'May We Be Forgiven' by A.M. Homes

Family, Forgiveness, Love... Everything!!! -- with a sense of humor

I tried to explain to my BPR what this book is about... he asked for it... Right... Then I got a look... I guess I made the mistake of telling what is happening in the book (a lot) and not what this book is about.  So now is my chance, but I feel like the two Pan Dimensional beings talking to Deep Thought... "Life, The Universe, Everything!!!!"  So this book is about Family, Forgiveness, Love... Everything!!!
Fortunately, A.M. Homes has a sense of humor.  I laughed and I cringed and then I laughed in disbelief and then I cringed.  But let me talk a bit about Harry, you know, the protagonist.

Harry is the sort of guy that...No, Harry is not the sort of guy that... because Harry does not initiate much.  Stuff happens to Harry.  What he feels about this stuff is relief that it was not worse.  But one moment of weakness, or more weakness than usual, puts Harry on a horrible path, his murderous, bully of a brother in jail, his lover dead and his wife bitter, and quickly gone.  Harry finds out who his friends are and who his friends are not; like the 'friend' who calls him to tell Harry that he will represent his wife in the divorce because since childhood he has waited for an opportunity to get back at him.  Harry also has to become a father, as his niece and nephew become his responsibility.  Okay, so things keep happening to Harry.  What makes this book so exciting is that Harry grows up.  No, he does not take life on with resolve and initiative.  Harry starts feeling different about the things that happen to him.  At first he felt confused, hurt, surprised.  He kept his head low, he waited for the next blow.  At some point Harry takes emotional responsibility for his actions and what initiative he does take is small and for the good.

This is so exciting because as a society we rarely take time to look at ourselves and own our mistakes, worse yet we have regrets but we do not seek forgiveness.  We make excuses like "I was beaten as a child", or "my boss does not like me", etc...  Emotionally, our inability to forgive and be forgiven closes doors on deeper relationships with our children, our friends and ourselves.  Harry takes a look at his own actions and emotions and decides what is his fault and what is not.  This is a huge relief, Harry is free.  So he slowly and in jumps and starts becomes a good father and a good friend.  He lets go of a great deal of his past and embraces the future but only one day at a time, that is, he learns to live in the now.  He wants absolution, forgiveness and is willing to work for that one good deed at a time, for those closest to him and for himself.  I love this book.


@nycnovel
A.M. Homes 
ISBN: 9781847083234 

'Boneland' by Alan Garner

I was sad when I finished reading but I was also sated and satisfied.  

Boneland completes the Weirdstone trilogy.  The first two books were written several decades ago and were written for children.  This book is special because it is written for adults.  The children in the first two books have grown up and so have the readers.  I was curious to see how that would translate into my own memories and expectations.  It was so much better than I hoped.  Boneland is a bitter sweet book.  I was sad when I finished reading but I was also sated and satisfied.  The book took a child's pain and loss into adulthood.  After the events of The Moon of Gomrath, Colin's sister disappears when they were both 12.  She goes to the Pleaiades to join other maidens, or so Colin believes.  Colin becomes a 21st century Renaissance man, master of many sciences, in the search for her;  he wants to bring her back.  

Colin's struggles are woven with a story about a man only called The Watcher.  The Watcher is in another time.  He dances and draws and sings to keep the world in place and full of life.  But he has a problem, he searches for a woman to create a family so that he may pass on his job and so the world will not end.  Colin looks for his twin and The Watcher looks for his mate.  Both searches are full of their own dangers and tears.  The rhythm of the stories creates its own dance and the impression is beautiful, like twilight with a breeze and the first view of the stars.

Funny enough, given the presence of wizards in the previous books, the only time a wizard briefly appears is as a vengeful, angry old man who destroys a life without understanding or forgiving the pain of a desperate child.  The way the wizard treats Colin that brief moment (in this book) sets the tone for the rest of Colin's life.  The wizard may be waiting with his knights for the end of the world, the implication is that they will fight on the side of light and protect people.  But if this wizard cannot see the value in the innocence of a child and empathize with his pain then I despair for the final battle.  Colin was not a real danger to the knights and their king.  One lonely old wizard lost his temper and scarred a child forever.

To think that we, as a society, have become obsessed with tight, narrow goals achieved by specialized arts is scary, no matter how good and beneficial the goal... Worse yet is to think that there is only one way to achieve this goal.  A wizard who's longevity might have given perspective has, instead, narrowed his focus to the extent that he curses a child.  But the magic of this wizard is not old magic, it is magic tamed for men by men, ironic that he has come to be as narrow and fearful as the mortal humans around him who do not believe in magic.

