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| 1681123134
| 9781681123134
| 1681123134
| 3.75
| 496
| Jun 11, 2021
| Jul 04, 2023
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really liked it
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Remember friends: always ask the Princess if she wants to be rescued first. And also why or why not. Darkly She Goes begins as a standard fare fantasy
Remember friends: always ask the Princess if she wants to be rescued first. And also why or why not. Darkly She Goes begins as a standard fare fantasy of a knight riding off to rescue a princess trapped in a tower and quickly descends into something much darker and dynamic. French author Hubert (translated L. Benson) delivers this menacing tale of “once upon a time” full of fascinating twists and treachery that truly make you gallop headlong into the narrative brought to life by artist Vincent Mallié’s detailed and delightful artwork. This is a story of spoiled reputations with nowhere left to turn, of bloodshed and betrayal, but also one where love might be the key to survival. A wild and violent ride, Darkly She Goes is a gripping adult fairy tale graphic novel that I simply could not look away from. [image] Our journey begins with Arzhur, a disgraced knight who’s back is against the wall of poverty and public disdain and accepts a deadly mission for some coin. And while Princess Islen may indeed be stuck in a ruined castle surrounded by monsters, her situation is much more complicated that Arzhur could possibly imagine. And the fate of a kingdom is now at stake… [image] This story hits hard. Just when you think you know where it is headed things take dramatic twists and each revelation of the past adds more tension and trauma to the maelstrom of violence. The second act does well by really making the outlook feel hopeless as the story also latches on to how the frailties and infidelities of men always plunge everyone into disaster. The past is a horror show and I don’t want to spoil anything but there are a lot of key players and the villains that are always lurking are all quite well done. This story does well by keeping things very dark and very threatening. [image] I really enjoyed the characters and their dynamics here. Islen is a very empathetic focal character and her mystical secrets propel the plot quite well. I also enjoyed the flawed Arzhur who is trying to redeem his past, has the bravery to keep on going but also a kindness that really makes him shine. He’s supportive of Islen but also attempts to not eat meat because she does not (a very key part of her character…you’ll see). I did not love the whole reason he’s an outcast and the sexpest but not harmful angle though. Still when together they are easy to root for, even with the flaws. [image] I also just really loved the art in this one. The colors are great, it’s very detailed, the framework is wonderful and it really pulls the story forward. It’s just fantastic really. Also there are some amazing battle scenes: [image] And all the landscape scenes and scenery is delightful too. Just solid artwork here. [image] Darkly She Goes is a big story with a lot of big twists and thrills. It’s one it’s probably best knowing as little about the story and their background as possible the better as the book really slowly teases out information in ways that make it hit with quite the impact. Gonna be honest, I spaced out and at work and read this in one go, it’s so captivating and Darkly She Goes is a fun and ferocious graphic novel. 4/5 [image] ...more |
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May 31, 2024
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Hardcover
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| 0765392313
| 9780765392312
| B01NCIL5H0
| 4.10
| 1,159
| Dec 14, 2016
| Dec 14, 2016
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really liked it
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‘In our language, the word for mapmaker is also the word for traitor.’ In keeping with the colonizer’s words to “tame the West,” in Alix E. Harrow’s ta ‘In our language, the word for mapmaker is also the word for traitor.’ In keeping with the colonizer’s words to “tame the West,” in Alix E. Harrow’s tale they will find the West to indeed be a fierce beast resistant to their aims. A story of the American frontier as the ‘shifting land that twists beneath your feet and runs in mad paths of its own,’ is being violently corralled into borders and map lines as those who called it their ancestral home are removed or made to betray the land. Such is the case of the narrator in The Autobiography of a Traitor and a Half-Savage, a woman born of two worlds who finds herself trapped in her role as mapmaker to serve the Imperial American River Company in their quest for westward expansion. Gorgeously told as Harrow’s prose snakes through imagery and emotion as awe-inspiring as the vast horizons the characters explore and the natural world comes alive as if the words themselves were roots embedding into the reader. A dark tale full of magic and menace that confronts a long, American legacy of colonial violence and corporate dehumanization, this is a tale of blackmail and servitude breeding fear and frustration but also a burning desire for freedom. But will it come at a steep cost? ‘Mapmakers don’t make the land; we only hold fast to whichever shape it gives us.’ For those who are interested, you can read this story in its entirety HERE I’ve come to really enjoy Harrow’s poetic writing and how she can depict a scene in words that reads in your mind as such lush imagery full of sharp, bold colors that fully immerses you in her stories. I also appreciated her use of footnotes here, which ground the story in the idea that it is ta historical account and I found it serves the story better than her use of them in Starling House where it felt a bit tacked on and wasn’t utilized enough to really justify it. Harrow does excel at historical fantasy, however, and this takes a sharp look at the horrors of colonialism and the violence brought about by Westward expansion at the expense of the indigenous peoples who had already been living there. We follow the narrator in her service to the company under Mr. Clayton—‘a thuggish employee of the Imperial American River Company&mdash’—a job for which she feels makes her a traitor to her people, yet her efforts to leave are seen as traitorous and to be viewed as property by a company is to be denied your status as a person. This is only made worse by the racism against indigenous people. ‘I knew the shackles Clayton hung on my wrists were made of both fear and hope, and I knew hope was by far the heavier of the two. But knowing didn’t matter much, in the end.’ Harrow does an excellent job building frustration in the reader for the hardships faced by the narrator, such as the ways they blackmail her into submission, and the anger and pain felt by those being swept off the map in order to turn it into tidy property lines fuel the blunt criticisms of colonialism shown in the story. But the strongest aspects of the story is the love of the land, to be ‘drunk on the shifting shapes of the horizon,’ to have ancestral connections and deep cultural connections. The removal from it and dismissal of their practices is deeply felt and pulls towards a satisfying conclusion where one can be literally ‘swallowed up by the ravenous border.’ It gets pretty great. ‘Imagine the earth you walk along is just a vast and detailed map rolled out on some surveyor’s table. Now imagine that map is torn away, whisked from beneath your feet, or perhaps all the ink simply runs together in a sudden liquid chaos of rivers and mountains and neatly labeled regions. And your eyes ache just to see it, because you believed all your life that the labels on the map were the truth, and now you see they were just thin ropes stretched over the land and easily shaken off.’ Alix E. Harrow’s The Autobiography of a Traitor and a Half-Savage is an interesting and brutal little tale. It does come from 2016 at a time where, in the efforts to give more space to diverse characters, a lot of white writers would write cultural stories and there has since been a lot of debate over that so keep that in mind while reading. It seems written in a very respectful manner and the anti-colonialism message is quite powerful, though it does sort of imply a homogeneity between tribes that neglects there were cultural differences in an effort to make a rather us vs them atmosphere for the story and I can see how that is wide open for criticisms from those of that ancestry. Still, Harrow’s writing is quite beautiful and this was a sharp little story. 4/5 ‘[I]f mapmaking is magic, it’s only the magic of knowing—knowing the land and its hundred faces so well you carry the shape of them in your marrow.’ ...more |
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May 18, 2024
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Kindle Edition
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| 1250857457
| 9781250857453
| 1250857457
| 4.03
| 278,681
| Dec 26, 2023
| Dec 26, 2023
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really liked it
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‘Perhaps we make our own magic with words,’ writes Rebecca Ross in a novel that shows the power of words to be a bright beacon that can push back even
