Grasping for the Wind

E-Zine Review: Flash Fiction Online

Flash Fiction Online is a brand new e-zine, edited by Jake Freivald, which publishes fiction of 1,000 or fewer words. They began publication in December of 2007. But even though they are a young e-zine (with possible print anthologies on the horizon) their commitment to meet the SFWA guidelines for being a professional market, results in Flash Fiction Online publishing work by some known authors, such has James Van Pelt, Carl Frederick, and Bruce Holland Rogers, that really doesn’t have place in other short fiction magazines due to the extremely short length of the stories.

Now, some of you reading this review are probably skeptical about the ability of any author, no matter how good a writer, to tell an entire story in under 1,000 words. I was until I read the April Issue of Flash Fiction Online. In the span of twenty minutes, my preconceived notions about story were challenged, and I was able to read five great stories. And each one took no longer to read than the average blog post.

Readable online in either HTML or PDF format, these stories are laid out clearly, in a readable format, with clever and excellent illustrations by R.W. Ware (who, by the way, is also a tattoo artist) to add to the panache of the e-zine. Additionally, each story has a short bio on the author, with a clever author photo that I think underscores the whole concept of the fiction being “flash” in nature. The entire site is very polished and professional, and even is set up with an RSS feed to allow readers ease of access to the stories.

In the April issue of Flash Fiction Online, Freivald collected five stories that were humorous in their content, playing on the fact that this month begins with April Fool’s Day.

“The Dyslexicon”, by Carl Frederick is a story written about a dyslexic robot that can’t fulfill his function due to his dyslexia. The story is populated by spoonerisms, homographs, and misspellings. In way, this story is both funny and sad, as it allows the reader to get a glimpse into the world of dyslexia sufferers. But it isn’t preachy, just funny. Sometimes the word equivalencies are hard to discern, and Fredrick might have done better to only play around with the words most obviously incorrect to readers.

“How Not To Stage a Play in the Aftermath of a Zombie Apocalypse” by Kurt Bachard wonders what life would be like after a zombie apocalypse in the world of the theatre. A “woe is me” type of story, it says an awful lot while using a true economy of words. In keeping with the economy of words, Bachard’s explanation of the directors special situation and retention of his humanity might have been better integrated into the narrative, rather than being separate paragraph. It is out of place and makes the narrative slightly choppy. Any theatergoer or amateur thespian will enjoy Bachard’s wry humor about the world of the stage.

“Call of the Wild, Line Three” by Dalton Keane was the funniest of the five. The idea of stockbrokers as a pack of wolves is apt and funny. Keane has transposed the hierarchy of the animal kingdom onto the world of business, and it results in a hilarious story. Of the five, this one was the only one that made me laugh out loud.

“Fast Living” by Hank Quense, while only a quarter of a page in length tells a story that (no insult intended) is like stories you read in the Reader’s Digest humor sections. The story may be short, but the punch line brings a smile to your face. It's a type of story called a Feghoot.

“Quiet Please” by Kevin Scott is a reprint of a classic story that qualifies as flash fiction, but that is now in the public domain. Each issue of Flash Fiction Online includes on of these classic reprint stories, many of them from authors that are obscure. “Quiet Please” was probably the most difficult of the stories to read, and I had to read it twice in order to get why the story ended the way it did. Once I did, I thought it a neat, quirky story about language barriers from the November 1961 issue of Word of If.

Flash Fiction Online is one of the few e-zines I plan to read regularly. The length of the stories makes it ideal for reading on the small screens of internet capable cell phones, iPhones, and any PDF capable eBook reader.

Additionally, Freivald is not overambitious, and doesn’t try to print every story he receives. This allows the reader to get a few good stories at the beginning of each month, but without having to sift through a lot of stories to find ones that interest them. Plus, you don’t have to wait overlong to get new stories (and a few articles) since publication is monthly. Lots of e-zines publish either bimonthly or quarterly, and it is often easy to forget check them. Flash Fiction Online has made that easy. I hope they are able to stay in business, as their unique style of fiction is a breath of fresh air, in the overburdened Internet.

With the easy to use RSS feed, I can read these short stories at the office on my coffee breaks. They only take five minutes or less to read, no matter your speed, and you can step back into your office work not feeling guilty about taking your employers time, but with the smile and feeling of refreshment that fiction lusually brings to your face.

Jake Freivald and Flash Fiction Online are providing an excellent service to all fans of short fiction, and I encourage you to take advantage of it.

Artwork © 2008, R. W. Ware

Book Review: Henry V by Classical Comics

* Genre: Graphic Novel, Literature, Drama
* ISBN: 1906332002
* ISBN-13: 9781906332006
* Format: Paperback, 144pp
* Publisher: Classical Comics
* Pub. Date: November 2007

Depending on how you look at it, most of us were forced or fortunate enough to read many of the greatest works of fiction in junior and high school. I’m sure you remember breezing through the novels you loved and slogging through the books you hated. If you are young enough, you likely remember trying to find the video version as well.

But perhaps most difficult of all these classics of literature we read was the works of Shakespeare. AS an Elizabethan writer, his English was archaic, and while teachers assured us it was filled with innuendo (or maybe it was fellow students?) we never could quite get the story. Many times, this was due to the fact that we were reading the work of a playwright, but were unable to see the work actually performed. Sometimes we might be fortunate enough to go to a Shakespeare festival, and maybe we say one on microfilm or VHS, but that was one class in a quarter, and never allowed us to engage the dry text before us.

Enter Classical Comics. This UK based publisher has done what others have been unable to do. Namely, give us a visual representation to go alongside the text of the Great Bard’s plays. Using the graphic novel format, Classical Comics gives teacher and students (plus those of us who love good literature) a fun and interesting way to enjoy the works of Shakespeare.

You might say that this has been done before and I agree it has been tried for all sorts of classics. But most of the time, they use abridged versions, dumbed down to fit on the page and leave more room for artwork. Not so Classical Comics. They give us not one version, but three. There is the unabridged version, best for the high school student or adult, the plain text version, which uses modern English to give us the gist of the Bard’s meaning, and the quick text version, which is a great way to introduce potential lovers of the classics, especially elementary age children.

For Classical Comics first book, they chose Henry V, probably the most action packed and inspiring of Shakespeare’s plays. Obviously, most readers will be familiar with the play itself, so I won’t go into detail here, but suffice it to say that its words are as awesome as ever.

Classical Comics has really done a good job translating the words into images. (Unfortunately, this example doesn't have the text, but you can look at more complete versions in pdf format at the website.) Although the artwork is a little bit on the cartoony side (rounded edges, not much in the way of sharp lines, it reminds me of early Disney films) it is well laid out, and the text is never crammed into the panels. And yet the full text is there.

The marriage of artwork and text is important, especially when so many students are historically illiterate. They have difficulty picturing how some of the characters may have dressed or what the country side might have looked like. Classical Comics recreates these things as best they can, allowing students and readers to see with their eyes as well as their minds.

Additionally, the work contains historical background at the end of the volume on Shakespeare, the Globe Theater, the time period as well as a discussion of just how they transformed the work from dry, dusty page to colorful, interesting comics. And you don’t have to take my word for it. Says Patrick Stewart, skilled Shakespearean actor and Captain Jean-Luc Picard of Star Trek: TNG fame, “I find them gripping, dramatic and, although for me the original Shakespeare is always my reason for turning to these plays, I think that what you are doing in illuminating and making perhaps more lucid, especially for young people, is clever and meaningful.”
Need any more be said?

For me, this really revived my interest in the works, and if I were still a teacher, I would have been sure to use it in my classroom. I would even recommend giving these books out as the text to use. Having a picture to go with the words, and having the ability to access a plain English text is of inestimable value to the teacher and the student.

If you want to read the classics, but are afraid after bad experiences in your youth, Classical Comics has the solution for you. Their next volumes include Macbeth, and Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, as well as works by Charles Dickens and Mary Shelley. Although the longer novels will be abridged versions I’m still looking forward to all of them, especially since I know that Classical Comics will give me interesting artwork to go with the story.

I highly recommend reading Henry V as one of the greatest epics of all time, and I recommend these particular editions from Classical Comics as the best for understanding the plays, short of seeing it them performed live.

You can read samples at their site in PDF format, to get a taste of what the books look and read like.

Book Review: The Somnambulist by Jonathan Barnes

* Genre: Urban Fantasy, Mystery
* ISBN: 0061375381
* ISBN-13: 9780061375385
* Format: Hardcover, 368pp
* Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
* Pub. Date: February 05, 2008

"Be warned. This book has no literary merit whatsoever. It is a lurid piece of nonsense, convoluted, implausible, peopled by unconvincing characters, written in drearily pedestrian prose, frequently ridiculous and willfully bizarre. Needless to say, I doubt you'll believe a word of it."

Any novel that warns you, up front and without any real apology, that it will be a bad a piece of fiction, certainly piques my interest. In The Somnambulist, Jonathan Barnes does just that. Told entirely as a history from a witness to the proceedings, this novel, while unoriginal, was still fun to read.

Those moviegoers who saw The Illusionist or The Prestige (also a book by Christopher Priest) will be delighted with Barnes’ tale. The chief character is Edward Moon, a magician and conjurer whose sidekick is the mute and amazingly impervious Somnambulist. Like the characters in those movies, Moon has a gift for observation, a skill that in Victorian London gives provides him with the diversion of amateur detecting. His methods are similar to those of his contemporary Sherlock Holmes, although Barnes does not write of them in any detail. When two brutal murders occur that seem unexplainable by Scotland Yard, Moon is brought in to help solve them. In the meantime, the Directorate, represented chiefly by the albino, Skimpole, wants to have Moon work on a separate case that the Directorate believes means that the city of London’s survival itself is at stake. Moon is convinced that the two cases are connected and sets out to discover the truth, along the way meeting the stranger characters of Victorian London such as a bearded lady, a man traveling backward in time, a famous poet, and a human fly.

