Piratica; Arms and the Man
99. Tanith Lee, Piratica
Artemesia Fitz-Willoughby Weatherhouse is practicing deportment at the school where her odious father has sent her to become a lady, when she suddenly falls down the stairs and bumps her head. The injury triggers memories of her childhood at sea and her now-dead mother, the notorious pirate queen Piratica. Now Art decides to resume her pirate’s life; escaping from the dreadful school, she searches for her mother’s old pirate crew and plans her life at sea. Through sheer force of will, she becomes the captain of a pirate ship and drags her reluctant crew off in search of - what else? - buried treasure. However, in the course of her many travels and adventures, she learns that nothing, not even her memory of her mother, is exactly what it seems.
This was my first encounter with Tanith Lee, and I definitely plan to read more of her work now. The writing style, full of wild “piratical” turns of phrase, is a delight to read, and the principal characters are all well described, especially Felix Phoenix. I also enjoyed the wordplay and the little twists on history - for example, the book is set in the year seventeen-twelvety. However, I think I was just a bit too old for this book. It requires some pretty extreme suspension of disbelief: Art can fence, throw knives, shoot with remarkable precision, and sail a ship, simply because her body somehow remembers those skills from when she was six. I just couldn’t swallow it, which made it hard for me to relax and enjoy the ride. I also felt like Art was a bit too much The Best At Everything, which always irritates me in a protagonist. On the whole, though, there’s a lot to enjoy in this novel, and I definitely think middle-school-aged children would like it.
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100. George Bernard Shaw, Arms and the Man
This play is set in Bulgaria during a time when the Serbs and Austrians are threatening Bulgarian independence. The beautiful Raina Petkoff lives in a relatively nice house with her parents, who aspire to be “civilized” and ape high-society manners. One evening after a battle, a fugitive soldier climbs into Raina’s window in an effort to escape the victorious army. Raina is shocked by the soldier’s behavior: not only has he run away from battle like a coward, but he also seems more concerned with eating and sleeping than with the outcome of the war. Raina is confused by this soldier, whom she contrasts with her heroic fiancé Sergius. However, further acquaintance with the fugitive causes Raina to reevaluate her most cherished beliefs and ideals.
I really enjoyed this play, and now I’m wondering why I haven’t read more by George Bernard Shaw. It’s very funny, and the fugitive is a marvelous character. I love how the play subverts expectations: the seemingly “heroic” characters are largely hypocritical, and the seemingly most pragmatic character turns out to be a hopeless romantic. There’s also a very interesting subplot involving a disgruntled servant, whose speeches about her station in life provide a strong social commentary. I would definitely recommend this play!