Book Recommendation: Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde

I love to read. I talk about video games a lot, but books have always come first. That being said, I sometimes find it difficult to make recommendations for others. I do okay estimating their tastes and interests. Where I suspect I stumble most often is guessing how much work people are willing to do for their reading pleasure. Actually to be more accurate (and somewhat less humble), where I really stumble, is estimating how much effort some books ask of others. And some books really do ask a lot.

Harry Potter, for instance, is a ridiculously easy read. That is not to say it's simplistic, but rather it feels effortless. Dune, on the other hand, requires a bit of patience and diligence. It's the difference between strapping yourself into a roller coaster or running a marathon. Both lead to the release of endorphins, but in one you're carried along while in the other you've got to do the work yourself.

Shades of Grey, as you might have guessed, is one of the latter books. It is a bit of a departure from Fforde's other works. I strongly recommend them, too, but for different reasons. His Thursday Next series is a brilliant, hilarious, highly enjoyable, and somewhat bizarre combination of Robert Ludlum, Douglas Adams, and Charlotte Bronte (start with "The Eyre Affair"). His Nursery Crime series is a brilliant, hilarious, highly enjoyable and somewhat bizarre combination of Dashiell Hammet, Douglas Adams, and Mother Goose (start with "The Big Over Easy").

Shades of Grey is something else entirely. For instance, most of the Douglas Adams is gone. That's not to say it's not funny, but humor is less of a focus. It's a much darker story (ironic, given the central role of color). It's also even more difficult to describe. Among his many talents, perhaps Fforde's most welcome is his ability to deliver something utterly new. This is one of those things. If I were to try to place it in a genre, I might paint it as a post-apocalyptic, Victorian, coming-of-age, social commentary, and color wheel lesson. I might refer to William Gibson, Neal Stephenson, Ursula K. Le Guin, or George Orwell (with just a hint of Douglas Adams). None of that would quite work though. Really, to describe it best, I'd have to say it's like a dark Jasper Fforde.

The book is about a vaguely Victorian society based entirely on the limited ability of its members to perceive color. That's all I'm going to describe of the plot or the world because (and here is where my warning about work finally returns) much of the enjoyment in this book comes from piecing together what the heck this world is about. It really is a completely new place, one that Fforde has assembled meticulously and thoroughly, a world he reveals bit by bit through a protagonist who is already frustratingly familiar with it. Harry Potter discovers his new world (and has it explained to him) alongside the reader, but Edward Russet offers no such guided tour (although he tries sometimes). That is where the work comes in, and the patience. The important parts come together in a tremendously satisfying manner, but it will take time and effort to get them there. Some of the unimportant parts do, too, but, just as in the world outside books, much is left unexplained.

So, given that I won't explain what it is about or where it is set or how the world works, how do you, dear reader, know if you will enjoy it or not? Perhaps I can offer a few rules-of-thumb to help you decide.

Read it if:
1. You already know you like Jasper Fforde books
2. You love built-world books like Dune, The Left Hand of Darkness, or Neuromancer
3. You are intrigued by the idea of a world where the social order is built entirely upon what hues people see and how much.

I love it. It's one of the best books I've read in a long time. Take that for what it's worth to you.

Book-camping

As I write this blog entry, I am sitting on Sarah's porch waiting for the postman to arrive with our copies of the final Harry Potter book.

So I guess I am book-camping after all, it's just not a very public sort of camping. This is a little less goofy than what you might find at Barnes & Noble or Borders. Then again - I did get bored beforehand and dyed my hair blue, spiked it, and gave myself a tattoo (all temporary) so avoiding goofiness does not seem to be a high priority for me.

So why am I out here?

Pleasant anticipation, I guess. It's a beautiful sunny summer day. It's cool for Atlanta which means pleasant for me. There's a cold lemonade to my right and just a little further past that, a hot girl. So I'm in a good place.

