I coerced Rebecca into choosing for this month, and here is her suggestion:
I, Coriander by Sally Gardner.
(Synopsis copied from the book flap:) "It is night, and I have lit the first of seven candles to write my story by. My name is Coriander Hobie, and I have a great many things to tell--of silver shoes that tempted me and an alligatro most rare; of London, the home of my childhood, and another, stranger land, on that I thought only existed in dreams; and of an ebony box whose treasure only now am I begining to understand. The box was once my mother's, but its secrets were meant for me. This is my story and a fairy tale besides, I will start...once upon a time."
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3 comments:
I really loved this book!
At first, I thought it was a retelling of Cinderella, what with the silver shoes and all (and I was thrilled about that, since I love farie tales and people re-telling them, e.g., Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine; Spindle's End and/or Beauty by Robin McKinley, and also Deerskin by the same; Enchantment by Orson Scott Card; The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale; The Magic Circle by Donna Jo Napoli; Mira, Mirror by Mette Ivie Harrison--and Patricia A. McKillip has a bunch of really good farie tales that aren't a retelling of anything--good stuff if you like that sort of thing) but I wasn't a bit disappointed to find that it was its own thing.
The language was wonderful, and the feel was just right for this kind of book--very pretty and magical. The bit about the alligator was great, and the mother's shadow, the mother's (and so, Coriander's) identity, and going back and forth between places with different times--this was nice, good, well-done.
My only complaint was that the editor and author missed a detail here and there (or I just didn't understand, which is always a possibility). For example, Coriander's first real trip to the land of Faerie--to the wedding of the prince and the witch's daughter--Corainder overheard the witch and the raven talking, and as she ran away, she thought--was that my mother's shadow they were speaking of? And really, the witch and the raven didn't mention anything that sounded like it could possible refer to the mother's shadow. Oops. What was that about? And another--I didn't quite buy the reason Coriander's mother didn't go back and face the Queen--it wasn't quite built up enough. Little things. Things that didn't really bother me, but I still feel I have to bring up because that's the kind of critical weirdo I am. My apologies. I really liked this book a lot!
There are other things I could say, but I have to go--so I hope someone else says them...
Hmph! I never pick up on the historical aspects of things, Sharon--I guess that's because my sense of time is very poor, and my interest in politics is weak, but I see what you mean. I just didn't notice. Was there not a single puritan in there represented in a good light? If not, that's pretty lopsided!
Aaaannnddd... in a miraculous turn of events, Marie finished TWO book club books this week! Coming next week -- the END OF THE WORLD!
I enjoyed this book as well. It's the sort of thing I would have loved as a teen. I also thought of the Robin McKinley books, but it was different -- "history" with a magical twist. There were some wonderfully evocative descriptions in there, little phrases dropped by characters that were very salt-of-the-earth-esque and charming. The writing style, like the others said, was very good.
I agree with Sharon's comment about the extremism of the political commentary. It seems that this is becoming the "clever," supposedly world-shattering twist of recent popular books, including the book Wicked which I dropped halfway through: Newsflash -- sometimes people who act righteous are really wicked, and sometimes people who you think are wicked are really righteous. It's getting a wee bit annoying, like they don't give the masses credit for being familiar with this age-old dilemma from any of the great literary works of past millenia or even the Bible, for Pete's sake. Though it's much more forgivable in a book aimed at teens than in a book for adults, such as Wicked.
I will confess one thing, in ending. While it was a bit gratuitous to have everyone find a spouse by the last page, I secretly love that. I guess I'm too steeped in Shakespearean comedies -- it ain't no happy ending if everyone (including the court jester) doesn't go home with a wife. :)
Thanks for the fun read, Rebecca!
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