January 27, 2009
Jonathan Stroud's first release since Ptolemy's Gate
has been eagerly awaited by those of us who loved everything about The
Bartimaeus Trilogy. I read it with great interest both for that fact, and because it dealt with Norse themes which are dear to my heart. Heroes of the Valley has an
unspecified Scandinavian setting and its story riffs partly off the
mythological roots of Beowulf and The Volsunga,
and partly off the sagas, most particularly from the sort of regional
feuds and squabbles at the center of the Erbyggja, or Ere-Dwellers
Saga. The Erbygja is at once the most mundane
and the most superstitious of the major sagas, with undead corpses and
witchcraft aplenty, and Stroud interpolates both those themes into his
omnipresent trows, which are a kind of earth dwelling troll. Heroes
of the Valley starts in traditional saga fashion by
establishing the troublesomeness of 14 year old male lead Halli, ala
Egil or Grettir, but from there it departs into a convoluted and hand
wringing dynamic very much at odds with the more stoical and direct
ethos of the sagas. In brief, the story establishes a primacy of one
clan over another, and a strong binding of place, of being trapped in
the valley by fear and superstition. Halli's task is to partially
straighten out things in the Valley and then break free and see the
wide world. He is joined by a daughter of one of the heads of the rival
Clan, Aud. Aud is presumably named after the historical character Aud
the Deep Minded, who figures in Grettir's, Njal's,
and the Ladxale Sagas. Though well written, the first
part of the book is a real slog. Stroud gets his feet under him towards
the end, but I imagine many young readers will set this book aside
well before then. For all its depth and complexity, Heroes of
the Valley is oddly stultifying and inert. Rooted in the more
provincial, regional, and mundane elements of Norse literature, it
misses out on the more compelling stoicism and high aesthetic of
human conduct which drives the sagas and makes them so colorful,
entertaining and inspiring. Good teen readers may wade through this
book and take some pleasure in its emotional nooks and crannies, but
overall it is more likely to be well commented on by adults
than enjoyed by the nation's youth. Here they are! Our weekly picks for the two best: two hardcover, two paperback, and two children's books. The very best new arrivals to leap out of the box and onto our shelves this week. Call or email us if you want more information on any of these titles, or to have us hold you a copy. Or stop in and check them out in person. We'd love to see you. Thanks as always for sharing your reading with us! |
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The Associate
By Grisham, John 2009/01 - Doubleday Books 9780385517836 - Hardcover See Other Formats List Price $27.95 - Your Price: $22.36
John Grisham's new novel is out today. The Associate is being billed as a return to "vintage" Grisham. Kyle McvAvoy is a brilliant young lawyer with no skeletons at all in his closet who chooses to go to work for the largest law firm in the world, which turns out to be filled with hard working, honest attorneys who treat their associates fairly.
Just kidding! Though a good person Mcavoy has a skeleton in his closet and is blackmailed into working for the largest law firm in the world which, gasp, turns out to be seething with evil!! ...More
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Nuclear Jellyfish
By Dorsey, Tim 2009/02 - William Morrow & Company 9780061432668 - Hardcover See Other Formats List Price $24.99 - Your Price: $19.99
When I first ran into Tim Dorsey I couldn't believe that there could be another outrageously funny mystery author working out of Florida besides Carl Hiaasen (Whose new YA book, Scat, is out today), but Tim Dorsey is great fun. It must be something about Florda. Nuclear Jellyfish is Dorsey's tenth book, and he's just starting to get the recognition he deserves. ...More
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American Food Writing: An Anthology with Classic Recipes
By O'Neill, Molly 2009/02 - Library of America 9781598530414 - Trade Paper See Other Formats List Price $24.00 - Your Price: $19.20
This excellent anthology is filled with classic culinary essays covering 250 years of American Food Writing, and is sure to delight anyone interested in this venerable genre. ...More
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Vegan Soups and Hearty Stews for All Seasons
By Atlas, Nava 2009/01 - Broadway Books 9780767930727 - Trade Paper See Other Formats List Price $17.95 - Your Price: $14.36
While we're on the subject of food, Vegan cooking has been increasingly popular, whether one is a strict Vegan or not. This rise in poularity has been marked not only by fantastic new books, such as Vegan With a Vengeance, but also with the reissue and elegant repackaging of older books such as, Vegan Soups and Hearty Stews for all Seasons. Originally entitled Vegetarian Soups and Hearty Stews for all Seasons, the name change and the nice new layout all indicate that Vegan cooking has indeed arrived....More
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Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Journey to Change the World... One Child at a Time
By Mortenson, Greg Relin, David Oliver Thomson, Sarah L. 2009/02 - Puffin Books 9780142414125 - Trade Paper See Other Formats List Price $8.99 - Your Price: $7.19
The popular and important bestseller Three Cups of Tea has been adapted for younger readers in this new edition. While some attempts to adapt adult non fiction for a younger audience have fallen flat, this book translated well. This success was in part due to the relevance of its subject matter to young readers, and in part because the writer who did the adaption was the excellent Maine author Sarah Thomson. Mortensen's story of building schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan has inspired readers around the world, and it is more than fitting that it should reach the ears of children directly....More
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Ron's Big Mission
By Blue, Rose Naden, Corinne 2009/02 - Dutton Books 9780525478492 - Hardcover List Price $16.99 - Your Price: $13.59
Okay, I absolutely love Ron's Big Mission. Karen loves Ron's Big Mission. I rather expect you will too if you flip through its pages. It is based on a true story drawn from a childhood incident in the life of Astronaut Ron McNair. McNair lost his life in the Challenger explosion. McNair, who was African American, was a voracious reader as a child, and spent much of his time reading books in the town library. Only whites were allowed to check books out, however. This story, told in a simple and understated manner, and beautifully illustrated by Don Tate, is so warm, unaffected, and inspiring, that no reader could be unmoved. Ron's Big Mission succeeds marvelously where so many issue and message books fail miserably, because it trusts in the power of story, and trusts in the reader....More
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