‘Perhaps we make our own magic with words,’ writes Rebecca Ross in a novel that shows the power of words to be a bright beacon that can push back even the darkness of a world ripped apart by warring gods and enchantments. A magic spell usually requires reciting an incantation and while we seal a marriage with a kiss the spoken vows are what unites us. Words are the closest thing to magic we have in this life and Ruthless Vows, the second and concluding volume of Ross’ Letters of Enchantment series certainly champions the written word as a force of hope, courage, or even ‘a shield to protect me.’ Jumping in just days after the shocking conclusion to Divine Rivals, Ruthless Vows brings us a story of the strength, sorrow, sacrifice but also of love that can ‘burn with splendor’ and might be enough to bring an end to a vicious war writ large by divine forces, or are the immortal powers too great to contend with? Ruthless Vows is an emotional labyrinth of twists and touching character development that effectively reverses the roles in its predecessor novel and guides it towards a shocking yet satisfying conclusion. This is a love story built on language as much as it is a love letter to language and it filled my heart with bliss to read this lovely second half of an epic adventure. ‘The sun would continue setting and rising , the moon would persist in waxing and waning , the seasons would bloom and molt , and the war would still rage until one god or both fell to their grave.’ Admittedly, I found Divine Rivals to be a stronger novel if we take each separately in their own context, though Ruthless Vows does bring a great conclusion to this tale while still leaving just enough to speculation to give our minds a reason to continue wrestling with these stories as if in perpetuity. It is once again framed around the charming and heartfelt romance between Iris and Kitt who’s ‘souls weren’t mirrors but complements, constellations that burned side by side’ that gives us a marvelously strong emotional handhold to weather the tumult and turmoil of the war raging across the narrative. Their love story is beautiful and pure and you can’t ask for a better pair of characters to root for. Especially when they deliver tender lines such as: ‘May your hand be in mine, by sun and by night. Let our breaths twine and our blood become one, until our bones return to dust.’ Essentially these books are two people thinking “wow the way you write stirs me into the blossoming of love” which is pretty charming and they fall for the mannerisms of the mind before they even know the poetry of the body. I love the union of language to be a bond that transcends the physical, and enjoy the beauty of the ideas ‘I would love to see your words catch fire with mine.’. But the language of love and epistolary romance is what drives this book and this is a book ‘for anyone who sought a different realm through a wardrobe door,’ as Ross writes, a book for those ‘who wrote a letter and is still waiting for a reply, Or who dreams of stories and bleeds words.’ Which is always something I can root for. Especially coupled with the framing that it is their words reaching out across space and time ‘that your words found me here, even in the darkness,’ and become an emotional compass to guide one another through the hardest moments. As if it was meant to be, cosmically ordained and bestowed upon them through their shared love of making the world more beautiful one perfect phrase after another. A feat they can only accomplish together. ‘[H]is best words emerged,’ Roman realizes, ‘when he was with her.’ ‘ was only thinking how strange it is. To think how many people we cross paths with in our lives. How someone like me has found someone like you.’ What logophile wouldn’t swoon, as many did in the first volume. And Here, however, the roles are reversed with Kitt uncertain who is writing to him—Iris using her middle name was a nice touch as it recalled Roman’s use of Carver but also fit her need for secrecy as this is war and loose lips sink ships as they say—and it manages to keep the romantic tension high without feeling recycled either as the dramatic events keep rolling in. ‘Did you think I would let him steal this last moment from me? When I surrender only to you, take you in my hands and burn with you before the end comes?’ While Divine Rivals was more slow-burn character development, Ruthless Vows really hits the ground running through a more plot-driven narrative that is, admittedly, still sort of a slow-burn. Personally I prefer the interpersonal dramas over the war drama but this does drive towards a rather satisfying conclusion that pulls all the small threads from the first book into a brilliant and dynamic full picture. The book plays with a lot of dualities that really make the plot sing too, with Forrest and Kitt’s “condition” due to Dacre’s magic (no spoilers but the uneasiness about Forrest lends an uneasiness about Kitt that reminded me a bit of Peeta from Mockingjay), but also the duality of relationships like Iris/Roman, Forrest/Sarah or Attie/Tobias juxtaposed with the fallout from Dacre/Enva makes the reader contemplate how each is better together but always at the risk of collapse or tragedy. ‘Keep writing. You will find the words you need to share. They are already within you, even in the shadows, hiding like jewels.’ That duality extends further into the craft of the duology itself. You can’t have one without the other, which is why the novels hinge at such a cliff-hanger moment. You have to combine them for them to make their magic, like ingredients in a potion, like Roman and Iris. It is also perhaps why Iris seems the strongest character in the first and we stretch out in her head a bit more whereas in this volume it is more Roman’s struggle in his captive state and emotional turbulence to keep aloft. And, as this is a war novel, sacrifices will unfortunately befall our merry band of lovers. Though this also gives a necessary weight to the story and all the twists and tragedies make the pay-off land with a greater blow as Ross reminds us that war always comes at an all too great of cost. ‘I see the beauty in what has been but only because I have tasted both sorrow and joy in equal measures’ is a line just as applicable to the experience of reading this series. Ideally one should think of this as the second half of a story rather than a sequel and I’d be curious how this book would read if it were bound as one full volume. That said I think taking a bit of a break between them was beneficial for my own reading habits and I didn’t find this one quite as engaging so I took forever to read it, but it almost feels more like, say, how the recent Dune films are just two parts to a continuous story not a sequel. But I did like how this fleshed out the world, especially the magic realms. Though I also wish this had a map of Cambria. Who doesn’t love a good fantasy world map. Maps even come up. A lot. ‘Tuck my words into your pocket. Let them be your armor.’ For those who found the world building a bit flat in the first, rest assured a lot of the little ideas that pop up get much more grounding here. The enchanted buildings, for instance, play a larger role in this novel and have a rather well-executed explanation that makes sense to have saved until later. But as we get more detail about what we already know, we also discover the world is much more vast and layered than we initially thought as well. An intricate magic system around how the gods function and move about the works is unveiled and it threatens the Cambria as the characters know it as much as if reorders the readers own understanding of it. ‘I would betray you a thousandfold for her.’ While this is more a personal preference than a criticism, I did like the gods more when they were offstage and still potentially more metaphor than physical presence. Or even a halfway point may have been preferred, something like a Sauron that is menacing and omnipresent without having to interact much. Once we have Dacre moving through the text it was nice to have him humanzied but it also reduced his menace, sort of how Randall Flagg is more menacing as an idea than a character with flaws, foibles and finicky temperament in King’s The Stand. Also Enva was cool but it was almost too little and too late with her character compared to Dacre. I did, however, really enjoy the way she shifts the closure of the story in ways that don’t need a sequel, though a prequel would be welcomed. Better yet short stories about the gods, who we learn more of but only get half histories. The overall ending was mostly satisfying if a bit predictable and aiming more for a happy ending instead of an emotional impact with a message, but it still managed to pull off both for the most part. ‘I look forward to the next chapter. The one you will write in your story, as well as the one we write together.’ Overall, I found the Letters of Enchantment duology to be a delightful time full of magic and marvel where the charming romance truly carried the weight brilliantly. Ruthless Vows gets into some pretty intense territory with war crimes and and the fallout of choosing sides (Kitt’s story also enters some pretty gritty aspects of being caught between a rock and a hard place that has echoes of Kurt Vonnegut’s undercover broadcaster in Mother Night). There’s some gripping tales of betrayal and cloak and dagger maneuvers as a war rages on and information is worth more than gold. I greatly enjoyed the importance of language too and how Ross shows the importance of journalism in framing conflict and how this can quickly be weaponized into propaganda. But most of all, I loved the love story that burns brightly in all the darkness. A fantastic read that is greater than the sum of its two parts, a moving story, and one I won’t soon forget. 3.5/5 ‘Write me a story where there is no ending, kitt. write to me and fill my empty spaces.’ ...more |
Notes are private!