What Barnes has done with his novel is not truly original. Like Christopher Priest’s The Prestige and The Illusionist starring Edward Norton and Jessica Biel, Barnes novel is a gothic Victorian tale centered on the character of a magician. Also copying Neil Gaiman’s novel and miniseries Neverwhere, The Somnambulist uses the characters of London’s history (Gog and Magog, Lud) as part of the warp and weft of the story. He even goes so far as to introduce a pair of murderers that are very nearly carbon copies of Gaiman’s Mr. Croup and Mr. Vandemaar. This will make the novel appeal to fans of those books and movies certainly, but it makes me wonder at Barnes ethics.

Still, the novel is very fun to read. The story is fast pace and exciting. The identity of the villain is not revealed till late in the book and I must confess, I was surprised at who it was, although it should have been obvious. This is a mark of a good mystery. The scenes are varied and interesting, but not always well-connected. The ideology of the villain is fantastic and humorous. It provides a few chuckles through the narrator’s sardonic wit.

Barnes has a great facility with the English language. All though not difficult to understand or verbose, Barnes is not afraid to use large words where a simple one would work. Take the title for instance, The Somnambulist. Somnambulism is essentially sleepwalking, but sleepwalking is not really a part of the story, but the word is interesting. It does provide some of the metaphor for the story, as Moon's name, the Somnambulist and a character called the Sleeper all relate back to the title. It is also the name of Moon’s conjuring assistant, who is a minor character throughout the story, but who plays a vital role in the climax. The title is actually really unrelated to the story, having only a tenuous connection to the plot, so I do feel that the publishers did the book a disservice by calling it that. Barnes’ use of weird and wonderful words gives the story a panache that greatly enhanced my enjoyment of it.

Although the story is unexceptional in plot, the characters are interesting if lacking in depth (but I was warned about that, after all.). All are the dregs and outcasts of London society, or at least those on their way out, such as Moon. Choosing such characters story drive the story adds a bit of penny-dreadful sensationalism to the novel. The only characters whose psyches we really explore are Moon’s, the narrator’s, and Skimpole’s and those really only on the surface. Barnes is telling a mystery/adventure story in the setting of Victorian London so the reader should approach this as a story that is fun to read but in any way philosophical.

Barnes’ use of the first person narration and the memoir style of writing are part of the fun of reading it. I spent a goodly portion of the book wondering who the unreliable narrator was, and the reveal of who he is in fact is rather fun scene. The narrator interjects, to humorous effect, several times into the story. It reminded me a lot of the novel I, Strahd in its style although with a more humorous cast. I’d like to see Jonathan Barnes use this style again, as I think he cleverly uses it.

I thought that this was very fun to read. Barnes has a wit and humor of the type I enjoy. The novel is that type of story that author John Zakour would call “bubblegum for the brain”. It is entertainment for a horrible-no good, very bad day. Fans of Gaiman’s urban fantasy will enjoy this novel (although they should be aware that there are some very suspicious similarities) as well as any moviegoer who enjoyed the mystery of The Illusionist (though it is not quite so clever). There are a lot of correlations between this book and Susanna Clarke's Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell although where that was literary in form (and massive), The Somnambulist is pulp fiction (and short).The Somnambulist is a comedy and a farce, written to make its reader’s laugh. If you are looking for some light entertainment this is an excellent novel to pick up.

A Year of Reading 2008

This is a continually updated list of all the books I have read in the year 2008. Links are to reviews I have written for some of these books. You can also look at my list for 2007.

January February March April May June
July August September October November December

January

Series 65: Uniform Investment Adviser Law Exam Manual by Kaplan Financial
The Prodigal Troll by Charles Coleman Finlay
Instant Knowledge by the editors at mental_floss
The Somnambulist by Jonathan Barnes
In The Beginning by the editors at mental_floss
Eberron: Bound by Iron by Edward Bolme
Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder
Bash Down the Door and Slice Open the Badguy edited by W. H. Horner
Hunter's Run by George R. R. Martin, Gardner Dozois and Daniel Abraham
A Bit of Madness by Emmanuel Civiello and Thomas Mosdi
Goblin Hero by Jim C. Hines
The Shadow and Night by Chris Walley
Dragon Outcast by E. E. Knight

February

Wastelands: Stories of the Apocalypse edited by John Joseph Adams
Breach the Hull edited by Mike McPhail
Confessor by Terry Goodkind
Blood Ties by Pamela Freeman
Sojourn Volume 6: The Bezerker's Tale by Ian Edgington and Greg Land
Forgotten Realms: Neversfall by Ed Gentry
Infoquake by David Louis Edelman
The Golden Cord by Paul Genesse
Grimspace by Ann Aguirre

March

The Death of the Necromancer by Martha Wells
Madhouse by Rob Thurman
The Dead Guy Interviews by Michael Stusser
The Hidden City by Michelle West
Klassic Koalas: Ancient Aboriginal Tales in New Retellings by Lee Barwood
Before They Are Hanged by Joe Abercrombie
Growingold with B. C. by Johnny Hart

April

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
Small Favor by Jim Butcher
Heroes Adrift by Moira J. Moore
Misspelled edited by Jule E. Czerneda
Flash Fiction Online, April 2008 edited by Jake Freivald
Rolling Thunder by John Varley
Empress by Karen Miller
Phytosphere by Scott Mackay
Goblin War by Jim C. Hines
Return of the Sword edited by Jason M. Waltz

May

Shadowmarch by Tad Williams
Forgotten Realms: Obsidian Ridge by Jess Lebow
Iron Man: Beneath the Armor by Andy Mangels
The Court of the Air by Stephen Hunt
Bloodheir by Brian Ruckley
The Martian General's Daughter by Theodore Judson
The Four Forges by Jenna Rhodes
Midnight Never Come by Marie Brennan

June

A Darkness Forged in Fire by Chris Evans
Wizards edited by Jack Dann and Gardner Dozois

July

August

September

October

November

December

January February March April May June
July August September October November December

A Year of Reading 2007

The Year is Done! I hope you had a great one and have high hopes for 2008. Below is a list of all the books I read in 2007 (I like to keep track because I am just that hyper-organized). The final five have reviews written that I just haven't posted because every review deserves a suitable amount of time at the top of the blog. You will see them in January of 2008.

January February March April May June
July August September October November December

January

Tuf Voyaging by George R. R. Martin
Condensed Knowledge by the editors at mental_floss
Crown of Stars by Kate Elliott
In the Ruins by Kate Elliott
Gifts by Ursula K. Le Guin
Changing Planes by Ursula K. Le Guin
The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson
The Ladies of Grace Adieu by Susanna Clarke
Monks and Mystics by Mindy and Brandon Withrow
Outposts: Journeys to the Surviving Relics of the British Empire by Simon Winchester
Dying of the Light by George R. R. Martin
Life@Work by John Maxwell
The Children of Men by P.D. James
Forgotten Realms: Frostfell by Mark Sehestedt
The Druids by Peter Berresford Ellis

February

The Magic of Recluce by L.E. Modesitt, Jr.
Forgotten Realms: Sacrifice of the Widow by Lisa Smedman
Dragon Champion by E. E. Knight
Forgotten Realms: Double Diamond Triangle Saga by Various Authors
Outwitting History by Aaron Lansky
Forbidden Knowledge by the editors at mental_floss

March

Three Blind Mice and Other Stories by Agatha Christie
Witness for the Prosecution and Other Stories by Agatha Christie
Rome 2006 by Rick Steves
Supplement to the Italian Dictionary by Bruno Munari
Keats and Italy by Various Authors
The Last Sin Eater by Francine Rivers
Teacher Man by Frank McCourt
Night by Elie Wiesel
Dachshunds for Dummies by Eve Adamson
Legend by David Gemmell
Midshipwizard Halcyon Blithe by James M. Ward

April

Forgotten Realms: Depths of Madness by Erik Scott de Bie
The Regatta Mystery and Other Stories by Agatha Christie
The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman
Shakespeare's Kings by John Julius Norwich
On Becoming a Leader by Warren Bennis
The Innocents Abroad by Mark Twain
Black Gate: Issue 10 Spring 2007 by John O'Neill (ed.) and Howard Andrew Jones (ed.)
Forgotten Realms - Unclean: The Haunted Lands, Book I by Richard Lee Byers

May

Dragon Avenger by E. E. Knight
Eldest by Christopher Paolini
Scatterbrained by the editors at Mental_Floss
The Prestige by Christopher Priest
Real Estate Finance for Investment Properties by Steve Berges
The Clerk's Tale by Margaret Frazer
The Bastard's Tale by Margaret Frazer
The Hunter's Tale by Margaret Frazer
Forgotten Realms - The Gossamer Plain: The Empyrean Odyssey Book 1 by Thomas M. Reid
The Road by Cormac McCarthy
The King's Buccaneer by Raymond E. Fiest
The King Beyond the Gate by David Gemmell
The Unhandsome Prince by John Moore
A Fate Worse than Dragons by John Moore
Maskerade by Terry Pratchett
The Truth by Terry Pratchett
Carpe Jugulum by Terry Pratchett

June

Interesting Times by Terry Pratchett
The Fifth Elephant by Terry Pratchett
Coraline by Neil Gaiman
Night Watch by Terry Pratchett
Monstrous Regiment by Terry Pratchett
A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah
The Restorer by Sharon Hinck
Another Fine Myth/Myth Conceptions by Robert Asprin
American Gods by Neil Gaiman
Father of Dragons by L. B. Graham

