Charles de Lint

[Eldanuumea]

Just finished Spirits in the Wires by de Lint....my first book by him.....and found it one of the best fantasy-sci-fi combos I've ever read.
Anyone else like de Lint, have comments to make about this bookd or any of his others? I'd like to know what to read next.

 

[KatG]

The problem with de Lint -- though he's a terrific author -- is that just about everything he writes is connected to other stories and novels he's written, with returning characters, themes, and sometimes plotlines. Gets a little confusing, unless you're reading a big block of him at a time. The first one of his I ever read was "Moonheart," which pretty much can stand alone by itself as a complete story. He's also done several big short story collections in recent years, which may be nice as all the connected stories would be right there together. Don't remember the titles of those; someone else may know.

 

[Ouroboros]

I read Mulengro a few years back and only vaguely got into it, although the portrait de Lint painted of the Rohm/Roma community really stuck in my mind. Aspects of the book I couldn't make head nor tail of (possibly for reasons that KatG brings up as regards continuity with other works?).

Interestingly it has been re-released here just last month (ireland and UK) in a kind of tall paperback edition : as though they think this kind of urban fantasy will be better received now than it was a few years back when it was released.

 

[Clarkesworld]

Mulengro was reissued in the US recentlly as well.

I really like his work. He also has a nice body of short stories as well. I recommend the Triskell Tales colllection. It was reissued in hardcover and trade paperback this year, which is a good thing since the previous edition goes for quite a bit of money now.

That's one of the problems I've had filling my collection. The prices of older books that haven't been reissued are too high for me.

-Neil

 

[Shanoncia]

Sorry to be the downer in this thread ladies but I can't stand the man. I have one book by him, can't recall the name about some red headed lass into witchery. Bah, I tried so hard but I couldn't even make it half way through. My heart just wasn't in it. I'm not sure what it is about the man since I'm usually quite easily pleased. I'll read anything from Dickens, to Jane Austin (almost done sense and sensibility and loving it!) to goodkind or jordan.

I'm glad you guys get pleasure from it though. I guess it's just not my thing.

Maybe I'm missing something... any pointers on why I should pick it up again? Cause, heh... I just might. After all, I had just gone through a bad break up last time I read it.

I think for me it was just annoying how the plot jumped around. Almost like he had the story in his head and was to excited to write it properly. Know what I mean? And it seemed kind of... juvenille, not in it's content, but in the author behind the content.

Sorry, don't mean to russle any feathers. Just don't like it. But I am willing to give it a try again.

 

[SusF]

de Lint's style is very destinctive. The Onion Girl was one of the most powerful books by him I'd read. It was also urban fantasy on how a girl copes with growing up in an abusive situation. I'm talking continual incestual sexual abuse. It's not pretty stuff at all, but the book itself is every powerful and well written. And yes, it was a fantasy book. Fascinating.

His other stuff is on the lighter side. His main characters tend to be female with adolesent bodies. "Gamine" is one of his favorite descriptions of them.

My memory being the seive that it is, I can't dredge up any titles at the moment. I'll do a browse and come back here and make a short list of some I'd read.

Susan

 

[ezchaos]

The only thing I've read by him was Greenmantle, which I didn't care for. While this has kept me from reading any of his other books, I would like to try some them in the future.

 

[Cygnus]

I've read 4 or 5 books by de Lint, and though I like his writing style I wish he'd branch out. Like KatG said, all of his stories are connected which means they are all basically the same. I doubt I'll pick up another book by him until he does something completely different.

 

[DrBloodmoney1]

I really like de Lint. Although, like Neil, I find it a bit difficult to shell out a lot for some of his older books.

He is also very prolific, which is a curse and a blessing in itself. Check out Subterranean Press. Most of his small press stuff comes out through them. Including the Triskell Tales (or just buy it through Neil, which is what I do).

DrB

 

[Eldanuumea]

Thanks for all of your comments and suggestions. I bought Oinion Girl last night and will read it soon, let you know what I thought.
There were several interesting-looking trade papers by him at the local BAM, but this one seems to be especially liked by both readers and critics.
This genre - "urban fantasy"- is a new term to me. Do Laurell Hamilton's Merry Gentry books fall into that catagory?
And, what is the distinction between urban fantasy and magical realism, ala Like Water for Chocolate or One Hundred Years of Solitude? Is it simply the presence of fairies or other supernatural beings?

 

[Leiali]

That is a really tricky question. I think in a way they accomplish very similar goals. I really enjoyed One Hundred years of solitude, but it was more about politics and family, the magic was just there a bit. Like Water for Chocolate was not quite as good imo, but I do think it has a closer resemblance to what Charles de Lint does, in that he permeates the mundane with the magical, and highlights the fantastic rather than using it as just a foundation for what he is conveying.

