Ok, I know I'm probably the last person on earth to know this, but how could I have not realized that *Nick* would have his own blog? So, for those of us pining away for more words about books - and music, and life - from him, here's a link to his blog, here.
And of course I had to read some of his latest posts, just to catch up, and of course I've added one book to my list already : 500 Days of Summer. And.....he has made a list of books he filled a table at Waterstone's with, "My Waterstone's Writers Table" (linked for you, dear Reader!), in which he lists the books he chose to fill a table at Waterstone's with, and why he chose them. Some titles will be very familiar to readers of Polysyllabic Spree, etc - and I've added two books from the first 10 he listed, already: Field Notes from a Catastrophe by Elizabeth Kolbert, and Brilliant Orange, by David Winner. That's three books added already today to my To Get list.
So my question to you is, my Gentle Readers: if you could fill a table at a bookstore of books you think other people might enjoy reading, that you really liked if not loved, what books would you choose?
I'm going to go spend my Friday morning musing on this question while I clean the house, and get ready to see "Monsters vs Aliens" with a crowd of 6 year olds and under this afternoon. Maybe the 50 foot tall Susan will inspire me in more ways than one!!!
Friday, 10 April 2009
Thursday, 9 April 2009
Watchmen
I read Watchmen for Nymeth's mini challenge. Molly was my partner, and she posted a brilliant edition (all her own effort) of the email discussion I sent her about Watchmen, here, for the challenge. However, while I sent her many of my thoughts about the novel while I was reading it, I've had a couple of weeks to let it sit, and here are my final thoughts.
Brilliant. I am so glad I finally let myself read it. It is powerful, intoxicating, gripping, tragic. It's an ode to humanity. I can't rave enough about the story, about the graphic art, about the complex characters. This book is bittersweet. It's 23 years old, and it should be dated, but it's not. The Viet-Nam War makes an appearance. The Doomsday Clock ticking towards midnight. Ronald Reagan. The Kennedy assassination. Nuclear bombs. Love. Sex. Murder. Death. Most of all, irony. This books drips with a wicked sense of humour. How can I not like a book that talks like I do?
Rorschach: Why are so few of us left active, healthy, and without personality disorders? Not only is this the height of irony when Rorschach's story is finally revealed, but it's something I often wonder about people: what is normal? How do we know what lies behind someone's face?
Watchmen explores what the meaning of a hero is. Entertwined with this is what it means for our society, as we both accept the need for a hero, and deny them when we have them. In order to be a superhero, something extraordinary, it must be to fill a gap -that is what is really a personality disorder, Watchmen hints at. No one ordinary would want to go hunting at night for criminals. But what if there is a need for them? Who would step in? Why? And, as is spray-painted all through the book - another supreme irony, it's on the walls and garage doors below the apartments where some of the Watchmen live, so someone is watching them! - who watches the Watchmen? How do we know they mete out justice to the deserving? How can we trust them if only misfits and the doomed are the Watchmen?
And in spite of their failings - of which all of the Watchmen are slowly revealed to have, as we go from one story to another, even as the clock ticks closer to midnight - we do pin our hopes on them. We have to. Because we are busy living our ordinary lives and hoping someone else will watch the darkness for us.
I love the stories of each of the characters. I don't like all the characters, several of them left me feeling like they were nasty people, and yet they chose to do this courageous, heroic action. Once again, Watchmen takes the superhero myth and pulls it apart and asks some very interesting questions. Of the characters, I liked most Laurie (Silk Spectre #2), her mother Sally Jupiter, Dan and Hollis, all of whom are the most easily human and accessible characters. I know this! Rorschach was fascinating (and a little creepy) - how is it I can prefer the superhero figure and not the real man underneath? That is one of the most difficult questions I think that this book asks. The Comedian, Dr Manhattan - scary, and sad. Nothing is what it seems, no one is exactly who they appear to be.
A favourite scene is meeting Sally and her daughter Laurie and their first conversation together, when Sally says: "Life goes on, Honey. Life goes on." Juxtaposed with this is a view of the cemetary, where a funeral is taking place. A few windows on, Sally says, again with the background of the cemetary: "I mean, without your health, where are you?" How can you not love that kind of writing/art together?
Or, Dr Manhattan says: "Things have their shape in time, not space alone. Some marble blocks have statues within them, embedded in their future."
"It stretches more than three thousand miles, so that one end knows day while the other endures night. Temperature differences breed shrieking winds that herd oceans of fog along a canyon four miles deep. Does the human heart know chasms so abysmal?" Yes, mine does.
"....Until your mother loves a man she has every reason to hate, and of that union, of the thousand million children competing for fertilization, it was you, only you, that emerged. To distill so specific a form from that chaos of improbability, like turning air to gold....that is the crowning unlikelihood. The thermo-dynamic miracle."
"But....if me, my birth, if that's a thermodynamic miracle....I mean, you could say that about anybody in the world!"
"Yes. Anybody in the world."
Did I say that at it's heart, Watchmen is about the wonder of life, and the mysteries that make up each person, and the world? That every person is part of a bigger story, and every person has a story to tell? And that it's about how everything is connected, which physics is discovering in deeper levels every year or so? The same physics that creates Dr Manhattan, who gives us what a real superbeing's perspective would be? This is such a thoughtful, deep book. How can a comic book be so good?
