Enchantment
by Orson Scott Card
c. 1999
Ballentine Books: New York
415 pages
by Orson Scott Card
c. 1999
Ballentine Books: New York
415 pages
First of all, it's been a long time. I admit that its been a long time. There are several reasons for this, the main being the depressing enormous looming threat of MCAT (121 days), and the start of my classes, and other crazy business. But I'm back now, and all it took was reading a little to remind me of why it is that I really really like reading, so I am back in the saddle, although the looming MCAT and classes and such should keep me at something of a more moderate level for the coming monthes.
Now for the book. I've read this one before, but I love Orson Scott Card (who is the wonderful man responsible for the glory that is Ender's Game, my all time favorite book.) I picked this copy up at the Strand (which, for those not fortunate enough to have been there, is an enormous, exciting used book store in New York city, which Andrew took me to over Christmas last year. It was an amazing experience that resulted in me finding, for crazy low prices, a number of books that I had been looking for for a while. It's a glorious place, but I suppose that it is fortunate that they keep it far away from me, becuase if I was close, I would have neither money, nor room to move between the books in my bedroom.)
Anyway, this one of those modern fairy tale type things. Ivan finds Sleeping Beauty, whose name is Katerina in the woods of Russia, and after he fights the bear to wake her, he has to go with her into the past to save her kingdom from the evil witch, Baba Yaga. Fortunately, Ivan is equiped to do this, because he is a scholar of ancient Russian literature and fairy tales, so he speaks the language (what a conincidence!).
It's not high art, but I wasn't feeling well when I read it, and it was a nice escape sort a book, a pleasant story with good characters, a bad bad guy, and a nice little love story. Fairy tales have a place, even though I often forget them now that the bedtime story is not really part of the schedule these days, at least not in the traditional sense. It was relaxing and fun when what I needed was relaxing and fun, and that's a good thing.
Now for the book. I've read this one before, but I love Orson Scott Card (who is the wonderful man responsible for the glory that is Ender's Game, my all time favorite book.) I picked this copy up at the Strand (which, for those not fortunate enough to have been there, is an enormous, exciting used book store in New York city, which Andrew took me to over Christmas last year. It was an amazing experience that resulted in me finding, for crazy low prices, a number of books that I had been looking for for a while. It's a glorious place, but I suppose that it is fortunate that they keep it far away from me, becuase if I was close, I would have neither money, nor room to move between the books in my bedroom.)
Anyway, this one of those modern fairy tale type things. Ivan finds Sleeping Beauty, whose name is Katerina in the woods of Russia, and after he fights the bear to wake her, he has to go with her into the past to save her kingdom from the evil witch, Baba Yaga. Fortunately, Ivan is equiped to do this, because he is a scholar of ancient Russian literature and fairy tales, so he speaks the language (what a conincidence!).
It's not high art, but I wasn't feeling well when I read it, and it was a nice escape sort a book, a pleasant story with good characters, a bad bad guy, and a nice little love story. Fairy tales have a place, even though I often forget them now that the bedtime story is not really part of the schedule these days, at least not in the traditional sense. It was relaxing and fun when what I needed was relaxing and fun, and that's a good thing.
