Critique

Being as this is such a great classic of literature, both for children and adults, I don’t add that much value by reviewing it and recommending it. However, I thought it would be fun to post something so much older in the midst of my reviews for books published recently. This is my attempt to say, “Don’t forget about me” for the old books that still have a lot of value.

In many ways, the reason that The Hobbit is such a popular book that has stood the test of time is Tolkein’s attention to detail and story. The world of Middle Earth feels tangible, and I would state outright that most of the fantasy books out nowadays are either rehashes of Tolkein’s world, or just action-driven stories that don’t take the time to delve into the setting, characters, or story with much depth. They’re fun reads, but nothing that will prompt any intellectual thought or multiple reads. Comparing books to food, The Hobbit is like a filet mignon while many of these recent books are more like a fast food cheeseburger. Both are meat, technically, but the filet is a much more satisfying meal even though it takes longer to make and eat.

Critique

As always, Le Guin delivers what you’d expect, a fantasy book of true literary quality. Unlike many of the emerging fantasy texts throughout the past 20 years or so, especially since the Harry Potter craze, The Earthsea books force the reader to wrestle with many of the same issues that we have to face as real people. Her first book in the series, A Wizard of Earthsea shows the inherent evil within us all, and the ability we have to overcome it only by facing it. The second book, The Tombs of Atuan, delineates the struggles surrounding pride and power. This book delves into the desire to pursue eternal life, thus interrupting the balance between life and nature, humans and the natural laws we’re subject to just as much as anything else. The most interesting element that Le Guin unearths in her take on the concept of eternal life is that her characters, in their pursuit, lose their true identity, their name, and wash into oblivion and nothingness. 

I was talking with a new co-worker about the kinds of books and movies that we’re into, and she actually laughed at the fact that I love fantasy, saying that she isn’t interested in anything in that genre because it’s unrealistic and could never happen. She does, however, love romantic comedies, which in my opinion are easily as unrealistic if not more so because of their lighthearted and sometimes shallow treatment of relationships between men and women. Sure, I’m never going to ride a dragon or walk through a wardrobe (at least as far as I’ve experienced so far), but the universal truths exhumed in books like Ender’s Game, The Lord of the Rings, or this series are much more accurate to our own human experiences. Long live good literature!

The other books in this series are A Wizard of Earthsea (book 1), The Tombs of Atuan (book 2), Tehanu (book 4), Tales from Earthsea (book 5), and The Other Wind (book 6)

Critique

Not only is this collection poignant and educational for younger readers, but I believe that it is an absolutely essential read for the youth of America. Too quickly people forget about the past, and these poems are necessary in order that history doesn’t continue to repeat itself. There are so many phenomenal gems by well-known authors and poets throughout the 20th century, and every single one of them is still relevant to our culture today. The list of poets in this anthology is amazing, and it’s an important read for anyone in order to show us a mirror, reflecting the current state of ourselves in hopes that we will grow and expand our understanding of life and humanity.

Critique

Almost everyone knows about Pern, even those who aren’t generally interested in fantasy or science fiction novels. I’m surprised that no one has tried to take this series and make it into a movie. At the very least, a Sci-Fi channel original series or an anime treatment of it is due. I’ve included this as part of the classics because I believe that McCaffrey’s ability to create a world and tell a story with lots of layers of conflict is far above and beyond that of most fantasy and science fiction writers. She doesn’t just rely on the fantasy and tension of the storyline as a crutch, but creates realistic characters who are fighting real battles, whether that be against the threads, other people, or even time itself. She’s also so intricately created the politics of Pern that it seems like a real place. A quick warning, though, there are elements of sexuality and murder throughout the text, so it may skew a little higher in age. I recommend this book to readers 14+.

There are many books in the Pern series, but the other two in the initial trilogy specifically are Dragonfight (book 1) and The White Dragon (book 3).

Critique

Almost everyone knows about Pern, even those who aren’t generally interested in fantasy or science fiction novels. I’m surprised that no one has tried to take this series and make it into a movie. At the very least, a Sci-Fi channel original series or an anime treatment of it is due. I’ve included this as part of the classics because I believe that McCaffrey’s ability to create a world and tell a story with lots of layers of conflict is far above and beyond that of most fantasy and science fiction writers. She doesn’t just rely on the fantasy and tension of the storyline as a crutch, but creates realistic characters who are fighting real battles, whether that be against the threads, other people, or even time itself. She’s also so intricately created the politics of Pern that it seems like a real place. A quick warning, though, there are elements of sexuality and murder throughout the text, so it may skew a little higher in age. I recommend this book to readers 14+.

