Richard Cypher - the hero of the series of books "The Sword of Truth"

Richard Cypher is the main character of the cycle of books in the genre of epic fantasy created by the American writer Terry Goodkind. A series of sixteen novels is known as the "Sword of Truth". The author has invented for his characters a fantastic universe in which there is magic and representatives of the forces of good and evil are fighting with each other for control of the world. Based on this literary work, the television series "Legend of the Seeker" was filmed. The role of the main character in it was performed by Australian actor Craig Horner.

Author

The writer Terry Goodkind gives the impression of an unusual and mysterious personality. He first tried his hand at literature at the age of forty-five. Goodkind did not receive formal education and before the career of the writer worked as a restorer of antiques. He was also known as an artist and sold in galleries his paintings depicting the sea and wildlife.

In 1994 Goodkind wrote the novel "The First Wizard's Rule," which marked the beginning of the famous cycle of books. The work in the genre of epic fantasy was amazingly successful. Novels from the series "Sword of Truth" have been translated into many languages. Their total circulation exceeded 25 million copies. In the world of fantasy lovers, Terry Goodkind turned into a figure comparable to Stephen King and Terry Pratchett. The main character of almost all the author's novels is the wizard and warrior Richard Cypher.

Cycle of books

The plot of the "Sword of Truth" is not original, and reminds dozens of classic stories in the genre of fantasy. The protagonist, young forest guide Richard Cypher, sets out to avenge his father, mysteriously killed by a magical ritual. He becomes an invincible knight-sorcerer. From the old hermit, endowed with an ancient magical power, Richard receives a magic sword, restores justice, fights a powerful villain named Darken Rahl and reveals the secret of his origin.

As often happens in such stories, the negative and positive heroes turn out to be a father and son. The real name, which should be worn by Richard Cypher, is Ral. He belongs to the genus of the main representative of the dark forces, but was raised by foster parents.

Features

The Saga "Sword of Truth" by the number of books and their volume surpasses most cycles of literary works of other authors of fantasy. Writer Terry Goodkind in creating the world in which Richard Cypher lives, did not focus on the generally recognized laws of the genre. In the books of the series "Sword of Truth" there are no habitual elves and gnomes, but there are many incredible creatures not found in other works in the style of epic fantasy. The novels of this cycle are designed for adult readers and contain detailed scenes of violent violence.

The series "The Legend of the Seeker"

For the adaptation of the saga of the adventures of the knight-sorcerer Richard, the famous American film director Sam Raimi undertook . In the work on the script, the author of the literary work Terry Goodkind took an active part. The location of the shooting was selected New Zealand. Picturesque landscapes of this country have become one of the main advantages of the series. The premiere of the television version took place in 2008. In total, two seasons of "Legends of the Seeker" were shot for 22 episodes each. The series is a free interpretation of the contents of Goodkind's novels. In it there are all the main characters, but the plot is made significant changes.

Executive role

Fans of the book "The Sword of Truth" eagerly awaited the television premiere to assess how successfully the screen version of Richard Cypher was embodied. Photo of the Australian actor Craig Horner as a whole corresponds to the description of the appearance of the main character in the literary source. However, many critics and connoisseurs of creativity Terry Goodkind were dissatisfied with the image in the series of the character and personality of Richard Cypher. In their opinion, Craig Horner failed to show the audience the willpower and tenacious mind with which the literary hero is endowed. The fantasy genre turned out to be unsuitable for this actor. Richard Cypher in his performance resembles a modern character, not a warrior living in the mysterious world of magic. But despite the differences between the series and the literary work, "The Legend of the Seeker" is an example of high-quality television products.