 I hope I do not give a false view of Boneland; it is not heavy handed with obvious lessons or allegory, different topics or details come up the more I think about this slim book.  Time as a theme (amongst many) is interesting and I closed the book feeling that time has no meaning, it is a trick, and not a good one.  The Watchers's magic and the magic that Colin gently inherits is about balance, duty, truth and beauty.  The solutions to their searches are not expected or hoped for, but they bring closure.  The more I think about Colin and The Watcher the sadder I become but there is hope in their struggles.  Perhaps they will bring balance to the world...


Alan Garner 
ISBN: 9780007463244 

'Sweet Tooth' by Ian McEwan

... 

Ages since I read Mc Ewan, now I remember why... Ian McEwan has mastered his art.  Unfortunately, I sense a deep arrogance along with his talent.  Even Nabokov, at his most recherche did not make me so angry.  My anger took away the euphoria I often feel in the presence of art, of a book so well written the story becomes secondary to the telling. I first read Enduring Love, years ago.  McEwan made me feel uncomfortable.  I squirmed with distress at the premise of the book.  I thought that McEwan had that talent that makes the reader feel the discomfort of the people in his books.  I experienced the book rather that witnessed the book.  Then I tried to read Solar. Somehow I enjoyed it too little and was frustrated too much.  It is a sign when one of my German acquaintances, who rarely reads for pleasure and rarely reads frivolous books gushed about this book.  Books are not for pleasure, I think is her motto.  In any case I always felt that Stephen King can give me a stomach ache but I finish his books with a huge smile.  So we come to Sweet  Tooth...  I was angry when I finished this book.  Furious.  It has taken me weeks to calm down and to look at my reaction with some distance.

I think I have to mention that many books have caused me to feel deeply.  Beloved, Kafka on the Shore, The Elegance of the Hedgehog, Schindler's List are just a few.  I have cried, I have laughed, I have been afraid, I have been angry but I rarely feel cheated by the author.  Usually I feel like this when the book is bad, like Twilight.  I was angry and in my insecurity I asked Beloved Proof Reader to read it and see if I was over reacting... no the book is badly written and badly thought out.  Just bad... So if McEwan is so good, then why was I so angry?

My problem with this book is two fold...  The treatment of the protagonist by her lovers, typical of the times in which the book takes place, made me catch my breath many times.  On the other hand, chauvinism even today is common enough and often a cause of anger.  I was emotionally engaged and then came that final twist in the story. It took me a while to disentangle my anger. I felt deceived as a reader. The final twist took her voice away.  The whole story became suspicious, deceitful, unreliable... the unreliable narrator is a common enough topic in high school literature but this was the final slap to the face of a woman.  Her voice had never been her own.  It was always the voice of a man who even in love, obviously thought little of her. Second, it turned love into a whip against a woman, and against the reader. Love of writing is no excuse to patronize the reader. Love of reading does not make me a target.  I want to be a part of the story, of the unfolding, of the telling not the butt of its joke.  I want to trust a writer even in manipulation for art's sake like in Catch 22 or One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.  I cannot trust Ian McEwan.

So my conclusion is that Ian McEwan is a talented writer but I cannot find any joy in his books.  This is the kind of talent that will be studied in literature classes but not loved.


Ian McEwan 
ISBN: 9780224097376 

'The Life of Thomas More' by Peter Ackroyd

If you wish to know the true difference between a medieval mind, however brilliant, and the Renaissance mind, then this is a wonderful book

Sometimes friends hand me a book quite at random.  This time I was handed Sir Thomas More, well, 'The Life of Thomas More'.  I started the book out of curiosity but was hooked early and hard.  Peter Ackroyd can write.  He does not state facts...he unfolds a life.  His subject, Sir Thomas, was a learned man on the edge of Medieval Europe and the Renaissance World.  Ackroyd from the first sentence immersed me into what is essentially a medieval city and a medieval life.  It was a life full of harsh absolutes.  A man's place in society was determined at birth, where God saw fit to place you, rich or poor.  Hierarchy, respect for those above you and The Church kept order in the world.  God was above all.  To help man please God, to help him attain Heaven and to protect him, the Holy Catholic Church stood as a wise intermediary.  Today people often forget that catholic means universal.  One God, one church, one authority.  'One above all' is what Thomas More defended , which is of course, where Thomas in a very real sense lost his head.  He ultimately believed the church and its voice the Pope are above a mortal king.  King Henry VIII disagreed.  But this rigid system is a medieval system. So was Thomas More a man who in spite of his intelligence and humanist connections could not adjust or was he a man who understood the new world but rejected it because he would not give up his scruples on the whim of a king?  Peter Ackroyd leads us to this question but first he lets us become acquainted with Sir Thomas More.