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Apr 14, 2024
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May 28, 2024
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Apr 14, 2024
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Hardcover
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| 166250957X
| 9781662509575
| B0BGQ9B7LF
| 4.33
| 21,359
| Nov 15, 2022
| Nov 15, 2022
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it was amazing
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‘I would rather love a coward than mourn a legend.’ This is pure perfection in a tiny package of pristine prose. To read Alix E. Harrow’s The Six Death ‘I would rather love a coward than mourn a legend.’ This is pure perfection in a tiny package of pristine prose. To read Alix E. Harrow’s The Six Deaths of the Saint is like being hunted by wolves—you think you see the kill coming as you are locked in it’s eyes but then, suddenly, you are struck again and again and again from all sides. Harrow delivers so many surprises in this short tale, each as an eloquent emotional blow that by the end you’ll feel as battered and bruised as the narrator, wanting to scream your own battle cry in the climactic crescendo of swords spilling blood as destinies and empires are on the verge of being reduced to forgotten rubble. Even the subtle shift from second to first person perspective has a shocking implication enfolded inside in this story of a child who repays her debt of life by becoming a legendary warrior in service to a prince, aided by recurring visits from the Saint of War who guides her through danger and towards violent victory. A fantasy, a fairy tale, a warning against violence in the service of power, and a story of doomed love that brought tears to my eyes, The Six Deaths of the Saint cuts like a blade and completely knocked me out. ‘I have made my life a work of blood alchemy transforming a child into a devil into a saint, a kingdom into an empire, a prince into a god.’ Alix E. Harrow has such a gift of prose that manages to be comforting and devastating all at once. The story relies on a lot of looping and retelling, though it continuously feels fresh while also feeling like a story that has been polished by the waves of centuries of retellings until it shines without a hint of impurities. I was gripped the entire way through, feeling the sorrow of the girl-become-warrior so ‘wanted so badly to be beloved’ that she would sacrifice all for a prince who’s desire for her as a weapon she mistakes for love. ‘your squire watched you carefully. his eyes landed on every pink scar, every old injury that still ached. “is this love?” he asked softly…’ It helped that this story made me recall a favorite novel, Jeanette Winterson’s The Passion which similarly explores the misguided service out of love for a political icon who can only love their own power (and also contains an additional narrative of doomed love). There is a shocking twist about halfway through, but the way the narrative then coils around itself and delivers a cavalcade of emotions blows after that makes the twist feel tame in comparison. It is a fantasy that feels like it could be right at home in a Doctor Who episode but ultimately it will make your heart a home. ‘You saw yourself as an unholy triptych, three into one, one into three: she the girl, you the Devil, and I the Saint. And you understood, finally, that there had never truly been a she or a you but only a terrible, lonely I.’ There is an element in this which, without spoiling the twist, made me think about how sometimes we realize we are the only one truly looking out for ourselves. It is bittersweet and lonely here, as it is in life, but I found something rather empowering in it as well. To imagine ones past self (or future) watching you in the present and wanting you to succeed, to want to make a choice of actions that wouldn’t let the tender 8 year old you once were disappointed in who they would become, thats something I think we would all benefit to keep in mind. This story goes some wild places and manages to do so in such a short space while still feeling earned and properly built-up. The subtle differences in each cycle of the story, particularly the development of the relationship between the girl and her squire, gave me chills and really drove this story home. ‘You found you did not mind being a devil, so long as you were his.’ A huge thank you to Liv for recommending this. It is a quick little story, one that took less than an hour to enjoy yet I’ve spent the entire day still consumed by it. A dark tale, but one that will keep the light on inside your heart. 5/5 ‘When you die, little Devil, a kingdom will fall to its knees and crawl to your bier. In a thousand years and a thousand after that, they will still sing of the Prince and his Devil.’ ...more |
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Dec 28, 2023
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Kindle Edition
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| 1250241359
| 9781250241351
| B084M1JJ5B
| 3.86
| 920
| Feb 05, 2020
| Feb 26, 2020
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liked it
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‘My beloved lies under attack. What must I do to keep her safe?’ I’ve always enjoyed magic systems in fiction where things come with a price. The whole ‘My beloved lies under attack. What must I do to keep her safe?’ I’ve always enjoyed magic systems in fiction where things come with a price. The whole idea of equivalent exchange such as in alchemy where something must be lost, sold, sacrificed in order to gain. C.L. Polk plays with this quite effectively in her story St. Valentine, St. Abigail, St. Brigid (you can read it all HERE) where a young girl must accept that the price of protecting the girl she loves will come with a steep price. It is a rather whimsical story that moves through feelings of melancholy and desire as it explores the magic of the bees that Theresa’s family keeps, and Polk does well by keeping much shrouded in mystery and open to the reader’s imagination while giving just enough details and insights to uphold the story. I enjoy short stories crafted this way where there is an entire narrative arc with a climax and resolution yet still leaves you creating your own world along with the author to fill in all the gaps that tease the mind without rendering the story unsatisfying. A quick read full of magic and frustrated, sapphic love. ‘Those cards of dark plots and ill fortune end with Lucille.’ The story unfolds at a comfortable pace bringing us the story of Theresa, who’s mom is a sort of local witch, and Lucille. Theresa yearns to speak to Lucille, infatuated by her natural intelligence and academic achievements as well as her beauty, but feels at a remove in her gilded cage of wealth as well as witchcraft. There are some interesting class aspects here, with Lucille at the mercy of a wealthy boy who threatens her father’s employment if she won’t be his (his dad employs her dad at the local factory). As the story progresses it picks up the pace and the latter section does feel a bit rushed (the confrontation scene seems to be under-explored and over rather quickly and I’m not…entirely sure how it all worked?) but it delivers some pretty quick and effective emotional punches. A quick but rather magical story of love and sacrifice, St. Valentine, St. Abigail, St. Brigid is a fun treat. I've been really enjoying these short stories that Tor dot com makes available and would highly recommend browsing through them. 3.5/5 ...more |
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Nov 06, 2023
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Kindle Edition
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| 1250780624
| 9781250780621
| 1250780624
| 4.03
| 1,426
| Apr 08, 2020
| Apr 08, 2020
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really liked it
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Hey stop what you are doing right now and read this story if you want to inject magic into your life. The Locust Award winning short story Little Free
Hey stop what you are doing right now and read this story if you want to inject magic into your life. The Locust Award winning short story Little Free Library takes the joy of sharing books with others and spins it into a short but sweet mysterious tale when an unseen reader begins leaving behind intriguing items in place of the books they take. Is it a local artist playing a game…or has Meigan the little librarian stumbled into a fantasy story of her own? This was so much fun and if you have 5 minutes to spare, you too can be having fun with it!
