Book Review

Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, Susanna Clark
It took me longer than usual to get through this book because I've been on a mini reading burn-out. But I'm glad I saved it for last out of the stack of books I got last time because it was the best. I became interested when I saw previews for the miniseries it was adapted to for BBCA. I never saw any of that, but I knew this was exactly the sort of thing I'd like. I really loved it and I plan to reread it when I'm feeling more enthusiastic.

It's set at the turn of the 19th century in England and the premise is that English magic and magical influence has run dry since its golden years of the middle ages. All current magicians are theoretical magicians and they behave as academics of all ages, publishing papers on the subject without practical experience or knowhow. Two practicing magicians are foretold to restore English magic, the titular characters, but it doesn't happen like any of them expect of course. The build up is slow and detailed. Norrell and Strange are introduced one at a time and the complexity of their relationship as well as the other characters' dynamics eat up the biggest portion of this lengthy book. The world building is subtle and blends the fictional elements with the actual historical events of the time period, utilizing Lord Wellington and King George along side the invented players and events. It's unique compared to other magical fantasy pieces in that it makes use of the Faerie world, which is something I've not seen much of in modern offerings. I don't know how this depiction of the Faerie compares with its common lore, but I know the impish, faerie antagonist is Satan incarnate and made the book a compelling page-turner. Another thing I loved was the footnotes. Normally footnotes are a headache but because these notes referenced fictitious people, places and books they became characters in the book themselves and a great way to fill in ancillary details without the characters having to give long-winded explanations or disrupting the narrative. I'm also pleased to report that my favorite character doesn't die and actually gets a better ending than the main protagonists who get an unexpectedly bittersweet ending.

I love it and recommend it! It's a grown up, well rounded tale that doesn't have to rely on too many action sequences to hold the reader's interest. 

Book Review

Amphigorey anthology, Edward Gorey and various authors.
I enjoyed looking through these and want to thank Jenny Magidson again for taking me down this delightfully strange rabbit hole. They're a collection of adult comic strips. Adult because the themes tend towards the macabre and disturbing. The grotesque and surreal illustrations put me in the mind of every Tim Burton movie I've seen and they appeal to my warped sense of humor. And they range from a story board with a coherent story to follow written in either prose or verse to a disjointed series of images that aren't necessarily related, or only vaguely so.

It's this strange style that really pulled me in and kept me interested. Especially the seemingly random entries. There were several in which the noun of each panel description corresponded to each letter of the alphabet just like a toddler's book. Or a series of random but not well known words. Or simply vignettes that portray a mood. Mostly melancholy moods, but I understood it on a subconscious level. I used to draw a lot as a kid in story board method and other experiments. It reminds me of how creative I used to be when I was young, with a sinister twist of course. But it inspires me to be creative again.

It's definitely not for everyone. If you're uncomfortable with suicidal inanimate objects, dark and tragic unrequited love stories, or children being eaten by a fictitious beast - I mean, the classic fairy tales in their original forms were equally weird and twisted when you think about it - or if you tend to take such things too seriously then it's probably not for you. I see it as pure entertainment and brain candy for curious minds.

Book Review

The Night Circus, Erin Morgenstern
I don't normally read something that could be classified as "romance" but the romance was sufficiently relegated to second place next to the plot. The synopsis actually drew me in on this one. It's the story of two magicians' students pitted against each other to the death who fall in love in spite of this circumstance. But it's not the epic sort of high fantasy battle that it sounds like. The writing focuses more on the characters than the mechanics of magic. The only spell that is detailed is the one that binds everyone to their contracts. After that it's more of vague but elegant backdrop. And it works well since the primary setting is a circus and the time period in which it takes place is the late 19th and early 20th centuries. There's no need for details to the magic, just the mood. You see that each student is trained differently as they grow up - one intellectually and one cruelly. The works they produce later are added to the layers of the circus which serves as the venue for their challenge.
It not only follows the lives of the two competitors, it skips ahead to track the movements of another character that would be important to the resolution at the end. I really liked that diversion from the main story. It was well constructed as the present caught up to the future in which that character is introduced. A nice touch.
It's a relaxing fantasy read without too much depth or intensity to weigh on the brain or exhaust you when it's finished. I'll reread it again some time and I definitely recommend it. 

Book Review

The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho

It's a nice modern day fable. That is, written in the modern day - first published in English in 1993. But the setting of the story takes place sometime between the 16th and 19th centuries in Spain and North Africa which gives it the right ambiance for a classic fable. It follows a young, Spanish shepherd boy, probably in his mid to late teens as he is led by a dream and several people placed in his path by fate to go on a journey to find his "Personal Legend," which in this case is an actual treasure. Like all fables and classic fairy tales it conveys a lot of self-esteem boosting advice and layered life lessons in which not everything is as it seems. And what appears to be a simple straight forward journey turns into over a year of adventure and self discovery for the protagonist. I liked it a lot. It definitely makes you feel good and gives you positive things to ponder. Yes, he finds his Personal Legend but I won't spoil it. It wasn't the kind of ending I was expecting, I'll admit. 