Anyway, Charles De Lint is one of my favourite writers, and I would recommend reading his short stories to build a picture of Newford, its inhabitants and the way his world works, and then go onto the many, varied books. My favourite is probably Moonheart followed by Trader, he rarely writes from a male perspective so Trader is a really interesting read.

 

[Ouroboros]

Originally posted by Eldanuumea
And, what is the distinction between urban fantasy and magical realism, ala Like Water for Chocolate or One Hundred Years of Solitude?

I suspect this will stimulate good if impassioned debate...

Is it simply the presence of fairies or other supernatural beings? [/B]

Well, in my opinion: no- it doesn't really have anything to do with these things, and there are not hard and fast rules that everyone will agree on.

It's not subject matter or necessarily style, but in my opinion mainly to do with the intent of the author.

I would argue that magical realism as a mini-genre represents either/and/or :-

-a challenge to the rationalistic portrayal of our world in the arts that is a legacy of the enlightenment. Supernatural or inexplicable events occur in magical realist writing and are credited with the same degree of normalcy as everyday events. In other cases, alternative ways of perceiving reality and explaining events occuring around us are presented which may fly in the face of notions of empirical or scientific explanations.
-a politicised form of writing. Magical realist writing, particularly that best known from post-colonial societies is a voice from the fringes that presents a non-american/western/anglo-centric viewpoint on issues. The stylistic characteristics discussed above also feed into the notion of magical realist novels as work from the margins, the forgotten and the angry.

Urban fantasy may, in style and content, appear to achieve all of the above. The arbitrary measure I would employ is the author's intentions, ideologies and where they place themselves.

 

[Eldanuumea]

That is extremely fascinating, Ouroborus, and I would indeed like to hear more.......I may just have to go back and reread Marquez just to make intelligent comparison......(I always love excuses to reread!)

I have never had the opportunity to study writers like Marquez and Allende in a formal setting, but your comments on the literature of post-colonial societies have me stirred up to do so.

I wish our school was large enough and savvy enough to support an English elective exploring fantasy/sci-fi genres........maybe one day I'll die and go to heaven and get to teach such a course.
My students are already frustrated by all the fantasy I manage to sneak in! (Teaching truly can be a subversive activity!!)

 

[SusF]

Urban fantasy is usually mixing any fantasy elements into a modern setting, so I guess LKH's Gentry books could be termed Urban Fantasy.

Susan

 

[Shanoncia]

What exactly makes fantasy, urban fantasy? I mean aside fro the obvious of course...

 

[Eldanuumea]

I finished Onion Girl ;ast night, and enjoyed it thoroughyl, though it was hard to read sometimes (it is about recovery from abuse).

As for urban fantasy, well, in this book, there is always something unexpected and even faerie-like around the corner of one's eyes...peeking out in shimmery portals. In the midst of the computers and contemporary stuff, there are ancient beings and wild dreams.

 

[Shanoncia]

Aha! I see, thanks Elda! I love stories like that.

 

[rune]

I finished Onion Girl ;ast night, and enjoyed it thoroughyl, though it was hard to read sometimes (it is about recovery from abuse).

As for urban fantasy, well, in this book, there is always something unexpected and even faerie-like around the corner of one's eyes...peeking out in shimmery portals. In the midst of the computers and contemporary stuff, there are ancient beings and wild dreams.

I've just finished this book and it's the first by this author I've tried. I think he is a very good writer and crafts strong, interesting characters. But this book just wasn't what I expected, and I didnt like the abuse theme in the book. I read fantasy to get away from real life not have to read about it However I think I will try another of his books, because if the story had been more focused on the fantasy elements I would have enjoyed it more

 

[Leiali]

I think you may be disappointed Rune. De Lint tends to explore the self and all the terrible things that can happen to it with spiritual and mythical guides along the way. Most stories fit the same profile as the Onion Girl. Personally I thought it was a beautiful book, but I had been following Jill's adventures for a decade before he put pen to paper about her so it was very poignant an experience. Good luck with his future books - and I must say, most fantasy has a great deal of blood, guts and gore, his is just closer to a realistic representation of it.

 

[rune]

I think you may be disappointed Rune. De Lint tends to explore the self and all the terrible things that can happen to it with spiritual and mythical guides along the way. Most stories fit the same profile as the Onion Girl. Personally I thought it was a beautiful book, but I had been following Jill's adventures for a decade before he put pen to paper about her so it was very poignant an experience. Good luck with his future books - and I must say, most fantasy has a great deal of blood, guts and gore, his is just closer to a realistic representation of it.

I will still try one of his other books because I still think there may be more of a fantasy element in some of his other stories. The Onion Girl to me was a story about Jill's child abuse and Raylene's not necessarily a fantasy tale.