Lots of Fun Web Wanderings

While playing catch up on my blog surfing I found all kinds of fun stuff online. Book news, fun blogs, and a new addition to the blog roll.

Lots of new news on Neil Gaiman. Found this one the day before I left, but didn't get to post on it. Neil Gaiman appears to be working on a new book as is evidenced by this post. He started with a short story that is being worked into what looks like a novel that was inspired by his son riding his bike in a graveyard. Seems to be titled "The Graveyard Book". Or he may be talking about two different books there. Not really sure.

If you stop over at amazon, you find all kinds of great Neil Gaiman news by doing a search for his name. The first is a new edition of Stardust illustrated by Charles Vess that is due out May 2, 2007 and is published by Vertigo. This made me very happy as I never got a copy of the original with illustrations by Vess. Can't wait for this one. I love Charles Vess' work and his blog over at Greenman Press has been added to the blog roll.

Gaiman also has two other books forthcoming. The first is a collection of short stories called "M is for Magic". I believe that I heard about this awhile ago and it is supposed to be geared toward a younger reader. It's due out July 1, 2007. The second book is Interworld which is a collaboration with Michael Reaves. Also geared towards younger audiences with a release date of July 1, 2007. The cover for that one is great!

The next thing I stumbled across brightened my day tremendously. There is a wonderful blog out there called the Friends of English Magic. It's subject matter is everything Susanna Clarke, lots of Neil Gaiman stuff, Charles Vess stuff, and just all kinds of wonderful things that interest me. The title of the site is of course taken from Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell. The Friends of English Magic was the name of the scholarly magician society in that book who were not practical magicians, but just studied magic. I discovered this site because I was getting lots of referrals to this blog from it. After some investigating, I found that the author of the site had some very kind things to say about my review of The Ladies of Grace Adieu on this post. Always good to get a nod from a site as wonderful as that one. They've also been added to the blog roll.

I also stumbled across a wonderful post by Carl V. at Stainless Steel Droppings that made me smile in a nostalgic way. A post all about Star Trek! Carl is a wonderful reviewer and I always look forward to the things he has to say about books, art, movies, and culture in general. This post was about the History Channel's Star Trek anniversary special and a great homage to the beautiful thing that is called Star Trek.

Finally, I came home to find that I had won 4 incredible books off of ebay that I really didn't think I was going to win. The first book is Dustcovers, a book that Carl told me about. It is a collection of all of Dave McKean's covers for Neil Gaiman's Sandman comic. Can't wait for this one. The second is Subterranean Press' edition of The Road to Lisdoonvarna by Charles De Lint. It is a signed, first edition, numbered (#424/2000) book and I got it for $9.99! How awesome is that. Next is The Alchemy of Mirrormask. Mirrormask is the wonderful cinematic child of Dave McKean and Neil Gaiman, and I have mentioned it before here. This book collects some of Dave's original sketches for the movie as well as paintings and shows the process from original ideas to completion. And last, but certainly not least is the Trade Paperback version of Black Orchid. This is a graphic novel that was the first collaboration of Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean. Can't wait to read it.

This is all the news I have for now, but it seems to be enough to satisfy the palate for now.

Update: One more exciting piece of news. Just saw that Tori Amos will release her new album, American Doll Posse on May 1, 2007 to be followed by a world tour. yay!

The Ladies of Grace Adieu by Susanna Clarke

The Ladies of Grace Adieu and Other Stories is another masterpiece by Susanna Clarke. It is a collection of eight short stories set mostly in England in the early 19th century. The stories are absolutely magical. Characters include Mary Queen of Scots, the Duke of Wellington, Jonathan Strange, and John Uskglass (the raven king) among others. Each story has that wonderful, magical charm that she put into every page of Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell. Fairies appear in many of her stories. I love her fairies because they are not your traditional fairies. One of my favorite stories in this collection is "Tom Brightwind or How the Fairy Bridge was Built at Thoresby". In this story, her fairy, Tom Brightwind, is six feet tall, has somewhat of a malicious side and has no wings at all. Another favorite is "On Lickerish Hill", which is Susanna Clarke's version of Rumplestiltskin.

What makes this book even more magical is Charles Vess' illustrations. The whole package of the book makes you feel like you hold a treasure in your hand. The cover is designed beautifully, the stories are magical, the pages of the book are antiqued, and the illustrations are just gorgeous. I feel special for owning a copy of the book. Charles Vess' illustrations are very Victorian looking and go wonderfully with the stories. I felt as if I were reading an old book of fairy tales from the 19th century complete with illustrations of the time and all. It's very easy to forget that this book was published in 2006.

Clarke truly is a master of her genre. She spins tales that become classics as soon as they're written and her use of the english language is simply beautiful. I can't wait to see what we can expect from her in the coming years. She has announced that she has somewhat of a sequel to Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell in mind, though it will probably take place after Strange and Norrell are long gone. I'm sure that whatever her brilliant mind produces next, it will be just as much of a pleasure to read as her first two books have been.

Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell

Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell is the magical creation of Susanna Clarke. It is the story of the return of magic to England some 200 years ago. It takes place in a time when magic was no longer practiced in England, but still studied by many. Mr. Norrell, a practical magician, decides that he shall return magic to England, but has no idea how out of control a little magic can get when he takes on a task that proves to be bigger than him.

Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell is by no means a page turner, at least not until the last 200 or so pages. The Washington Post describes it by saying that "Many books are to be read, some are to be studied, and a few are meant to be lived in for weeks." This is one that applies to all of the above categories. However, what keeps the reader reading is an interesting, constantly evolving story line and a sense of magic in Susanna Clarke's words. Her writing is exquisite and is captivating in itself.

As I first started this book, I was a little disappointed. I thought that the story was too slow and that it wasn't driving enough. The book is broken up into three parts. The first two parts of the book are spent setting up the tale, introducing us to the many delightful if not woeful characters, and setting a magical tone. When part three of the book kicks in, it turns into a page turner. When I got to part three, I appreciated the time she took in parts one and two setting the tale up. In part three of this book, you can literally feel the magic coming off of the pages. It's wonderful!

As you read the pages of this book, you feel like you are in fact reading history. The book is complete with very informative footnotes, and I found myself often forgetting that this was a work of fiction. She even incorporates Lord Byron into the book, a wonderful surprise. While he doesn't play a main character, he shows how capable Clarke is of spinning a convincing tale.

Portia Rosenberg contributes the perfect illustrations for the book. They seem to me to be charcoal drawings that are very reflective of what book illustrations may have looked like at the time of Mr. Strange and Mr. Norrell. Very fitting for this book. They contribute to the dark tone of many parts of the book.

This book is like reading a cross between Jane Austen and Neil Gaiman. Certainly a book of fantasy, yet so realistic at the same time...an oxymoron if you will, and I mean that in the best way possible. Susanna Clarke won the Hugo award for this novel in 2005 and I can think of no one more deserving. Quite impressive for her first novel. Truly a fascinating read. I can't wait to start digging into my signed, first edition copy of The Ladies of Grace Aldieu, Clarke's second publication, a collection of short stories that is beautifully illustrated.