January 27, 2009
Jonathan Stroud's first release since Ptolemy's Gate
has been eagerly awaited by those of us who loved everything about The
Bartimaeus Trilogy. I read it with great interest both for that fact, and because it dealt with Norse themes which are dear to my heart. Heroes of the Valley has an
unspecified Scandinavian setting and its story riffs partly off the
mythological roots of Beowulf and The Volsunga,
and partly off the sagas, most particularly from the sort of regional
feuds and squabbles at the center of the Erbyggja, or Ere-Dwellers
Saga. The Erbygja is at once the most mundane
and the most superstitious of the major sagas, with undead corpses and
witchcraft aplenty, and Stroud interpolates both those themes into his
omnipresent trows, which are a kind of earth dwelling troll. Heroes
of the Valley starts in traditional saga fashion by
establishing the troublesomeness of 14 year old male lead Halli, ala
Egil or Grettir, but from there it departs into a convoluted and hand
wringing dynamic very much at odds with the more stoical and direct
ethos of the sagas. In brief, the story establishes a primacy of one
clan over another, and a strong binding of place, of being trapped in
the valley by fear and superstition. Halli's task is to partially
straighten out things in the Valley and then break free and see the
wide world. He is joined by a daughter of one of the heads of the rival
Clan, Aud. Aud is presumably named after the historical character Aud
the Deep Minded, who figures in Grettir's, Njal's,
and the Ladxale Sagas. Though well written, the first
part of the book is a real slog. Stroud gets his feet under him towards
the end, but I imagine many young readers will set this book aside
well before then. For all its depth and complexity, Heroes of
the Valley is oddly stultifying and inert. Rooted in the more
provincial, regional, and mundane elements of Norse literature, it
misses out on the more compelling stoicism and high aesthetic of
human conduct which drives the sagas and makes them so colorful,
entertaining and inspiring. Good teen readers may wade through this
book and take some pleasure in its emotional nooks and crannies, but
overall it is more likely to be well commented on by adults
than enjoyed by the nation's youth. Here they are! Our weekly picks for the two best: two hardcover, two paperback, and two children's books. The very best new arrivals to leap out of the box and onto our shelves this week. Call or email us if you want more information on any of these titles, or to have us hold you a copy. Or stop in and check them out in person. We'd love to see you. Thanks as always for sharing your reading with us! |