I've commented before on how hard it is to review picture books like this - I mean, by the time I've got into my flow here I'll have used more words tI've commented before on how hard it is to review picture books like this - I mean, by the time I've got into my flow here I'll have used more words than are contained within this entire book.
This is our second Meg and Mog book. We started withMeg on the Moonbecause I'm a sci-fi geek. Fin (my 18-month old son) loves that one very much, so we decided to get him the original for Christmas.
How hard is it to buy gifts for a toddler? We got him this book, some soap/crayons that you can draw with in the bath that wipe off, some foam letters which stick to the wall when wet (another bath toy) a giant teddy bear and a toddler laptop (so he stops trying to steal the adult computer). Every present (bar the teddy) he was more interested in the box and/or wrapping paper. I mean, he loves them all now, but I saw the same reaction from all our family giving him presents too - they get all psyched-up about how much he's going to love their carefully chosen gifts... and then Fin sits there scrunching the paper, giggling and sticking his head inside the box.... and totally ignoring the present itself. And each time it happened they would look vaguely disappointed, try not to, and then go "Ah well, he's a toddler!" Apparently it's universally accepted that toddlers have not yet learned the social rules of gratitude - how long will this slack last?
So... Meg and Mog. Lovely artwork - simple, crisp, bright and expressive. Perfect for young minds (and their Daddy's). The story itself a bit of a let down. I was expecting more character development, more emotional angst - but there's nothing at stake here, nothing driving the tension... It's just a story about a witch, who lives with her cat and an owl. She gets ready to go out to a party, then goes to the party and the witches at the party all cast a spell, the spell goes wrong and turns the rest of the witches into mice (inexplicably sparing Meg herself), and the Meg's cat Mog chases the mice. The end. I mean.. who didn't see that twist at the end coming? But they cut out before the really juicy scene where Mog catches one of the mice, plays with it, teases it, slices it open, hooks out the purple wibbly organs with one claw, and eats the rest whole...
So - it's really just as good asMeg on the Moon... except it doesn't include any phrase as good as 'Lunar Module' which earned that book a fourth star all on its own. So Nicoll will have to settle for three here. A very solid picture book.
I have one genuine gripe: Owl. There are three 'people' living in the house, Meg, Mog and Owl. Why doesn't Owl get a name? I mean, if they were called Human, Cat and Owl I wouldn't have raised the issue. But Owl is part of the family, he shares breakfast with them, in the other book he makes a picnic for them - but he doesn't get a name? That seems mean. Unless it's saying something profound about Owl psychology? To each and every Owl, "I am Owl" is the only concept of self they can grasp? What happens if an Owl meets another Owl "Hi Owl," "Hello to you too, Owl"? What if there's a whole crowd of Owls and someone shouts "Hey Owl!" - do all the heads swivel 180 degrees and then bob up and down to triangulate the shouters location while they try to deduce who was being addressed?
If you haven't seen it, check out Ze Frank'sTrue Facts About The Owl(it's only 4 minutes long) because "That's how an Owl do."
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Following the resounding success of myLocus Quest,I faced a dilemma: which reading list to follow it up with? Variety is the spice of lif
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Following the resounding success of myLocus Quest,I faced a dilemma: which reading list to follow it up with? Variety is the spice of life, so I’ve decided to diversify and pursue six different lists simultaneously. This book falls into myBEDTIME STORIESlist.
I have a little boy and love reading to him, so this reading list will cover the classic (and new) children’s stories we’re enjoying together.
This is currently my eighteen month old son's favourite book (displacingRoom on the Broomand the one about theMonkeywhich makes noises when you push the button).
Meg and Mog go to the moon for Mog's birthday treat. They meet some astronauts and have dinner in their lunar module. Then they come home and have a picnic with owl. Their spaceship goes "put-put".
I could easily write more wordsaboutthis book than are containedwithinthis book. The pictures are bright primary colours and I find them charming. It was given to us a gift as I am a well known sci-fi fan. It has made me want to buy more Meg and Mog books.
I mean... this is a baby book with the words 'lunar module' in it. Too cool.
Also Fin keeps pointing at Owl and saying "Ducky!" All birds are ducks to him. He shouts "Ducky!" at the pigeons when we're shopping.
When I do the countdown to the ship taking-off he nods his head with each number very seriously.
Yesterday he decided to readMeg On The Moonby himself; he was quite clear that he didn't want my help. He then read the book cover to cover, one page at a time. I was very proud. I mean, the book was upside down, but he wassoclose.
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Following the resounding success of myLocus Quest,I faced a dilemma: which reading list to follow it up with? Variety is the spice of lif
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Following the resounding success of myLocus Quest,I faced a dilemma: which reading list to follow it up with? Variety is the spice of life, so I’ve decided to diversify and pursue six different lists simultaneously. This book falls into myLOCUS FANTASYlist.
As the Locus Sci-Fi Award winners list treated me so kindly, I figure I’ll trust those same good folk to pick me some stars in their sister-list, the Locus Fantasy Award winners.
Le Guin and I continue to rub along well-enough, without becoming friends. I've come to respect what she does, while acknowledging it just doesn't push my buttons.