What would you do to stop the insane build up of nuclear warheads, if you had the means to stop it? Do the ends justify the means? This is another level of subtext in this novel. This book talks about one possibility, what it would take to stop it, and it is chilling and horrifying, as insane and horrifying as the build up we constantly, still, hear about, even today. If you can destroy the world once, why is being able to destroy it 30 times over, better?
This is a book about life, death, love, and chaos, the things we wrestle with our whole lives, and to me, it was a revelation. It was like having a conversation with a very dear friend about things I already knew, and hearing the same cynicism and hope, faith and fear, that I carry with me. I kept nodding my head, saying "Yes! Yes!" as I read it. I love this novel. It is spectacularly human, and breathtaking in its many textured levels of meaning. I think this is a book that captures our essential angst at this juncture of human culture.
I am a product of the 1980's, as are any of us who were alive then must be. The saddest thing to me is that my son, who was born in the 1980's, is also somehow a product of that same clock ticking towards midnight fear/faith/helplessness. He wrestles with the 'how does anything matter' angst, too, with all the talk of the wars constantly in the background, the same as in Watchmen, the same as in the 1980's. In twenty years' time, nothing has changed. This is when, like Dr Manhattan, we - I - have to find the things that root us in time and space, or we would float in fear, unconnected. One thing I did learn in the 1980's was to take everything, anything, one day at a time. And, I did protest, I went on nuclear peace marches, protesting the building of nuclear bombs, because I had to do something. My son is still wrestling with what to do. Watchmen is about that feeling too. I'm not sure what kind of superhero that makes me, or that I would want to be anyone in the book! but any time we take action, that we choose love over hate, makes us a superhero, in my humble opinion. So Watchmen is about taking action anyway, no matter the odds. In the end, it's about hope and the belief that, despite our frailties and faults, it's worth doing - well, except what Ozymandias does. Watchmen also shows what happens when we let fear take over our decision-making.
This is one of my top 10 books for 2009, I know this already. It might be one of my favourite all-time books, that I end up carrying around with me for the rest of my life. It's that good.
Andi Lit's review here
Nymeth
Carl
Kim
Mariel
Trish's Reading Nook
Musings of A Bookish Kitty
Wednesday, 8 April 2009
Arthurian Challenge - or, how to get sucked in by Becky
Yep. You read it right. I'm joining another Challenge. Not that I actually have any Arthurian books lying around right now. In fact, I don't have any. But I won't let that stop me! Last year I looked longingly at everyone reading books for this challenge, and this year I am succumbing. And the really, really good thing about this challenge?
I can watch the movie King Arthur with *Clive Owen* and *Ioan Gruffudd* as many times as I like, and get credit for it!!!
Becky's Arthurian Challenge
When: April 2009 through March 2010
Goal: To read books starring characters found in or inspired by Arthurian legends. (King Arthur, Guinevere, Lancelot, Merlin, Lady of the Lake, etc.) There are no set amount of books. Read one or two. Or read a dozen. You set the amount that feels good to you!
If at any time you dislike a book, then feel free to discard it and pick up another. Don’t feel obligated to push through a book you don’t like on my account!!!
What about movies? What about graphic novels? What about comics? What about audio books? Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. All of those things count. So though it says 6-12 books. It can be a variety of things–book, movie, tv show, comic book, graphic novel, etc.
Kids books. YA books. Adult books. All count.
What about series books? Or series books in all-in-one editions? I’m leaving it up to you.What about short stories or poetry? Yes and yes. Anything really can go.
What about rereads? Sure why not!
Go here to sign up, if you too have been wondering where the challenge was being held.
Yum. I feel a movie marathon coming on.If only the tv series' Merlin' from the UK would finally come on our tv over here!!!
****Added later: I have The Once and Future King by TH WHite sitting on my TBR shelf, for the Awards Challenge, so this will go right onto this challenge list too. This is fun! I get to look for books to read! Maybe reread Mary Stewart's books, which I also own.....*****
Tuesday, 7 April 2009
Silver on the Tree - Final thoughts with Nymeth
Nymeth, Kerry and I reviewed The Grey King here, last month. We were all three slated to do Silver on the Tree together, but sadly life got busy for Kerry and she couldn't complete her reading, so asked us to go ahead this time. So this time Nymeth and I emailed our final questions on The Dark is Rising series, by Susan Cooper: Silver on the Tree, the final book in the sequence.
Nymeth has already done her post, here, and as before, she has done a quick plot review. For those who have not ever read this series, the three Drew children - Jane, Simon and Barney, plus Will and Bran, are facing the greatest challenge as the battle between the Light and Dark comes to its final great conclusion.
Nymeth asked first: Early in the book, there's a scene in which Will and his brother stop a group of schoolmates who are harassing a Pakistani boy. Why do you think Susan Cooper included this scene? How do you think it relates to the series' themes?
Susan: Ouch! This is a hard one, possibly one of the most difficult scenes in the book. Actually, when I first read it, it was so unlike anything else in the book that I paused and asked myself, why is this here? I wasn't sure I liked it, at first. It seemed out of place, too real, in a book about higher magic and old magic and light versus dark; but then I thought about what the racism did. It was hard to hear the word Paki - which I remember from my childhood, being used to those of Pakistani descent - it was hateful and hard. But that was the point. The evil that Will and the others would have to face at the end, was going to be on a real, daily world level.
