Emphyrio-Jack Vance novel, book review

Emphyrio-Jack Vance novel

Emphyrio was first published in June, 1969 in a magazine called Fantastic. At the time of this writing it is in print in a high quality paperback edition by Spatterlight Press.  My out of print copy has 201 pages of text.

Emphyrio is a rather serious and bleak novel for Vance.  It has excellent world building, a good plot and decent character development (mostly in the first half and focused on Ghyl and Amiante).  Vance satirizes social and governmental stupidity, injustice and hypocrisy regardless of ideological orientation  He portrays an unfair so-called welfare system that advocates "voluntary" religious participation while monitoring and enforcing certain prescribed work and social behaviors.  Vance also shows corruption by pompous aristocratic lords and ladies who live off the workers and travel to distant planets in their luxurious space-yachts.  Some readers might miss Vance's usual wit, humor and fascinating dialog.  The novel also has minimal action or drama and most of the adventure is in the second half.  All considered, though, Emphyrio is a very good novel with many ideas and issues about societies, politics, governments and culture. 

The initial setting for the novel is in the city of Ambroy on the planet Halma.  The first chapter of the novel begins with a glimpse of an incident that happens to the main character later in his life.  Then in chapter two it returns to when our main character, Ghyl Tarvoke, was only seven years old and attended a puppet show with his father.  At the puppet show he saw a play about the folk hero Emphyrio who many years ago negotiated a peace between Damarans and Ghyl's human ancestors.  But each story or puppet show he sees about Emphyrio ends differently, and the only historical documentation that has survived on Halma is incomplete.  Ghyl continues to be fascinated with Emphyrio as he grows up under his father's rather lax but benevolent parental supervision. 

His father, Amiante Tarvoke, is a member of the Woodworkers guild and is a highly skilled master wood carver who creates beautiful, elaborate wooden screens that are sold on other planets.  Production of crafts (really works of art) is highly regulated.  All must meet high standards and be hand made.  Copies, duplications or anything machine made is forbidden and violations can lead to death.  Even copying a document or the use of hand tools that are not approved is strictly forbidden by all the guilds.  The guilds also handle all the sales so the various craftsmen cannot sell directly to the public.  Craftsmen are paid minimally in script and are also paid monthly under a so called welfare system run by the state.  Amiante is paid very little for his works, even though, as Ghyl eventually learns, these screens end up being sold to museums and buyers on distant planets for exorbitant amounts of money.

Persons who do not enroll in the welfare system are considered to be noncups (short for noncuperatives).  Noncups are sometimes called chaoticists and are held in very low esteem.  They often operate in the black market, by thievery or through other illegal activities.  Persons who do enroll have to follow all of the social and work related rules and must pay 1.18% of their income to the Lords, the aristocrats who essentially control the planet.  Since there is one lord for every 5,000 participants, each lord has the same income that 50 workers combined have.  The lords and ladies live aloof in mansions and have Garion creatures for body guards.  They spend their time traveling to other worlds and being entertained, all at the expense of the workers.

Work compliance and social behavior is carefully monitored by welfare agents who all have the last name of Cobol.  They either are descendents of the Cobol family or change their name once appointed as an agent.  All those in the welfare system are expected to participate in religious ceremonies that entail elaborate leaps into the air by devotees who worship Finuka.  This includes participation in Soul Endowment, learning Basic Saltations, studying Rite, Rote and Doxology and Voluntary Temple Exercises.

Ghyl decides to become a master woodworker under his father's guidance but is too independent in his behavior and thinking to get along well under these strict rules and supervision.  He continues to be obsessed with the hero Emphyrio who lived many years ago and helped negotiate an end to a long war.  But half the story about Emphyrio is missing.  Ghyl learns about the Historical Institute on Earth that might possess the rest of the Emphyrio story and documents about the real history of his planet Halma.  He thinks about traveling to Earth but has no funds or means to do so.

In the second half of the novel Ghyl becomes increasingly dissatisfied with his life, society and work.  When his father is badly mistreated by the state, Ghyl becomes even more motivated to try to learn the truth about Emphyrio and his planet's history.  The adventurous part of the novel begins when he decides to leave the planet and set out to find the truth by whatever means possible.

Initially the novel was mostly an examination of society and a coming of age for Ghyl, but after Ghyl's disillusionment it became a quest for truth.  And there are, indeed, some important and startling truths and history that are hidden from almost everyone.  The ending of the novel, however, seemed rushed.  I think the ending would have been better if it had been developed in greater detail with a more gradual transition.  The surprise at the very end was excellent, however.  Overall, although, the novel is different from most Vance novels, it is highly recommended to all Vance fans.  So far I’ve read this novel twice so far and I rated it a 4 (“Really like it”) both times.  I highly recommend it to all Vance fans.