Book discussion: Fire and Hemlock, Parts One and Two

[shimotsuki]

Here is the first of two discussion posts for Fire and Hemlock, by Diana Wynne Jones. It may be the case that we've all read the whole book already (I certainly found it hard to put down), but let's keep to the original plan and discuss only Part One ("New Hero") and Part Two ("Now Here") in this post so we don't accidentally spoil anyone who hasn

Comments

[sspring92]

I am also really enjoying the book. It's probably not a book I ever would have picked up on my own, and it's really quite different that I expected

[gilpin25]

By the way, is there really a Stow-On-the-Water? I visited Stow-on-the-Wold, So I substituted that in my mind's eye!

Not as far as I know. I presume she's combined Stow, which as you'll know from having been there sits on top of a hill, and it's near neighbour, Bourton-on-the-Water. That has a long, picturesque high street which the river runs through the middle of. Stow's bigger while Bourton's prettier and busier.

I think we're all as one with the school days, and the intense friendships formed there, which one minute are the most crucial thing in life, and in the next, you're both friends with someone else and barely speak. I loved Nina's blackmailing techniques: "I shan't play with you any more!" and "I won't be your friend any more!"

[shimotsuki]

The school days feel and characters feel very familiar. I am dating myself, but I grew up in the 80's. The descriptions of the clothing really took me back1 And I swear I went to school with a couple of Ninas!

Oh, me too!

I haven't finished as of yet, but I think I will reread once done, I'm sure everything will have a whole new meaning!

I've started my reread, and I'm totally seeing things I didn't see the first time. I think this is one of those books that, far from being "spoiled", gets more interesting on a reread.

Oh and It just goes to show how deeply ingrained in my subconscious they are....I see Mr Lynn and Polly as a younger Remus and Tonks!

When katyhasclogs recommended this book, she mentioned that it just might appeal to R/T fans, so I think you are not alone. ;) (I'll have more to say about, shall we say, "May/December issues" in the second discussion post, but before starting the book I was a little worried about being disturbed by that aspect, and my fears were (mostly) unfounded.)

[huldrejenta]

Nice icon:-)

...shall we say, "May/December issues"

Do we know how old Mr. Lynn is? (I was thinking more like May/September, heh)

[huldrejenta]

Actually it took a while for me to really get into the story. I enjoyed reading it from the start, but when I got properly engrossed in the story, is when Polly and Mr. Lynn visit Stow-On-the-Water

[shimotsuki]

I find it most intriguing the way the magic entwines with reality

Yes! That is really interesting -- and leaves me with so many spoiler questions, heh. The horse incident is a great example, because (as Mr. Lynn says) there is a perfectly ordinary modern explanation for how it got there. And yet--! (I also love the idea of the horse-car, although I think I'd be afraid to ride with Mr. Lynn, heh.)

[gilpin25]

It really is hard to know where to start with this, and hard to know where to finish any comments without going into the second half of the book. By the time this first half ends I'd already come to the conclusion that I’d need to read it again, as it was baffling and captivating and making my head spin, in almost equal measure!

I did have moments of faint unease at the start, because of the age difference. Polly undoubtedly develops a crush on Mr Lynn - it helps that it's very clear she thinks of him as this way, and 'Tom' only creeps in later - and I usually heartily dislike any set-up which starts off as I watch you grow up and then...? Those odd prickles died away as things became clearer, but I may come back to this later

[jobey_in_error]

but it was on my second read that I noticed when she passed under a street light, or when colours became particularly vivid or glowed, that magic would follow

That's really insightful.

The unease I felt for Polly was an interesting dimension too. I was pretty sure I knew where things were going with Mr. Lynn, and that we should trust him completely because he was obviously A Good, Nay, Even Perfect Sort of Person -- yet knowing this did not stop my horror that Polly's parents are so looney-tunes that no one seems to notice her spending all this time with a grown man no one knows, who likes to play pretend with her and drives like a maniac!

(Ivy and Reg were both infuriating. But sadly all too believable.)

So many enjoyable lines, yes -- I remember more clearly from the latter half of the book, as I have JUST finished, but wasn't there that great line in Part II where Ivy tells Polly she forgot to get a Christmas present for David? "Polly, who had never intended to get anything for David, pretended to be absorbed in opening her

[shimotsuki]

knowing this did not stop my horror that Polly's parents are so looney-tunes that no one seems to notice her spending all this time with a grown man no one knows

Yes, indeed! *sigh* (I'm skirting spoiler territory a little here, and have been saving this point up for discussion in the second half, but) further information made me wonder if Granny wasn't quite as uninformed about the situation as everyone else was, and maybe it helped Ivy along to know that Granny already thought Mr. Lynn was all right -- but on the other hand, Ivy was just too glad to have somewhere to park Polly when she went to see the lawyer, wasn't she. :/

And even the motives I'm guessing Granny may have had don't really let her vouch for Mr. Lynn's actual moral character vis-a-vis letting him spend time alone with her own granddaughter. (Sorry, got a little carried away there, lol -- but it's both disturbing and intriguing.)

[shimotsuki]

I did have moments of faint unease at the start, because of the age difference. [...] Those odd prickles died away as things became clearer, but I may come back to this later. ;)

Yes, this is something I'm sitting on my hands about until the second discussion as well. ;) But the situation was more interesting, and less icky, than I had feared at first. Although I did have similar thoughts to you and jobey_in_error, being rather amazed that all those adults were willing to let Polly go off on her own with this man that no one knew anything about.

it was on my second read that I noticed when she passed under a street light, or when colours became particularly vivid or glowed, that magic would follow.

Ooh, that's really interesting, and I hadn't noticed this pattern at all. But that even fits in with the glimpse of water in the dry pool in the funeral scene, where a sunbeam first catches Polly's eye.

Polly playing football to improve her hero skills and timing.Yes! I think it must have been a little bit heroic for her to throw herself into

[jobey_in_error]

I'm late to this particular party, as I had to wait a while for the book from ILL, and I've had a lot of work to attend to. So last night I was still working my way through Part II. But I do seem to have gone on a tear and finished reading the book last night. The style and pacing is impressive -- it's compulsively readable! Parts I and II in particular seem positively pellucid.

I think I'll need a re-read -- I thought I was following pretty well, but I did not understand A THING that was happening at the climax. Our Parts 3 & 4 discussion will definitely be interesting.

[shimotsuki]

Glad ILL came through and you're along for the read! My copy of the book was due back last week, but luckily no one had put a hold on it and I could renew it. ;)

I thought I was following pretty well, but I did not understand A THING that was happening at the climax. Our Parts 3 & 4 discussion will definitely be interesting.

*snort* My thoughts, exactly.