July

Black History Through Blue Eyes: The Debt the World Owes to Africa by James Seymour
The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
Forgotten Realms: Scream of Stone, The Watercourse Trilogy Book III by Philip Athans
The Case of the Missing Books by Ian Sansom
Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser
Lud-in-the-Mist by Hope Mirrlees
Dangerous Visions edited by Harlan Ellison
The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith
The Widow's Tale by Margaret Frazer
A Rhyming History of Britain by James Muirden, David Eccles (Illustrator)

August

More Than A Hobby by David Green
Real Estate Investment Trusts: Structure, Performance, and Investment Opportunities by Su Han Chan, John Erickson, Ko Wang
Tipperary: A Novel by Frank Delaney
Explorer's House: National Geographic and the World It Made by Robert M. Poole
Forgotten Realms: The Howling Delve by Jaleigh Johnson
A Life Well Spent: The Eternal Rewards of Investing Yourself and Your Money in Your Family by Russ Crosson
Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank
The Telling by Ursula K. Le Guin

September

Black Gate Issue #11 by John O'Neill (ed.)
The Surrogates by Robert Venditti, Brett Weldele
Shadowstorm by Paul S. Kemp
Forgotten Realms: Swords of Dragonfire by Ed Greenwood
Forgotten Realms: Shadowstorm by Paul S. Kemp
The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie
Honored Enemy by Raymond E. Feist and William R. Fortschen
Murder in LaMut by Raymond E. Feist and Joel Rosenberg
Forgotten Realms: Storm of the Dead by Lisa Smedman
The Elephant and the Dragon: The Rise of India and China and What it Means for All of Us by Robyn Meredith
The Innocent Mage by Karen Miller
Union of Renegades by Tracy Falbe
Winterbirth by Brian Ruckley

October

Wind Follower by Carole McDonnell
The Sagittarius Command by R. M. Meluch
The Summoner by Gail Z. Martin
Making Money by Terry Pratchett
Crystal Rain by Tobias Buckell
Goblin Quest by Jim C. Hines

November

Scarlet by Stephen R. Lawhead
The Princes of the Golden Cage by Nathalie Mallet
Green Rider by Kristen Britain
The Phoenix Unchained by Mercedes Lackey and James Mallory
Forgotten Realms: Stardeep by Bruce Cordell
The Awakened Mage by Karen Miller
Forgotten Realms: The Orc King by R. A. Salvatore
Ragamuffin by Tobias Buckell
A Prayer for the Damned by Peter Tremayne
The Blue Haired Bombshell by John Zakour
Hedge Hunters by Katherine Burton
Sails and Sorcery: Tales of Nautical Fantasy edited by W. H. Horner
Shimmer, The Pirate Issue edited by John Joseph Adams

December

Eberron: The Orb of Xoriat by Edward Bolme
Sojourn: The Sorcerer's Tale by Ian Edgington and Greg Land
Across the Face of the World by Russell Kirkpatrick
Forgotten Realms: Crypt of the Moaning Diamond by Rosemary Jones
Fellowship Fantastic by Martin H. Greenberg and Kerrie Hughes
Genetopia by Keith Brooke
The Tales of the Last War edited by Mark Sehestedt
Bad A** Faeries edited by Danielle Ackley-McPhail
Robin Hood and the Beasts of Sherwood by Clayton Emery
Tides by Scott Mackay
Auralia's Colors by Jeffrey Overstreet

January February March April May June
July August September October November December

Book Reviews by Title

These are the my book reviews, categorized alphabetically by the title. (Click here for categorization by author.) "The" doesn't count towards the title.

You can also subscribe to an RSS feed of my reviews at librarything.

a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

A

A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah
A Rhyming History of Britain by James Muirden (author) and David Eccles (illustrator)
Across the Face of the World by Russell Kirkpatrick
Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank
Are Women Human? by Dorothy Sayers
Auralia's Colors by Jeffrey Overstreet
The Awakened Mage by Karen Miller

B

Bad-A** Faeries edited by Danielle Ackley-McPhail (et al.)
Badger's Moon by Peter Tremayne
Bash Down the Door and Slice Open the Badguy edited by W. H. Horner
Before They Are Hanged by Joe Abercrombie
Beyond the Summerland by L. B. Graham
Breach the Hull edited by Mike McPhail
A Bit of Madness by Emmanuel Civiello and Thomas Mosdi
Black Gate: Issue #11 edited by John O'Neill
Black History Through Blue Eyes: The Debt the World Owes to Africa by James Seymour
The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie
Bloodheir by Brain Ruckley
Blood Ties by Pamela Freedman
The Blue-Haired Bombshell by John Zakour

C

The Children of Men by P. D. James
The Clerk's Tale by Margaret Frazer
Confessor by Terry Goodkind
The Court of the Air by Stephen Hunt
The Crown of Stars Series by Kate Elliott
Crystal Rain by Tobias Buckell
Condensed Knowledge by the editors of mental_floss

D

Dangerous Visions edited by Harlan Ellison
The Dead Guy Interviews by Michael Stusser
The Death of the Necromancer by Martha Wells
Dragon Champion by E. E. Knight
Dragon Outcast
The Druids by Peter Berresford Ellis
Dying of the Light by George R. R. Martin

E

Eberron: Bound by Iron by Edward Bolme
Eberron: The Orb of Xoriat by Edward Bolme
Eberron: The Tales of the Last War by Mark Sehestedt
The Elephant and the Dragon: The Rise of India and China and What it Means for All of Us by Robyn Meredith
Empress by Karen Miller
Eragon by Christopher Paolini
Explorer's House: National Geographic and the World It Made by Robert M. Poole

F

Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser
Fellowship Fantastic by Martin H. Greenberg and Kerrie Hughes
The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman
Flash Fiction Online, April 2008 edited by Jake Freivald
Forgotten Realms: The City of Splendors by Elaine Cunningham and Ed Greenwood
Forgotten Realms: Crypt of the Moaning Diamond by Rosemary Jones
Forgotten Realms: The Gossamer Plain by Thomas M. Reid
Forgotten Realms: The Howling Delve by Jaleigh Johnson
Forgotten Realms: Obsidian Ridge by Jess Lebow
Forgotten Realms: The Orc King by R. A. Salvatore
Forgotten Realms: Road of the Patriarch by R. A . Salvatore
Forgotten Realms: Shadowstorm by Paul S. Kemp
Forgotten Realms: Stardeep by Bruce Cordell
Forgotten Realms: Swords of Dragonfire by Ed Greenwood
Forgotten Realms: Unclean by Richard Lee Byers

G

Genetopia by Keith Brooke
The Gift of Pain by Paul Brand and Philip Yancey
Glory Road by Robert Heinlein
Green Rider by Kristen Britain
Goblin Hero by Jim C. Hines
Goblin Quest by Jim C. Hines
Goblin War by Jim C. Hines
The Golden Cord by Paul Genesse
Grimspace by Ann Aguirre
Growingold with B.C. by Johnny Hart

H

Hedge Hunters by Katherine Burton
Henry V (Classical Comics Edition) by William Shakespeare
Heroes Adrift by Moira J. Moore
The Hidden City by Michelle West
Honored Enemy by Raymond E. Feist and William R. Fortschen
Hood by Stephen Lawhead
Hunter's Run by George R. R. Martin, Gardner Dozois, and Daniel Abraham

I

Infoquake by David Louis Edelman
The Innocents Abroad by Mark Twain
The Innocent Mage by Karen Miller
Iron Man: Beneath the Armor by Andy Mangels

J

J. R. R. Tolkien: A Biography by Humphrey Carpenter
The Junior Books by Dave Ramsey

K

Klasssic Koalas: Ancient Aboriginal Tales in New Retellings by Lee Barwood
Knife of Dreams by Robert Jordan
The Know-It-All by A. J. Jacobs

L

The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. LeGuin
Legend by David Gemmell
The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson
Life@Work by John C. Maxwell

M

Madhouse by Rob Thurman
Magician by Raymond E. Feist
The Magic of Recluce by L. E. Moedesitt Jr.
Making Money by Terry Pratchett
Master of Souls by Peter Tremayne
The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards
Midnight Never Come by Marie Brennan
Midshipwizard Halcyon Blithe by James M. Ward
Misspelled edited by Julie E. Czerneda
Monks and Mystics by Mindy and Brandon Withrow
Moon Gate by David Weldon and William Proctor
More Than A Hobby by David Green
The Mother Tongue by Bill Bryson
Murder in LaMut by Raymond E. Feist and Joel Rosenberg

N

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
Night by Elie Wiesel
The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith

O

On Becoming A Leader by Warren Bennis
Outposts: Journeys to the Surviving Relics of the British Empire by Simon Winchester
Outwitting History by Aaron Lansky

P

Phantom by Terry Goodkind
The Pendragon Cycle by Stephen Lawhead
The Phoenix Unchained by Mercedes Lackey and James Mallory
Phytosphere by Scott Mackay
Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder
The Prestige by Christopher Priest
The Princes of the Golden Cage by Nathalie Mallet
The Prodigal Troll by Charles Coleman Finlay

Q

R

Ragamuffin by Tobias Buckell
Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers
The Restorer by Sharon Hinck
Return of the Sword edited by Jason M. Waltz
The Rick Steves' Travel Guide Series by Rick Steves
The Road by Cormac McCarthy
Robin Hood and the Beasts of Sherwood by Clayton Emery
Rolling Thunder by John Varley

