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Thursday, November 02, 2006

The Buzz was true...and other musings

Finished The Book Thief yesterday. The book's classification as YA is something of a puzzler. Not sure it was the best marketing option, although the blog buzz has certainly moved it into another category: Must Read. The book has been reviewed on so many blogs that there is little left to say, but I was not disappointed as sometimes happens when one has heard too often that a book (or film) is wonderful and expectations are set too high. Although Death as the narrator is sometimes brutally honest, at other times, he is deliberately misleading - so even in small things, your heart beats a bit faster.

After spending some time recovering from the wrenching effects of The Book Thief, a new book demanded attention. No, I haven't finished The Light Years, but after TBT something a bit lighter and faster seemed in order, so I picked up The Stolen Child by Keith Donohue. Have not heard anything about this novel, but it was on the new book shelf at the library and, always susceptible to mythic themes and interesting covers, I couldn't resist a book about a changling. Reads very quickly, and while not everything hangs together perfectly, there is an engaging quality and a desire to know the fates of both the stolen child and the changeling.

The Inferno has been of interest to me for a number of years. I say The Inferno because I've never read the entire Comedy (Purgatory and Paradise didn't sound as interesting, are rarely mentioned in discussions of Dante, and certainly are less often read). Now, Barbara Reynolds has a new biographical work: Dante: The Poet, the Thinker, the Man. The review of this work is here. I may have to go back and read the entire Comedy after all.

12 comments:

  1. The Stolen Child is one of the novel that www.ourcoffeerings.blogspot.com picked for New Author November! (tied with The Thirteenth Tale) We'd welcome your comments!! I personally am enjoying it.

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  2. Jenclair, I'm glad you weren't disappointed with The Book Thief. It truly is a marvelous read, isn't it? Unfortunately, I wasn't as enamoured with The Thirteenth Tale. Still trying to figure out what to say about that book without sounding too snooty. It just feels terrible to say anything negative about a book that EVERYONE seems to have loved.

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  3. Just from the title, I think it's interesting that you picked The Stolen Child as something a bit lighter! I picked up Book Thief at the library the other day. Need to finish Dirty Blonde first. I'm really looking forward to it after hearing such good things about it.

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  4. I was recently loaned a copy of The Stolen Child and look forward to getting into it sometime this month. Was also loaned Looking Glass Wars today...my Nov. reading pile is already getting overwhelming!!!

    I did an R.I.P. wrap up post today if you're interested. So glad you participated.

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  5. Heather - I dropped by and started reading the discussion questions, then decided to wait until I'd finished the book. I'll be back when I do finish.

    Les - No, I was not disappointed, and it took me several hours to recover. Can't help but wonder how many young adults will ever read it? I still haven't started TTT because of all the library books, but sometimes I prefer not to have all favorable reviews, then I feel more comfortable with a divergent opinion. :)

    booklogged - Oh, most things are lighter than The Book Thief! It is a bit intimidating to read something that everyone else has had such good things to say about, as Les mentioned. But the last half of the book is ... excellent!

    Carl - Obviously I've been out of touch. Seems everyone else was aware of The Stolen Child - witness all of the comments.

    Will drop by your blog to see the R.I.P. wrap up. Can't wait to see your opinion of The Wyvern Mystery. :)

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  6. Just read a review on Amazon of The Stolen Child (since you mentioned it) and am delighted to learn that it is indeed inspired by the Yeats poem! I am so going to have to seek this one out.

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  7. I've had "The Stolen Child" on my TBR list for quite a while based on what I'd read on Amazon. This is the first I've heard from anyone else. I look forward to reading it even more now.

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  9. I have too heard a lot about The Stolen Child and even voted for it at the Our Coffee Rings book blog. Hope I will be able to fit it in my ever increasing TBR pile!

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  10. Above comment is from me, Stephanie @ www.thewrittenword.wordpress.com!

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  11. Traveller - Oh, I didn't realize that. "Oh, Come away, you human child..." That makes it more interesting.

    Framed - :0 I'm glad I pulled it from the shelf since everyone else is either reading it or has it in the TBR pile. Have to admit that so far, I'm being very picky about it. Hasn't pulled me in like I'd hoped. There is still time for that to change, though.

    Stephanie - I'm going back to "Our Coffee Rings" when I finish to look at the discussion questions. I was afraid of getting too much information before it was needed!

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  12. I've heard a lot of good things about "The Stolen Child", I think you're in for a good read, Jenclair. Will be watching this space for your thoughts on it!

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