If I wanted the book as soon as possible, I suppose I could have camped at one of the midnight parties. But those can be weird and are not entirely necessary. There is some fear of a sell-out, yes, so if you're shopping at the official bookstores, the midnight parties at least lend a certain peace of mind. If you can stand to wait about 8 hours longer (perhaps using that time for sleep), you're better off getting the book at a grocery store. Yes, that's correct, a grocery store. They tend to stock popular books and people rarely think to check them. It's usually a reasonable price and unlikely to sell out. KaCee deserves the credit for pointing this phenomenon out to me. Thanks to her I got book four without any trouble. I could have gone that route for this book if I needed to. Indeed, there was a nice front-of-store display of Harry Potter books at Publix when I did my shopping this morning.

So I could, theoretically, be several hundred pages in by now. That's okay, though. I think I like this better. I'll get the book today eventually, and in the meantime I get a pleasant afternoon on the porch with my girlfriend. Good times.

Harry Potter and the Journey's End

I am a Harry Potter fan. I won't be standing in line at midnight, wearing my Gryffindor colors, talking about Quidditch, or discussing what animal my Patronus charm might produce but I do know what all those words mean and I am going to be receiving a copy of the final book the day/moment it becomes available. Book 7. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. The end of a long and fascinating journey.

The first book came out almost exactly 10 years ago. I discovered them sometime between book 3 and book 4, thanks to a mother who works with both children and books. After this coming Saturday, I will own all 7 in hard cover and will strongly encourage my children (many many years after this coming Saturday) to read them all.

I have read each book at least three times (the first thing I did each time I finished one of these books was to turn back to the beginning and start over - I've never done that before with any other book). I just finished my most recent reread of the series a few weeks ago, in time for movie number 5 and well in time for book number 7. I am a voracious reader (who else is ever voracious? Technically eaters should be, but I think I've only ever seen it applied to readers) and the books are fast reads. I average about 100 pages an hour (that's just for Potter though, other books don't always read nearly as smoothly). That was a mistake. I have promised myself I'm going to break this coming reading into smaller chunks - take occasional long breaks, let things actually process a bit as I go. I'm even going to try to sleep before I finish the book. We'll see how well I hold to that. These books have been incredibly addictive and arresting. I doubt the final one will be any exception.

If you have not read it, you are missing out. I mean it. Those of you who refuse because you don't want to get caught up in what everyone else is doing are being foolish (everyone else breathes oxygen...). If you're militantly opposed to fantasy, do not like reading in general, or have religious reasons for avoiding the book - I can't help you. Everyone else needs to read these books. I'll lend you my copy. Actually, I even recommend these to people who don't like fantasy (Harry might prove the exception) or who do not enjoy reading (they're easy and fun, I promise). I will not try to convince the religious opponents, and there are many - the Potter books are claimed to be the most banned book in America, although that may be apocryphal.

Okay, I'm done pushing.

I am looking forward to this final segment. I have my opinions and theories. I think I know who RAB is, I think I know whether Snape is truly friend or foe. I even think I know where some of the missing Horcruxes may be found. We'll see. I have enjoyed the journey through J. K. Rowling's world, and I'm excited to see its final stages. I am a bit saddened that this will be the end of the story, but I'm a firm believer that fictional story arcs need to come back to ground eventually - the never-ending storyline rarely seems to work as well as the more traditional beginning-middle-end approach. I am, however, really curious to see what Rowling does next, if anything.

I can't wait for Saturday.

OF MICE AND RABBITS

I haven't mentioned books in a while. It’s time to do so again. I came across two the other day that I did not mention in my earlier posts. I should have.

Both books are about talking animals and in that sense, both books are technically fantasy. One has swords, heroes, and other trappings of your more traditional fantasy (no dragons, but it does have a dragon substitute). The other book has no swords, but it does have an exodus of epic proportions.

The two books are:
Redwall, by Brian Jacques
Watership Down, by Richard Adams

The two books have many similarities and yet produce remarkably different stories.

REDWALL

Redwall is the tale of an abbey of peaceful woodland creatures (mice, squirrels, moles, and even a badger) who must defend themselves from an army of rats, stoats, and weasels.

That’s the traditional fantasy tale – young hero must fulfill the prophecy to save his loved ones. If you have issues with traditional fantasy or talking animals, you should probably skip this one. If you have no firm objections to such things, you should definitely read Redwall. This was the first full sized novel I read when I was young (300 pages!) and I loved it. The heroes are noble, the villains are dastardly, and the story is engaging. Like other books I have mentioned this one may be more enjoyable at age 7 than age 27, but I still love reading it.