S

The Sagittarius Command by R. M. Meluch
Sails and Sorcery: Tales of Nautical Fantasy edited by W. H. Horner
Scarlet by Stephen Lawhead
Shadow in the Deep by L. B. Graham
The Shadow and Night by Chris Walley
Shadowmarch by Tad Williams
Shakespeare's Kings by John Julius Norwich
Shimmer, The Pirate Issue edited by John Joseph Adams
Small Favor by Jim Butcher
Smoke in the Wind by Peter Tremayne
Sojourn: The Bezerker's Tale by Ian Edgington and Greg Land
Sojourn: The Sorcerer's Tale by Ian Edgington and Greg Land
The Somnambulist by Jonathan Barnes
The Summoner by Gail Z. Martin
The Surrogates, Vol. 1 by Robert Venditti

T

Teacher Man by Frank McCourt
Thud! by Terry Pratchett
The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
Tides by Scott Mackay
Tipperary: A Novel by Frank Delaney
The Treasure Principle by Randy Alcorn
The Truth by Terry Pratchett

U

Union of Renegades by Tracy Falbe

V

W

Wastelands: Stories of the Apocalypse edited by John Joseph Adams
Wind Follower by Carole McDonnell
Winterbirth by Brian Ruckley

X

Y

Z

a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

Organic Storyteller: An Interview with Stephen Lawhead

Stephen R. Lawhead, author of The Pendragon Cycle, The Song of Albion Trilogy, and the new King Raven Trilogy, accepted my invitation for an interview. From his home in Britain, he answered a few of my questions about his writing, often disagreeing with the form of my questions. I tried to pin him down and make him give purpose to his stories but he made sure I knew that he is, first and foremost, a storyteller. But don't take my word for it, just read on.

Grasping for the Wind: Thank you for agreeing to an interview, I’ve been a fan ever since my father gave me a copy of The Paradise War when I was twelve. At one point, I was even jealous of my younger brother, who shares your first name. Your work has had a profound effect on me, and spearheaded my own interest in Celtic history.

GFTW: The King Raven Trilogy, your newest epic, is a retelling of the Robin Hood legend. This story has been told and retold in movies and books. What is unique about your take on this age old legend?

Stephen R. Lawhead: I’m trying to take the legend back to the time and place where it began – not where it ended up. As with the legends of King Arthur, the old stories of Robin Hood have passed through many hands and have been used in many ways since they were first told. In King Raven, I show what the original context of the tales might have been and let the political and social realities of post-invasion 11th Century Britain influence the stories we’ve received.

GFTW: You have written science fiction, fantasy, and historical novels. Which genre have you preferred writing in and why?

SRL: I still have a soft spot for good SF. Unfortunately, there is not a lot of it around just now, and the readership for it is miniscule. As a writer, SF is a tough sell in today’s market. I blame the movies and TV. On the one hand, movies can dazzle visually with great effects and convincing sets, etc. – providing a look and atmosphere that is very difficult to compete with on the written page. On the other hand, Hollywood often forgets to tell a coherent, compelling story. In far too many filmic treatments, it’s just the same old shoot-em-up dressed in space gear.

Having said that, I consider fantasy and SF simply different sides of the same coin – imaginatively speaking, there is very little difference. One deals with an imagined future, the other often with an imagined past. The imaginative mechanics, if you will, are very similar even if the conventions driving the two genres are slightly different.

GFTW: Some readers and critics have argued that the King Raven trilogy does not classify as fantasy, although major retailers shelve it that way. What is your opinion on the genre of this trilogy?

SRL: I don’t know why some folks get worked up over this question. If the story is fun to read, exciting to think about, and provides an enjoyable experience that lingers long in the reader’s mind – what difference does it make, in the end, whether it was shelved in the Historical or Fantasy section?

In actual fact, the shelving has a lot more to do with marketing precedence than genre classification. In other words, my books started out being shelved in the fantasy section and that is where people have learned to look for them, so that is where the bookstores will put them no matter what is between the covers.

GFTW: In your novels, you often deal with the themes of honor and faith. What is the relationship between these two, and why do you wrap your stories around them?

SRL:First off, let me say that I don’t ‘wrap my stories around’ anything… at all …. ever. They are not ‘means to an end’ whatever some might think.

I look at my stories as living things, organisms that have grown up out of the soil of their creation and taken on a life of their own. Their make up, personality, or whatever you want to call it, is inherent in their being, it is in their flesh and bones. My stories are not soapboxes for me to stand on and shout my opinions to the world. There are no messages pasted on, wrapped up, or otherwise added on. If they speak to a reader, they speak out of their own organic being. And, I find, that often has more to do with the reader him or herself, than with anything I might have done as a writer.

GFTW: Scarlet, the second book in the King Raven trilogy, is told from the perspective of Will Scarlet. He relates the events to a scribe while awaiting hanging. Why did you choose to write Scarlet from this perspective, when the first book, Hood, was written in a more traditional present tense narrative, as the events occurred?

SRL: Simply put, this is how the story came to me. Contrary to what many people may think, I don’t sit down at my desk one day and say: ‘This story will be cast in the present tense using the second person plural to illustrate the dissociation and fragmentation of modern conscience from communal …’ or whatever. There might be some writers who do that – and academics like to play that game – but I don’t. Instead, I spend a little time listening to the voice of the story and trying to find a way that best captures what I hear on paper. So, Will Scarlet speaks in his own voice in this book and it seemed right to let him do that.

GFTW: In Scarlet, you have Will Scarlet, a Saxon, joining a band of native British against the Normans. Was Saxon and British cooperation common in the days after William the Conqueror’s Norman invasion?

SRL: Extremely common. They were two peoples oppressed by a common enemy, and both suffered as conquered peoples, as victims under a harsh regime.

GFTW: You create and interesting interplay between Will Scarlet, and Odo, the priest transcribing his story. What was the purpose of this back and forth exchange?

SRL: Purpose? That’s a little like asking a painter what was the point of making the sky that colour blue? As an artist, I saw Will and Odo a certain way; how those two characters interacted was part of the story so it had to be told just that way. Again, I don’t think in terms of purposes, of using stories to further some external agenda or advance some message of my own. I’m mainly interested in finding ways to allow them to achieve their full potential as stories.

GFTW: How much time did you spend researching the Robin Hood story before beginning your tale?

SRL: There are two levels of research involved, I think. On one level, I’ve been researching British history for over two decades now, and the result of living, traveling, and working in Britain informs much of the book. On another level, I started reading specifically on Robin Hood about two years before beginning to write, and the research continues even as I go along.

GFTW: You ascribe to the Christian faith. What effect has this had on your writing?

SRL: Faith affects everything! No doubt it has affected my work in ways I’m not even aware of. Among other things, I think it makes me a little more sensitive and empathetic to issues of faith that were extant in the times I write about. I’m able to recognize and explore Christian themes in a way that non-Christian writers simply cannot because they are outside of it, because they nurse a prejudice against it, or because they lack that empathy and intimate understanding. My own faith enables me to embrace certain realities of the human condition that other writers shy away from. Thus, contexts, issues, elements of the medieval world (and religion was a very big part of it) can be woven naturally into the fabric of my stories.

GFTW: What has been your favorite response from a reader?

SRL: Wow!

GFTW: Looking out to the horizon, what projects other do you have in mind? Could we ever see an anthology publication of some of your early short works?

SRL:Not a chance. It isn’t that I’m unwilling, it’s that there are no early short works. I write novels, and everything I’ve written has been published – beginning with the Dragon King Trilogy (now re-issued in hardback) through to Scarlet.

GFTW: What advice would you give an aspiring writer?

SRL: Read! Read everything you can get your eyes on. Read widely. Read deeply. But read, and pay attention to what works in a story and what doesn’t.

GFTW: Thank you for taking the time to do this interview. Blessings on your future endeavours.


Other Books by Stephen Lawhead:

This post is part of the CSFF Blog Tour for Stephen Lawhead in November 2007. Click the links below to see what other participants are saying about Scarlet and Stephen Lawhead's King Raven trilogy.

Trish Anderson Brandon Barr Wayne Thomas Batson Jim Black Justin Boyer Grace Bridges Amy Browning Jackie Castle Valerie Comer CSFF Blog Tour D. G. D. Davidson Chris Deanne Jeff Draper April Erwin Linda Gilmore Beth Goddard Marcus Goodyear Andrea Graham Jill Hart Katie Hart Sherrie Hibbs Timothy Hicks Christopher Hopper Becca Johnson Jason Joyner Kait Karen Dawn King Tina Kulesa Mike Lynch Margaret Karen McSpadden Melissa Meeks Rebecca LuElla Miller Mirtika or Mir's Here Eve Nielsen John W. Otte John Ottinger Lyn Perry Deena Peterson Rachelle Cheryl Russel Ashley Rutherford Hanna Sandvig Chawna Schroeder James Somers Rachelle Sperling Steve Trower Speculative Faith Robert Treskillard Jason Waguespac Daniel I. Weaver Laura Williams Timothy Wise

Book Review: Scarlet by Stephen R. Lawhead

Genre: Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Historical Fantasy
ISBN: 1595540865
ISBN-13: 9781595540867
Format: Hardcover, 512pp
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Pub. Date: September 2007
Series: King Raven Trilogy Series, #2

In literature, there are several key scarlets: The Scarlet Pimpernel, The Scarlet Letter, and Scarlett O’Hara of Gone with the Wind. But none is better known than Will Scarlet, companion to the infamous Robin Hood, the outlaw who robbed from the rich to give to the poor. But in most versions of the Robin Hood story, Will Scarlet is a two-dimensional character. Although his relationship to Robin Hood is often a turning point in many narratives (see Kevin Costner’s Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves) his characterization is minimal at best. (Although the Will Scarlet of Robin Hood: Men in Tights is probably the funniest rendition.)