The Renaissance destroyed the Medieval world and its philosophy. It encouraged the rereading of Greek and Latin philosophers. Man became the center of creation.  Martin Luther crystalized the Renaissance way of thinking by insisting there is nothing between a man’s conscience and God; private faith is enough for salvation.  This new way of thinking was an anathema to Thomas More.

Ackroyd does a superb job of letting Sir Thomas speak in his own words and defend the old order he loved.  Ackroyd's research and subtle interpretation of his subject is humbling.  Thomas More, it can be argued, was the last brilliant gasping breath of the Medieval world and a whole Church.  But what a wonderful lawyer, writer, poet, orator he was.  God, order, loyalty and peace of mind were the lights by which he lived his public life.  To him there was no private life or a private man in a private world.  All was under God, King and Church to be judged.  To live an obedient hard working life was to live according to the wishes of God.  I can only wonder at a life lived in such certainty.

Thomas More must have been a formidable man to share a home with.  There is an old saying "It is harder to live with a Saint than to be one".  This is what came to mind when More married and then a month into widowerhood, married again.  His second wife seems to have had the correct character to manage and encourage him.  I like that Ackroyd spends time on her and the children.  The family was fundamental to More and to neglect it for his intellectual accomplishments is to miss the life he lived.

Peter Ackroyd walks me through the crowded streets of London and introduces me to high and low men.  All the important buildings and churches are pointed out like a good guide, he lets me miss nothing of importance... the noise, the pageantry and the dirt are all disclosed.  If you wish to know the true difference between a medieval mind, however brilliant, and the Renaissance mind, then this is a wonderful book.  I finished the book and regretted the obstinacy and blood lust of a King.  I also regretted the obstinacy and unyielding mind of More.  He is a man who could have guided the coming age if he had embraced some of the good that change would bring.  He seems to have seen only bad in change; the end of the world.  This was a complex, satisfying read.  I learnt a great deal, remembered a great deal and reconnected with my love of history.


Peter Ackroyd 
ISBN: 9780749386405 

'Stasiland: Stories from Behind the Berlin Wall' by Anna Funder

This book is about the impermanence of political structures, about the price of a soul, about the innocence of children and the love of parents.  It should not be forgotten.

I have lived in Germany longer than I have lived in any other country, including the one on my passport.  It is ironic given that neither my husband nor I have family or other attachments here.  It is a convenient place to live, is the best I can say about this situation.  It is also a safe, healthy place full of beautiful trees.  In any case, I have been able to observe Germans in their natural habitat for some time now.  As a group they are slow to warm up but loyal once you are indeed a friend, on a first name basis (don't laugh, long story about the use of names).  I am privileged to have several German friends.

It is my habit to be careful about certain topics but (I hope) polite and inquisitive at the same time... What's the point of being here if I can't eventually, you know, ask...  And so the National Socialists turn up in conversation.  No Problem!  My friends are often relieved, yes lets discuss those bygone days...  Then I mention East Germany.

There is usually a moment of embarrassment.  Of course the notorious Wall was awful, almost ridiculous.  If I ask about more details there are often excuses but no real discussion.   Sometimes kids blame the teacher for a bad grade.  And in truth there are bad teachers in this world.  It happens.  A bad teacher does not justify my own disinterest or lack of effort, though.  What I mean is that many could not do much about the political situation called The Cold War.  Many on the West side did their best to help people on the East side.  But as far as I can tell, people have done their best to forget or ignore the German Democratic Republic since 1989, like many would, a bad teacher.  The rest of Germany does not want to know more.  The mentality is that Germany is whole now, therefore healthy.  I hope my friends do not resent this description but it is accurate.

