You are currently browsing the category archive for the ‘Literary Awards’ category.
Last fall, in a Newberry Award streak, I picked up Princess Academy, by Shannon Hale (a 2006 Newberry Honor book). I loved the book, and the fact that Shannon Hales lives near me. In fact, I recently went to one of her signings. Anyway, after Princess Academy, I read Book of a Thousand Days and Austenland. I hadn’t, though, delved into her Bayern series. Thus, when my book club picked the first Bayern book, The Goose Girl, for this month’s read, I was thrilled.
The Goose Girl is based on the fairy tale of the same name. I knew the basic plot of the fairy tale (princess goes to marry a prince in a foreign land, her lady-in-waiting switches places and tells everyone she is the princess, the princess becomes a goose-keeper, eventually the true princess is restored to her rightful place and the lady-in-waiting is killed), but Hale’s retelling of the book was intruiging and magical and heartfelt. I was swept along with Ani/Isi (the goose girl) and her tale of becoming a princess by being a commoner. The character development was a little spotty with regard to most of the other characters, as with most fairy tales, but the development of Ani was amazing. I felt her uncertainty and longing and the building of her character and sense of self. (Also, I loved the prince.)
Some of the more fantastical elements, like Ani’s the communications with the wind, were a little much for me. But I loved Ani’s mystical aunt and Ani’s communications with Jok, the goose, and Falada, her horse. There was a bit of everything in this story: heartbreak, intrigue, murder, royalty, love, friendship, betrayal, loyalty, bravery, and self-discovery. And, most importantly, they all lived happily ever after. At least until the next book starts. Sigh. I’ll read this book again. And again.
The Goose Girl, by Shannon Hale (75) * * * * *
Other reviews:
I am quite delighted with this book. I’m so glad that I picked it up from the library today on a whim. The Invention of Hugo Cabret was awarded the 2008 Caldecott Medal.
With a combintion of black and white pen sketches and black and white printed words, this book is unlike any I’ve ever read. At 526 pages in a hardbound binding, it looks a little daunting. However, I read it carefully in less than an hour and a half. At least half of the pages are beautiful sketches, with a few black and white photographs thrown in. The presence of the pictures and the opening instructions to “picture yourself sitting in the darkness, like the beginning of a movie” set a magical tone to the book.
The story is (though I don’t like to use the term) heartwarming. Little Hugo Cabret has been orphaned and is living a precarious life as a clockkeeper in a train station. His father died trying to fix an old automaton, and Hugo has taken it upon himself to fix it. This quest leads him through a fantasical and yet very believable adventure that ends with him finding his true self. The writing itself is simple and rich. The combination of the pictures and the story is a beautiful work of art that defies proper description. I cant wait to see what Brian Selznick does next.
Everyone needs to read this book. Go on. Go read it.
The Invention of Hugo Cabret, by Brian Selznick: (75) * * * * *
In The Gathering (winner of the Man Booker Prize for Fiction 2007), Anne Enright tells the story of a bitter and bruised family in bitter and bruised prose. I was sucked in for the ride – even though I wasn’t quite sure I wanted to go.
Veronica Hagerty narrates the story about her Irish Catholic family of twelve children. She is particularly concerned with a disturbing event that occurred one summer when she and two of her siblings, Liam and Kitty, are sent to live with their grandmother. Liam never quite recovers from the events of that summer and some thirty years later has killed himself. Veronica, whose life is picture perfect on the outside, is deeply troubled on the inside. The novel is a sort of journey (though not quite a linear one) through Veronica’s imbittered and coarse memories straight on to dealing with the now of Liam’s death, wake, and funeral.
Despite the subject matter, I found the writing enjoyable. No, more than enjoyable, compelling. Ravenous Reader summed it up: “depressing, but compulsively readable.” I loved the insight into the Irish Catholic world. I was most intrigued by the character of the mother who had born twelve children and miscarried seven and who was so detached from life that she couldn’t remember Veronica’s name. I felt, overall, that the difficult subject matter of abuse was handled realistically but respectfully. Also, the ending, I thought, was pulled off particularly well. (See, there, I commented on the ending without spoilers. Go team.) Anne Enright has a gift, and I will be picking up something on her backlist in the near future.
The Gathering, by Anne Enright: (55) * * * *
During the summer of 1997, my aunt gave me a copy of Mary Oliver‘s New and Selected Poems. The collection won the National Book Award. My aunt’s copy was dog-earred and loved. I have loved it (and Mary Oliver) ever since. Here’s one of my favorites:
Poppies
The poppies send up their
orange flares; swaying
in the wind, their congregations
are a levitation
of bright dust, of thin
and lacy leaves.
There isn’t a place
in this world that doesn’t
sooner or later drown
in the indigos of drakness,
but now, for a while,
the roughage
shines like a miracle
as it floats above everything
with its yellow hair.
Of course nothing stops the cold,
black, curved blad
from hooking forward–
of course
loss is the great lesson.
But also I say this: that light
is an invitation
to happiness,
and that happiness,
when it’s done right,
is a kind of holiness,
palpable and redemptive.
Inside the bright fields,
touched by their rough and spongy gold,
I am washed and washed
in the river
of earthly delight–
and what are you going to do–
what can you do
about it–
deep, blue night?
