Oct 24 2008
links for 2008-10-24
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The difference between fantasy and magic realism?
Jul 23 2007
The Limits of Enchantment
Author: Graham Joyce
ISBN: 0575072318 DDC: 823.914
See also: LibraryThing ; Agony column ; Joyce discusses his book ;
If I could tell you this in a single sitting then you might believe all of it, even the strangest part.
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Nov 13 2006
Kafka on the Shore
Author: Haruki Murakami, trans from the Japanese: Philip Gabriel
ISBN: 0099494094
DDC: 895.635
See also: LibraryThing ; Mental mayhem ; Mindspill
“So you’re all set for money, then?” the boy named Crow asks in his characteristic sluggish voice. The kind of voice you have when you’ve just woken up and your mouth still fells heavy and dull. But he’s just pretending. He’s totally awake. As always.
I still enjoyed it though.
It isn’t a fast paced book, the characters weren’t particularly gripping, but there is more than enough to keep you entertained and wanting to read on, even if you are scratching your head and wondering about fish falling from the sky, or if Kafka fulfilled his father’s dark prophecy. There is death, and sex, myths, and cats, libraries, and truckers. Of course there is also a lot of unanswered questions at the end, and many, many loose ends. But in a way that doesn’t matter, the open-ended nature of this book isn’t something that bothered me in the slightest.
I’m sure I missed half of what was going on here, what with references to Oedipus and Japanese legends, aliens and creating a magic flute from the souls of murdered cats… But what the hell, it was a wierd and enjoyable book, one that I may have to read again to try and understand a little more.
Tags: 8 Stars, 895.635, Haruki Murakami, Japanese, Kafka on the Shore, magic realism, Philip Gabriel, sff, surreal, translated, World Fantasy Award winnerRelated posts
Oct 01 2006
City of the Beasts
Author: Isabelle Allende
ISBN: 0060535032
DDC: 863.64
Trans from the Spanish: Margaret Sayers Peden
Alexander Cold awakened at dawn, startled by a nightmare. He had been dreaming that an enormous black bird had crashed against the window with a clatter of shattered glass, flown into the house, and carried off his mother.
The main reason I picked this one up was that I’d heard quite a few good things about Allende’s version of Zorro and so I figured that I’d give her a go. This is a one of her YA books though, so maybe not a perfect choice to gain an impression of her adult writing.
The story revolves around 15 year old Alexander Cold, who is shipped off to live with his grandmother after his mother becomes ill with cancer. And his grandmother isn’t you usual white-haired little old lady. Instead she is an explorer, and drags Alex off to the Amazon jungle. She is in search of the humanoid, yeti-like Beast that has been reported in the area, either to show this new creature to the world, or announce that it doesn’t exist.
Tags: 7 Stars, 863.64, City of the Beasts, Isabelle Allende, magic realism, Margaret Sayers Peden, myth, sff, South America, Spanish, translated