Then another foreigner who has lived here a long, long time handed me this book.  I am grateful.  The book begins with a hung-over journalist.  She wants to investigate and write about the people from East Germany. Not the politics. The people who lived in the shadow of a wall and could not trust anyone, ever.  Anna Funder's interviews are successful because she listens to what is consciously given and willingly shared. Not what is taken and recorded to use and twist.  It was shocking to see the effects of hyper surveillance on the psyche of a whole society.  The lack of privacy was obscene.  It puts me in mind of the arguments for and against privacy in the internet.  Eventually, people are not for sale.  Privacy and intimacy are worth more than quick results on the search page and what you can sell me there.  This book is not about the past it is about our future.  It is about the impermanence of political structures, about the price of a soul, about the innocence of children and the love of parents.  It should not be forgotten.
Suspicion was a sign of guilt and the punishment even to children lasted a lifetime.  These people are now free.  I wish.  Torturers, spies and vicious prison wardens have not been brought to justice.  Many politicians kept their old jobs with new titles.  Many of them are still alive.  Freedom does not happen when you remove the shackles or tear down the wall, but when you free the mind.  If you see the same person that tortured and raped you in jail shopping at your local then maybe free is too abstract a concept.  Anna Funder touches on the concepts of justice, fairness, closure, hope and despair.  She tells stories and uncovers wounds that do not heal.  By the end of the book I feel she deserved a drink now and again.  This book is required reading.


@AnnaFunder
Anna Funder 
ISBN: 9781847083357 

'Life of Pi' by Yann Martel

Guest blogger SecretZoe (age 13)

So, I have recently finished reading Life of Pi. My first reaction when finishing the book was WOW just WOW. The reason I felt this was because it was such an amazing story that it left me shell shocked. Just to give you an idea about Life of Pi, this story is about Piscine Patel a very religious young man who has studied and practiced many different religions, he had grown up in a zoo because his father was the zoo director. When the whole zoo is being moved to Canada via ship, the ship sinks in the middle of the pacific, Piscine also known as Pi (pronounced pie) finds himself the sole survivor of the ship along with a zebra, an orangutan, a hyena and a tiger?

When he is on a life boat with a zebra that has broken legs a hyena who is foul and an orangutan that seems scared witless he thinks himself lucky since when getting on the lifeboat he had a close encounter with the ferocious tiger named Richard Parker. He however does not know what danger sleeps a few centimeters below him under the trampoline. After the hyena has killed both zebra and orangutan, Richard Parker shows himself to eat the hyena. This is no book for weak stomachs; lots of blood and guts are included. Me being a teen this book was amazing to me due to the fact that it wasn't only fun but also made my brain work to figure out what was going on.

This book, to me, at first was quite boring because it had over 16 chapters of background story but once I really got into it it was just astounding, I give this book a 10/10, and categorize it for grownups or for teens who need a challenging book (but only if a lot of other books are getting easy).


Yann Martel 
ISBN: 9780547848419 

'The Makioka Sisters' by Junichiro Tanizaki translated by Edward G. Seidensticker

This book cannot be rushed.  You miss too much if you rush, which is surprising since nothing much happens.  There are moments of drama and action, several illnesses, a flood, an amputation and a birth, but these are punctuation marks in the lives of these sisters; like the the joys and tragedies in any life.  Pride and decline are the predominant themes of this magnificent book.  Small comments, subtle choices, silences and discretion uncover familial and societal pride.

Most of the book is told from the point of view of Sachiko, the second of the four sisters from a prominent Osaka merchant family, now in declining fortunes.  The story tells about the hunt for a husband for Yukiko, the third sister, a task made all the more difficult because she is thirty at the start of the book.  Every now and again the author drifts towards someone else or follows someone out of the house in Ashiya, in the suburbs of Osaka.  As a reader we then explore thoughts, motivations, actions and intimate moments.  The book draws attention to the passage of time, missed opportunities and a pride misapplied in a modernized world.  The family is in decline as their core business is sold off and their representative family, that of the eldest sister, Tsuruko, moves to Tokyo.  But pride in the past has set expectations especially for the oldest sisters and so pride justifies manipulation, selfishness and cowardice.  But these are not grand schemes that the sisters set against each other.  Scores are settled and seniority (rank) is imposed by not answering letters promptly, not giving all the pertinent information, and silence instead of clarity and transparency.

I surprised myself with thoughts such as "I don't like her very much" or "she's just a pain in the ...".  These thoughts were not due to clumsy character development. Quite the opposite, they were the result of excellent writing.  Sachiko or Yukiko are not introduced as obvious heroines.  No one is.  There are no obvious sign posts to tell the reader what to feel and how to understand someone.  The book unveils them slowly.  The mystery of their character, their inner core as it were, becomes visible through time and gentle actions.  This is the treat of this slow moving book.  My favorite character is Teinosuke, Sachiko's husband.  He has taken the Makioka name and therefore their interests.  He slowly turns into a man who cares for his wife and her family with just the right balance of pragmatism and affection. Not that he changes the attitude of the sisters but he seems to bring sanity to the page and to their helpful acquaintance after yet another failed proposal.