Stephen Lawhead first tackled the Robin Hood story in Hood, the first book in the King Raven trilogy. In it he imagines an earlier Robin Hood who is not a Saxon lord, but a Welsh one. Giving him the name Rhi Bran (meaning King Raven) the outlaw becomes a man thrust from his rightful kingdom, forced to prey on the Norman conquerors who stole his land from within the forest of the March. For Lawhead’s reasoning on why he set this story as a Celtic one, rather than in the traditional Nottingham of the East Midlands, see his essay at the end of Hood.

In Scarlet, Lawhead picks of the threads of his story where he left off in Hood. Bran and his Grellon (or merry men) are in hiding. Meanwhile, William Scatlocke, a forester, is thrust from his livelihood when his lord and master backs the wrong prince for the throne. Forced to become a wandering laborer, Scatlocke (also known as Scarlet) hears rumors of Bran and determines to seek him out. What follows is a series of adventures and narrow escapes reminiscent of the traditional Robin Hood story, but with a realism and historical accuracy lacking in the Errol Flynn version.

Lawhead’s Scarlet is the key protagonist of this novel. While in Hood, the story is told primarily from Rhi Bran’s perspective, here we have the story as told by Will, as he relates the occurrences to a priest named Odo. Three quarters of the novel is told in this way, with a few chapters stepping outside of Will’s memories and into the minds and hearts of the villains, in order to give us a full and round story. The final quarter of the story is told in traditional first person style, as seen through Will’s eyes, because he is no longer in a position to relate his story to Odo. This way of telling us the story gives a picture of Will as a simple and loyal man, a talented archer, who loves a woman very deeply. In this, it seems it was Lawhead’s intention to give us a picture of a common man of the time shortly following the invasion of the Normans into England.

Included in the narrative is a telling of the story of Manawydan and Pryderi, an ancient Celtic tale of the Mabinogion, by Angharad, the banfaith of the outlaws. Lawhead has oft used the old Celtic tales to provide metaphors for the story he is telling. He did it in the Song of Albion trilogy, as well as The Pendragon Cycle. It gives the reader a taste of the Celtic storytelling tradition. Although for some these secondary tales might seem out of place in the novel, or might be decried as just filler, I think that Lawhead is giving us a taste of how much the oral storytelling tradition was a part of life for the Celts and Britons. It informed and changed people, and was a way of passing down wisdom from one generation to the next, much like sermons and wisdom books do today.

Although the storyline is fast moving (helped along by the short chapters) the entire novel does have the feel of filler. Although Bran and his band are still seeking the return of Elfael, his rightful kingdom, not much happens to make us think that might happen till near the end of the book. In the meantime, the outlaws make a few forays against the current rulers of Elfael, Count de Braose, Abbot Hugo and the Sheriff de Glanville, but in truth I as a reader never really felt that the characters were going to meet with any success, in their goals.

The reader will have to read Hood in order to understand even the minutest part of Scarlet. I was disappointed that Bran and Merian’s relationship was not developed more. Bran, after reading Scarlet, seemed a flat character, distant and removed from Will Scarlet. Although I understand Lawhead’s intent to give dimensionality to Will Scatlocke, and to give the reader a feeling of a common man’s lot, I think that by doing so, he lost some of the personality of Bran in the bargain. After Hood, Bran was the person the reader was most in tune with, and the person the reader most identified with. But because we see the world through Will’s eyes, Bran becomes distant, and his struggle is no longer our struggle. That loss hurts the story.

There is gain in knowing more about the historical context and the personal struggles of an average Saxon, as well as learning more about the political and religious machinations of the day, and the story of Will Scarlet does that well.

The novel is well-written; it is fast paced, with excellent fight scenes, and makes a good lunch hour read with its short chapters and varying perspectives. Odo provides a surprising character and interesting plot twist that makes this book even more fun to read. And of course, this is still the legend of Robin Hood, even if the setting is different, so many of the adventures are in the vein that fans of the Robin Hood legend have come to expect. Arrow flights abound, close shaves are common, and brazen acts of valor are to be expected.

Scarlet makes for a good read, although it is not Lawhead's best work. Fans of Robin Hood will enjoy Lawhead’s unique take on the legend, as well as his commitment to historical accuracy. Fans of fantasy will question the novel’s fantasy label, as well they should. But there is an element of magic in the person of Angharad and in the strange King Raven that Bran becomes when on a sortie, so the fantasy fan will not be disappointed. Fans of historical novels of medieval times will find much to love in both Hood and Scarlet, and Lawhead devotees (such as myself) are going to find all of the same things they have always loved about Lawhead’s writing in Scarlet. This is a novel worth your time. The legend of Robin Hood is brought closer to its historical truth, and given an added Celtic flair that only Stephen Lawhead can provide.

Read my review of Hood here. (BE WARNED. It was one of my first, and isn't very good.)

This post is also part of the CSFF Blog Tour for Stephen Lawhead in November 2007. Click the links below to see what other participants are saying about Scarlet and Stephen Lawhead.

Trish Anderson Brandon Barr Wayne Thomas Batson Jim Black Justin Boyer Grace Bridges Amy Browning Jackie Castle Valerie Comer CSFF Blog Tour D. G. D. Davidson Chris Deanne Jeff Draper April Erwin Linda Gilmore Beth Goddard Marcus Goodyear Andrea Graham Jill Hart Katie Hart Sherrie Hibbs Timothy Hicks Christopher Hopper Becca Johnson Jason Joyner Kait Karen Dawn King Tina Kulesa Mike Lynch Margaret Karen McSpadden Melissa Meeks Rebecca LuElla Miller Mirtika or Mir's Here Eve Nielsen John W. Otte John Ottinger Lyn Perry Deena Peterson Rachelle Cheryl Russel Ashley Rutherford Hanna Sandvig Chawna Schroeder James Somers Rachelle Sperling Steve Trower Speculative Faith Robert Treskillard Jason Waguespac Daniel I. Weaver Laura Williams Timothy Wise

Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror in the public domain

Strapped for cash? Check out these sites for public domain science fiction, fantasy, and horror stories. Murray Leinster, Cory Doctorow, Edwin Abbott, Victor Appleton, Jules Verne, H.G. Wells, L. Frank Baum, Lord Dunsany and Andre Norton are just a few of the choices. Of course, this can never replace paper books, but when you need reading material who can complain?

Categories:

The Baen Free Library

Thunderchild Books Out of Copyright

Fantasy

Science Fiction

Precursors of Science Fiction

Horror

A couple of links from Castle Fiction

Individuals:

Union of Renegades by Tracy Falbe

Setisia

Fan Fiction/Short Stories

Elfwood: The Wyvern's Library

The Sword Review

Dragons, Knights, and Angels

Or if you prefer audio check out:

LibroVox

Sffaudio

Of course, if paper is what you need, you could get it published here.

If you have other suggestions that should be included in this list, put 'em in the comments and I will add them promptly.

Book Review: Tipperary by Frank Delaney

Title: Tipperary: A Novel
Author: Frank Delaney
Genre: Historical Novel
Pub. Date: November 06, 2007
Format: Hardcover, 384pp
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
Personal Rating: 5/5

Ireland. The word conjures up many images. Green fields, low mountains, picturesque tranquility; rough and tough fighting men, beautiful ladies, and fair haired children; great authors, great fighters, and a fight for nationhood that spanned centuries; each image a part of Ireland, each depicting a land of many facets. To most readers, Ireland is the home or birthplace of Yeats and Shaw, Wilde and Joyce. The Irish urge to create beauty from within their indomitable spirit led to many a feat in all spheres of life.

It is this spirit that Frank Delaney captures in Tipperary, his third US publication. Delaney is himself an émigré from Ireland, born in the very town where the novel is set. His knowledge of the town and its environs comes through clearly, as does his experience as a BBC broadcaster and judge for the Man Booker Prize.

Tipperary is told primarily through the voices of two men, separated by a generation, one living at the dawn of the 20th century, and the other at the dawn of the 21st. They are both historians, one writing a personal and contemporary history, the other a commentator on the first. Charles O’Brien, the former of these, is a man of Victorian Ireland, a gentleman born in 1860 to an Ireland depopulated by famine. It is from him that the reader receives most of the story. O’Brien tells of the tumultuous times in which he lived by keeping a personal journal, something he calls a “small personal history of Ireland in my lifetime – a life of love and pain and loss and trouble and delight and knowledge.” The other historian, Michael Nugent, discovered Charles O’Brien’s text and interrupts the narrative often to explain or verify O’Brien’s assertions or historical accuracy. However, unbeknownst to Nugent, he has a personal stake in the story, one which develops as the plot progresses.

The plot follows O’Brien as he pursues April Burke, a woman twenty years his junior with whom he as fallen in love, but who vehemently rejects him. In the process, he meets with famous Irish notables of the period such as George Bernard Shaw, William Butler Yeats, Oscar Wilde, Charles Stewart Parnell, and even Michael Collins, highly esteemed leader of the Irish Republican Army. April is discovered to be the heir to Tipperary Castle (which had lain unclaimed for fifty years) in a time when the landed aristocracy is greatly out of favor in Ireland. Many of the Irish wish the return of their ancestral lands to the people and civil and military unrest are on the rise. Against this backdrop April pursues her land, and Charles pursues her. Ultimately, it is a love story, one of a man for a woman, and of a people for its land.