There are many books in the Pern series, but the other two in the initial trilogy specifically are Dragonquest (book 2) and The White Dragon (book 3).

Critique

This is one of my favorite books of all time in young adult fiction. Lowry does an amazing job revealing the truths of this world slowly and uncovers everything for the reader as Jonas is experiencing it himself. Futuristic and Sci-Fi novels often deal with a future where humanity is stripped of personal and creative rights, much like the dystopia created in 1984. However, few are able to pull it off as well as Lowry does. Every ounce of writing is fresh and unique, and the world she has created is well thought through so that any reader will feel like this world could, or actually does, exist. I recommend this to all readers 11+.

The other companion books in this series are Gathering Blue and Messenger.

Critique

Unlike the previous addition to this series, this is less a chronicle about the great wizard Sparrowhawk/Ged in his younger and foolish years, and more about one story that builds to a final climax. It’s not surprising that this was awarded a Newbery honor, since it gives insight into the struggle a young priestess faces as she starts to see the world get broader. This expansion of her worldview calls into question the nature of religion and the worship of beings that seem not to hear her or have any power in the world any longer.

As always with LeGuin’s works, it’s a merger of real life story-telling elements with a fantasy world, unlike many of the fantasy works today, which rely far too heavily on the fantasy tropes and battles with very little story element to fall back on. I recommend this book to all readers 12+.

The other books in this series are A Wizard of Earthsea (book 1), The Farthest Shore (book 3), Tehanu (book 4), Tales from Earthsea (book 5), and The Other Wind (book 6).

Critique

All three of these books are a fun read, and each story is able to stand on its own as unique and interesting apart from the others, even though it’s one story spread over three novels. There is definitely some obvious anti-Judeo-Christian themes, but if you really drill down to what Pullman is communicating through them, they work more as a satire intended to be a mirror to people who hold onto self-righteous and bigoted beliefs that isolate and abuse others. Ultimately, though these are fun stories born out of a creative mind that was able to construct an entirely original fantasy that critiques our own culture. It’s a rare gem, blending both an imaginative fantasy with a pointed social commentary. I recommend this series to all readers 9+ and I also recommend rereading them as you get older, because alike books such as Wrinkle in Time, and The Narnia series, the layered conflicts, references, and commentaries will grow with you as a reader.

The other books in this series are The Golden Compass (book 1), The Subtle Knife (book 2), and Lyra’s Oxford and Once Upon a Time in the North as companion novels.

Critique

All three of these books are a fun read, and each story is able to stand on its own as unique and interesting apart from the others, even though it’s one story spread over three novels. There is definitely some obvious anti-Judeo-Christian themes, but if you really drill down to what Pullman is communicating through them, they work more as a satire intended to be a mirror to people who hold onto self-righteous and bigoted beliefs that isolate and abuse others. Ultimately, though these are fun stories born out of a creative mind that was able to construct an entirely original fantasy that critiques our own culture. It’s a rare gem, blending both an imaginative fantasy with a pointed social commentary. I recommend this series to all readers 9+ and I also recommend rereading them as you get older, because alike books such as Wrinkle in Time, and The Narnia series, the layered conflicts, references, and commentaries will grow with you as a reader.

The other books in this series are The Golden Compass (book 1), The Amber Spyglass (book 3), and Lyra’s Oxford and Once Upon a Time in the North as companion novels.

Critique

All three of these books are a fun read, and each story is able to stand on its own as unique and interesting apart from the others, even though it’s one story spread over three novels. There is definitely some obvious anti-Judeo-Christian themes, but if you really drill down to what Pullman is communicating through them, they work more as a satire intended to be a mirror to people who hold onto self-righteous and bigoted beliefs that isolate and abuse others. Ultimately, though these are fun stories born out of a creative mind that was able to construct an entirely original fantasy that critiques our own culture. It’s a rare gem, blending both an imaginative fantasy with a pointed social commentary. I recommend this series to all readers 9+ and I also recommend rereading them as you get older, because alike books such as Wrinkle in Time, and The Narnia series, the layered conflicts, references, and commentaries will grow with you as a reader.

The other books in this series are The Subtle Knife (book 2), The Amber Spyglass (book 3) and Lyra’s Oxford and Once Upon a Time in the North as companion novels.