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Oct 26, 2023
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ebook
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| 1250849063
| 9781250849069
| 1250849063
| 4.21
| 3,097
| Mar 21, 2023
| Mar 21, 2023
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really liked it
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‘Only by learning can you free us.’ In the City of Lies, the people have traded their tongues to a neighboring people for water and found that, without ‘Only by learning can you free us.’ In the City of Lies, the people have traded their tongues to a neighboring people for water and found that, without the ability to speak, their history has been lost to the rewrites of their enemies. Yet one boy is determined to free his people from their thirst and set the record straight in Moses Ose Utomi’s The Lies of the Ajungo, a fable-like, speculative novella drawing from Nigerian culture. While we often champion storytelling as a way to liberate our minds, it can also entrap us in propaganda, and propaganda passed down for generations can find those imprisoned in lies unsure even who their captors are. Yet, luckily, storytelling continues to be a joy in the hands of Utomi, writing with effortless fluidity and the sort of whimsicality that carries deep lessons such as in the best of children’s classics, punctuated by exciting and visceral violent moments of struggle. Having to battle the learned helplessness codified into his culture through common phrases and stories as much as he must battle the harsh desert, The Lies of the Anjungo is a high stakes, life or death tale that looks at the ways stories can divide and oppress us if they are used to mask a brutal truth. Short but powerful, The Lies of the Ajungo is an incredibly engaging work of speculative fiction. With just a few quick strokes of language, Utomi constructs a world that feels vast, alive with culture and history, and is also very dangerous. It has a small cast of endearing characters that feel rather archetypal, and along the perilous paths they must overcome the prejudices against anyone outside their culture and come together to discover the truths hidden from them. Danger is everywhere, especially when you don’t know who to trust, and this small cast is continuously getting smaller as violence seems to strike suddenly and furiously in the desert. There are some fantastic magical elements to this fable, such as the Seers with the Eyes of God to better see the world and convert other’s energy into their own strength in combat. The creativity is fun and adds to the rather nuanced dynamics of the world. ‘[P]ower came from translating understanding into belief, from standing so firmly in one's knowledge of the world that the knowledge itself became an armor--and a weapon.’ Storytelling passes down lessons and codifies culture, but, as George Orwell wrote in 1984, ‘who controls the past controls the future: who controls the present controls the past,’ and irresponsible use of rhetoric and history as propaganda can reshape the past as we understand it. Tutu, the young boy who embarks on this bildungsroman quest narrative, understands how erasing the name of his city to rename in The City of Lies is just the first step in rewriting history in order to keep his people down. Without their tongues they cannot tell others of their oppression, and if they do they are assumed to be liars. ‘There are no friends outside the City of Lies’ the boy has been taught, though is this a warning against strangers or a way to ensure they will never trust strangers either? ‘It was hard to overrule years and years of honed mistrust,’ and perhaps this mistrust instilled in each of the kingdoms is a way to keep them divided. But for who? We see how without language, one cannot pass on their own history. The Lies of the Ajuno has a great message about the selfishness and greed of those with money and power, and the horrific acts they will commit to never lose their power over others. This is also an exciting and enraging reminder that sometimes being directed towards hating a common enemy from afar can cause you to miss the enemy right in front of you. This really successfully pulls off a lot of sociopolitical commentary as well as world building all in around 80pgs. I enjoy all these short books like this and fans of Nnedi Okorafor will likely enjoy this book. It is easily a one-sitting read (not only will you not want to put it down but the writing really sweeps you up and carries you off. But, as we see here, even a short tale—even a single, short saying‐can come loaded with potency and the power to change how we see the world around us. So take care with language, use it to liberate and not imprison, and dive into the dangerous and deceitful world Moses Ose Utomi has created for us. This appears to be the start for an upcoming series and I cannot wait for more. 4.5/5 ‘Tears are precious. Don’t waste them on your enemies. Save them for your friends.’ ...more |
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Jul 25, 2023
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Jul 25, 2023
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Jul 25, 2023
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Hardcover
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| 1250232996
| 9781250232991
| 1250232996
| 3.92
| 2,525
| Nov 05, 2019
| Nov 05, 2019
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liked it
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Who, as a child, didn’t imagine their toys coming to life and interacting with them? I mean, Toy Story certainly aided in that, though it was rather c
Who, as a child, didn’t imagine their toys coming to life and interacting with them? I mean, Toy Story certainly aided in that, though it was rather creepy to think they were hiding their lives from you and gave me a huge guilt-complex about throwing away old toys, but there was also that story about the cupboard that brought toys to life. Would your toys menace you or would they be your friends and aid you on epic adventures? Made Things, the novella from the marvelous Adrian Tchaikovsky, brings us into a Victorian-era-esque fantasy world where two puppets have been brought to life. Coppelia, a Dickens-esque street thief who has escaped the orphanage and is always in the processes of escaping the police, has the ability to bring tiny homunculi to life and together they form a cute and charming team. When a heist for a gollum goes wrong, the three will have to work together and need more than their magic to save them in this page-turner of a story that might be a bit light on plot but excels in fantastical world building and blissful imaginative playfulness. ‘What’s the world coming to?...I remember when this was simple. And now there’s little doll people threatening me with a shave. Fuck me.’ This is a cool story and I’ve come to really respect Tchaikovsky for his wit and charm, managing to usually balance funny and heartfelt with gritty darkness and rather deep themes and ideas. While Made Things is certainly on the lighter side for him, it still manages to blow your mind from time to time. Plus he’s always able to write really excellent women leads as well as include a lot of queer representation so naturally into his stories. He’s doing an event at our library this summer (shoutout to Annaka for being the coolest librarian ever and making that happen) so I’ll be on a Tchaikovsky kick for awhile (if you want to attend, let me know and I can make a digital link happen). The world building here is spectacular, being done with only the minimal amount of details needed to imply a much vaster magical world just beyond the pages. The story takes place in the magical city of Loretz and the whole thing feels very British and it’s impossible to read this without implying an accent in your head (especially the cops running about calling Coppelia “moppet” all the time) and that just adds to the fun. This would make a wonderful film (please adapt novellas instead of novels, they work better and you don’t have to cut things out!) and if I had my way it would be done as claymation. It’s just a really cute story with plenty of action and heart. ‘This city is ruled by magicians who hoard their magic. The poor are ruled by thieves who hoard gold and what magic they can get. Anything the human girl has can be taken from her.’ On the subject of world building, I really enjoyed how much this story gets into the society of Loretz, especially in terms of social class. We have a definite ruling class that oppresses the poorer classes, and within them there is a hierarchy such as the thief lords and their band of petty thieves. Made Things is rather trope-y and straightforward, but he uses tropes in fun and interesting ways to create this magical world. It feels familiar in a good way, the way the best of children’s films or books tend to do and makes me wonder if this would actually have been improved being written more aimed at a younger audience (which is to say, fan of Neil Gaiman would likely enjoy this book and should definitely check out his others). There is also a wonderful excursion through the world of magic and all the different sorts of living puppets. Coppelia is helping them expand their society and this becomes a rather lovely look at found families, the sort you might least expect. Overall, this is quite cute and fun, but a bit light. I'm also very underversed in fantasy so that might play a part in it. Had this been any other author I might have enjoyed this a bit more but I just know Tchaikovsky has more in him and also after a few really excellent novels “in the genre” this just felt more like a palette cleanser than anything. Which is fine, and it works wonderfully as such and I suspect a lot of readers will have a blast with this. I will certainly be reading more Tchaikovsky. 3.5/5 ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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May 11, 2023