The novel itself is beautifully written. Delaney switches back and forth from the contemporary history of the late 1800s and early 1900s by Charles O’Brien and the commentary on that text by Nugent. Some readers will find the switches difficult to follow, but this reviewer did not. Delaney made sure within the first sentence, sometimes even the first word, to ensure that the reader knew he had moved from Charles O’Brien’s history to Nugent’s commentary and vice versa. Other voices are later introduced by Nugent to help explain the circumstances surrounding O’Brien’s life such as O’Brien’s mother, Joe Harney, and even April herself.

Delaney has written a novel which delves into the psyches of the various Irish and Anglo-Irish of the period. Their desire for nationhood and the love of the people for their land are a driving force within the story. And yet, he has made it all deeply personal by telling us of the story of Charles and April. In their relationship, we see Ireland reflected.

The first two chapters spend a great deal of time on back story and setting, and readers may find it slow and difficult to read, as Delaney writes O’Brien using a Victorian style. Since O’Brien’s reminisces fill the majority of the first two chapters and the first part of the third, those unschooled in Victorian language may dislike the tone and voice. It is necessary to set the stage for the mystery that comes next, and the reader would be well advised to pay attention. In chapter three, more voices are introduced, and the plot twists and turns in such a way as to make a mystery that is both intriguing and beguiling.

Delaney is a master of the voice. Each of his characters is unique in the way they write, from O’Brien and his Victorian style, to Nugent and his historian’s need for accuracy. From the random and chaotic nature of April Burke’s letters, to the colloquial voice of Joe Harney, each character sees Ireland in a different light, and so illuminates an era of much personal and political turmoil. It is “a story of a passionate romance within an epic struggle for nationhood,” told in a variety of perspectives, but always realizing that history is always personal, and never objective.

I highly recommend Tipperary. It is storytelling as only the Irish can tell.

Letter to a Christian Author

Dear Sir/Madam

The trouble with Christian fiction is, it proselytizes to the converted! I'm currently in the process of reading a Christian book, a book that will never make it to the mainstream, yet is written as if some non-Christian will actually pick it up and be converted by it.

The good Christian authors, like Francine Rivers or L. B. Graham, know they are preaching to the converted and so write books that affirm their beliefs or provide support and encouragement to the readers they know will read their books.

The bad Christian authors always want to use their books as missionary tools, to preach the gospel to those who have not heard it yet. But let's be honest, no non-Christian is ever going to pick up your book. And if they did, they would know it for the tract that it is, and lump it in with the hand method for sharing the gospel or the "magazines" of Jehovah's Witnesses. They then point to this as the reason so much Christian fiction is "bad" even when it is quite well-written.

It's a sad fact, but its true.

Other Christian authors a truly great. Flannery O'Connor and J.R.R. Tolkien wrote great stories. Madeleine L'Engle and George MacDonald did the same. Their world view allowed them to delve into what it means to be human, both in the darkness and in the light. They wrote stories of excellence trying to understand the world and its fallen nature, and avoided overt attempts to proselytize in their works.

And so they found success in the mainstream by not allowing themselves to have an agenda, but simply to sought to tell a story.

The same is true of secular fiction with overt agendas. The books may sell for a while, even top bestseller lists, but eventually is seen for what it is and discarded. (Unless, of course, the agenda is the destruction of Christianity, which will always be successful in a sin dominated world. i.e. The Da Vinci Code).

You might point to C. S. Lewis as proof of the opposite in the Narnia books, but I say that one can only attribute the books' success to the notoriety of its author worldwide at the volumes' time of publication.

So many other Christian authors simple churn out bad literature for the sake of trying to make a sale. And what they are selling is Christianity. Sorry folks, but Christian fiction ain't gonna convert nobody. It will be a support and help to the converted and the saved, might make interesting stories or raise interesting questions, but only relationships with unbelievers and the power of the Holy Spirit will convert anybody.

The great Christian authors knew this, so they did their very best to delve into the world, to understand how it ticks, much like the watchmaker knows the gears of the cuckoo clock. In doing so, they gave humanity insights into its own nature, perhaps engendering a look into their soul. And they did so without proselytizing (at least not obviously). They allow the story to do its own proselytizing, without the need to insert Scripture or references to God to ensure that the reader "gets" the Christian nature of the novel.

The great Christian author will let the story God has given him or her unfold. God will use the novel to work on hearts, I don't deny that, but it shouldn't be forced. God's seed will plant without overuse of Scripture or excessive allegory.

(You might point to Bunyan and Lewis as successes, but I don't. Their popularity continues because of successive generations of Christians buying and selling their books. Besides, the exception of the popularity of Narnia does not create the rule for all allegory.)

That does not mean we shouldn't try to write Christian novels. But we should be trying less to ensure that we insert Scripture and more to ensure that we are probing the human mind, the creation of God, and our relationships.

Yours Sincerely,

A Christian Reader

PS: Care to disagree? Leave a comment.

Book Review: The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield

Title: The Thirteenth Tale
Author: Dian Setterfield
Genre: Fiction, Mystery, Gothic/Victorian Tale
Pub. Date: September 2006
Personal Rating: 5 of 5

Book lovers, Gothic tale tellers, and romantically inclined women will enjoy reading Diane Setterfield’s New York Times Bestseller, The Thirteenth Tale. Full of poetic prose, gothic mystery, and psychological soul-searching, The Thirteenth Tale will remind readers of Jane Austen in its prose, Charlotte Bronte in its romance, and Arthur Conan Doyle in its mystery.

The tale itself tells the story of a young woman, Margaret Lea, an amateur biographer and bookshop keeper by trade, who is invited, out of the blue, to become the biographer for the most well-known writer of the day, Vida Winter. Vida is a recluse, a person for whom every interview is a chance to tell a story, so much so that no one knows what her real past is, nor even her real name. Now Miss Winter has decided, as she lays dying, that it is now the time for truth. Margaret is drawn to the story of a woman whose books she had never written, and she takes the commission, albeit while feeling inadequate to tell the thirteenth tale.

Vida Winter is the consummate storyteller, and she cannot even relate the story of her own past except in the third person as a tale. The back story has a Victorian feel to it, and the reader is left thinking often of Jane Eyre. In fact, Jane Eyre is repeatedly mentioned in the book, and some important plot points hinge on its existence. Margaret is drawn to the history as it is related, but is unable to ask questions where she sees plot holes because of Miss Winter’s request that she not do so, and it is here that the Doyleian mystery comes in.

The story is a fascinating read. The poetry of Setterfield’s words, especially when describing books, will appeal to any reader who has ever stroked a spine, or reveled in the smell of the pages of a much beloved novel. Setterfield rally hones in on what the reader feels when reading,

“Of course one always hopes for something special when one reads an author one hasn’t read before… I have always been a reader; I have read at every stage of my life, and there has never been a time when reading was not my greatest joy. And yet I cannot pretend that the reading I have done in my adult years matches in its impact on my soul the reading I did as a child. I still believe in stories. I still forget myself when I am in the middle of a good book. Yet it is not the same. Books are, for me, it must be said, the most important thing; what I cannot forget is that there was a time when they were at once more banal and more essential than that. When I was a child, books were everything. And so there is in me, always, a nostalgic yearning for the lost pleasure of books. It is not a yearning that one ever expects to be fulfilled. And during this time, these days when I read all day and half the night, when I sleep under a counterpane strewn with books, when my sleep was black and dreamless and passed in a flash and I woke to read again – the lost joys of reading returned to me…”

The Thirteenth Tale is a character driven story, and Setterfield is skilled at bringing out the essence of the characters, giving them dimension and depth.

Much is made of the concept of twins and the connectedness they share, and some readers may find this difficult to understand, as I did. Margaret’s past haunts her a little to much, and the doctor’s prescription for her malady ultimately brought a smile to my face. Nonetheless, Setterfield uses the twin concept well, and the surprise ending to the mystery I only solved one or two chapters before the truth was revealed. Setterfield builds the suspense well, and doesn’t give away the ending before the appropriate moment, although the reader will feel foolish at not having paid closer attention to the beginning.

Fans of Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre will find the same tone and feel in The Thirteenth Tale. Much of the story takes place on the Yorkshire moors, adding to the gothic feel. However, the story does end well for Margaret. I highly recommend this book for any book lover, or fan of Victorian era romances. Some will also find the mystery intriguing enough to continue reading, even if off put by the romantic nature of the tale. I would also recommend this book as an excellent high school reading text to encourage a love of books, except for a bit of sexual material, not graphic and appropriate to the story, but not really suitable for already raging hormones.

Setterfield has earned her place on the Bestseller lists with The Thirteenth Tale, and I think this novel will stay on bookshelves for a good while to come.

"There is one thing on which we are agreed: There are too many books in the world to read in a single lifetime; you have to draw the line somewhere."

Book Review: The Road by Cormac McCarthy

The Road is a one sit read. I find it difficult to believe that anyone could possibly start reading this book and not continuously read it through to the end. Cormac McCarthy’s Pulitzer-prize winning book is so harrowing, and yet so hopeful, that as a reader turns the pages, he will not be able to stop.

The plot is simple. A father and son travel across a post-apocalyptic wasteland of ash and death. Following old maps, scrounging for tinned cans of food (as nothing grows anymore) and avoiding those humans who have turned to cannibalism in order to survive. The story follows them through their trial and travails. It is not a new plot, and has been used many times before.

But that is not what won the novel its awards. It is the relationship between man and boy that gathers these. The man is practical and utilitarian, the boy conscientious and caring. (Perhaps it is a metaphor for government by the people?) As the two face death, day by day, they find solace in one another’s company. This bond is strong and gets stronger as they face bandits and come close to starvation more than once.