It's a book suitable for all age groups but I can only recommend to those who are already secure in their religious beliefs. It makes use of a lot of biblical stories which I appreciate but it is not solid Christian teachings and could be confusing to a new or immature Christian. Or Muslim for that matter. The author himself is honest about his ecumenical beliefs and the trained eye can spot that sort of vapid new age spiritualism right away.

But that doesn't take away from the quality of a good, engaging story that has a lot of generalized good advice and motivational help. Definitely a keeper and a re-reader for me.

Book Review

Bambi, by Felix Salten
I gotta say.... This book was a total downer. If you enjoy reading books that make you cry, this is for you.

It's not just that Bambi's mother dies. Death seems to be a running theme throughout the book all the way to a random passage a third of the way through of two autumn leaves discussing the ravages of aging before they fall to their deaths from the tree. Obviously this is an anti-hunting book. That doesn't really surprise or bother me. The movie was the same. I love animals and understand the sad nature of the food chain; hunters actually have more respect for it than anyone. I'm just not into feeling guilty for existing. So, again, if you're into crying and assuming guilt trips on behalf of humanity, you'll really like this book. But it doesn't just beat up on mankind. There are also portraits painted of other natural predators in the wild as witness to the cruel lives that animals lead, continuing with the sorrowful tone. Personally, I think it even goes too far in its assessment of dogs and other livestock that serves mankind.
I think the author believed in God because His supremacy is asserted towards the end, but I don't know if he really knew God to have such a depressing outlook on that which is the cycle of life.

That's not to say that I didn't like the book. The prose is absolutely beautiful from beginning to end. The passage of the leaves is very powerful and stands out in my mind. The whole book is like that. And it's also a zoological study of deer. Even though they are anthropomorphic and talk, there's no letter writing or sword waving. Their behavior from being weaned from their mothers to rutting and mating is covered in a manner that adults recognize and that wouldn't confuse children. Although I don't think I'd read it to a kid. It seems too heavy even for children of the 1920s when it was published. I actually do recommend it for its classic value and beautiful writing. 

Book Review

Kazin's Quest, Carey Scheppner

First of The Dragonmage Trilogy, it's an enjoyable fantasy yarn. And I sincerely mean that. I just don't think this trilogy is for me.

It centers around a newly trained mage who by chance is turned into a Dragonmage, that is, he gains the ability to change into a dragon and back at will. He gathers a group of companions together to fulfill a prophecy and defeat a great necromancer. The Dragonmage aspect of it is actually a cool story by itself apart from all the rest and I don't think quite enough time is devoted to it. Instead it gets busy filling the world with a few too many different types of creatures for me to process. I'm all for a little variation from the standard fantasy formula of humans, elves, dwarves, wizards, and generic monstrosities like orcs. But including with these mermaids, zombies, centaurs, minotaurs, two races of upright reptilians - mages and archer warriors, pegasi, and a unicorn just seems to stretch the world a little thin and gives it a lack of depth.

I see it as being written for Dungeons and Dragons or video game players. The story plays out like like an average gamer campaign and the characters "level up" by finding special weapons and being suddenly positioned to acquire new skills. It ends up being a series of battle sequences into which most of the passionate writing is poured with the story being a relatively thin thread that ties them together with slightly juvenile humor. 

But I meant it when I said it had enjoyable aspects... Things that could have been fleshed out more thoroughly in their own separate stories. The concept of the Dragonmage was one but I also really liked the minotaur political structure and intrigue. The dwarves also had a uniqueness to them that felt lacking since they were also fairly typical. I'm actually not sure how to feel about a silly lovesick elf as opposed to the standard arrogant and dissociated kind in the prominent elf role, but these are certainly things worth exploring.

I absolutely recommend it for fans of this particular subset of fantasy genre. It's good, it's just not my favorite. 

Book Review

The Adventures of Sarah Ann Lewis and the Memory Thieves, Joshua C. Carroll

Yes I frequently browse YA fiction. That's where some of more original story ideas have been coming from for the last 20 years. This is a fairly new book too, just released last year. Like many other YA books it follows a "chosen one" type of base in a hidden world setting but this one also features blending genres. For example, A Wrinkle in Time blended sci-fi and religion/mythology. The original Pern trilogy infused science fiction into fantasy. Sarah and the Memory Thieves' plot attempts to tie together science fiction, fantasy, and varying supernatural/religion/mythological elements into its multiverse. It's a very tricky and ambitious project. It's a little unsettling to try to take in at first but the pacing helps smooth out the ride. And it's not a vehicle to bash humanity or be disrespectful towards religion. It's just the story of a girl who wants to help rescue her grandfather and discovers her place in the hidden organization by way of her family's involvement. She's thrust into a position of importance as the only person besides her father that can operate the portal to the multiverse that contains the different beings. It's simplified but explain in a way that feels plausible.

What's most fun about it is that it takes place in the 1980's. Technologies that sound like 3D printing and such are futuristic and the only phones she can find when the trouble starts are the one in her house that she can't enter and the one in a neighbor's house that she doesn't trust. The author sets up the forward to connect to the story to make it seem like he's relating real events, which is a creative twist I've always enjoyed.

I liked it. It's indicated that sequels will follow and I think I'll look out for them. It's not the best of the newer YA fiction I've ever read but it's intriguing I'd like to see how it fleshes out.