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May 11, 2023
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May 11, 2023
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Paperback
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| 006441034X
| 9780064410342
| 006441034X
| 4.29
| 387,210
| Apr 1986
| Aug 01, 2001
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really liked it
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‘Doors are very powerful things. Things are different on either side of them.’ If the whimsy for a magical adventure oozing with charm and full of unfo ‘Doors are very powerful things. Things are different on either side of them.’ If the whimsy for a magical adventure oozing with charm and full of unforgettable characters ever strikes you, might I direct your attention to the Diana Wynne Jones’ endlessly entertaining Howl’s Moving Castle. It is a story where assumptions are tested and often overturned and the characters are full of as much nuance as they are personality, making for an engaging read that will keep you on your toes. Sure, there is the Miyazaki film adaptation, but the two are different enough to each stand on their own and this novel is such an fun-filled event I stayed up far too late to finish the book but do not regret yawning my way through the following workday. Howl’s Moving Castle is a quirkily endearing coming-of-age story in a fanciful realm of magic and mystery that explores ideas of freedom, family and that appearances can be deceiving. [image] The film adaptation of Howl’s Moving Castle by Studio Ghibli What really sticks this story straight into the readers heart are the characters that populate the magical realm of Ingary. Jones creates a world that is adjacent to our own, with characters such as Howl’s sister Megan still residing there (her frustration with her brother often hinging on not knowing he is in fact a magic user in Ingary instead of pursuing a job). The story follows Sophie, the oldest of three sisters and ‘it is quite a misfortune to be born the eldest of the three. Everyone knows you are the one who will fail first, and worst.’ A run-in with the Witch of the Waste leaves her cursed to have the body of a frail, elderly woman, but Sophie is a fiery and determined woman who seeks an end of her curse and forces herself into the employment of Howl, a wizard with a dangerous reputation who roams the countryside in…you guessed it, a giant moving castle. 'My shining dishonesty will be the salvation of me.' Howl is an absolute delight as a character, and also rather insufferable (which is half the fun). Appearing at first to be a villain, the more we learn about Howl the more endearing and completely aggravating he is. To the reader and especially Sophie. Prone to tantrums (he trashes the castle over a bad hair dyeing), being overdramatic (‘I'm going to bed, where I may die,’ he says of a minor cold), and reckless womanizing that leaves behind a string of broken hearts, Howl is ‘fickle, careless, selfish, and hysterical,’ says Sophie. He is a ‘slitherer-outer,’ with his cowardly side keeping him from action, yet there is another side of him that makes him shockingly likable. Jones jokes in interviews that when girls say they are in love with Howl she says to not do that as he is awful, joking that in response to them saying they would like to marry Howl she says 'Howl would be one of the most dreadful husbands one could possibly imagine.' But his duality gives him charm and a weight as a character that is rather infectious, and, yo, this dude is supposed to be HOT so I get it. ’Half the time I think he doesn’t care what happens to anyone as long as he’s all right— but then I find out how awfully kind he’s been to someone. Then I think he’s kind just when it suits him—only then I find out he undercharges poor people.’ Howl is a perfect representation of how appearances can often be deceiving in this novel, and Jones writes really excellent gray characters that were fairly nontypical for the children’s fantasy novel genre in 1986 when it was released, which is part (along with the great humor for sure) of what makes this just as engaging for an adult to read. Sophie looks old and frail, but is determined, the fire demon Calcifer looks ‘extraordinarily evil’ but he is an anxious and charming, even the castle seems like a massive evil building but is actually just Howl’s home bewitched to be able to move about without ever actually leaving. This latter example plays into another theme where the character’s homes tend to represent them, Howl’s being a wandering sort that is actually all just smoke and mirrors or the Witch living in the middle of nowhere as a representation for her isolation from everyone. ‘A heart's a heavy burden.’ Every character seems simple but are always hiding a tangled web of motivations beneath the surface. Howl and the Witch also tend to take advantage of their appearances in order to get what they want. This contrasts well with Sophie, who is prone to brash action without thinking. The catch in the book, however, is that one’s identity often becomes a sort of imprisonment to them. Destructive patterns get them into trouble, Howl’s good looks play havoc on his relationships and Sophie’s lack of self-esteem is a major obstacle for her to overcome throughout the course of the book. This also plays into overcoming expectations, such as the curse placed on Howl using a John Donne poem about impossible tasks. The ultimate task, to find a 'woman true and fair,' does smack of some misogyny that Jones delights in overturning, but overturning and subversion is the name of the game here. This is a world where nothing is impossible, and if we let ourselves be stopped simply by expectations, what are we missing in life? In what ways are we self-sabatoging? It is impossible to not think of the Miyazaki version of this book when, to be fair, it is what lead me to reading Jones’ original. Being loosely based on the book and taking it in different directions, I feel the two are easily enjoyed separate from each other and I never feel compelled to “prefer” one or the other. I do enjoy how the movie takes a much greater anti-war stance, something that Miyazaki often features in his film and is vocally anti-war in his personal life. He did not attend the Academy Awards when his film Spirited Away won an Oscar for Best Animated Feature and told the LA Times ‘The reason I wasn’t here for the Academy Award was because I didn’t want to visit a country that was bombing Iraq.’ Diana Wynne Jones enjoyed the film, saying ‘I was thrown back in my seat with amazement’ (there is a good interview of her talking about the film you can watch here), and had made special requests of Miyazaki to not change anything of Howl’s personality. Howl’s love of all animals and refusal to kill is emphasized well as a theme of pacifism in the film. Howl’s Moving Castle is destined to become a classic, and is effortlessly charming and nearly impossible to put down. It is a wonderful statement about moving away from our defensiveness and out of the prisons of the self we either self-impose or have assumed of us based on appearances. This is a story where the only thing to expect is the unexpected and it makes for a fun and often very funny ride. Definitely would recommend. 4.5/5 ‘I think we ought to live happily ever after.’ ...more |
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Jan 11, 2023
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Jan 11, 2023
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Jan 11, 2023
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Mass Market Paperback
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| 1620106558
| 9781620106556
| 1620106558
| 4.40
| 29,118
| Sep 17, 2019
| Sep 17, 2019
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really liked it
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‘Whatever I do from now on will be lovelier and richer, because I understand what's important now.’ The cozy and adorable world of the Tea Dragon’s ret ‘Whatever I do from now on will be lovelier and richer, because I understand what's important now.’ The cozy and adorable world of the Tea Dragon’s returns in The Tea Dragon Festival from author/illustrator Katie O’Neil. This follow-up book is a prequel of sorts, set earlier than The Tea Dragon Society and I dare say it might even be better. There is more in-depth world building while also getting to revisit some favorite characters, such as a younger Erik and Hesekiel still on their adventures and falling in love and the new characters will quickly win your heart. This series is simply fantastic, being a cozy and very engaging fantasy world with a lot of wonderful representation. New to this story is Rinn, a genderfluid character, and we are treated to an actual dragon, Aedhan, awaking after a many year slumber and learning how the world has changed. O’Neill includes sign language in this book, with everyone in town learning sign language to accommodate a community member which is all just really beautiful. Also the art is simply amazing and cute, with a very cottagecore fantasy vibe that makes this book just as enjoyable to look at as it is to read. I really love this series and it was nice to see this second book was a bit longer. The appendix in the back is also a lot of fun, my daughter loves reading about the tea dragon world and I feel like the guidebook aspects in the appendix is such a brilliant idea to engage readers beyond the story. This is a heartwarming story about finding your purpose and a sense of home, and how communities can come together to help each other grow. A lovely little graphic novel. 4.5/5 ...more |