If you enjoy it, you’ll be pleased to hear it’s the beginning of a long series of books set in the same world. Each book is a complete story unto itself (but do read them in order). Eventually they begin to suffer from the same defects the plague any world which lasts too long under the exclusive control of a single author (one of those things I should probably devote an entire entry to someday), but the early books are excellent.

WATERSHIP DOWN

The other book I’m discussing today has a very different tone. Watership Down is the first book I ever purchased. I bought it at a yard sale on someone else’s recommendation and then did not read it. When I finally got around to it, I kicked myself for waiting.

It is the tale of a group of rabbits fleeing the destruction of their home, seeking a new place to live. The English countryside is not a safe place for rabbits and they have a long ways to travel.

It is complex and well-told with a good deal more depth than one might expect from a tale about talking rabbits. It’s the kind of story in which the reader finds something new every time they read it. It has not lost anything, and indeed has gained much, as I have aged to appreciate its depth. I recommend this book for all ages (okay, so the five year olds might not be interested… so not ALL ages, but most of them).

Seek out these books – Watership Down for a rainy day when you want to sink your teeth into a solid story and Redwall for the warm summer evenings when you want something that feels like a warm summer evening.

And feel free to let me know what you think after you’ve had a chance to read them. The more feedback you give me, the easier it will be for me to make appropriate recommendations.

HOW TO SIT DOWN WITH A GOOD BOOK, PART TWO

I’m back. Or, more specifically, my keyboard is back. Well, “a” keyboard is back and I’m not even sure “back” is the correct word either because it’s a new one. Right, forget all that – how about this: my ability to type spaces is back. It’s nice. I kind of missed them and I’m glad to be able to have them in my work once again. I feel they really add something to my writing, a certain comprehensibility that I find my readers appreciate.

Enough about that, prelude over. Now for the actual entry:

Over the next few entries, I plan to provide you with several different lists of recommended reading, each from a slightly different standpoint. Today, I bring you:

FANTASY: THE YOUNG READER LIST

(and by “young reader” I mean both those readers who are young in age and those readers who are young in fantasy experience).

This list is primarily children’s books, those books that were among the first I ever read. They are (as one would suspect) quick and easy reads (so it’s not too painful if you find that you really can’t stand fantasy after all). Do not, however, dismiss them as children’s books. They ARE children’s book but they’re deep enough to be enjoyed by adults as well.

First, I have to mention the Narnia books:

Author: C.S. Lewis

Series: 7 Books. Starts with: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. At leas that was the first one written – ignore the idiots who republished the series in “chronological order.” Read them as the author wrote them (rant for another day).

And right away I’m going to give the lie to one of my earlier statements. I’m not sure I can recommend these books to adults who are not reading them to children. They’re excellent books, but I tried to reread them recently and it wasn’t easy (well, to be more accurate it was TOO easy). However, they were a crucial introduction for me to the world of fantasy and to the world of reading in general. My dad read them to my brother and I when we were little. I strongly recommend every parent do the same. Reading them for yourselves after a certain point in your life might not be as enjoyable.

2. The Kingdom of Prydain Series

Author: Lloyd Alexander

Series: 5 Books. Starts with “The Book of Three”

I understand that recommending series is sort of cheating, because I promised quick and easy reads, but in this case (as with the Narnia books and the next series) the first book does not conclude with a cliffhanger so you can indeed read just one without feeling forced to read the next ones. You will feel compelled to read the next one, but not forced. The title from this series that you are most likely to recognize is “The Black Cauldron.” It’s the second book and, for those of you still confused as to why that title should be familiar, it eventually became a Disney movie. The main character of the series is Taran, an assistant pig-keeper for the enchanter Dallben, and he’s not very happy with his lot in life (although, in defense of the position the pig CAN tell the future). Besides the assistant pig-keeper, Prydain contains, as many fantasy worlds do: a princess, a mighty prince, a terrible dark lord, a wise enchanter, a wicked witch, and several fierce battles between men and things-that-are-not-men (although no dragons). To limit it to that description, however, is a terrible disservice, equivalent to describing your mother’s cookies as made of the same materials as the grocery store cookies. These books are crafted of much finer stuff than such a description implies (including a large chunk of Welsh mythology, among other influences – try to put THAT in a cookie, Kroger!). The characters are fascinating, the story is well conceived, and each book within the series is excellent (moist AND delicious). My favorite is number four: “Taran Wanderer” (and I’ll tell you why once you’ve read it). If you only read six fantasy books ever, these should be five of them.