Their declining fortunes have slowed the proposals for Yukiko.  Moreover, the previous (numerous) rejected suitors have left the impression that the family is too proud.  And so it goes...The book dissects a family and left me feeling satisfied.  Tanikazi sets his own pace.  In the Makioka homes we perceive a bit of where Japanese society heads with blind pride and stubbornness.  Modernization and thoughtless actions for the sake of progress is as ruinous as pride in a past that no longer exists.  The youngest sister, Taeko, the most modern of the sisters and the one who saw the least of the family fortune, plunges into romantic and sexual affairs, smokes and (imagine) wants a career.  Teinosuke does not see a problem with a modern woman. He sees problems with a proud family that does not support her and on the other end, a proud little sister that does not consult or heed advice.  Tragedy is the result.  All this occurs on the eve of WWII.  The book becomes poignant when I realize that it ends in 1941.  Moreover Tanizaki attempted to publish it in 1943 but was censored for showing a feminine, soft society.  Obviously, someone was not reading carefully.  Though I do not suppose that the real message of the book was any more palatable to the military in Japan at the time.  Some books have "classic" written on the cover... this book reminded me why.

Junichiro Tanizaki 
ISBN: 9780749397104 

'The Book of Tea' by Kakuzo Okakura

"Simplicity, awareness, mindfulness, respect and beauty"

The Book of Tea by Kakuzo Okakura is one of my favorite books.  I call it food for my soul. Whenever I lose my faith in friends, or have personal problems that seem insurmountable I make a cup of first flush Darjeeling and read this book.  It is difficult to say in words what this book does for me.  One reason is probably that Okakura does such a beautiful job of explaining his view of eastern philosophy through Chanoyu.  Anything I say on the topic seems clumsy and incomplete by comparison.  He inspires me and teaches me.  Sometimes I pick up a book in order to learn.  I like to read about anthropology and archaeology, psychology and culture.  On the recommendation of a Japanese friend, I bought this small gem; I thought I would learn about Japan.  Instead I learnt to look at myself and appreciate the divine and miraculous in my life.  Kakuzo Okakura did not only open my eyes to the East, he opened my eyes to the beauty of the every day.

 I drink a great deal of tea and usually good, lose leaf tea both green and black.  Chanoyu or the Japanese Tea Ceremony, is indeed an art, but an art that can be transferred to any everyday gesture or habit.  Simplicity, awareness, mindfulness, respect and beauty can transform your small flat into a palace of elegance and refinement, a place of peace and comfort.  There is poetry in sharing tea with my neighbor.  I have found myself teaching my son to drink tea with me.  I enjoy the patience the preparation of Darjeeling instills. Sencha tea if not watched and prepared well can be bitter.  Once you learn to inhale the subtle aroma of jasmine tea and to exhale your worries then you can admire (the often misunderstood and misapplied term) Zen.  Chanoyu is the living culmination of ancient eastern traditions and philosophies.  It is also a fountain that can refresh and feed imagination and peace of mind.  This is possible because Chanoyu is not only a ceremony performed in a simple humble tea room.  Chanoyu is present wherever people come together to share in respect some simple food and a beverage.

As I read The Book of Tea I looked at my surroundings and found beauty or the potential for beauty everywhere.  Okakura not only discusses Chanoyu but the esthetics of what he calls Teaism, rather like a religious faith.  Beauty and elegance are best found in simplicity.  He then illustrates this unwestern thought with stories from Japanese tea masters.  I grew up in homes that were often complimented as elegant and beautiful, never crowded or excessive.  My mother has a magic touch.  It was in reading Okakura that I caught a bit of what my mother sees when she admires a painting and then purchases it, or what flowers she chooses and then where she places them....  If in doubt, take something away, simplicity is not poverty or ignorance.  Simplicity gives everything that is displayed room to breathe.  But the real magic of his view of beauty is in the imperfect.  No perfectly balanced lamps on opposite ends of a table for him.  He preferred an imperfection, that is with honesty and mindfulness acknowledged, so that the viewer may see perfection in her mind and thus become an active participant of art and a conduit to perfection of mind and spirit...

There is hope and peace in the view of life he encouraged in Japan and especially in the west.  I can believe in peace and beauty, friendships and good fortune when I make a cup of tea and meditate in gratitude on an orchid in my room.

