June Reading Thread

[HareBrain]

The other was a re-read of The Owl Service by Alan Garner, which I greatly praised when I first read it back in 2012, but this time round I was left more unsettled by the prose which seemed to give no quarter, no concession to easy readability, and seemed as much an indictment of class as an exploration of myth.

You didn't think those things the previous time? Are you sure it was that book you read?

 

[The Judge]

Most definitely the same book! I made a note in the blog I was keeping on my then website:

Less upsetting [than Childhood's End which I had found depressing] was one of the borrowed books, The Owl Service by Alan Garner which I thoroughly enjoyed. Not simply a brilliant story of ghostly possession, with a real sense of atmosphere and place, but a great evocation of the pettiness and jumbled emotions of adolescence, plus a moral about unintended consequences arising from good intentions. His dialogue is incredible, his sense of character acute. Wonderful.​

Since I had wholly forgotten the plot since 2012** (which really is depressing!), I can't swear to any other thoughts I had then, though I can't believe I missed the social comment, but this time around I didn't come away with that same feeling of "Wonderful". I do wonder whether another 12 years of reading fantasy, particularly modern stuff (or just another 12 years of hurtling towards senility...) has corrupted my appreciation of difficult work a little, so now I want more explanation, a little more spoon-feeding of what happens when and why. There was so much dialogue it was almost like reading a screenplay with some stage directions, and I definitely didn't get the same sense of atmosphere and place this time, and rather ached for poetic nature-writing of the kind you do so well.

It might just be, though, a matter of mood and situation when I was reading it. I'll perhaps leave it another 6-8 months and give it a re-read.


** oddly enough, although I couldn't remember anything about the characters and storyline, I did immediately recall the image of the plate at the beginning, probably because I'd stared at it so much trying to see where the owls were!

 

[Chris von shannow]

Sorcery Reborn By Steve McHugh

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

I also finished off Blood & Sugar by Laura Shepherd-Robinson which I started last month, another historical novel, this time set at the other end of the C18th,

Coincidentally, I just finished reading another of her books, also set in the 18th century (which seems to be the era she likes to write about), The Square of Sevens. When I went looking for her other books on Amazon, they all appear to be out of print and hideously expensive to buy used. Did you borrow the copy you read from a library or is it cheaper in the UK?

I'm too tired now to post my thoughts about The Square of Sevens (we are in the middle of a family health crisis), but I hope to do so in the next couple of days.

 

[HareBrain]

Since I had wholly forgotten the plot since 2012** (which really is depressing!)

I've forgotten the plots of books I read mere months ago!

There was so much dialogue it was almost like reading a screenplay with some stage directions, and I definitely didn't get the same sense of atmosphere and place this time, and rather ached for poetic nature-writing of the kind you do so well.

It might just be, though, a matter of mood and situation when I was reading it. I'll perhaps leave it another 6-8 months and give it a re-read.

It's definitely difficult and spare. There's one section where even after multiple readings I'm still not sure what's going on. As for the lack of lyrical description, I think it suits the place it's set, which (if I'm thinking of places in Wales I've been that sound similar) is rather hard and not especially attractive. I think you're right that enjoyment of it might depend a lot on mood at the time, and also how you sympathise with Gwyn, whose story is largely about class. That struck me much more on the second read than the first, as the first time I was more focused on the myth retelling and the possible supernatural aspects.

I'm quite keen to give it another read myself now and see if my view of it has changed.

In the meantime I've gone back to The Mayor of Casterbridge.

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

I've forgotten the plots of books I read mere months ago!

Ah, the sharp minds of youths like you! I sometimes forget books that I read only days before. Of course, in that case, it is partly because the books themselves are hardly memorable, which is not the case with The Owl Service, of course. Mostly, Americans don't think much in terms of class (in terms of who has money, yes, but not who a person's ancestors were), so the first time I read it, in my twenties I think, the issues of class went right over my head.

 

[The Judge]

Coincidentally, I just finished reading another of her books, also set in the 18th century (which seems to be the era she likes to write about), The Square of Sevens. When I went looking for her other books on Amazon, they all appear to be out of print and hideously expensive to buy used. Did you borrow the copy you read from a library or is it cheaper in the UK?

I actually picked it up for just £1.00! (About $1.26?) Charities selling second hand books they've been given are plentiful in the area, and we're great frequenters of National Trust properties which usually have a room set aside for used books which they sell for a nominal sum. Even our village paper shop has a couple of boxes of donated books people can rummage through!

But her books certainly aren't out of print here. I've just checked both Waterstones and Blackwells and the paperbacks of all 3 novels are available, mostly priced at £9.99 (around $12.64) though the hardbacks are a good bit more expensive.

I'm too tired now to post my thoughts about The Square of Sevens (we are in the middle of a family health crisis), but I hope to do so in the next couple of days.

I see that this one is actually only £8.49 at Waterstones, so if you give it a good review I'll be pouncing on it!

(Hope the family health crisis is soon over and all are well.)

 

[Dave Vicks]

VALIS ,by Philip k. Dick. 1981
Science fiction novel.