After my ‘weird’ fiction binge (the most notable titles being The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao and Iron Council), I elected to read two short fantasy novels, one after another in enormous hours-long gulps. I found them most satisfying.
The Beginning Place
This novella, written by my heroine Ursula K. Le Guin, is a strangely enchanting story about Hugh, a clerk at a grocery store, and Irene, a messenger for a law firm. Hugh and Irene are able, somehow, to visit Tembreabrezi – to Hugh, the twilight place, or to Irene, the ain country. The transition between worlds requires cooperation on the part of the two young people, as Hugh can always get in but not out and Irene can always get out but not in. Their daily problems in the real world at once fade and take on new meaning as they agree to help the people in the world whose time of day is always evening. There is a quest, a hero, a dragon: conventional but delivered in a melancholy, somber, earnest, and heartbreaking manner. The characters do and do not get what they want. Though by no means comparable to Le Guin’s science fiction, The Beginning Place is a good story.
Note: The cover pictured is almost as bad as the very old one that I own.
The Safe-Keeper’s Secret
Though I first came across Sharon Shinn through her Samaria Novels, I was pleased to see the first book in her new trilogy in the young adult section in the library. In her (rather standard) fantasy world, a Safe-Keeper can never reveal a secret, a Truth-Teller can never lie, and a Dream-Maker, though enduring great personal suffering, can make dreams come true. This charming story is about Fiona, a Safe-Keeper’s daughter who discovers her path and identity as she grows up. Sharon Shinn is a less heart-wrenching Kate diCamillo, a more aesthetically skilled Shannon Hale, and a not-quite-so-high fantasist as Robin McKinley. All ends are agreeably tied off in bedtime story fairytale fashion. This to say, I enjoyed The Safe-Keeper’s Secret and plan to make a library run for the next two.
It is nice to read something that isn’t dark, for a change.
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