The scene also pointed out, like the bad-tempered Caradog in The Grey King, that people have a choice in how they behave, and sometimes in choosing light or dark, they become tools for that side - open up themselves to do greater good or evil. This is a constant theme in the books, from the agent of the evil in Greenwitch, to Caradog, the painter in Over Sea, Under Stone, to Richie Moore, and later one particular character (nameless to preserve some surprises!). They all are human beings, who in hurt, rage, fear, or greed, chose to do bad things. It's that choice that Susan Cooper is interested in, because she carefully shows one of the good characters always pointing out they could stop, choose another approach, and the bad character always says no. In this particular case, the evil of Richie Moore had its beginnings in his father, who turns out to be the worst prejudiced sort or person. This is Will's reaction:"'The mindless ferocity of this man, and all those like him, their real loathing born of nothing more solid than insecurity and fear....it was a channel. Will knew that he had been gazing into the channel down which the powers of the Dark, if they gained their freedom, could ride in an instant to complete control of the earth." At the end of the book Merriman says all the characters, all the people, will still have to fight to keep the world good, that though the battle of time has been won, the daily battle to keep the world good goes ever on.
Nymeth's response: I love how you linked this scene to Caradog in "The Grey King". I made that connection as well. My reasons for liking this scene are similar to yours. I have a hard time taking an abstract concept like “The Dark” or even a decontextualized notion of “evil” seriously, but there are many instances in the series in which Susan Cooper concretizes it in everyday things, and that’s what makes the whole thing work for me. Also, I agree with you that she’s most of all interested in the choice – what makes people act kindly rather than unkindly, what’s behind hostility, what’s behind compassion. The characters you mentioned are all human, and despite the existence of supernatural forces in the story, their actions are justified in human terms. Again, this is what I love about this series.
Susan asked next: “What do you think of the fact that some of the characters had their memories of their contact with the forces of Light and Darkness wiped? Why do you think it was done? Do you agree?”
Nymeth's reply: I think this goes with what we were talking about in our previous answers: how regardless of all the magic in the books, Susan Cooper keeps things very human. The characters in question forget so that they may continue to be human. Forgetting means that they remain as lost and as uncertain as the rest of us, making what they hope are the right choices as they go along. If they remembered, they would have definitive answers, which in real life none of us do. I especially liked how one of the characters in particular was given a choice about whether they wanted to remember or forget. Although the Old Ones have the power to do so, they don’t decide for people. They give humankind the autonomy and responsibility of choosing freely.
Susan's reply:
I liked your answer, although I have to say at first what happened to the characters very much upset me. I was mad when the first character had it done, because I felt it unfair, and I almost yelled at the book when the other characters had it done. I really had to reason with myself, think it out, because I thought it unfair they should have no memory at all. something great like that should be remembered, that's how our myths get told, and legends. Joseph Campbell says we can't have contact with the numinous without being changed, and I think that is part of the richness of myth and the call to the threshold - each character has done something special, and why couldn't they be allowed to be a little changed? I'm not so sure it was a gift to have their memories wiped, because the whole point of re-enacting a myth, is to bring back something for humanity to use and learn from. The burden of all they saw and did was very much, I agree, and they couldn't have had a normal life after, and the point of the battle, was that in the end, control of the world passes to humans, as the scene with the Pakistani boy in the first question showed, the battle between good and evil continues on a human level. I just think it's unfair that after all their choices, everything they saw and learned, that they weren't allowed to keep some of it - wouldn't Barney have painted some fabulous paintings, then? And who knows what Jane and Simon would have gone on to do. So in a way, I thought this was the easy way out. You can tell I feel passionately about this question, I really spent a fair bit of time thinking it through, when it happened in the book!
Nymeth then replied: I guess that in this case, my uber scepticism influenced my reaction. You see, at the end of the book I did feel that they had been changed, even if they didn’t explicitly remember things. I guess it’s strange, and it's hard for me to explain why I think so, since obviously forgetting an experience would keep you from learning from it. But I guess I justify it to myself by seeing these supernatural forces in more symbolic terms. So for me, by forgetting they internalized what I always saw in more interior terms.
Susan: Now, on to your excellent question which is one I would have asked if you hadn't beat me to it!
Nymeth's next question: Without giving it away, were you satisfied with the ending? Why or why not? How do you think this book compares to others in the series?
Susan's reply: Even given how upset I was with the loss of memory in the book (see previous question), I'd have to say that on the whole, I was satisfied with the ending. They are allowed to be children. I still think they should remember something, though! The best touch is what happens with the choice a character has to make in the ending - that touch of love humanizes the whole ending, and shows that in the end, it is our connection with one another that matters most. Love will always overcome darkness, is always the right choice. It is a huge choice at the end that is the right one, and that was very good, and ends the series on a powerful up note. The memory loss, not so good! In a funny way, while the book ends overlooking a lake in Wales, and the series begins overlooking the sea in Cornwall, there are other physical similarities too, such as most of the series takes place in the countryside, and that was satisfying as well. It makes good use of the natural surroundings and highlights the Celtic nature of the landscape to go with the myth being reworked. The book itself was one of the least satisfying to me to in the series, and I wondered why: was it the juxtaposition of the Barney children with Will? This time, no, I think it wasn't that. It was how the items of light were found, and the tone of the book - there was tone of coldness, distance, in this book, that made the book the least likeable for me. It was too remote.
The books are uneven, with Over Sea, Under Stone being universally the hardest one to get into and like (at least I've found, and with other comments sent to me). I did like Greenwitch, I found it very haunting. I loved The Dark is Rising. And I enjoyed The Grey King very much. Those are my favourites in the series.
