2020 EDIT: I was sort of right the first time I read this. Now, on the second read, I fully understand the meaning behind my niggling doubts.
My biggest issue with this book is that I couldn't really connect to any of the characters, least of all the lead, September. Even in a fantasy book like this one, no one seems real, or well rounded; they just go along with things, and move forward, because that's what the plot requires them to do. Whatever inner struggles are voiced - either in dialogue or in the narrative - they are mostly lip service; chances for character development are regularly ignored, and the characters act like pieces for the author to put in one place/predicament and then another, with barely a struggle, if that makes sense. No one is allowed to think or feel deeply, if at all, about their own actions. Any instance of such is rare and never lasts long.
The whole of 'The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland' is hugely creative and imaginative, but it's a bit too weird and random for me, and it couldn't keep my attention for long. Thus some of the charm is lost, and the whimsy and humour feel forced. In my opinion the story doesn't get exceptionally good until the end, and when the villain's tragic backstory and motivation is revealed.
'The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making' - Not for me, I'm afraid, but I'd recommend others try reading it if they haven't already. A creative, if boundless, disconnected and hit-and-miss, experiment in otherworldly fantasy and fairy tales.
Final Score: 3/5
Original Review:
The moment I heard about this book with its overly-long title, premise and cute illustrations, I knew I had to get it. What can I say, I'm a sucker for women's or girl's magical coming-of-age stories, such as 'The Wizard of Oz' and 'Alice in Wonderland'. No matter how many disappointing entries of that archetypal hero's journey I read, I never stop looking for more. I keep hoping to find that special gem which manages to be somewhat original and still magical and charming, with a lot going for it in terms of strength of imagination and characters.
'The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making' isn't quite one of those gems I was counting on, but in the end it comes close. Let me explain.
When I started reading it I wasn't that impressed. The setting and characters weren't wholly original, and the worldbuilding - while never distracting from the plot - I still didn't connect to. There were details added in that seemed to have nothing to do with the overall story. For example, the chapter with the witches near a beach, with their magical Spoons - the stolen Spoon could have been anything for the hero to have a quest looking for, I thought - and their 'wairwulf' husband. Everything seemed random and confusing just for the sake of it (like the character names, i.e. Goodbye the witch).
I get that Ms Valente perhaps intended to write a parody/deconstruction of the 'Alice in Wonderland' coming-of-age type story. But it still felt like she was trying too hard to be whimsical sometimes, with not much heart, and with descriptions that got very wordy in the vocabulary department. But this did not bother me so much, as I kept reading on.
Maybe I needed to get used to the style? Odd, since I thought I loved fantasy and weirdness...
I did think that the out-there analyses were charming, such as how Ms Valente says that all children are Heartless, some More or Mostly so. So of course she wouldn't write September (great unusual name for a heroine, made even better by the fact she was born in May), the protagonist, to be perfect - she is twelve, after all. Another example of this kind of cute philosophy is:
'When you are born your courage is new and clean. You are brave enough for anything: crawling off of staircases, saying your first words without fearing that someone will think you are foolish, putting strange things in your mouth. But as you get older, your courage attracts gunk and crusty things and dirt and fear and knowing how bad things can get and what pain feels like. By the time you're half-grown, your courage barely moves at all, it's so grunged up with living. So every once in a while, you have to scrub it up and get the works going or else you'll never be brave again. Unfortunately, there are not so many facilities in your world that provide the kind of services we do. So most people go around with grimy machinery, when all it would take is a bit of spit and polish to make them paladins once more, bold knights and true.' - Page 60
The addition of the key and its story is a nice touch as well. Other things in this book that I found to be genuinely fantastical and thought-provoking came in later chapters, like the ones with the flying feral bicycles, the personification of Death, and September transforming in more ways than one. They made me stop and think, "Wow, how creative. Turns out this isn't so random, and when it is it can be colourful and also heartwarming."
I remember also smiling at the unconventional beginning, where September is met with the magical characters of the Green Wind (creepy bugger, I thought) and the Leopard of Little Breezes within the first couple of pages. They are like, "Come to Fairyland with us or wash yellow teacups," and she's like, "Okay then." Very funny twist when you think about it, and it really made me think Parody.
September herself is a rather unconventional heroine for these sorts of tales: She's practical and smart but flawed. Again she is twelve-years-old and the author never forgets that fact.
The picture I got of pumpkins and their orangeness and their link to Autumn was one of the whimsical effects 'The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland' had on me as a reader, when it comes to colourful metaphors.
I really liked A-Through-L the dragon, oh, I mean Wyvern... err, Wyverary. He is funny, cute, kind and loyal to September. His origin is very interesting and imaginative as well, and that's putting it mildly.
The Marquess I didn't care for much as a villain at first, but then the ending came along and I nearly cried while reading her backstory. Such a tragic character with an original tragic past. Without revealing spoilers I will say this: you really do understand why she puts Fairyland under cruel restrictions and rules. Childhood and stories can be a blessing and a curse.
Overall, when I finished 'The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland' and re-read some of the lyrical passages and their deeper meanings, I grew to appreciate and like what Valente has done, especially with her metaphors. So despite the parts that I love and the others not-so-much, this is a well-written and sweet coming-of-age fantasy. It's not hard to see why an author like Neil Gaiman would love this book, since the comical writing style and outer-world concept is similar to his own line of work, but is still poetically different. The story, for me anyway, may seem like nothing new at first, but soon I came to really care for it, mostly for the characters and their plights.
I would recommend it to both child and adult audiences, since it talks down to neither and is a bit harrowing and scary in parts, such as near the end where little September is alone and the stakes are risen much higher than before (and this is the part where she actually builds herself a ship that circumnavigates Fairyland).
Final Score: 4/5
Also, I saw the trailer on YouTube after I'd read 'The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland'. Now I adore the novel even more! The video is wonderfully-put together and SJ Tucker's imaginative and mysterious song is perfect for advertising to a wider demographic.
No comments:
Post a Comment