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not set
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not set
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Jan 16, 2022
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Hardcover
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| 1250768721
| 9781250768728
| 1250768721
| 4.10
| 19,410
| Nov 16, 2021
| Nov 16, 2021
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it was amazing
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‘Stories, myths, contradictory parables. True without being real. But this was real.’ Who hasn’t had bold fantasies of epic quests, marching forward wi ‘Stories, myths, contradictory parables. True without being real. But this was real.’ Who hasn’t had bold fantasies of epic quests, marching forward with your action team simply bursting with impetuous idealism and storybook heroism? The tragedy is that, when we grow older, the stories sometimes fade as we become jaded with the harshness of reality. Which is why Elder Race by acclaimed author Adrian Tchaikovksy is such a wonderful reminder that those stories are still alive inside us and can still hold power. A blissful blend of boisterous fantasy and grim sci fi, Elder Race launches on a collection of enticing premises that orchestrate into a truly insightful novel that may just be the most fun I’ve had with a book all year. The story rotates between two perspectives, one as a fantasy quest seen through Princess Lynesse Fourth Daughter as she calls upon an ancient oath with a sorcerer to fight a demon plaguing the lands. The other is from the ‘sorcerer’, revealed as a lonely anthropologist struggling with depression who was sent to study their planet and might need a bit of the magic he knows does not exist. With an insightful look at language and storytelling, Elder Race is a fantastic book that critiques examining other cultures through a colonialist lens while also functioning as an empowering lesson on coping with depression and finding a way to truly live in the world and not merely go through the motions of a life. Elder Race reads as a dark comedy of perspectives, one that reminds me of the old maxim about seeing a glass half full or half empty. Tchaikovsky pulls this off quite expertly here, and he has a brilliant balance of humor and seriousness to his writing that drives this story home in a comforting way despite addressing some pretty heavy issues. The primary one being the struggle to either see the world as full of magic or simply a cold chaos navigated with academic insights and scientific aid. When you feel you are being pulled into some unthinkably horrifying void and struggling with just basic living, the idea of magic is a comforting hand to hold and a doorway into hopeful thoughts through which you can cling to a larger purpose. Yet, with the knowledge that this is merely fantasy, does it become a distraction or nothing more than an escape from harsh truths of reality? Tchaikovsky shows the pros and cons of both perspectives, yet at the end of the day it seems that there is one that may seem more conducive to a fulfilling life. Lynesse is seen as ‘still clinging to her childhood,’ (she is a young teen) and has been a disappointment to her more serious parents and siblings due to her recklessness and fantastical mythmaking. She is full of conviction and willpower that make the perfect catalyst for a storybook heroine, though she sometimes fears ‘grand storybook gestures were perhaps not the most efficacious way to help the world. ’On the other hand is Nygroth Elder the sorcerer —or is it Nyr Illim Tevitch, anthropologist—in all his science and academic truthmaking that sees through the myths: ‘Lynesse Fourth Daughter….off to do something that is What Princesses Do when there are monsters and demons and wizards in the world. Something that was surely not actually what they did, back in the days her myth-cycles originated in. Because myths miss out all the sordid realities and preserve only What we wish we’d done, rather than How we actually did it.’ This passage is the perfect conversation between their two perspectives, and the misalignment is an underlying tension for Nyr throughout the book. He is afflicted with terrible depression and only carries on by turning his emotions off. Equipped with the personal computer installed in his head (which looks like a wicked set of horns) is the Dissociated Cognition System (DCS), which quite literally blocks out his emotions and provides him with the technical readouts about them while turned on. The intent is for logical reasoning and observation undisturbed by emotions for his anthropological work. ‘It’s for writing cooly academic papers, DCS engaged for maximum objectivity,’ he says of his writings. ‘I am, frankly, not only the last but the worst anthropologist.’ Nyr is full of guilt and sadness this whole book. He knows he is failing in his mission as an anthropologist as he is meant to not interfere with the locals, only watch them, but he once let emotions interfere and fought in a war and made an oath that he will return if ever the Queen’s lineage needs him. 300 years later, he is called (he’s been in sleep cycles). ‘I did stupid, stupid things, unbecoming of a serious academic, and rode to war at the side of a warrior queen whom, despite absurd differences in age and culture and genetic makeup, I loved.’ Crushed by depression, knowing the woman he loved is centuries dead and Lynesse is not her despite looking exactly like her, and also lonely as his people have not contacted him for hundreds of years and may not even exist anymore, he begrudgingly sets out on the quest. Nyr’s narration becomes a critique on the history of anthropology, reminding us that much of our early studies of other cultures came from white men viewing the world through a Eurocentric perspective. Though tasked to be objective, Nyr’s grounding in our academics often makes him think of himself as above the people of the planet he is studying. This is certainly symbolized in his anthropologist outpost which is a massive tower from which he looks down at the people below. ‘Now I’m on a fucking quest,’ he complains, ‘with a couple of women who don’t understand things like germs or fusion power or anthropological theories of value.’ Even with DCS fully engaged he cannot help but think of himself as ‘better than’ for his knowledge. Which is a clever tactic to form an unreliable narrator, or at least one with a different perspective on the world around him than the perspectives held by everyone else. Nyr has studied these people but still only can infer much (they use the brand logo from Earth as a symbol in their death rituals, which he does not understand but the connection between marketing and death is pretty amusing). ‘A lot of their codes here revolve around obligation, both to and from power,’ he tells us, but the reader slowly begins to see this is not as rigid as he assumed. The language barriers become important and there is a lot of stumbles over how to appropriately address one another or how Nyr and Lynesse tend to talk past each other over misalignments of terminology (‘demon’ and ‘monster’, for instance, have different highly-specific meanings and sometimes Nyr cannot comprehend the connotations to certain words like “outside”.) There is plenty of commentary to be made here about colonialism and engaging with other cultures on their own terms, which only becomes more pronounced when the ‘demon’ is addressed and motives are questioned. ‘They think I’m a fucking wizard…and I literally do not have the language to tell them otherwise. I say, “scientist,” “Scholar,” but when I speak to them in their language, these are both cognates for “wizard.”’ Arthur C. Clarke once wrote that ‘any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic,’ which seems to be the major theme at play here. When Nyr tries to explain how things ‘really are’ they tend to nod and say, yes that is what we think too, which is a fun comedy of frustration for the reader. When Nyr assets that ‘There is no magic, merely the proper application of universal forces,’ Esha, who is Lynesse’s companion retorts ‘Is that not what magic is? [Scholars] sought to learn how the world worked, so that they could control and master it. That is magic.’ Perhaps this is a duality of perspectives that one can learn from and embrace magic in everyday life. Personally I find this to be kind of beautiful. Which is why storytelling is so important. Even if the myths don’t tell the exact truth, there is a lesson inside it that can be more valuable than merely reciting facts. Storytelling is also how cultures pass down their values and beliefs, and without a proper understanding of the myths or a people can an anthropologist truly understand them? While Lynesse is chided for being overly engrossed in myths, it is also her greatest strength and something I, as a reader, truly loved about this book. It is about turning off the DCS and letting the emotions in, even the difficult ones. Of course the book about depression and regrettable decisions vibed with me so well. This is such a fun pairing of fantasy and sci-fi elements with plenty of wit and charm that allows it to address darker themes without necessarily “feeling” overly dark. Which is a gift Tchaikovsky has, as well as his sense of story that keeps this feeling tight and sharp without becoming overly long or bloated. For a short book this still has tons of world building, and not just for the sake of world building but as part of the thematic commentary. Honestly, this book is such a joy to read and a lot of people are now getting this as a holiday gift from me so that’s about as high of a recommendation I can give. 4.5/5 ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Dec 02, 2021
