Books for May, 2005

[pegkerr]

Inkheart by Cornelia Funk. First time read. I saw that desayunoencama also read it this month and didn't find it as charming as I did. I identified strongly with the story of a parent and child's love being intertwined with their mutual love of books--perhaps that was the difference; I'm a parent who has had the experience of introducing plenty of beloved books to my children? I shuddered in complete sympathy with the horror of what the father's mistake meant: he couldn't read aloud to his beloved daughter. I also felt the full horror of what Capricorn did to Elinor: not a killing, not a maiming, but a hurt that struck absolutely at the core of her heart.

The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funk. First time read. A rather intriguing premise, I thought, which speaks to what many children long for the most: the wish to be seen as competent, in command of their own fate. And I thought that Scipio's story was interesting, the root of his problem of why he kept his background cloaked in mystery. I also thought it was amusingly fresh to have the case being handled by a rather unsuccessful (perhaps incompetent) detective.

The Secret Country by pameladean. Re-read.

The Hidden Land by pameladean. Re-read.

The Whim of the Dragon by pameladean. Re-read. Actually, this was only the second time I've read all three of these books, which seems odd, when I've read others of her books many more times. (esp. Tam Lin and Juniper, Gentian and Rosemary). All the years of going to the Shakespeare reading group helped add to my enjoyment. I was surprised to discover that there were vast sections I didn't remember at all, which is not my usual experience when I re-read books. (OTOH, I have a hazy memory that I might have been pregnant when I read them the first time, which would explain everything; I didn't have a brain for months at the time when I was gestating.) One thing I wondered about a great deal was Patrick's attitude toward magic. He is portrayed as a materialist/skeptic who doesn't believe in magic at all when he lands in the magical world (and very interesting it is to compare him, for example, to Lord Andrew, who doesn't seem to believe in magic, either). Actually, a great deal of effort and time is spent, especially in the first book, in trying to address the question "Is what is happening to us real or not?" I wondered, given his attitude, why Patrick would have been interested in playing the game for so many years in the first place--probably because he thought it was a game, and therefore he could "play at it" without taking it seriously? (And after all, how different is that from the sorts of lines we draw in our own imaginations?) The other children seemed to find coping with Patrick stressful: why did they keep playing with him? Because he was so young when they all started, that he just was accepted as a part of the game, no matter how infuriating he grew up to be?

Am now reading Tolkien's The Monsters and the Critics, so that will start next month's list (thanks for lending it to me, pameladean!)

Comments

[hermione-like.livejournal.com]

I liked Inkheart too. Cornelia Funke is actually writing a sequel (the name of which escapes me right now--Ink-something) and some studio is in the process of trying to make an Inkheart movie.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

Patrick was their cousin. I just assumed that they kept playing together because they were lucky enough to have cousins who would play something more interesting than Crazy Eights. I wished I had had cousins who would play something more interesting than Crazy Eights. (I don't really have an excuse for that response, since I was 21 when I first read the first book and 25 for the last two.)

And I knew plenty of cold-eyed materialists who played RPGs in college, so it didn't really seem odd to me that Patrick would be like that. What did seem a little more odd is that he didn't stick around to try to poke around and find out how it all worked.

[callunav.livejournal.com]

It's funny - it seems like you're rereading all of Ms. Dean's books *except* my favorite.

(Note to self: Find own copy of favorite book. Reread a few times.)

[desayunoencama.livejournal.com]

There were parts I responded to quite well, which is why I felt so disappointed that the book didn't work for me as a whole.

I really WANTED it to work for me, and it would start to, but then it would deviate or fall flat each time. In my reading. I'm glad SOMEONE enjoyed it.

FYI, there is a sequel, INKSPELL, forthcoming later this year, since you were more charmed by it than I.

Secret Country SPOILERS!

[papersky.livejournal.com]

When Patrick makes his oath to Ted, and rewords it, Ted remembers what fun Patrick is to play with. When playing, with the parameters of what's happening under his control, and the ability to stop and argue logically why things should happen his way, he probably enjoyed it as much as the others, without in the slightest wanting it to be real. The others wanted it to be real, and were at least at first thrilled when it was. But when playing, Patrick probably brought things to the game none of the others would have thought of but which they appreciated, in terms of twists and motivations and general solidity.

There's a point when Ellen, I think, says what a pity they couldn't just keep playing, with the better equipment in the magic world, instead of being really in it, but Patrick, once it's real, feels actively challenged to find out how it works.

Poor Patrick. The second law of thermodynamics doesn't argue back.

[mayakda.livejournal.com]

I loved Inkheart, although I identified with the child more than the parent.
I thought Thief Lord was nice, but not as great as Inkheart.

[alfreda89.livejournal.com]

I didn't realize that Pamela had finally published Juniper, Gentian and Rosemary. I think it was during my divorce-and-restructure-my-life stage. Did you like it? I enjoyed her trilogy (and her) a great deal, but lost track of her in there.

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

Yes, I did enjoy it very much, and I have re-read it several times. I recommend it. I have re-read The Dubious Hills less often, but liked it, too.

[alfreda89.livejournal.com]

Yes, I found The Dubious Hills--very interesting. She always asks hard questions, which I appreciate, since I do, too.