Booktalk

[listersgirl]

Pamela Dean Tam Lin

I really enjoyed this. It's a story that takes place on a college campus in the 70's, based around the old Scottish ballad Tam Lin, which gives the whole thing an air of surrealism and mysticism that I really liked. Actually, it almost felt like two different books, so much time was spent on the school part, but it was actually the school stuff that sucked me in more, making me want to sit around reading and discussing the classics. In fact, the day after I finished the book I caught myself wanting to study Latin, which has never happened before. I think partially this was because the college experience described in the book was so completely different to my university experience that it, too, felt like a fairy tale.

Laurie R. King The Moor

The more of these books I read, the more I forget that one of the characters is actually Sherlock Holmes. I don't know whether that's a good thing or a bad thing. I'm a little 'meh' about this book - I loved the atmosphere and the setting, but the story didn't do much for me.

Mary Doria Russell The Sparrow

It's hard to know what to say about this book because I'm still digesting it, having just finished it at lunch, but I can definitely say that it was very powerful, and pretty devastating. It's nominally the story of a group of people who find a transmission of music that indicates there's life on another planet, and put together an expedition to find out the source of that music. What makes it especially interesting is that four of the members are Jesuit priests, and the book talks a lot about issues of faith - where faith comes from and what it does for you. For me, as someone with no belief system, it was like being offered a window into another person's culture, and that alone was fascinating. Sorry, I'm not very articulate today, but I would definitely recommend this book.

Comments

[minervacat.livejournal.com]

Because I am unable to let any reference to Tam Lin pass, I must note here that Blackstock is the thinly fictionalized college that I attended. And, you know, aside from the Faerie aspect of it all, and including a great deal more drinking, it's pretty accurate to how my college years were. Which is kind of freaky in and of itself. (Pamela Dean is an alumna. And while she claims no people were based on real people, it is generally held to be true that Professor Evans was an English professor named Owen Jenkins, who actually used to return papers to students cut up in plastic bags - "The parts in the bag were the only good parts" - and who sadly passed away the year after I graduated.)

I reread Tam Lin whenever I miss Carleton. It helps a great deal.

[starfishchick]

I think The Moor is my least favourite of the Mary Russell books.

And OMG you finished The Sparrow today? Are you OK? Is that why you're not answering your phone? Did it EAT YOUR BRAIN??!?!?!??!

[circe-tigana.livejournal.com]

I'm a long time fan of Tam Lin, sought and dated a Classics major at university because of it :)

I couldn't finish The Sparrow ... just wasn't engaged.

[genarti]

The Moor is my least favorite of the Mary Russell books; it's got some fun snark and some good atmosphere, but the whole thing is... meh, as you said. (However, Justice Hall is next, and I adore that one.)

And, woo, Tam Lin! (I am being coherent today, it seems.)

[par-avion.livejournal.com]

I've heard good things on LJ about pameladean's Tam Lin, but I haven't read it yet. I should remember to do that.

I love The Sparrow, and I'm also fond of the sequel. It's ...mind-blowing, sad, beautiful. I love the specificity of the biology and ecology of the planet, the character dynamics. It's really not like any other book I've read. It's one of a very few books that I've actually bought three times.

You read a lot of books that I've enjoyed, so I'm going to drop a rec here: Set This House In Order by Matt Ruff. It won the Tiptree award. It's an incredible book, and I'd strongly recommend that you not read any reviews or commentary about it before you read it.

(If you've already read it and possted about it on LJ -- sorry!)

[blue-lotus.livejournal.com]

I'm convinced that Tam Lin is a book for English majors- there are SO many literary references in that book.

I liked it too. Apparently it's a sci fic/fantasy classic- B* is a sci-fi buff and he had heard of it.

[dramaqueen-23.livejournal.com]

Just had to say again how much I long to emulate your fantastic read-y-ness. Of course that won't happen if I just sit here worshiping you. I'm off!

*takes out reading glasses*