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Dec 18, 2021
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Dec 02, 2021
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Paperback
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| 1400065674
| 9781400065677
| 1400065674
| 3.84
| 97,599
| Sep 02, 2014
| Sep 02, 2014
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it was ok
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--Slightly improved version 10/31/2014-- With his newest effort, 2014's Bone Clocks, David Mitchell returns to form found in his earlier novels such as --Slightly improved version 10/31/2014-- With his newest effort, 2014's Bone Clocks, David Mitchell returns to form found in his earlier novels such as Ghostwritten and Cloud Atlas with a wide-ranging epic spanning across multiple narrators and continents with aims at a universal message about power and the battle of good versus evil. Like Cloud Atlas, his newest effort harnesses various genres of fiction into a larger mosaic work that highlights the interconnectivity of humanity and the versatility of fiction writing. Bone Clocks both builds upon and simultaneously suffers from its attempt at harnessing the popular fiction of the day, yet misses the mark in terms of both parody and creating a work of lasting value. The book is a enjoyable, wild ride, and it is no surprise it has a popular following and managed to poke about on bestseller lists for a brief period. However, in the cannon of David Mitchell, this book falls far short of its potential. Mitchell seems to be making a grab for a wider, younger reader base here with Bone Clocks, yet also appears to be self-conscious of this grab and satirizes the genres he parodies in order to wash his hands of the whole affair. Despite the length and sprawling settings, the book finishes feeling overly simplified and overly explained, nothing left for the reader to venture in their own minds, and, most unfortunately, feels as if the novel was cheated by being tied together by the tawdry fantasy elements. However, Mitchell does succeed in highlighting the elements of popular fiction and adapting his own prose to fit these elements. While Bone Clocks has a lot of positives going for it, it succumbs to the overpowering negatives amalgamated from lackluster—and totally unnessesary—fantasy sub-plots, weak dialogue, and an insistence at saturating the text with witty one-liners. A fascinating and engaging aspect of Cloud Atlas, to which this novel is sure to be frequently compared, was Mitchell’s ability to sashay between genres and voice, creating a wide-ranging assortment of characters reincarnated through time as a brilliant metaphor for the reoccurrence of motifs in various literary traditions as well as an exploration of the how language evolves through time. Whereas Cloud Atlas parodied a wide range of notable styles across a lengthy timeline, using voices reminiscent of Herman Melville, Aldous Huxley, and even dipped into mass market action adventure crime dramas, Bone Clocks keeps the voices very contemporary. While this is in keeping with the shorter timeline of the novel, the variations are less noticeable and though it would seem impressive from a different author, it leads the reader to wonder why he would pull the same trick but to a lesser extent and the diminishing returns take the headspace that would otherwise be occupied by awe (this same aspect thwarts his character Crispin Hershey, though more on that later). Another dilemma is that the voices aren’t all that varied in cadence and each voice is oversaturated with jokey one-liners and insults that are all built on the same blueprints. Mitchell compensates for this as most of his narrators are writers themselves, but the technique quickly becomes threadbare. There is no attempt to step into a voice outside the actual author—Mitchell—and each new narrator brings further diminishing returns of enjoyment and awe. Also, the collection of parodies seems more an ugly hodgepodge than a fine-tuned machine of separate gears working together. ‘think Solaris meets Noam Chomsky via The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Add a dash of Twin Peaks...’ Hershey’s own future book sounds just as clumsy as the one at hand. The contemporary voice of the work seem pivotal to Mitchell’s intent for the novel. Literature is an ever-changing, fluid beast that reacts both to the society and times from which it is created, but also to itself. Literature spawns from a tradition that is forever reshaped, reexamined and refurbished, drawing on both past and present to create something new and, hopefully, something noteworthy, but it cannot do so without recognizing where it has come from in order to step in a bold new direction. ‘Even if a poet sets out to invent a new poetics,’ lectures character-author Crispin Hershey, ‘he or she can oly react against what’s already there. There’s no Johnny Rotten without the Bee Gees.’ We live in an age of hyper-information, an age where anyone can voice an opinion and have it read across the globe, an age of ‘entertainment and technology and every four year old with a computer, everybody his own artist’ (William Gaddis, Agapē Agape). In this age, literature has fallen prey to a capitalist agenda, where the books that are easily accessible—in regards to both accesiblitliy to a consumer and accessibility of understanding—are the ones that will be pushed and promoted on the market. These books are much like what social theorists spoke of about popular television a few decades ago, being something with the highest possible pleasure and leaving the recipient feeling as if they have not wasted their time though they have actually just been a passive viewer to what has transpired. With Bone Clocks Mitchell seems to to highlighting the characteristics of what is now considered popular fiction. Cloud Atlas had the merits of being a sort of ‘literary pulp’, being both pulpy stories but with a literary intent that would lead readers excited by the adventures towards the literary pillars Mitchell had parodied. Bone Clocks is similar, except he leads readers towards popular fiction, for better of for worse. Mitchell often mentions the authors and genres he satirizes by name, such as the name-drop of Lee Child in the action story narrated by Marinus. This story is particularly pockmarked with atrocious dialogue. Characters are overly jokey in high-stress situations—a common occurrence in bad action films or books to point out how ‘hardened’ they are, and, in one unforgivable moment, the villain (yes, this book falls victim to the juvenile usage of a pure-evil villain character) of the book shouts ‘crush them like ants’ during a battle sequence. People do not talk like this. Why would she need to inform her pure-evil team in the middle of a fight to the death that they should be trying to kill their opponents? Why reiterate that for the reader, unless it is assumed we’ve missed the point that they should be killing each other. Once again, this is the characteristics of pulpy action stories. While other chapters seem based on writings of a bit more merit, such as the Martin Amis inspired Crispin Hershey or the war correspondent section, the characteristics of popular teen fiction seem to flicker in much of the novel. There are the tidy endings often found in that genre (in John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars, a current corner-stone of popular fiction, the focal characters reject novels that do not have tidy, redemptive endings), and the cliche villain characters like Hugo that are charismatic, selfish and essentially sociopathic (a bit of a Voldemort character). An aspect that registered most distasteful are the ‘allusions’ that are more a mere name-dropping than actual references. Instead of cloaking an allusion to be unearthed by those who either know the material or do their research, Mitchell simply states things to rile up the fans. Daleks and the Tardis are simply called out, a technique found in popular fiction to excite fans but more borders on pandering than anything, and even the more literary references like the Auden and Laxness discussions are laid bare instead of assessed intertextually. I must admit to feeling the ‘fan-boy’ glee at name-drops such as Bonnie Prince Billy, but the frequent name dropping feels careless and desperate for attention rather than used for any higher purpose beyond elevating the readers pulse. The troublesome narration, flat dialogue, and pulpy, fantasy plots would be easily disposed as simply bad writing in any other author, but those familiar with Mitchell are sure to notice that the writing is uncharacteristically poor for an author who is known to take careful, self-conscious consideration and typically writes at a higher caliber than much of what is found within Bone Clocks. Perhaps the negative reception to the film version of Cloud Atlas, which is sure to have hurt sales (I personally used to recommend the book to customers at my bookstore, and was often met with a wrinkling of the face and comments on how they had heard or thought the movie was terrible). Perhaps Mitchell is attempting to expand his reader base and is dipping into popular fiction as bait. Many times while reading Bone Clocks I was upset knowing Mitchell is better