8/14/2000
The Sheriff of Nottingham by Richard Kluger
[reread]
Description of walls – “The wall glistened with a perpetual
sheen that seemed to give it the character of living tissue” (15).
Main
problem with the book is that he makes the Sheriff so saintly he does not come
across as a realistic character. Some
flaw besides his small degree of pride would’ve been welcome, and would have made
seem more human and likable. He isn’t
likable because he is so perfect. In
fact his saintliness falls on the stupid side.
Nor is he forgiving in his treatment of Sparks or his wife.
Lady Cecily’s
saying that she could hear Thomas and Anne’s love making seems a bit far
fetched.
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| Nottingham Castle Gate House |
Phillip’s
saintly pride is also a disservice to his daughters because his disposal of
money from Robin Hood takes away from his daughters and wife. His wife forced to live on other’s
charity. His honor allows him to take
care of others but not his family.
Phillip isn’t believable because the reader does not really get to know
him, just his desire for perfection in honor and desire for knighthood. He himself misjudges people and doesn’t
search for reasons for their behavior.
He lacks foresight.
While
Phillip seems unreal the description of Nottingham and the live of the other
characters in the book seem realistic, especially in regards to Widow Susan and
her daughters as well as the Reeve and his wife.
Also
think that Phillip’s brother Peter was made too bad in much the same way that
Phillip was made too good. The other
brother seemed non-existent until the
end.
8/17/2000
Duncton Tales by William Horwood [reread]
[Note: Horwood’s Ducnton books, a total of six (two
trilogies) are basically Watership Down meets the crusades with moles.]
On
Samphire, Ratcher, and Rooster –“With that Red Ratcher left his heart hardening
against them both even as he went, and where for so long there had been warmth
of love now came the chill glooming of no love at all” (348).
On
Rooster being a Master Delver, “Didn’t want to be master, don’t want to be
Master ‘cos then I can’t be mole. Not
fair. Want to be mole. Want to be me. He was him.
He made me.” (500).
What
Horwood does with Rooster is make a
character who doesn’t want what has been thrust upon him, and while expressing
his dissatisfaction at the position, doesn’t sound like he is whining about it.
Horwood’s
characters are good because in a sense, they are ordinary. Most of them aren’t fighters and don’t look
for greatness. They just try to be
normal. The only way you know that they
will play a part in the story is the fact that Horwood himself points it out.
I don’t
think that Horwood is anti-=Christian. I
think that he is anti-zealot. The Stone
Mole, for instance, is a Christ figure.
And the Silence sounds like hermits.
I think that the Duncton Books try to teach tolerance and he fact that
both trilogys deal with religion is that he has basically transported the
crusades. Most fantasy novels are about
a quest for something. Horwood uses
something else- religion – to motivate the plot , something not usually done.
And the characters are human for the they rage at fate like Rooster.
Combination
of LOTR, Watership Down and history.
8/19/2000
Duncton Rising by William Horwood [reread]
The
Newborns [Note: a group of moles in the novel] are like the religious
right while the others are everyone else including other Christians.
Love the
line on Quail, “Never trust a prematurely bald mole” (38).
Not
surprising that the Newborns place such a low value on females when all the
great moles that anyone knows are males.
No mention of Sleekit or Feverfew [Note: Moles from the first
series].
Dislike
the fact that Hamble blames Privet for what happened to Rooster. Shy as she was how could Privet have showed
him. Hamble should’ve told him, and yet
Hamble blamed Privet. Roosters fall
isn’t Rooster’s but Lime and Privet’s is what Hamble seems to be saying. Again shifts the blame onto two females. Lime is too much a caricature of the redeemed
prostitute.
As for
the similarity to Catholicism to the Newborn way, it is Catholicism at its
worth. But considering that the Stone
mole is similar to Christ then the Newborns must be similar to the bad elements
of Christian -Catholic- faith. Creed is
easily adaptable and so it issued. But
such radicalism also o exists among the orthodox of other faiths. It is like a schism. Whole series is about tolerance.
Bad
editing in some places.
Like the
appearance of Mayweed [Note: Character from the first series]/
Weath
and Mayweed seem to basically alike.
While Hamble is like an older, uniformed Maple. Attack of religious intolerance. Eunuchs
used in many cultures.
8/22/2000
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll [reread]
From
the Prologue
“Alice!
A childish story take
And
with a gentle hand
Lay
it where childhood’s dreams are turned.
In
Memory’s mystic bond,
Like
pilgrim’s wither’d wreath of flowers
Pluck’d
in a far off land”
Does have a slight mention of class conflict. For Mabel seems to be poorer than Alice, and
Alice does not wish to be her.
Funny
how Alice seems to be the most logical, can obviously see how Carroll
influenced Pratchett.
About
how memories of childhood imaging stay with you year after year.
How come
in the illustration the Mock Turtle looks like a cross between a turtle and a
cow?
Drawing
fits the story, though Alice looks somewhat like a snob. Her world is determined by her own thoughts. The best instance of this is the Cheshire
Cat, perhaps the sanest being in Wonderland.
The cat shows concern for her and for the most part, answers her question
honestly. This is not surprising when
the reader considers Alice attachment to her own cat Dinah.
8/22/2000
Though the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll [reread]
As
funny as Alice, more poetry. More episodic
and dream like in nature. Confusion of
reality vs. fantasy.
Love the
line, “Nurse! Do let’s pretend that I’m a hungry hyena and you’re the bone”
(8).
Also in
the pic of the Lion and the Unicorn. The
lion is scholarly English man while the Unicorn is Scottish. Nice to remember the symbolism.
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