Nymeth's answer: I was satisfied with the ending, yes. It reminded me of the ending of some other fantasy series, namely The Lord of the Rings and the Chronicles of Prydain, which makes sense, as they draw from some of the same myths. That whole theme of an era ending and humankind being left with the responsibility for the world they inhabit is there in them all, and I like that a lot. "Silver on the Tree" is probably also my least favourite after "Over Sea, Under Stone", but I still enjoyed it a lot. My favourites are "The Grey King" and "The Dark is Rising", with "Greenwitch" in the middle.
Susan: My next question to you is: Did you find a difference in how the Barney children were written versus Will and Bran?
Susan's answer: I'm not sure if Susan Cooper liked the Barney children. It is very difficult to warm up to them, although I wanted to, and I liked them. As Over Sea, Under Stone, and Greenwitch went on, I liked the children more and more in each book. I really liked Jane. But Susan Cooper uses a different tone for the characters, and the love she feels for Will spills over whenever he appears. I'm not sure how she does this, but he was such a fully realized character that I wanted the series to be about him, with him as the central character. Which it was! By the fifth book, the children were more familiar with one another, so it wasn't so awkward, except for meeting Bran, and I thought that was well done. And of course Bran was very interesting. I know that she was trying to show that the mythic battle for good and evil must be played out at the personal level, and she needed characters who were ordinary as well. It was always awkward though, I felt, in the series, when the two worlds collided. I'm not sure if that was on purpose, or by accident. I really think I would have liked to know a little more about the Barney children, because they did play an important part, and one of the pivotal scenes in the whole series involves Simon and Barney at the caravan, in Greenwitch. There, they had no help but what was in themselves, to guide them forward. That was very well done and was when I thought all three Barney children had a right to be in the series, if that makes sense! Jane already had because she was involved with the Greenwitch.
Nymeth: “I guess we disagree on this one. I didn’t see all that many differences, other than the fact that Bran and Will were more than what they seemed, whereas the Barney children were “just” children. But they all played an important role in the final outcome of the whole thing. But I had no trouble at all warming up to them. I liked Jane best, though, and I like the fact that she was give a more central role as the series advanced, especially in "Greenwitch". I fully agree with you on why ordinary characters were necessary,
though. That’s really what makes this series work so well for me.
Susan came up with the final question to the series: I think the only question I have left is, would you recommend this series to children to read?
Susan's answer: I know it's kind of a silly question, but we're adults reading this series, and it's written for children especially. Myself, I know I'm going to read it out loud to my kids, and hope one day they read my copies! I really enjoyed this overall, and would have no problems giving this to any child who reads fantasy, or who enjoys reading. I think Will and the Barney kids and Bran are great kids to grow up with, along with the Narnia kids. (My daughter loves Lucy, the one closest in age to her right now).
Nymeth: I'm probably the least indicated person there could be to answer this question, as age appropriateness almost never crosses my mind when I'm reading. I don't have any children myself, and I grew up with unsupervised access to any book in the house. This resulted in my reading "The Lady of the Camellias" by Alexandre Dumas, which is about a prostitute dying of tuberculosis, when I was in my pre-teens. And you know what happened? I didn't understand what was going on for the most part, and I was bored by it. Anyway...my default answer to these questions is almost always yes. I enjoyed the series as an adult, and would have enjoyed it as a kid too. And I'm sure plenty of other kids will as well. I love the fact
Nymeth has already done her post, here, and as before, she has done a quick plot review. For those who have not ever read this series, the three Drew children - Jane, Simon and Barney, plus Will and Bran, are facing the greatest challenge as the battle between the Light and Dark comes to its final great conclusion.
Nymeth asked first: Early in the book, there's a scene in which Will and his brother stop a group of schoolmates who are harassing a Pakistani boy. Why do you think Susan Cooper included this scene? How do you think it relates to the series' themes?
Susan: Ouch! This is a hard one, possibly one of the most difficult scenes in the book. Actually, when I first read it, it was so unlike anything else in the book that I paused and asked myself, why is this here? I wasn't sure I liked it, at first. It seemed out of place, too real, in a book about higher magic and old magic and light versus dark; but then I thought about what the racism did. It was hard to hear the word Paki - which I remember from my childhood, being used to those of Pakistani descent - it was hateful and hard. But that was the point. The evil that Will and the others would have to face at the end, was going to be on a real, daily world level.
The scene also pointed out, like the bad-tempered Caradog in The Grey King, that people have a choice in how they behave, and sometimes in choosing light or dark, they become tools for that side - open up themselves to do greater good or evil. This is a constant theme in the books, from the agent of the evil in Greenwitch, to Caradog, the painter in Over Sea, Under Stone, to Richie Moore, and later one particular character (nameless to preserve some surprises!). They all are human beings, who in hurt, rage, fear, or greed, chose to do bad things. It's that choice that Susan Cooper is interested in, because she carefully shows one of the good characters always pointing out they could stop, choose another approach, and the bad character always says no. In this particular case, the evil of Richie Moore had its beginnings in his father, who turns out to be the worst prejudiced sort or person. This is Will's reaction:"'The mindless ferocity of this man, and all those like him, their real loathing born of nothing more solid than insecurity and fear....it was a channel. Will knew that he had been gazing into the channel down which the powers of the Dark, if they gained their freedom, could ride in an instant to complete control of the earth." At the end of the book Merriman says all the characters, all the people, will still have to fight to keep the world good, that though the battle of time has been won, the daily battle to keep the world good goes ever on.
