An Entry About Books, To The Deep And Abiding Surprise Of All Who Read Here
Dreamhunter by Elizabeth Knox is incredible. How smoothly she world-builds! I've bought it entirely, everything about dreamhunters and the Place and dreams-as-commodities. There are Golems! Well, a Golem. The characters: hey, I want to know what happens to you. There was just one wrinkle,and that was a matter of predictability early on, before the story started really moving.
I'll let posterity riddle this one out: Two teenage cousins, both equal in status, the closest of friends, are going to test to see whether or not they can enter the Place and become Dreamhunters at the same time. The first cousin is quiet, sensitive and lets the second cousin run the show; she is also uncertain about whether or not she really wants to Test, since after she Tests a major decision in her life will be made one way or the other. The second cousin is ruthlessly logical, almost effortlessly popular and vivacious, always confident, knows that she wants to Test and become a Dreamhunter, has no doubts about it at all. Do both cousins find they can enter the Place? Does only one? If only one, which one would that be?
Joanne Harris's Chocolat was enjoyable. Let's say tasty, because such puns in book reviews -- even blurby ones -- are delicious. Ha, ha.
Really, Chocolat is a lovely little book. I'm glad I read it, even though I now have a strong urge to re-read Anne Hoffman's Practical Magic. I read Chocolat because I've been told, by such Luminaries as Amal, Margo and Elise, that Joanne Harris' writing is wondrous, and I've already read Five Quarters of an Orange. Also read Chocolat because I was in the mood for something Romantic and subtle, with that "understand yourself" fiction touch. Also, I've acquired the ARC to Chocolat's sequel, The Girl With No Shadow. I love the title. Much better than The Lollipop Shoes, but then: I don't much like shoes or lollipops, but girls are cool, and shadowless ones are bound to be interesting.
Unforseen consequence of reading Chocolat? Now the description of The Girl With No Shadow is sort of annoying to me. What's all this about Vianne calling herself Yanne? What's all this about a chocolate shop in Monmarte without any little red sachets in the door? And Rosette Roux? I suppose the last is just the sort of thing that happens in these kinds of fiction books. (I'm being a trifle unfair. I really actually enjoy names like that in these kinds of fiction books, when I'm in the right mood.)
I'll let posterity riddle this one out: Two teenage cousins, both equal in status, the closest of friends, are going to test to see whether or not they can enter the Place and become Dreamhunters at the same time. The first cousin is quiet, sensitive and lets the second cousin run the show; she is also uncertain about whether or not she really wants to Test, since after she Tests a major decision in her life will be made one way or the other. The second cousin is ruthlessly logical, almost effortlessly popular and vivacious, always confident, knows that she wants to Test and become a Dreamhunter, has no doubts about it at all. Do both cousins find they can enter the Place? Does only one? If only one, which one would that be?
Joanne Harris's Chocolat was enjoyable. Let's say tasty, because such puns in book reviews -- even blurby ones -- are delicious. Ha, ha.
Really, Chocolat is a lovely little book. I'm glad I read it, even though I now have a strong urge to re-read Anne Hoffman's Practical Magic. I read Chocolat because I've been told, by such Luminaries as Amal, Margo and Elise, that Joanne Harris' writing is wondrous, and I've already read Five Quarters of an Orange. Also read Chocolat because I was in the mood for something Romantic and subtle, with that "understand yourself" fiction touch. Also, I've acquired the ARC to Chocolat's sequel, The Girl With No Shadow. I love the title. Much better than The Lollipop Shoes, but then: I don't much like shoes or lollipops, but girls are cool, and shadowless ones are bound to be interesting.
Unforseen consequence of reading Chocolat? Now the description of The Girl With No Shadow is sort of annoying to me. What's all this about Vianne calling herself Yanne? What's all this about a chocolate shop in Monmarte without any little red sachets in the door? And Rosette Roux? I suppose the last is just the sort of thing that happens in these kinds of fiction books. (I'm being a trifle unfair. I really actually enjoy names like that in these kinds of fiction books, when I'm in the right mood.)