest story/theme on the other.
Perhaps the next time you start thinking deeply about the themes within Terry’s novels you might spare just a second or two’s thought for the simpler side, the pure unadulterated love that Richard and Kahlan have for eachother.
I’ve always known it. To my very core. I’ve even discussed it with quite a few people. I’m sure many of you know it as well and have also discussed it.
Everyone is aware of it, there’s no doubting that, but sometimes I feel that people forget to mention it. Or they forget to include it in their discussions of the books.
I think they do this because it is so obvious that to many people it does not need discussing.
I think though that it is at the very core of what Terry is writing about. Sure Terry has some great philosophical elements to his work and they tend to take centre stage when we sit around discussing the books.
But I’d like to talk about something a bit simpler then all of that for a minute. I’d like to shine a light on this topic for just a moment so we can all honestly sit back and enjoy the simpler things about Terrys novels.
I’m talking about love. Specifically the love Richard and Kahlan have for eachother. As I said before, we all know it, it’s obvious. But just think about the novels for a second.
I challenge anyone to try and convince me that WIZARD’S FIRST RULE was not (at least in a large way) a love story. Boy meets girl. Boy falls in love with girl. Boy can’t have girl. Boy solves problem. Boy gets the girl.
Almost everything Richard does is because of his love for Kahlan. Take the ending of Wizards First Rule. He was stuck and was almost contemplating surrendering to Darken Rahl the knowledge of the Book of Counted Shadows so that Kahlan could live.
His solution was to come to understand the value of love. He loved her completely. No hesitations or regrets. He knew of her power, and yet he knew of the counter to it. He had committed his heart completely to her.
Think about what a Confessors power does – it makes the person fall in love with the confessor. It destroys their mind to knowing nothing else but the love for the confessor.
Think about the times Kahlan touched people and needed their protection. They fought like they were 10 men. They fought with the utmost determination that you only get when you love someone completely.
Richard’s mind wasn’t destroyed. It was who he was. And look at how he fights when Kahlan’s life is on the line. Look at all the things he goes through. His determination to save Kahlan from the beheading prophecy in STONE OF TEARS is proof just as is his utmost determination in the CHAINFIRE Triology to find her.
Or what about in STONE OF TEARS when Kahlan demanded that he put on the Rada Han. Sure Richard was not thinking straight but the one thing he swore he would never voluntarily do again, he did because of Kahlan. The collar petrified him because of his time with Denna, yet he put it on.
He did a similar thing in FAITH OF THE FALLEN when he gave up his freedom for her. He willingly went with Nicci to save Kahlan’s life. He would have gone to the underworld and back for her.
Terry’s books are about so many different things and I love them because of that. But when I think back to the very first time I read Wizard’s First Rule, I noticed straight away that it was in a large part a love story between the two main characters.
After rereading CONFESSOR I just couldn’t help but see some of the simplicity of the series. As I said in the opening paragraphs, I’ve always known it.
I read this love story between Richard and Kahlan and can’t help but admire it. The love of these two people (yes I call them people because they are real to me) is spellbinding. I don’t see this kind of love story anywhere else in fiction.
Though I do see it in real life. I see it when I look into Kim’s eyes everyday.
And those of you who have been lucky to meet Terry and his lovely wife Jeri, well, lets just say that its easy to see where Terry gets his inspiration for love from. He doesn’t have to look too far.
Now I’ve seen a lot of people go around spouting off philosophical comments about the series (and yes I’ve been one of them) and these comments remain true. They are just as much a part of the brilliance of these novels as is what I’m talking about now.
It’s just that sometimes I feel the conversations regarding the novels are a little one sided in some respects. Its like the lessons we learn within the novels about balance.
Magic requires balance. I think the same applies to these novels. The complex themes and philosophies Terry interweaves throughout the story on one hand, and the simplest story/theme on the other.
Perhaps the next time you start thinking deeply about the themes within Terry’s novels you might spare just a second or two’s thought for the simpler side, the pure unadulterated love that Richard and Kahlan have for eachother.