Nymeth's response: I love how you linked this scene to Caradog in "The Grey King". I made that connection as well. My reasons for liking this scene are similar to yours. I have a hard time taking an abstract concept like “The Dark” or even a decontextualized notion of “evil” seriously, but there are many instances in the series in which Susan Cooper concretizes it in everyday things, and that’s what makes the whole thing work for me. Also, I agree with you that she’s most of all interested in the choice – what makes people act kindly rather than unkindly, what’s behind hostility, what’s behind compassion. The characters you mentioned are all human, and despite the existence of supernatural forces in the story, their actions are justified in human terms. Again, this is what I love about this series.
Susan asked next: “What do you think of the fact that some of the characters had their memories of their contact with the forces of Light and Darkness wiped? Why do you think it was done? Do you agree?”
Nymeth's reply: I think this goes with what we were talking about in our previous answers: how regardless of all the magic in the books, Susan Cooper keeps things very human. The characters in question forget so that they may continue to be human. Forgetting means that they remain as lost and as uncertain as the rest of us, making what they hope are the right choices as they go along. If they remembered, they would have definitive answers, which in real life none of us do. I especially liked how one of the characters in particular was given a choice about whether they wanted to remember or forget. Although the Old Ones have the power to do so, they don’t decide for people. They give humankind the autonomy and responsibility of choosing freely.
Susan's reply:
I liked your answer, although I have to say at first what happened to the characters very much upset me. I was mad when the first character had it done, because I felt it unfair, and I almost yelled at the book when the other characters had it done. I really had to reason with myself, think it out, because I thought it unfair they should have no memory at all. something great like that should be remembered, that's how our myths get told, and legends. Joseph Campbell says we can't have contact with the numinous without being changed, and I think that is part of the richness of myth and the call to the threshold - each character has done something special, and why couldn't they be allowed to be a little changed? I'm not so sure it was a gift to have their memories wiped, because the whole point of re-enacting a myth, is to bring back something for humanity to use and learn from. The burden of all they saw and did was very much, I agree, and they couldn't have had a normal life after, and the point of the battle, was that in the end, control of the world passes to humans, as the scene with the Pakistani boy in the first question showed, the battle between good and evil continues on a human level. I just think it's unfair that after all their choices, everything they saw and learned, that they weren't allowed to keep some of it - wouldn't Barney have painted some fabulous paintings, then? And who knows what Jane and Simon would have gone on to do. So in a way, I thought this was the easy way out. You can tell I feel passionately about this question, I really spent a fair bit of time thinking it through, when it happened in the book!
Nymeth then replied: I guess that in this case, my uber scepticism influenced my reaction. You see, at the end of the book I did feel that they had been changed, even if they didn’t explicitly remember things. I guess it’s strange, and it's hard for me to explain why I think so, since obviously forgetting an experience would keep you from learning from it. But I guess I justify it to myself by seeing these supernatural forces in more symbolic terms. So for me, by forgetting they internalized what I always saw in more interior terms.
Susan: Now, on to your excellent question which is one I would have asked if you hadn't beat me to it!
Nymeth's next question: Without giving it away, were you satisfied with the ending? Why or why not? How do you think this book compares to others in the series?
Susan's reply: Even given how upset I was with the loss of memory in the book (see previous question), I'd have to say that on the whole, I was satisfied with the ending. They are allowed to be children. I still think they should remember something, though! The best touch is what happens with the choice a character has to make in the ending - that touch of love humanizes the whole ending, and shows that in the end, it is our connection with one another that matters most. Love will always overcome darkness, is always the right choice. It is a huge choice at the end that is the right one, and that was very good, and ends the series on a powerful up note. The memory loss, not so good! In a funny way, while the book ends overlooking a lake in Wales, and the series begins overlooking the sea in Cornwall, there are other physical similarities too, such as most of the series takes place in the countryside, and that was satisfying as well. It makes good use of the natural surroundings and highlights the Celtic nature of the landscape to go with the myth being reworked. The book itself was one of the least satisfying to me to in the series, and I wondered why: was it the juxtaposition of the Barney children with Will? This time, no, I think it wasn't that. It was how the items of light were found, and the tone of the book - there was tone of coldness, distance, in this book, that made the book the least likeable for me. It was too remote.
The books are uneven, with Over Sea, Under Stone being universally the hardest one to get into and like (at least I've found, and with other comments sent to me). I did like Greenwitch, I found it very haunting. I loved The Dark is Rising. And I enjoyed The Grey King very much. Those are my favourites in the series.
Nymeth's answer: I was satisfied with the ending, yes. It reminded me of the ending of some other fantasy series, namely The Lord of the Rings and the Chronicles of Prydain, which makes sense, as they draw from some of the same myths. That whole theme of an era ending and humankind being left with the responsibility for the world they inhabit is there in them all, and I like that a lot. "Silver on the Tree" is probably also my least favourite after "Over Sea, Under Stone", but I still enjoyed it a lot. My favourites are "The Grey King" and "The Dark is Rising", with "Greenwitch" in the middle.
Susan: My next question to you is: Did you find a difference in how the Barney children were written versus Will and Bran?
