Demeter Goes Skydiving

Demeter Goes Skydiving / Susan McCaslin

Edmonton: University of Alberta Press, c2011.
125 p.

This collection from new-to-me poet McCaslin was an intriguing read. The concept behind it, as McCaslin states in her foreword, is "what if Demeter, the timeless fertility goddess of ancient Greek myth, slipped through a crack into the twenty-first century, shook off her ankle bracelets, corn tassels, and garlands, and began a tour of our improbable culture"?

If you are familiar with the myth of Demeter and Persephone, you'll know that Demeter spent 6 months of the year searching for her daughter, who'd been abducted and spent those six months with her husband Hades in the underworld. In this collection, Demeter is trying to restore the daughters of today. She ranges from watching High Noon and Extreme Makeover in her hotel room, to trying to adopt Britney Spears. She goes skydiving (of course) and does lunch at the Savoy Grill. She wanders the globe, ending up in Iraq and at the foot of the Kokanee Glacier in B.C.

One memorable poem, called "Demeter Tries to Adopt Britney Spears" is striking because of McCaslin's ability to intertwine classical references -- to Venus, to Orpheus, and so forth -- with the nearly mythical status of young female pop stars and their messed up modern lives. In this piece, Demeter reveals her sympathy for a girl who is swamped by celebrity and media attention, causing her to suffer the breakdowns and crazy behaviour we've all heard about. It's a poem that really does make you think about the expectations of femininity+sexual persona that young women are subjected to today; the contradictory roles of Madonna and whore are still going strong, and are tearing young (and not so young) women apart. (you can see an excerpt of it thanks to McCaslin's website)

There are a couple of lovely images of a harvest goddess experiencing our urban world; how Demeter's approach clashes with our rushed, disconnected lives. Within this section, there are also a couple of poems from Persephone's perspective, and even one in which Hades tries to defend himself. I felt that the concept was very strong, and allowed for a broad set of classical references which caused these poems to resonate with me. The elements of myth opened up a new perspective on our modern world.

In addition to the Demeter series, this collection contains a second section of poems called Old Love, which also include some mythical references, to Gaia, to Sophia, and of course to the many permutations of love. The final section, a seven sonnet cycle entitled "Corona Anniversaire", was stunningly beautiful. Each sonnet begins with the final line of the previous; the technical aspect of it interested me, as it was done so skillfully. But the poems themselves are very beautiful and memorable, and I really loved this piece. They also reflect and incorporate classical references, in a different way than the Demeter poems, but still carrying that resonance.

I am so glad to have discovered this poet, and this particular book, thanks to the good graces of the University of Alberta Press. I'm not sure I'd have known about it if they hadn't offered to send me a copy to peruse, so I really must thank them!

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University of Alberta Press is a small press associated with (surprise) the University of Alberta! They state: "The UAP publishes in the areas of biography, history, language, literature, natural history, regional interest, travel narratives and reference books. UAP contributes to the intellectual and cultural life of Alberta and Canada by publishing well-edited, research-based knowledge and creative thought that has undergone rigorous peer-review, is of real value to natural constituencies, adheres to quality publication standards and is supported by diligent marketing efforts."


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Bonus Points

I know there are some bloggers who create lists of read-alikes in their book reviews, or create playlists of music to accompany a read. But I've never been that much of a music person. Instead I want to highlight another accessory for this book... a literal accessory. The latest collection, just launched, in my sister's Nutz About You jewelry line, is called The Goddess Collection. Take a look at her piece called Demeter. This gorgeous book of poetry wrapped up with a necklace called Demeter would make a great Christmas/other occasion gift for the women in your life... just saying! And to carry on the theme...they both come from Alberta :)

The Twelfth Enchantment

The Twelfth Enchantment / David Liss
New York: Random House, c2011.
399 p.

I read this book by chance: I've heard of the author and this one crossed my desk at work with an appealing cover, and a setting that caught me -- Regency era with magic. I've read a few that are similar in tone so gave this one a try as well.

