Alan Garner (1) (1934–)

‘What’s happening? What the heck’s up?’

That question voiced early on by the book’s protagonist, Joseph Coppock, understandably is also the question of many a reader of the book. I’d never read Alan Garner before and apparently it follows on to a great extent from his earlier work, but it also reminded me of a novel I read earlier this year by J. Robert Lennon, [b:Subdivision|53317439|Subdivision|J. Robert Lennon|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1589268128l/53317439._SX50_.jpg|81650704], in that it seems to take place in a sort of bardo realm influenced by our conception of quantum mechanics, and in which the protagonist has to overcome challenges that draw on mythological concepts as they gradually come to an understanding and acceptance of the current state of their personhood. Only this one uses much more archaic northern English dialect and the tone is closer to twee than malevolent.

I enjoyed the writing and the dialect and the words I had to look up, and am glad to have been introduced to Garner; it has made me interested in reading his other, presumably meatier novels. This one was just too short and not filled out enough for what it was trying to do for my preference, but it was a fairly frolicsome trip.… (más)

The first half of the book is full of delightful details as it interweaves local legends and geography of Alderly Edge (a real place in England), high-fantasy elements like wizards, goblins, and dwarfs, and allusions to ancient Norse and Celtic mythology. The Earldelving chapter was a brilliantly intense and horrifying piece of descriptive writing that had me literally gasping for breath by the end.

Unfortunately, the story really drags in the latter half of the book as the protagonists undertake a slow and tedious crawl across a few miles of English countryside while trying to remain hidden. Finally they reach their destination and the intensity suddenly shoots up to 11 for a few pages in an all-out battle with the forces of evil and then wham, book over.

Still, flawed though it was, I enjoyed reading it.… (más)

Joe looked again. The pony. The tree. The heat. He lifted the latch. A wind threw the door onto him, shoving him against the stack. And night spilled in. Snow stung his face. He forced the door against the wind and the latch clanged shut. He clung to the chimney post. But night was in the room, a sheet of darkness, flapping from wall to wall.

It mentions early on that Treacle Walker is a psychopomp, so the absence of Joe's parents from the story isn't as odd as it would otherwise be. The non-linear story takes concentration to follow, but it repays it in spades if you are interested in folklore and mythology.… (más)