Susan's answer: I'm not sure if Susan Cooper liked the Barney children. It is very difficult to warm up to them, although I wanted to, and I liked them. As Over Sea, Under Stone, and Greenwitch went on, I liked the children more and more in each book. I really liked Jane. But Susan Cooper uses a different tone for the characters, and the love she feels for Will spills over whenever he appears. I'm not sure how she does this, but he was such a fully realized character that I wanted the series to be about him, with him as the central character. Which it was! By the fifth book, the children were more familiar with one another, so it wasn't so awkward, except for meeting Bran, and I thought that was well done. And of course Bran was very interesting. I know that she was trying to show that the mythic battle for good and evil must be played out at the personal level, and she needed characters who were ordinary as well. It was always awkward though, I felt, in the series, when the two worlds collided. I'm not sure if that was on purpose, or by accident. I really think I would have liked to know a little more about the Barney children, because they did play an important part, and one of the pivotal scenes in the whole series involves Simon and Barney at the caravan, in Greenwitch. There, they had no help but what was in themselves, to guide them forward. That was very well done and was when I thought all three Barney children had a right to be in the series, if that makes sense! Jane already had because she was involved with the Greenwitch.
Nymeth: “I guess we disagree on this one. I didn’t see all that many differences, other than the fact that Bran and Will were more than what they seemed, whereas the Barney children were “just” children. But they all played an important role in the final outcome of the whole thing. But I had no trouble at all warming up to them. I liked Jane best, though, and I like the fact that she was give a more central role as the series advanced, especially in "Greenwitch". I fully agree with you on why ordinary characters were necessary,
though. That’s really what makes this series work so well for me.
Susan came up with the final question to the series: I think the only question I have left is, would you recommend this series to children to read?
Susan's answer: I know it's kind of a silly question, but we're adults reading this series, and it's written for children especially. Myself, I know I'm going to read it out loud to my kids, and hope one day they read my copies! I really enjoyed this overall, and would have no problems giving this to any child who reads fantasy, or who enjoys reading. I think Will and the Barney kids and Bran are great kids to grow up with, along with the Narnia kids. (My daughter loves Lucy, the one closest in age to her right now).
Nymeth: I'm probably the least indicated person there could be to answer this question, as age appropriateness almost never crosses my mind when I'm reading. I don't have any children myself, and I grew up with unsupervised access to any book in the house. This resulted in my reading "The Lady of the Camellias" by Alexandre Dumas, which is about a prostitute dying of tuberculosis, when I was in my pre-teens. And you know what happened? I didn't understand what was going on for the most part, and I was bored by it. Anyway...my default answer to these questions is almost always yes. I enjoyed the series as an adult, and would have enjoyed it as a kid too. And I'm sure plenty of other kids will as well. I love the fact
that you plan to share it with your children!
Susan (Note to Nymeth: I was too late to email this to you, I'm sorry!): It's funny how we come to read books too advanced for us. I think I read Arthur Hailey at this age, and Rosemary Rogers - and adult Isaac Asimov. So it's a question of finding the right books, and all we can do as adults is guide our children to them, and hope they find answers and treasures and all the delight that we find in them.
So, thus ends The Dark is Rising, a series I had wanted to read for 20 or so years. I've finally read it, and I have to say, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I highly recommend this series for anyone looking to give a special gift of children's book to a child in the 8-12 range especially, depending on how much they read. Of course, I am much much older and I would quite happily give this series to anyone who wants to read good fantasy, regardless of age!!!! It really is interesting, and tackles a matter that we are all familiar with - the Arthurian myth - and changes it without altering the structure at all.
Thank you to the wonderful Nymeth for her keen insight and gentle wisdom. She makes me see things in books that I don't readily see often on my own! I really enjoyed it, so I am quite happy to do this again with any of you, my Gentle Readers, if we happen to be reading the same book around the same time.
Susan (Note to Nymeth: I was too late to email this to you, I'm sorry!): It's funny how we come to read books too advanced for us. I think I read Arthur Hailey at this age, and Rosemary Rogers - and adult Isaac Asimov. So it's a question of finding the right books, and all we can do as adults is guide our children to them, and hope they find answers and treasures and all the delight that we find in them.
So, thus ends The Dark is Rising, a series I had wanted to read for 20 or so years. I've finally read it, and I have to say, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I highly recommend this series for anyone looking to give a special gift of children's book to a child in the 8-12 range especially, depending on how much they read. Of course, I am much much older and I would quite happily give this series to anyone who wants to read good fantasy, regardless of age!!!! It really is interesting, and tackles a matter that we are all familiar with - the Arthurian myth - and changes it without altering the structure at all.
Thank you to the wonderful Nymeth for her keen insight and gentle wisdom. She makes me see things in books that I don't readily see often on my own! I really enjoyed it, so I am quite happy to do this again with any of you, my Gentle Readers, if we happen to be reading the same book around the same time.