3. The Dark is Rising Series

Author: Susan Cooper

Series – 5 books – First book can be either “Over Sea, Under Stone” or “The Dark is Rising.” (if you’re only going to read one, I recommend “The Dark is Rising”)

Some people would argue that this series should be that five instead of Prydain. I’m not one of them, but I would say if you’re going to read more than six fantasy books, it might be a good idea to add these to the list. This is another coming of age story although instead of the medieval kingdom of Prydain, it is set in the somewhat less medieval modern kingdom of Great Britain (most of the time). Like Alexander, Cooper draws from many different mythological sources, but first among those are the tales of King Arthur. Again, these books are well crafted, well written, well thought out, and very solid. Also a coming of age story (among other things), although Cooper’s characters go about it in a different fashion than Alexander’s.

4. (Not a series this time) The Princess and the Goblin

Author: George Macdonald

This is an old one, old enough to have had an influence on Tolkien and C. S. Lewis (and some even claim it did, it might even be true). It is one of my favorite stories of all time. This is the sixth book in my “if you only read six fantasy books” scenario. It would be the first book in my “if you only read one book” scenario. It’s another one that my father read aloud to me and one that I have read myself many times since. Foolishly, it is not one I actually own. I had forgotten about it until attempting to come up with this list and now I miss it (and, added bonus, I discovered while searching for the Amazon link that he wrote a whole mess of books I now need to go track down).

So, there you go – I have delivered the first booklist: three recommendations (covering eleven books) and one shout out (covering seven books). Next time I’ll discuss something a bit more adult oriented. If you have specific questions about these books (or others) let me know and I’ll see what I can do to clarify my recommendations without giving away any secrets.

HOW TO SIT DOWN WITH A GOOD BOOK, PART ONE

One of the functions I serve among my friends is that of "book recommender." It's a position I'm honored to have, for many of my friends read enough that they can tell the difference between a good book and a bad one. The fact that they return to me after my first few recommendations and ask for more is gratifying. It's also not a very unique position- for pretty much the same reason - more of an exchange really than a position. I recommend something to you, you recommend something to me, we both come off better for it. I like this system, it seems to work. There are, however, a few holes.

The biggest hole is that we've all read different books. While reading different books is usually an ideal situation in such an exchange (that being the purpose, and all), it's not ideal when the "different books" in question are those that formed the very basis for our current reading tastes. Even then it's not so much a hole as an opportunity. So I am going to take this opportunity and run with it. It may take a few installments, but I'll see what I can do.

I like fantasy and I like science fiction. Many of the people who ask me for recommendations never really discovered either. They are, however, open to new experiences so I've been trying to introduce them to those aspects of each genre that I believe they will appreciate. It occurred to me recently, that there are actually two ways to enter into the respective worlds of fantasy and science fiction. One is the way I've been trying to bring my friends in - finding books on the edges and slowly drawing them in from the sides. The other way is the way I came at it - starting with "children's" books and graduating deeper and deeper. It's the difference between learning about a garden from pictures and plant cuttings and learning about it by walking into it.

Perhaps, then, I should be leading my friends into this garden along a path very similar to the one I took. Not tonight, tonight is just the warm up. In my next few entries I'll attempt to apply the benefit of hindsight to my early reading experiences. I'll cull what's worthwhile and relevant to adults and present it with whatever explanations, recommendations, and caveats I find necessary. Some of my favorite books as a child have lost something with time, sadly but the best ones are still good and getting better as I grow older. Those I will present to you so that you may each (as you see fit) discover what led me into this garden in the first place.