Chivalry by Neil Gaiman, art by Colleen Doran

 

Reviewed by Jeanne

 

Elderly widow Mrs. Whitaker likes to stop at the Oxfam shop on her way home from the post office on Thursdays. You never know what you might find at a thrift shop: a stuffed cobra, for instance.  This day Mrs. Whitaker finds some romance novels to read and the Holy Grail.

She thinks it will look nice on her mantelpiece.

It does, but then a young man on a horse comes by and wants the Grail.  His name is Galaad, and he’s on a quest, you see.

Only Mrs. Whitaker likes the way it looks on the mantelpiece and doesn’t want to give it up.

I first read this as a short story in a collection of Gaiman’s work and found it charming.  It’s just as charming in graphic novel form, with beautiful watercolor artwork and hints of illuminated manuscript that fit in well with the tone of the story.  It’s not surprising to read in the afterword that artist Doran fell in love with the story and waited years to be able to illustrate it. Her attention to detail is really extends the story, especially as it pertains to Mrs. Whitaker and her late husband. It's truly a gorgeously illustrated version.

The juxtaposition of the ordinary and the fantastic is handled so well in both formats, and the gentle humor just shines.  One thing I love about both versions is that Mrs. Whitaker is no fool.  To say more would venture into spoiler territory, I think.

Frankly, I like both versions.  I love Gaiman’s way with words, with the nuances that he coveys.  I do envision the story my way, though, and I’m glad that I had read it first before seeing the illustrated version. And, I confess, I still like the text only version a little bit better because sometimes illustrations take me away from the words.  It’s sort of the difference between reading a book and seeing the movie but let me hastily add that I feel Doran has been far more faithful to Gaiman’s vision than almost any movie version.  She truly wants to compliment his work and I believe she has succeeded brilliantly.

And I have to say that I think this version will find its way into more hands and introduce this lovely tale to more people, which is a most noble and worthy quest.

Once and Future Myths

By Jeanne

Mythology has become a hot topic. 

There have been many books drawing from myth and legend over the years—books about King Arthur* alone would fill a library—but there seems to be a recent uptick in the number of titles which draw from myth.  Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson series introduced a whole generation of children to the gods of Olympus, a series so successful that it spawned other series dealing with Norse and Egyptian mythology.  He now has his own children’s book imprint, Rick Riordian Presents, which will showcase new writers who are producing myth based fantasy of many cultures. The first book is Aru Shah and the End of Time by Roshani Chokshi which uses Hindu mythology as its setting.

On the adult side, Neil Gaiman came out with Norse Mythology last year, a non-fiction book which retells the Norse myths.  Those who know Thor only as one of the Avengers may be in for quite the surprise. The retellings are done with Gaiman’s usual high quality wordsmithing skills, with wonderful imagery, insight, and humor. This book is highly recommended as a starting point.

Following that, anyone intrigued should try Joanne Harris’ writing about the Norse, especially The Gospel of Loki which retells the stories from the point of view of one of the first unreliable narrators—Loki the Trickster.  She had two previous books, set in an alternate world after Ragnarok, Runemarks and Runelight.  Coming in May 2018 will be The Testament of Loki, which picks up right after The Gospel but which ties in with the Runemarks books.

Another new book draws on Greek myths:  Circe by Madeline Miller tells the story of the woman best known today as the enchantress Odysseus encountered on his way back from the Trojan War.  The reviews have been glowing, praising the engrossing story and poetic language. Miller’s previous novel, Song of Achilles, was about the Greek prince Patroclus and his friend Achilles, and how both ended up in going to fight in Troy.

It just goes to show that a good story never really goes away; it is just reworked to suit a new audience. 

*If you are interested in the Arthurian tales, I recommend a classic trilogy by Mary Stewart:  The Crystal Cave, The Hollow Hills, and The Last Enchantment. These are as much Merlin’s story as Arthur’s; in fact, the first book takes place before Arthur is born.  There is a fourth book, The Wicked Day, which is told from Modred’s point of view.

There are many, many others but this is a long time favorite of mine.

 

Nevermore: Fat Cats, Baseball, Psychics, Physics, and King Arthur

Reported by Ambrea

Elmer auditions for Fat Cat Art II

Nevermore began with a familiar book for us at the library:  Fat Cat Art:  Famous Masterpieces Improved by a Ginger Cat with Attitude by Svetlana Petrova—which features none other than Zarathustra, Petrova’s now famous twenty-two-pound, ginger-colored cat.  Beginning as an internet sensation, Fat Cat Art completely rewrites art history by taking some of the world’s greatest works of art (The Mona Lisa by DaVinci, Creation of Adam by Michelangelo, the Lascaux Cave wall painting, Declaration of Independence by John Trumball, The Kiss by Gustave Klimt, and much more!) and adding a delightfully plump cat.  Our Nevermore reader thought it was great book to read.  An amusing book filled with many wonderful illustrations, Fat Cat Art (along with Cats Gallery of Western Art by Susan Herbert) earned a lot of laughter from our readers—and some very good recommendations.

Next, our readers looked at Tales from the Dugout:  The Greatest True Baseball Stories Ever Told by Mike Shannon.  In Tales from the Dugout, Shannon compiles some of the most interesting stories about baseball’s most famous—or, sometimes, its most obscure—players.  Our reader, who is a fan of baseball, found Shannon’s book especially informative.  She said it was interesting to read so many stories about the baseball stars she knew and loved, but, more importantly, she was excited to learn about baseball players she never knew.  Ed Whitson, for instance, played for the New York Yankees—and he was locally known!  Born in Johnson City, Whitson was drafted to the major leagues after he completed high school in Unicoi County.  Our reader was fascinated by this book’s local connection to the region.

One of our readers also finished reading The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell.  In our last meeting, our reader discussed Mitchell’s novel—in which Holly Sykes, a psychic with unexpected connections to two warring tribes of mystics, is caught in a dangerous supernatural war—and his experiences with the novel so far.  After finishing The Bone Clocks, he said he enjoyed it overall.  “It’s quite a bit to keep up with,” he said, “[but] it keeps you on your toes.”  He also thought Mitchell’s book was interesting because it introduced him to British slang, including new words he hadn’t had the opportunity to see.

Additionally, our readers delved into Finding Camlann by Sean Pidgeon.  Donald Gladstone is an archaeologists and, like many in his field, he is fairly certain King Arthur never existed; however, when new facts are unearthed at Stonehenge, he decides to reevaluate what he knows and, after joining Julia Llewllyn, a linguist who is working with the Oxford English Dictionary, he sets off to discover the truth of King Arthur—and change history as we know it.  Our reader was rather impressed by the way Pidgeon manages to incorporate mythology, history, and mystery all at once.  She said it was “good to read, but sort of tricky” with all the elements of mythology and history that the author combines.

Last, our readers explored First You Build a Cloud:  And Other Reflections on Physics as a Way of Life by K.C. Cole.  Like Physics of the Impossible by Michio Kaku—which our readers explored last week, and this week—First You Build a Cloud explores physics, including gravity and light, quantum leaps and quasars, atomic particles and more.  Cole manages to explain complex mathematics and astrophysics for readers to understand and, more importantly, enjoy.  Our reader said she found it fascinating and, while she still might not understand much about quantum leaps, she does find she learned quite a bit more from K.C. Cole’s book.