Sunday, 5 April 2009
Sunday Salon - Nymeth's Mini Challenge Wrap up
Molly and I were partnered in Nymeth's Mini-Challenge for Dewey's challenge, link here. The idea was to try something new. I decided to read the graphic novel Watchmen for the challenge, and Molly was going to read a Manga novel, A Midsummer's Night Dream. This is a first for both of us. We emailed back and forth several times, asking questions, thinking about what we were finding, if we liked it, what our experience was. So, I present to you:
Molly and the Manga
1. What made you think of reading Manga?
Well, I guess two ideas came to me on the same day -- so it seemed providential. I had been reading some of the blogs I follow and on the Bibliosshakespeare site someone had just posted a review of Manga Macbeth. I was in awe! I had NO idea that the Bard had been re-issued as a Manga series. I am constantly on the look out for lesson plan ideas to further enrich what I am teaching. I will be teaching Midsummer Night's Dream to my 8th class starting next week (I have taught it to my high school seniors before, but never to a group this young). I thought that this might be a way that the students could visually see that Shakespeare is as relevant in the 21st century as he was in the 17th century. A little later that day I read your site where you announced this mini challenge and your intent to read a graphic novel. I thought - perfect - I could join the challenge and perhaps be paired with someone who will also want to venture in this area (of course --- I thought manga and graphic novels were the same as they both involved pictures, but I think my logic was a bit faulty). Any way, as luck would have it, when I signed up for the challenge, you and I were paired and the rest, as they say, is history :-)
2.what brought it to your attention? I think I answered the question above -- sorry
3. Susan says: I said to Molly in one of my emails: : I might be wrong, but I think there is a definite barrier between those who read graphic novels and those who won't, and I think it has to do with the idea of comic books. Susan's note: in one of her emails, Molly said she didn't like Watchmen, was having difficulty getting into it, so I asked what happened:
ow, lest I appear like a literary snob, please let me assure that I am NOT! My less than enthusiastic review of graphic novels really has little to do with my literary intellect and more to do with my personal idiosyncracies :) I think I shared that I had a hard time getting into The Watchmen because I felt that I was taken back to my elementary years. I rarely read comic books at that age - and if I did, it tended to be of the Scooby Doo variety and less of the Super Hero variety. I have never been drawn to action adventure (what IS the matter with me?). I even picked up a copy of the recently published Alice in Sunderland graphic novel to try my hand at that (I really was bound and determined to give this a full-blown effort). Now...that has the literary appeal, and even great historical information --- a true educational experience, and yet, I could not get interested.
4. That's why I'm curious how you found manga, and if you could read the whole book you had. So please let me know how it went! Did you gain 'coolness' factor in the eyes of your students?
I did finish the Manga Shakespeare book, A Midsummer Night's Dream. Did it improve my coolness factor at school? Well, that is certainly debatable. I have not had a chance to share the book with the class that is actually studying it (we are somewhat behind due to oral reports, but I plan to share it on Wednesday). I did, however, share the book with some students who will study Macbeth next year. One of the students, a Manga aficionado, quickly informed me that this was obviously American Manga and not Japanese manga. Oh good grief, I was just thrillled I knew the term :) Manga Shakespeare is definitely more of an interest not necessarily because it is 'high brow" Shakespeare (to be honest, I still have a hard time understanding him) -- but more because of the practical application: I can use this book in class to make a point and educate the students.
5.and for when you finish the Manga Macbeth:
a) was the story satisfying on its own?
I did enjoy the book. I think I enjoyed it for three reasons. First of all, it was a story with which I was already familiar, so I could skim the words and focus on the pictures. Secondly (and closely related to the first), the pictures truly helped me to visual the story. This is a confusing plot - there are 4 main characters - Hermia, Lysander, Helena and Demetrius - who are to form 2 couples. As is typical with a Shakespearean comedy, however, the climax of the play has the couples totally mixed up. It certainly doesn't help that the 2 female leads share very similar names (Hermia and Helena) which contrbutes to the confusion. It was incredibly helpful to have a visual image to coordinate with each character; it made it easier to follow the plot. Lastly, I think I enjoyed the Manga Shakespeare because it was based on a work that I would consider of "literary merit" --- I could justify the reading of Manga for educational purposes.
b)what are the characters like? Surprisingly enough, the characters are very close renditions of Shakespeare's originals. I have only read about half the book so far - and really just a skim (I need to read it more thoroughly by Wednesday) - but the 21st century Manga version is very similar. While the setting is still (ancient?) Greece, the characters' facial features do contain asian elements - but somehow it works. There seems to be some 21st century electronic features - but again, it works in the story and in fact, I think it will once again allow the students to better relate.
6) Did the art add to the story, or distract from it, for you? is it better than you thought? why? you mentioned you like - prefer the black and white art in this particular manga. Do you have any idea why?
Half-way through reading the manga, Molly answered: YES -- surprisingly, amazingly better. I think I am pleasantly surprised how the visual effect of the pictures actually bring Shakespeare's words to life. The main complaint that students have regarding the study of Shakespeare is that they don't understand his language. BUT...when you have the pictures you realize that his words are not that difficult to understand --- and in fact, if you take the time to really listen to the words (Shakespeare is meant to be read and heard aloud) - you also discover that the language is beautiful. NOW...here is an interesting thought that I need to further develop before I send you a definitive answer --- I somehow do not mind the pictures of Manga nearly as much as I did the graphic novel. Perhaps - subconsciously, I find the Manga renditions in black and white more sophisticated? I don't know - need to explore it more. But I have thoroughly enjoyed the artwork as much as the storyline.
At the end of our discussion I asked her for a final verdict on her manga experience.
As I ponder this situation I think it is this: the graphic novel is too stimulating for my little mind. I cannot take in all the pictures - the word bubbles in various locales - the colors, etc. It is an overload for my simplistic brain and I become frustrated and exhausted. I think I prefer the standard book form because I only have to focus on words --- all of them are read left to right - all of them are black and white. It is an "auto pilot" activity and I like that. Odd, huh?!