When I scan the many 5-star reviews from Goodreads friends whose opinions I respect (and normally agree with) I find myself in the apathetic minority with Earthsea. They're on the cusp between "it was OK" and "like it", and I round that 2.5 up to 3 because I have a generous soul.
This is the story of the Eaten One, the reincarnated Priestess who eventually rediscovers free-will and absconds with Sparrowhawk. I was struggling with it until Sparrowhawk rocks-up - the Priestess on her own is way too passive/drifty until that point (a common issue of mine with Le Guin's work). Even after the Wizard is on the scene, there's a crux period of dilemma/decision for the Priestess which had me glued to the page, and then we're back to another drifty sequence on the journey home...
I said to someone recently that the quiet moment where [the Pristess] watches [the Wizard] sleeping, and there's a thistle by his hand, and the world just seems so strange, was somehow a moment that perfectly defines Le Guin's work for me.That quietness, that moment of clarity, of seeing-things-anew.
A lot of the story is about getting into the Priestess' headspace, so we can appreciate that moment of clarity fully... but the payoff just didn't balance out the legwork for me. Like climbing a hill to see the view... and seeing some more hills and trees and thinking "yeah, pretty an' all, but I've seen prettier paintings that didn't leave my legs aching..."
Kudos to all those who love the Earthsea series - I will read the next couple of books as I already have them in an omnibus - but unless the next two feature a big swing in style, don't expect to list me amongst the converts!
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Following the resounding success of myLocus Quest,I faced a dilemma: which reading list to follow it up with? Variety is the spice of lif
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Following the resounding success of myLocus Quest,I faced a dilemma: which reading list to follow it up with? Variety is the spice of life, so I’ve decided to diversify and pursue six different lists simultaneously. This book falls into myHUGO WINNERSlist.
This is the reading list that follows the old adage, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". I loved reading the Locus Sci-Fi Award winners so I'm going to crack on with the Hugo winners next (but only the post-1980 winners, I'll follow up with pre-1980 another time).
Quick - write a review before the toddler gets home!
So...The Fountains of Paradisewasn't what I was expecting. I'm not quite sure what exactly Iwasexpecting, because I'd never read anything by Arthur C Clarke before, but Space Elevators are a staple of space-opera, a sub-genre I'm particularly fond of - so I guess I was expecting more... melodrama?
I said (repeatedly) in my comments while reading that this story is measured, peaceful, even Zen. Now, while I did enjoy those aspects, I didn't find them terribly gripping. Despite the wonderful engineering feat described, I never felt riveted (please excuse the terrible pun).
For anyone (like me) who doesn't know much about this book:
The story is about the greatest engineer of his generation, Van. His masterwork to date was the Gibraltar bridge, so huge it's simply referred to as The Bridge. Now he's got plans for an even bigger bridge - a bridge to the stars - in the form of a space elevator. The only mountaintop site on Earth suitable for this incredible project is already occupied... by an ancient Buddhist temple. The story follows how Van comes to evict the tenants, and then later his involvement in a rescue mission during the construction of the elevator.
We also get a flashback to some ancient history around the location of the elevator, and a flashforward to mirror the distant future when the elevator is, itself ancient.
So, what's to like?
It's accessible - the language, structure and characters are all easy to grab hold of. It's a quick read - it's not a big book. The pure love of engineering, and passion for the idea of a space elevator evident is interesting, powerful, and charming. The tone throughout is mature; thoughtful, contemplative and peaceful.
It's kind of like a charismatic lecturer using an engineer's biography to try and get students to relate to the real-world issues around major projects. Not entirely successful, but you appreciate the effort.
And what's not to like?
The story is interesting, but not 'dramatic' in the traditional sense. Van has no close friends or family. Nobody's life is at risk if his project doesn't get off the ground. It's a fight for an idea... a wonderful idea, but there's no heart-and-soul at stake. The plot is broadly bisected into getting the project started, and the rescue mission. The first challenge is overcome via a deus-ex-fluke. The second has the potential for great heart-string drama, but ducks every bullet - the victim being rescued is not someone we care about, the method of rescue is mostly routine and sedate, the moments of crisis en-route are solved logically and methodically, and the final climax is one of peaceful acceptance... I applaud the mindset of Van throughout these trials - but his careful competence does suck the risk-factor out of the equation. This is Van the man, he gets the job done, now let's look at the scenery...
As a far-future tale, this feels dated. Apart from the crystal-nanowire the Elevator is built of, there's very little development out into broader technological/social/political progression. This feels like the 80s... with a space elevator.
...And the final score?
I was torn between 3 and 4 stars... I definitely 'liked it' but I didn't 'really like it'. At no point was I not enjoyingThe Fountains of Paradise,but the overall experience lacked ooomph. In the end I settled on 3 stars because I just didn't have the conviction for 4.
Not a bad introduction, I think, to Arthur C. Clarke. In no way has it put me off reading more when the opportunity arises.
What would you compare it too?
Hmm... tough for me because I don't read much from that era. Asimov is the only peer I've read, and they certainly have some stylistic elements common. Some similarities to Larry Niven too. A modern writer in the same headspace may be Greg Egan?
P.S. - why is there no proper cover for this book? only a photo of a book at a weird angle..?- Huzzah! Librarian David has now fixed this - thanks.
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