The style of writing is, I believe, Faulknerian, in that punctuation is ignored. Quotation marks and apostrophes are particularly ignored. This can be off-putting to the reader, but move past it, as the work gets really good. The lack of punctuation works for the novel, adding a level of austerity and bleakness to the text. McCarthy’s writing in this way heightens the emotions of the reader and leads him/her to feel the ultimate despair of its characters.

And the despair is deep. It is only deepened in that, as the pair travel the road, the story only gets bleaker and the reader begins to wonder why they continue to travel. It seems the world has ended. Unlike in other post-apocalyptic novels, there is no idyll or paradise waiting just over the next hill. It makes you wonder just what the man and boy are hoping to find at the end of their journey.

Some critics have tried to turn this book into a metaphor on environmentalism. The world is ash and it was caused by some sort of holocaust. A holocaust powerful enough to keep wildlife from surviving, trees from growing, seeds from taking root, and turning the ocean into a gray morass. I can see where those critics get that idea. But the characters never dwell on the destruction, nor really comment on the world as it has become. Most of their conversation centers on death, survival, and the nature of God.

Rather than being a metaphor for environmentalism, I see this book as a metaphor of the search for God and the power of hope and love for one another. Perhaps that sounds like a platitude, but McCarthy has shown the depth to which these things affect us, and how all of our life is really a striving after purpose and hope.

Ultimately, the man finds his purpose in saving the boy and the boy in helping others even needier than him. More than once the man refers to the boy as a god, and it makes me wonder if the boy is a metaphor for Christ? He certainly displays similar traits. But honestly, that might be too much of a stretch.

If you attempt this book, realize that you will be depressed both during and some time after reading this book. When I walked away, I saw more clearly the beauty of what I had in my life. The cold hard world of The Road showed me the beauty of my own especially of the relationship I have to my beloved wife.

The Road is a moving, depressing, and simultaneously hopeful book. It is unlike any post apocalypse novel I have ever read, and it made me look at my world with more appreciative eyes. The book should be read, and I actually agree (surprisingly!) with the Pulitzer committee and all the reviewers who have so highly praised it. The Road is a work of literature greater than its genre.

Book Review: The Prestige by Christopher Priest

Part Fantasy. Part Science Fiction. Part History. Part Memoir. Part Horror. Part Mystery. And the list goes on. The Prestige, by Christopher Priest, belongs in all of these genres, and yet it really belongs in none of them. Winner of the World Fantasy Award, The Prestige is a complex and convoluted fantasy novel that is truly innovative.

A part of the urban fantasy subgenre of contemporary fantasy, The Prestige, tells the story of two illusionists of the early 1900s. For various reasons, these two magicians, of wholly different characters, have fallen into a feud, each trying to outdo the other on stage and in their personal lives. Alfred Borden is a magician of the old style, naturally gifted in magic, a stage magician who despises those who use magic tricks to pretend to real magical ability. Rupert Angier is a magician down on his luck that turns to pretending to be a spiritualist to make ends meet (although eventually he does make it to the stage). It is from this their feud stems, but it eventually goes way beyond that.

Each story is told in the first person. It is here that the element of memoir comes in, as Borden and Angier each relates his story either as a memoir or diary, respectively. Borden’s story comes first, and it is from him that we get the shell of the story. Angier’s diary follows and it is from him that the questions raised in Borden’s memoir are answered, including the strange use of the pronoun “I”. Overarching this story is another frame, which involves two great-grandchildren of these men, whose lives were profoundly changed by Angier’s greatest illusion.

The story is complex and convoluted, although similar to the popular movie The Illusionist, it is in no real way comparable other than in their settings, and the main characters profession. Where The Illusionist is a love story, The Prestige is a fantasy, even a suspense novel. (In part these are comparable because The Prestige has also been made into a movie, which this reviewer has not seen.) The novel’s best comparison would be to the popular science fiction stories if the 1930’s and 1940’s, wherein a scientist discovers time travel or some new scientific device.

The book does not end as I would have liked. The story leading up to the climax is interesting and fascinating, the ongoing feud builds in interesting and creative ways, and the answers to THE NEW TRANSPORTED MAN (Borden’s trick) and IN A FLASH (Angier’s trick) are cleverly revealed. However, the overarching story of the descendents seems disconnected except superficially, and its climax is both anticlimactic and horrifying, making its tone seem out of place with the rest of the novel, which is more sedate and has more of a mystery or suspense feel to it, than horror. But then, mystery and horror are closely connected, as the genre of mystery was created by one of the best horror writers ever, Edgar Allen Poe. And a comparison between this book and the Tell-Tale Heart, would not be far astray.

I recommend this book be read by those who like Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norell by Susanna Clarke. The history filled with magic plot line will appeal to Clarke’s readers. I recommend that those who like reading the old pulp magazines give The Prestige a shot also. If you like a good mystery and don’t mind a sort of incomplete ending you might like this book as well. I enjoyed it, although I was disappointed in the ending, but then, I like my books to feel like the story is complete, and this one will leave you wondering.

Electricity and Nikola Tesla are also important parts of the story, but if I tell you why, it would ruin the whole effect. See for yourself if you want to know.

Book Reviews by Author

These are my book reviews, categorized alphabetically by the author's last name. (Categorization by title is available here.)

You can also subscribe to an RSS feed of my reviews at librarything.

a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

A

Abercrombie, Joe The Blade Itself; Before They Are Hanged
Abraham, Daniel Hunter's Run
Ackley-McPhail, Danielle (et al.) Bad-A** Faeries
Adams, John Joseph Shimmer, The Pirate Issue; Wastelands: Stories of the Apocalypse
Aguirre, Ann Grimspace
Alcorn, Randy The Treasure Principle

B

Barnes, Jonathan The Somnambulist
Barwood, Lee Klassic Koalas: Ancient Aboriginal Tales in New Retellings
Beah, Ishmael A Long Way Gone
Bennis, Warren On Becoming A Leader
Bolme, Edward Eberron: The Orb of Xoriat; Eberron: Bound by Iron
Brand, Paul The Gift of Pain
Brennan, Marie Midnight Never Come
Britain, Kristen Green Rider
Brooke, Keith Genetopia
Bryson, Bill The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid; The Mother Tongue
Buckell, Tobias Crystal Rain; Ragamuffin
Burton, Katherine Hedge Hunters
Butcher, Jim Small Favor
Byers, Richard Lee Forgotten Realms: Unclean

C

Carpenter, Humphrey J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biography
Chapman, Gary The Five Love Languages
Civiello, Emmanuel, A Bit of Madness
Cordell, Bruce Forgotten Realms: Stardeep
Cunningham, Elaine Forgotten Realms: The City of Splendors
Czerneda, Julie E. (ed.) Misspelled

D

Delaney, Frank Tipperary: A Novel
Dozois, Gardner Hunter's Run

E

Edelman, David Louis Infoquake
Edgington, Ian Sojourn: The Sorcerer's Tale; Sojourn: The Bezerker's Tale
Edwards, Kim The Memory Keeper's Daughter
Elliott, Kate The Crown of Stars Series
Ellis, Peter Berresford (see also Peter Tremayne) The Druids
Ellison, Harlan Dangerous Visions
Emery, Clayton Robin Hood and the Beasts of Sherwood

F

Falbe, Tracy Union of Renegades
Feist, Raymond E. Magician; Honored Enemy; Murder in LaMut
Finlay, Charles Coleman The Prodigal Troll
Forstchen, William R. Honored Enemy
Frank, Pat Alas, Babylon
Frazer, Margaret The Clerk's Tale
Freedman, Pamela Blood Ties
Freivald, Jake Falsh Fiction Online, April 2008

G

Gemmell, David Legend
Genesse, Paul The Golden Cord
Goodkind, Terry Phantom; Confessor
Graham, L.B. Shadow in the Deep; Beyond the Summerland
Green, David More Than A Hobby
Greenberg, Martin H. Fellowship Fantastic
Greenwood, Ed Forgotten Realms: The City of Splendors; Forgotten Realms: Swords of Dragonfire

H

Hart, Johnny Growingold with B.C.
Heinlein, Robert A. Glory Road
Hinck, Sharon The Restorer
Hines, Jim C. Goblin Quest; Goblin Hero; Goblin War
Horner, W. H. (ed.) Sails and Sorcery: Tales of Nautical Fantasy; Bash Down the Door and Slice Open the BadGuy
Hughes, Kerrie Fellowship Fantastic
Hunt, Stephen The Court of the Air

I

J

Jacobs, A.J. The Know-It-All
James, P.D. The Children of Men
Johnson, Jaleigh Forgotten Realms: The Howling Delve
Jones, Rosemary Forgotten Realms: Crypt of the Moaning Diamond
Jordan, Robert Knife of Dreams

K

Kemp, Paul S. Forgotten Realms: Shadowstorm
Kirkpatrick, Russell Across the Face of the World
Knight, E. E. Dragon Champion; Dragon Outcast

L

Lackey, Mercedes The Phoenix Unchained
Land, Greg Sojourn: The Sorcerer's Tale; Sojourn: The Bezerker's Tale
Lansky, Aaron Outwitting History
Lawhead, Stephen Hood; Scarlet; The Pendragon Cycle
Lebow, Jess Forgotten Realms: Obsidian Ridge
Le Guin, Ursula K. The Left Hand of Darkness