7.Would you read Manga again?
Would I read another Manga book? Perhaps if it were in this vein - that is, another translation of a literary classic into a Manga format (Dickens might lend himself nicely to this visual medium) - but I am not sure that I will rush to my local bookstore and start buying Manga books off the shelves.
8.Or try another Graphic novel in the future?
No, I am not at all opposed to reading more graphic novels. As you know, science fiction does stretch my mind a bit (ok -- a lot!!) --- and super-hero action adventure stories are in that same category. Even when I was younger I rarely read the Superman and Spiderman comics - I went more for the "funnnies" :)
When I started teaching British Literature (with no prior qualifications or experience --- I am a French and Political Science major), I nearly shuddered to think that I had to teach Beowulf and Sir Gawain --- ancient super heroes, if you ask me. But a funny thing as happened -- the more I read these stories - and read the commentaries -- the more I truly appreciate this genre and the valuable lessons it teaches us.
Molly finished by adding: I , too, have enjoyed this foray into a new genre, and I have especially enjoyed doing this with you.
I, too, really enjoyed my experience of Watchmen, and after Molly posts her interview emails with me, I will do a final wrap-up here. I thoroughly enjoyed learning about manga through Molly's eyes, especially because we are close in age and as I discovered, we both had had similar views towards graphic novels and manga: ewww, comic books! As she said, and I've mentioned before, this was because when we grew up, it most definitely was frowned on to be caught reading comic books after a certain age. It took a lot of courage to pick up my copy of Watchmen (even though it is nicely bound in a softcover trade edition, thus hiding the graphic material within!!), but once I opened the first page, I didn't care if it was a comic book or not. It isn't, but I'll save my reasons why, for my post. What I do want to say here is that Molly raises an interesting point about how she had to learn to read graphic novels and manga, to go between the words and the images, and that it was hard work. I too, between reading Castle Waiting and then Watchmen, had to learn how to read the words and then the pictures, and how to decide what was important to focus on. It is an art, and I wonder if people who are more visually leaning towards learning, find reading graphic novels a more pleasurable experience than say someone who learns by experience, or auditory sound.
So, that's my Sunday Salon. Thank you, Nymeth, for a most exciting mini-challenge. It was challenging and fun!
And I have to add, anyone in the mood for fairy poetry today, should go check out Nymeth's post today.
Saturday, 4 April 2009
rainbows and being bored
Your rainbow is intensely shaded red, indigo, and green.
What is says about you: You are an intelligent person. You appreciate energetic people. You get bored easily and want friends who will keep up with you. Friends count on you for being honest and insightful.
Find the colors of your rainbow at spacefem.com.
Find the colors of your rainbow at spacefem.com.
For fun. Because I am bored today. I've finished a book, I've gone grocery shopping, it's dark and rainy outside, I'm still not quite all better, and I should do some book reviews, and I think I'm going to go back to reading. Enjoy the rainbow, I don't think I"m quite as fast-paced as the rainbow seems to make out! and I don't see any pink in it. I hope you're having a fun Saturday reading! What colour is your rainbow?
Wednesday, 1 April 2009
London - Wordless Wednesday (well, almost wordless)
Wordless Wednesday.
In honor of London, and because of the mindless damage being done today by the violence of the protests in London,I thought I would show some pictures of London as I saw it during our Christmas trip. (My way of protesting senseless acts of damage). ****All historical data taken from Christopher Winn's book, I Never Knew that About London, an invaluable guide to London that we bought while visiting.
******I am having problems with setting words with the photos in blogger - the preview is NOT showing what is turning up on my blog, so please excuse the lack of at least identifying pictures here. Gah! I hate technology sometimes.
Few words, mostly beauty.
On the left, Charing Cross road, heaven for us bibliophiles. To the right, view of London from Charing Cross underground station at the Thames River. Below that, Hyde Park photos.
In honor of London, and because of the mindless damage being done today by the violence of the protests in London,I thought I would show some pictures of London as I saw it during our Christmas trip. (My way of protesting senseless acts of damage). ****All historical data taken from Christopher Winn's book, I Never Knew that About London, an invaluable guide to London that we bought while visiting.
******I am having problems with setting words with the photos in blogger - the preview is NOT showing what is turning up on my blog, so please excuse the lack of at least identifying pictures here. Gah! I hate technology sometimes.
Few words, mostly beauty.
On the left, Charing Cross road, heaven for us bibliophiles. To the right, view of London from Charing Cross underground station at the Thames River. Below that, Hyde Park photos.
.
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Above left: Samuel Pepys' freestanding bookshelf, the first one ever built, according to the V&A museum, where this picture was taken. I thought we could all see how little has changed since 1695!
Above right: All Hallow by the Towers, the oldest church in London. From the steeple Pepys watched the Great Fire of 1666 until it drew too near. or All Hallows Barking. Dates from 675. There is Roman pavement from the 2nd century inside the church.
left: St Olave Hart Street. Samuel Pepys' Church, where he and his wife are buried. built mainly in 1450, escaped Great Fire in 1666. Many victims of the Great Plague are buried here.
St Olave Hart Street, All Hallow by the Towers, Samuel Pepys Street, and Tower of London are all within the same area of eachother, slightly more than a city block.
I love the skeleton heads on this church. This is also one of my favourite photos from our trip. I hope this makes you want to visit it one day, I know I can hardly wait to go back!
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