In this tale, Lucy Derrick, unhappy 20 yr old orphan living with her parsimonious uncle in England, is being betrothed to a local 35 yr old mill owner. She's none too thrilled about this, when the arrangements are disturbed by the arrival of an enchanted Lord Byron. He delivers a message to her -- she shouldn't marry -- and then collapses, spewing pins (apparently a sure sign of enchantment).

Lucy discovers her magical abilities when she is able to lift the curse from Byron with the help of a local wise woman. She is then drawn into a world of magical creatures, human and non-human alike (gods, wraiths, demons...) and must figure out who to trust and how to decide what to do to make everything right. Unluckily for Lucy, a key figure who she must depend upon is a man who jilted her in her younger years, and who -- true to Regency romance rules -- turns out to be worthy in the end.

Besides Byron, William Blake figures as a character. I've mentioned before that I'm not crazy about real people as characters. But not only real people are represented; fictional icons also have their corresponding figures. Lucy's sister is married to the spitting image of Mr. Collins (of Pride & Prejudice) whose Lady Catherine turns out to be the maniacal mastermind behind the magical villainy that Lucy is fighting. There is also an element of the machinations involving the Luddites and the rise of the industrial age, adding in a mythical depth as well.

I liked it, but wasn't wild about it. It felt like a cross-pollination between Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, and the series of Regency Fantasy-Romance epistolary novels of Patricia Wrede & Caroline Stevermer (of which the first, and my favourite, is entitled Sorcery and Cecelia; or, the Enchanted Chocolate Pot) Plus it held, for me, shadings of the enslaved factory workers of one of my favourite fantasy novels, The Labyrinth Gate. There was a little too much influence for my taste; I'd have liked a shock of the new as well.

Still, if you're looking for a well-written addition to the growing genre of Regency magic, this is a good bet. There's lots of dark magic, books, engravings, ghost dogs, poetry, dresses!, illicit love, betrayal, and of course, True Love. It was a quick read that gave a nod to Austen and the expectations of Regency fiction even as it added its own dark flavour to the era.

Lawrenson's Lantern

The Lantern / Deborah Lawrenson
New York: HarperCollins, 2011.
386 p.

There is a group read of this going on next month as part of the RIP VI challenge, but I couldn't wait until then...partly because I made the mistake of "just looking in to it" and also because there are holds at the library and I only have it for a limited time ;)

So my review will not have many spoilers, for all of you who are planning to group read. But I will say I'm glad I read Rebecca first, for there are many nods to that tale in The Lantern. An absent first wife whose presence overshadows this new marriage, a husband who is very tight-lipped about his first relationship, and a big old house where they are isolated from their friends & families...but there's more to this one as well. Including a marvellous setting in the south of France, in a house which has a long history before the arrival of our two characters.

Les Genévriers was the home of a family named Lincel; we hear youngest daughter Bénédicte's recounting of what happened there over her lifetime. Her eldest sister Marthe was blind and became a famous perfumier. So there is much description of the sights (Benedicte) and smells (Marthe) of the landscape, and a sense of creepiness in the phantom scents that reappear to our modern characters. There's a menacing sociopath of a brother, Pierre, who terrorized his younger sister for most of her childhood.

There is also the lantern that appears, lit, on the path at night in both past and present. It's a symbol of the doomed love affairs which populate the book. The setting, the house itself, is a large part of the story and I loved it. Mysterious affairs surround them -- missing girls in past and present, a neighbour suspicious of Dom, an exwife whose personality is hard to grasp, ghostly presences, and a whirlwind relationship that is easily unbalanced by rumour and uncertainty.

The book began a bit slowly for me, but soon I was drawn in to both stories, the Lincel's history and Dom and Eve's modern experience of Les Genévriers. The French setting, the unusual story of perfumery, Dom's musical career, and Eve's work as a translator were all very appealing. And after all, how could I resist a book with this passage, right near the beginning, when Eve first meets Dom:

"What about you -- what do you like to do best of all?"
"I love to read."
"What kind of reading?"
Sometimes you can tell all you need to know about a person just in the way they ask the question: politely, or with genuine curiosity, denoting a fine understanding of all it might reveal -- from a rich inner life to a point of compatibility between strangers. It was also a hard question to answer, its simplicity as lethal as a narrow blade.

