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Liked It1 of 1 members found this review helpful “Short stories are a tricky thing to write – many authors open their own collections with a note about how silly they were to attempt the form. Not surprising, since a short story is not simply a novel with the details cut out. Short story writing requires a precise sense of pacing and an almost...” see full review » see other reviews » |
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It’s no secret that I’m a Peter Beagle fan, and none of his works that I’ve read have failed to disappoint. The Line Between is the most recent collection of Beagle’s short stories, most of which have been previously published. If you are like me and reading them for the first time, it is an interesting mix of stories, but each tale draws you into its world and the eyes of the storyteller.
I bought this book for Two Hearts, the follow-up story to The Last Unicorn, but I was pleasantly surprised with what awaited me on the other pages. Two Hearts is definitely meant to be read by those familiar with the world and characters its set in, and I recommend reading The Last Unicorn before its amazing follow-up.
However, I do think it was overshadowed by other stories in the collection. My personal favorite being Quarry, a short story from the same world as The Innkeeper’s Song, but you don’t have to be familiar with that novel to enjoy the story (although as with most things it is always better to read the original tale first). It follows a young Soukyan, escaping from “that place,” as he calls it, and how he survives with the help of a mysterious old man. His descriptions of how he is attempting to survive being hunted make the reader feel as if they are right there next to him, trying to escape as well.
Another gem in this collection was El Regalo, about 12 year old Angie who discovers her 8 year old brother Marvyn is a witch. Yes, a witch. The two siblings have such a realistic relationship, and the story is so well told, that amidst magic such dancing garbage bags and time travel, the most unbelievable thing about the story is why an 8 year old witch had “never taken to Harry Potter.” I mean, who doesn’t like Harry Potter? Beagle promises a full length novel about the siblings titled My Stupid Brother, Marvyn the Witch and I can’t wait to read it.
Also not to be missed are Salt Wine, a riveting story of two sailors, Ben Hazeltine and Henry Lee, who make their fortune by using a recipe for salt wine Henry got from a merrow (merman) for saving his life; Mr. Sigerson, a Sherlock Holmes tale, which is according to Beagle’s introduction, his “first mystery tale,” although I would say there is a hint of mystery in all of his tales; and Gordon, the Self-Made Cat, a lighthearted, humorous story about a mouse who decides to become a cat.
Also included are Four Fables, each with a humorous moral, and A Dance for Emilia, a story which details how an aging theater actor, Jake deals with the death of his long time friend, Sam, by sharing letters and stories with Sam’s lover Emilia. Together, Jake and Emilia refuse to let his memory die.
No matter what the subject matter, Beagle is a master at drawing in the reader to a world where anything is possible, whether it’s a mouse acting like a cat, or a world where unicorns are real. This book should not be missed by anyone who loves to read.
” banana_cave wrote this review Saturday, March 1 2008. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Beagle never fails to delight. The story of a beloved friend who comes to dance as his own cat was just a delight.”
blathering wrote this review Tuesday, February 19 2008. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No1 of 1 members found this review helpful“Short stories are a tricky thing to write – many authors open their own collections with a note about how silly they were to attempt the form. Not surprising, since a short story is not simply a novel with the details cut out. Short story writing requires a precise sense of pacing and an almost directoral view of the subject matter. There are not hundreds of pages to develop characters and create mood; the best the short story writer can do is point out to you the defining moments of a character or a scene and hope you can keep up. Short fiction is most often effective to offer a setup leading to a quick plot twist or a startling ending, not for world-building or profound observations on the human psyche.
xaoc wrote this review Friday, April 13 2007. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
That said, the depth of feeling contained in the latest Peter Beagle book is astounding. Twice as much when you consider that this is a short story collection, not a novel. No story spans more than forty pages - a few run no more that five, but many have their own emotional resonance most novelists dream of.
There are plenty of funny, quick reads throughout the collection too. In Gordon, the Self-Made Cat a mouse with no desire to play the traditional role of bait earns his cat card and the respect of his fellow felines. A set of four fables, while feeling a little rushed in execution, have deliciously cynical morals. Salt Wine puts some grand old seagoing-myths on their heads, and Quarry fills in yet another piece of the world of Innkeeper’s Song and the short story collection from the same world. There’s also A Dance For Emilia - a beautiful story of friendship and love printed here for every fan who missed the much overlooked gift book edition from several years ago.
There is always a strong musical theme running through Beagle’s work – and of course there is one musical story here: Mr. Sigerson. Mr. Siegerson is a brilliant violinist and also a persona of the great Sherlock Holmes. In this mystery, Holmes and the conductor of a Norwegian orchestra uncover underhanded dealings and an illicit affair and any musician will recognize one of their own in the narrator and characters of the story.
The real jewels in this book are El Regalo and Two Hearts. El Regalo introduces two new characters, Marvyn and Angie. With promises to tell their whole story in a novel, Beagle introduces two kids growing up in Avicenna and growing into some magical powers. Marvyn, like any well-balanced kid, uses his abilities to take out the garbage and wash the dishes, but Angie is still concerned that his powers might get them into trouble. When Angie makes an embarrassing choice to confess her love to a boy at school, Marvyn rushes in to save the day and lands both of them in last Thursday, possibly permanently. Two Hearts is quite simply a gift to any fan of The Last Unicorn. In Beagle’s earlier days he created each book in its own world, and the short stories that he wrote never went back to those places. After more than thirty years, the story is told of Shmendrick and Molly Grue’s further adventures, along with Lir and the land he rules. Two Hearts seems almost to be something dug up from the days immediately following the writing of The Last Unicorn. The characters remain as true to themselves as any reader could hope and again, Beagle promises a full-length story of Sooz, the narrator.
Once again, Beagle has topped his previous efforts and not only re-asserted his status as a master of the Fantasy genre, but shown that he still has plenty more stories to tell us.
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