M

Mackay, Scott Tides; Phytosphere
Mallet, Nathalie The Princes of the Golden Cage
Mallory, James The Phoenix Unchained
Mangels, Andy Iron Man: Beneath the Armor
Martin, Gail Z. The Summoner
Martin, George R.R. Dying of the Light; Hunter's Run
Maxwell, John C. Life@Work
McCarthy, Cormac The Road
McCourt, Frank Teacher Man
McDonnell, Carole Wind Follower
McPhail, Mike (ed.) Breach the Hull
Meluch, R.M. The Sagittarius Command
Mental_floss Condensed Knowledge
Meredith, Robyn The Elephant and the Dragon: The Rise of India and China and What it Means for All of Us
Miller, Karen The Innocent Mage; The Awakened Mage; Empress
Moedesitt Jr., L.E. The Magic of Recluce
Moore, Moira J. Heroes Adrift
Mosdi, Thomas A Bit of Madness
Muirden, James & Eccles, David (Illustrator) A Rhyming History of Britain

N

Norwich, John Julius Shakespeare's Kings

O

O'Neill, John (ed.) Black Gate: Issue #11
Overstreet, Jeffrey Auralia's Colors

P

Paolini, Christopher Eragon
Poole, Robert M. Explorer's House: National Geographic and the World It Made
Pratchett, Terry Thud!; The Truth; Making Money
Priest, Christopher The Prestige
Proctor, William Moon Gate

Q

R

Ramsey, Dave The Junior Books
Reid, Thomas M. Forgotten Realms: The Gossamer Plain
Rivers, Francine Redeeming Love
Rosenberg, Joel Murder in LaMut
Rothfuss, Patrick The Name of the Wind
Ruckley, Brian Winterbirth; Bloodheir

S

Salvatore, R.A. Forgotten Realms: Road of the Patriarch; Forgotten Realms: The Orc King
Sayers, Dorothy Are Women Human?
Schlosser, Eric Fast Food Nation
Sehestedt, Mark (ed.) The Tales of the Last War
Setterfield, Diane The Thirteenth Tale
Seymour, James Black History Through Blue Eyes: The Debt the World Owes to Africa
Shakespeare, William Henry V (Classical Comics Edition)
Smith, Alexander McCall The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency
Snyder, Maria V. Poison Study
Steves, Rick The Rick Steves' Travel Guide Series
Stusser, Michael The Dead Guy Interviews

T

Thurman, Rob Madhouse
Tremayne, Peter (see also Peter Ellis) Badger's Moon; Master of Souls; Smoke in the Wind
Twain, Mark The Innocents Abroad

U

V

Varley, John Rolling Thunder
Venditti, Robert The Surrogates, Vol. 1

W

Walley, Chris The Shadow and Night
Waltz, Jason M. (ed.) Return of the Sword
Ward, James M. Midshipwizard Halcyon Blithe
Weldon, David Moon Gate
Wells, Martha The Death of the Necromancer
West, Michelle The Hidden City
Wiesel, Elie Night
Williams, Tad Shadowmarch
Winchester, Simon Outposts: Journeys to the Surviving Relics of the British Empire
Withrow, Mindy and Brandon Monks and Mystics

X

Y

Yancey, Philip The Gift of Pain

Z

Zakour, John The Blue-Haired Bombshell

a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

Book Review: Monks and Mystics by Mindy and Brandon Withrow

Author: Mindy and Brandon Withrow
Genre: Historical Fiction, Non-fiction
Pub. Date: January 2006
Format: Paperback, 223pp
Publisher: Christian Focus Publications

Over the weekend, I completed reading Mindy and Brandon Withrow’s book Monks and Mystics. A book geared to the 9-14 age range, the book presents church history from both a fictional and factual perspective. It part of the History Lives series that began with Peril and Peace, a book about ancient Christians. Vignettes of some of the more significant persons in the Medieval Church, written as fiction stories but based on historical documents, dominate the text. In between, short chapters containing significant facts about the period are presented.

While in no way comprehensive, this book does an excellent job of both making history interesting and real to the age range it targets, and of teaching church history to children. I would, in fact, think it an excellent text to use as a basis for an upper elementary or middle school Sunday school class on church history. It would also be useful in Christian schools. As a supplemental text it is perfect.

Although an adult, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. So much so, that I ordered the first book the next day and plan to order any successive books as they become available. The stories were interesting and well-written (although on pg. 77, there is on paragraph that repeats, something the editors must have missed) and capture well the characters of the historical figures.

To an adult, some of the language might feel condescending or childish, but the Withrows do not shy away from using technical terms. Often the characters explain the terms in words that could be understood by a 9 year old in their speech to each other. (In truth I understood some of the terms better than I ever have before!)

It is unfortunate that these books are printed by such an unknown publisher. They are available at Barnes and Noble and Amazon, but only online. It is unlikely they will make it into the stores and I wonder if the major Christian retailers will pick them up. They are a valuable resource for the Christian family, so I recommend buying them before they go out of print.

Book Review: Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers

Author: Francine Rivers
Genre: Christian Romance
Pub. Date: May 2005
Format: Paperback, 464pp
Publisher: Multnomah Publishers, Inc.

In an effort to be a better husband, I asked my wife to pick her favorite Christian fiction book from a multitude on our shelves at home. (She is an avid reader of this genre, which, as anyone who reads this blog knows, I am decidedly not.) It took her several weeks to find the one she most wanted me to read, not because she was trying to please me, but because she has a favorite book for all moods and seasons. After a time, she finally settled on Redeeming Love, by Francine Rivers.

Redeeming Love is (according to the marketing) a retelling of the Biblical story of Hosea and Gomer, the marriage of a prophet of God to a prostitute of Israel. Rivers has taken this plot, written it primarily from the perspective of Gomer (or Angel a she is know in this narrative) and set it in 1850s California.

It is the time of the Gold Rush, were men were seeking wealth and pleasure, and a society was built that lacked the presence of women. Hence, the popularity of prostitution. Angel is one such prostitute. Raped at eight, it is very nearly the only life she has ever known. Into her life steps Michael Hosea, a religious man who talks to God. Following the Lord’s instruction, he sets out to marry Angel. Through a series of calamities, not the least of which is Angel’s own shame, he succeeds. But as in the biblical story, Angel returns to the life of prostitution, only to be rescued again by the patient and loving Michael. Eventually love blossoms between them, and God’s purposes are fulfilled.

The biblical story was designed by God to be metaphor for the actions of Israel, His chosen nation. Israel was Gomer, constantly prostituting itself before false idols. God was represented by Hosea, constantly loving His nation, forgiving it and restoring it. Rivers has taken the metaphor of Scripture and made it deeply personal. Angel also has false gods, gods we ourselves worship in our modern culture. Pride, perfection, relationships all show up and are shown for the false gods they are.

As with any Christian fiction story, there is a tale of fall and redemption. But the fall here is exceptionally great, and the redemption even greater.

I disliked the epilogue that Rivers tacked onto the story, while it does wrap up everyone’s story completely; it breaks so completely from the narrative before it, even to the point of view, that it seems flat and without interest.

It only took me two days to read this book in its entirety, so I think it evident that it was enjoyable, even for one (like me) who dislikes Christian fiction in general, and Christian romances most especially.

The idyllic setting, the delve into human nature, and ultimate triumph of Angel and Michael's love of God and each other all make this a most compelling and enjoyable read.

Book Review: The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards

Author: Kim Edwards
Genre: General Fiction
Pub. Date: May 2006
Format: Paperback, 432pp
Publisher: Penguin Group (USA)
Edition Description: REPRINT

Generally, I don’t have time to sit and read a book from start to finish. (In truth, I didn’t last night.) But I just couldn’t let The Memory Keeper’s Daughter go. Kim Edwards’s novel of twins separated at birth, one normal and healthy, the other with Down’s syndrome is heartrending and painful.

The story begins in 1964, a time when Down’s syndrome was little understood. Technical knowledge had been gained, but little was known about the people with one extra chromosome. Dr. David Henry, the father, ends up performing the birth of his own children. In a split second decision, after finding the girl twin has Down’s, he sends her with the attending nurse to an institution. The nurse, Caroline Gill, can’t let the baby be raised in such a place, and steals her away.

The story follows both families over a period of 20-odd years as the children grow up. Paul is a healthy young boy who loves music. Phoebe is a sweet girl who learns just a little bit slower than most people. The joys and pains of both families and the effect of David’s decision a followed through those twenty years.

One, the apparently healthy family of Dr. Henry and his wife Norah is torn completely apart. The other, Phoebe’s family is brought together and grows through adversity.

Many readers of this book point to Dr. Henry as the villain of the story. He is made to seem like a man unwilling to love a daughter who is different. This is not an accurate representation. Dr. Henry was acting in the best interests of his wife, or so he thought. Although that decision does eventually rip his family apart, it was one made for love. I do not defend the actions of this character, as ultimately, they are abhorrent, but I think that Dr. Henry’s character is less the villain than people think. His wife was a perfectionist, always trying to have things perfect, to be perfect. Such a character as Norah would make a man do anything to ensure that her life was perfect. In 1964, having a baby with Down’s would have shown Norah to be less than perfect. Dr. Henry tried to spare her that pain, (although he ultimately caused more than he saved), to allow her to remain a perfect wife and mother. I would therefore point to no villain, but rather to flawed characters as the true evil in this story.

This is a very sad story. Moments of triumph are few, success and wealth are shown for the useless things they are, and despair rules. At about the fifth or fourth chapter, I leaned over and told my wife that rarely had I read such a depressing book. Fortunately, the despair was eventually alleviated a few chapters later.

I recommend this book as a work of fiction that will both sadden and delight you. Life is shown honestly, although fictionalized, and the effect of one decision on each character’s psyche is delved into with no holds barred.