It was a good read even if, as Chrisbookarama mentioned in her review of The Lantern, it sometimes felt like the constant references to Rebecca were like "hitting someone over the head with the obvious stick". It is quite clear in many of the author's choices -- the name of Dom's exwife is Rachel, Eve reads Rebecca when she's stressed out, post-event finds Dom and Eve at a small French hotel alone together, etc. etc. But, there are still many differences that make this book Lawrenson's own, and a very enjoyable one too. I loved the descriptions of the landscapes, and the scents and colours that seem to permeate the story. I also loved the ghostly elements that add some spooky intrigue. This was a perfect choice for an autumnal read.

Rebecca

Rebecca / Daphne DuMaurier

New York: Doubleday, c1938.

357 p.

I couldn't find the cover image for the old bookclub edition of this which I read, but this one is the closest to it. Besides, I think it highlights one of the key points of the book; the fact that the narrator is an outsider, always looking in at Manderley.

Given my predilection for gothic romance suspense novels, it's hard to believe that it has taken me until now to actually read Rebecca, the classic in the field. But, it was worth getting to it and it's clear why it holds classic status.

The first line is so famous that most people have probably heard it: "Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again." And that one sentence draws the reader in, to a tale of a young innocent girl rescued from a life of drudgery as a rich woman's companion by the first man she falls madly in love with -- the much older, sophisticated Max de Winter. (I mean, even that name!)

The unnamed narrator, Max's second wife, feels constantly overshadowed by the legacy of his dead wife Rebecca. She is clumsy, uncertain, gauche, and painfully awkward. It's only by going through the emotional harrowing of the events of this story that she grows up and is able to act as a woman of the class she's married into (a key indicator: she finds that she is finally able to order the servants about).

The storyline is pretty basic, but still holds twists and turns and plenty of chills. After all this time I still didn't know the truth of the situation so it was a surprise when I turned the page to find out...well, I won't say, so that if anyone else hasn't read it they might still be surprised as well. DuMaurier is a marvellous writer, with descriptions of the landscape and of each individual reflecting the development of the story as well as drawing pretty clear characters in just a few lines. I now understand why Mrs. Danvers is such a terrifying creature! And it contains a key element found in many of these stories, the looming presence of a house. I love all these houses -- Manderley, Thornfield Hall, Hill House, Misslethwaite Manor, and all those unnamed houses in books like The Woman in White. The houses in these stories are as much a part of the atmosphere as the human situation.

I really enjoyed this read and think most readers of this kind of book would love it. There is a certain adjustment to be made to the style, as it is more expository and lengthy than many modern tales but it's so worth it. There are some fabulous quotable bits and enough drama to sustain a reader through a long evening. Well recommended.

RIP VI

Hurrah! It's hard to believe but it's RIP (Readers Imbibing Peril) time again. I love this challenge, perhaps because I love this time of year and all the autumnal reading available. But also because Carl of Stainless Steel Droppings has been running a great challenge for the last five years, full of non-competitive fun -- and it leads to enormous increases in the reading list as well as fun comparisons of books that multiple people have read. This is a great seasonal challenge which I've enjoyed every year, and I'm jumping right in again for Year 6.

The Challenge runs September 1-October 31/2011 and has wide parameters. I'm choosing Peril the First: read 4 books which fall into the genres of Mystery, Suspense, Thriller, Dark Fantasy, Gothic, Horror, or Supernatural.

There's also a short story Peril which I might participate in depending on time....but in any case I'm looking forward to a great set of spooky books. I never make a set list for this challenge, but instead create a pool of possible reads -- and so many others follow the same technique that just checking everyone's posts opens a nearly infinite number of new choices. Here are some of mine:

The Lantern / Deborah Lawrence
Daphne / Justine Picardie
The Night Circus / Erin Morgenstern
The Man on the Ceiling / Melanie Tem
Perfume / Patrick Suskind
Rebecca / Daphne DuMaurier

Short Stories:

Supernatural Tales / Vernon Lee
Ladies of Grace Adieu / Susannah Clarke

and of course, something by Ray Bradbury!