than how he was carrying on. There is much evidence in the text to support he was aware of his attempt to parody popular fiction and his usually charming self-conscious anxiety assesses this frequently throughout the Crispin Hershey segment. Hershey’s in-novel literary history reflects Mitchell’s own in many ways. The five year gap between Bone Clocks and Thousand Autumns is represented in the five years before Hershey’s Echo Must Die saw publication in the novel, and Hershey is always short-listed for, but never the recipient of, the most presigious European literary prize, mirroring the Man Booker Prize for which Mitchell is always notable but never victor. The most charming aspects of a David Mitchell novel is always when he exposes the clockwork, and Crispin Hershey’s segment is that moment in this novel. Mitchell pokes fun at himself, such as the review of Hershey’s Echo Must Die by character Richard Cheeseman (fans of Cloud Atlas are sure to enjoy that Cheesman—Mitchell never missing an opportunity to ridicule reviewers by naming his reviewer Dick Cheese—was first employed by a certain Felix Finch) stating: Why is Echo Must Die such a decomposing hog? One: Hersey is so bent on avoiding cliche that each sentence is as tortured as an American whistleblower. Two: The fantasy sub-plot clashes so violently with the book’s State of the World pretensions, I cannot bear to look. Three: What surer sign is there that the creative aquifers are dry than a writer creating a writer-character?Each of these points are clearly addressing Bone Clocks itself, or is it that Echo Must Die is in fact a in-novel version of Bone Clocks? There are plenty of strong points in this novel, particularly Mitchell’s recurring theme of those in power holding an obdurate seat of authority over those without by any means possible most, notably emphasized in Brubeck’s chapter ‘Wedding Bash’, yet every time the novel is flowing nicely along through societal or interpersonal commentary, the fantasy elements crop up, derail anything beneficial, and speed the plot along towards some unsatisfying and unnecessary fantastic climax (a climax achieved in an orgasm of action-packed psychic battle bloodshed). To humor the idea, what then are the ‘echos’ that must die? Through each section, right when things get dicey and plot-excitement take hold, there are the repeated questions: ‘what do you know about Horology?’ or ‘Who is Esther Little?’. These questions echo on, conjuring up the jarring and, unfortunately for the book, juvenile and cheesy fantasy elements that plague the novel. Mitchell is pointing out how these fantasy stories, the action plots of authors like Lee Child and Dan Brown (both of which are frequently mentioned) are bastardizing the literary tradition. This then leads the reader to question every element of the novel, noticing the glaring cliches and other popular fiction elements flagged by flagrantly poor writing. Which is not to say, exactly, that Mitchell is a poor writer, and I find it troublesome to actually label the writing in this book as 'poor'. Considering the idea that this is an intentional investigation into popular fiction, Mitchell brilliantly succeeds in parodying and highlighting the elements of the novelists and genres he has chosen to examine. Lee Child comes up a few times, an author working within the action-packed political spy genre. The Marinus segments work wonderfully within this genre, and while it seemed to me a bit overblown and pulpy, that is exactly what it is supposed to be. The dialogue of Sadaqat, the housekeeper of the Horologists home-base, does not feel realistic, being overtly passive and chummy and full of home-team pride, but it is exactly this disingenuous dialogue that leads the reader to realize that he is a traitor. When he betrays them, which doesn't come as much of a surprise, it is evident that the flat dialogue was the foreshadowing; Mitchell uses linguistic cues and intentionally 'bad' writing as a method of character development, which is honestly quite fascinating and is in keeping with the style of dialogue such a character would employ in, say, a Lee Child novel. Similarly with the nods to Dan Brown in the Crispin Hershey segment, utilizing the semiotic investigations of a Brown 'connect-the-dots to solve the mystery' plot such as the one-eyed man being used to bait the reader to a false climax (the first is not his killer, and the second is a surprise interpretation). Mitchell is making a play for a wider audience by baiting them with popular fiction, yet simultaneously prodding at the book for employing this technique. However, would a self-respecting author really intentionally stoop to poor writing to make a point? I fully concede to be wrong on all accounts here, because would Mitchell jeopardize his novel and writing-caliber to make a point? I believe he may have taken this risk, as I have faith that Mitchell is wiser and more adept than much of what he presents here, yet even seeing through to the possible mechanics and impetus of the novel do not save it, though they do retain respect for Mitchell as a writer. Even alongside this theory of both utilizing bad fiction while chastising it for a higher purpose of literary conversation, Bone Clocks still fail. The supposed intent does not compensate for the inferior writing, meretricious fantasy elements, and aggravating characters—such as young Holly—that plague the novel and detract from the emotive and intellectual themes of power, corruption and literary prowess that could have shone on their own had their not been a need to tie them together with the Anchorite vs Horologist sub-plot. Each time this plot reared its ugly head it was met with an eye-roll. All the negatives aside, this is a fun book. Mitchell enacts a fascinating and well-rounded theology with the Horologists, creating a within-the-novel jargon and fleshed-out history (impressive at least to me, a reader not well-versed, and even adverse, to the science-fiction realms Mitchell takes the reader throughout this book). The characters are engaging, especially Ed Brubeck, who leaves the reader wishing Mitchell had just written a full-length novel on him alone (though at least we are blessed by war correspondent stories such as ‘Listening to the Shells’ in William T. Vollmann’s Last Stories and Other Stories—possibly the finest book published in Summer 2014—to satisfy where Mitchell cut short). Mitchell works well with three-dimensional characters like Brubeck who is not without his flaws, and especially Hugo, the books most likeable character who also happens to be a morally bankrupt utter bastard. This is interesting seeing as most popular fiction tends towards relatable, likeable characters that are either irreprochable or flaws that are more charming than anything else. This book is also worth reading for any Mitchell fan simply to see how it fits into his universe. There are frequent allusions to his other works, particularly Black Swan Green in the earlier portions (Alan Ward and Hugo were exciting to revisit) and The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet which may possibly feature an early example of the Anchorites alongside the first mention of Marinus (if this was preordained by Mitchell or just a happy opportunity for expansion is up for debate and could only be resolved by Mitchell himself). Despite my earlier comments on the bland dialogue and, to me, middling prose that comprises the Marinus section, that chapter blazed like wildfire with excitement and glee. While I did not enjoy Bone Clocks, it is admittedly a fun and engaging novel, especially for those who are coming to this from the styles which he parodies. Mitchell returns with fascinating themes on power and the human condition that permeate his other novels. I respect his views on good and evil, and that the world is ruined by those who abuse power to shoehorn their own profit-gaining power over those below them. The section on the Iraq war is of particular interest, as Mitchell manages to summarize the conflict better in a more succinct and beneficial manner than months of news broadcasts explained it to me in my youth. I particularly enjoyed his jabs at American arrogance and his brief mention of war-profiteers such as Erik Prince’s Blackwater group (who are local heros here in hometown Holland, Michigan, much to my disdain). Mitchell has an agenda for the betterment of humanity that is honorable and uplifting, and these themes of his are what always keep me coming back for more. Mitchell does well by gathering a wider readership and creating a fascinating fantasy world that is fun to read, yet the novel feels like he is constantly juggling more than he can carry and is thwarted by a striking mediocrity in variety of voices and satire, though intentional. What is most troubling is that Mitchell seems to be writing for the sake of an audience, a wide audience at that, and not for the sake of the story. Cheapen a book for an audience, and the story suffers. Keep true to a story, and an audience will find their way. That said, I will still read any following Mitchell novels and still hold faith in him as a writer. He is a necessary and wonderful benefactor for those hoping to move from pulpier fiction to a fiction of a more literary bent reminding readers how much fun reading can be. Bone Clocks is a fun adventure, but one soon forgotten upon completion. 2.5/5 ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Sep 03, 2014
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not set
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Sep 03, 2014
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Hardcover
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