Kakuzo Okakura 
ISBN: 9781619491908 

'Cold Days' by Jim Butcher

Good laughs, great twists, dark deeds, oh ... and the world needs saving

I picked out Harry Dresden a long time ago in order to have something fun and light to read.  I read it and handed it to my husband, Beloved Proof Reader.  I thought it was ok, he thought it was great.  BPR continued to order or purchase the rest of the series and I forgot about it.  Finally, on one of those 'what do I do on a rainy Sunday?' days I picked up the next book.  It was addictive.  It turns out Jim Butcher improved as a writer from book to book.  This is always a good sign in a writer, but a special treat in a series.

The jokes in the books are good and the screw ups huge.  Harry is a fantastic character that gets wiser and more cunning with the years because, of his own admission, he is not that smart.  I get a big smile on my face just holding the book.  His latest adventure has one Harry's worst nightmares come true.  It is not a passing problem and Harry must learn to live with this new reality.  His supporting cast of characters all turn up in the best ways and are as much fun as usual.  I do not want to give anything away here because the past two or three books have taken the series to another level.  It used to be about a wizard working the streets of Chicago as a private investigator.  There were always under currents of sinister, secret conspiracies but now they are realities.  Harry has gone form solving a case or two per book to (slowly... he hopes) saving the world (once he realizes the world needs saving... as he mentions, he is not that clever).  Mercifully, Butcher's abilities as a writer have improved along with Harry's ability to control his magic.  Harry stays grounded, funny, cynical and passionate.

I know some readers groan at the idea of mixing fantasy and urban crime fighting but this time it works.  The action is excellent and the twists are obligingly unexpected.  The cast of supporting characters come and go through out the series so that they stay fresh in my mind rather than dull and repetitive.  In this house 3 out of 4 of us have read the whole series and we all have our favorite characters and adventures.  These are different characters and adventures.  What I mean is that there is enough variety to entertain three different readers in one home.  Go ahead, give Harry a try.

@longshotauthor

Jim Butcher 
ISBN: 9780451464408 

'The Weirdstone of Brisingamen' by Alan Garner

...
This is an excellent book that has survived 50 years without apologies.  And I am grateful, because I searched for it for almost 30.  Many years ago I moved to a new city and a new school.  Our English teacher, Mr. Clark, read a book to our class.  The story included magic, adventures and children... as I mentioned, it lingered in my memories for nearly three decades.  Mr.Clark, I hope, is retired and doing well.  His red brown mustache (it was the 80's) and southern English accent made the episode even more memorable.  You have to understand that I had learnt English in Texas two years previous and thought I must have forgotten it over the Summer because I could not understand Mr.Thompson (Australian) or Mr. Clark (English).   Anyway, it was like being read to by a posh Tom Selleck.  But back to the book...

I searched for this book for years.  I searched for the chills it gave me and the excitement.  I searched in other books for that sense of adventure.  I read fantasy and SF and anything I thought might make me feel like this book did.  I must say that it turned me from a child that liked reading into a child that loved reading.  Thank you, Mr. Clark for your excellent choice.

Many years later came the World Wide Web.  The only words I could remember from the book were "fire frost", the name of a magical stone.  The long and strange book title, I had forgotten.  And then... a hit.  OMG! it went directly to my wish list.  As is often the case when I search on the web, more information turns up then I expected. Alan Garner wrote two books with this cast in this world, the second is 'The Moon of Gomrath'.  The two books were published just a few years apart about half a century ago.  But and this is a big but, he finally wrote a third book to finish a trilogy.  It is titled 'Boneland' it was published last year and I am excited.  Hence the reason I had so many hits online for firefrost.  When I eventually held 'The Weirdstone of Brisingamen' I hesitated.  What if I am disappointed?  What if my memories tricked me?  But, I plunged in and read my book.

Alan Garner is a master.  As an adult reader, I see how well he understands his geography, his lore, and the power as well as helplessness of children.  I once again had chills several times.  The children are often in danger and confused.  Therefore, the reader is often in danger and confused.  The tragedy and victory of the conclusion leaves questions unanswered.  I feel it is a justified mystery, after all, I do not explain everything to my children.  Sometimes, regrettably, I must answer "when you are older...".  Which leads me to realize that that is the fundamental difference between The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings.  There are many things in this world that are magical by simply being mysterious.  Human emotions and grown up choices also fall into this category.  Alan Garner keeps me helpless and somehow sad even in victory by being true to how children experience the world.

A wonderful book, not as lauded as it should be.  The second book is often out of stock but I will persevere and then enjoy 'Boneland'.

    

Alan Garner 
ISBN: 9780007355211