A.R. Jarvis's Blog, page 14
July 11, 2013
Where Does It Start?
This week I read Algonquin Indian Tales. It's a very readable book about two adorable White children of missionaries. They are at least partially raised by their Indian nurse, and the local tribe, and have an insatiable appetite for stories.
But the White children are...coddled, almost beyond belief, by their nurse (who flips out when they are punished, and won't get them in trouble, even to save them), and the local Indian chief (who thinks it's sweet when they rudely interrupt and demand stories), and...pretty much every Indian they meet.
This, coupled with repeated references to 'Their Indian Ways' and other such cliches, gave the book a faint air of racism. But you could tell that, for the time, the author (and his characters) were actually doing a pretty good job of being fair and non-biased.
So then I wonder if I'm over reacting to it all. Is it even there? or am I upset because it strongly reminds me of a horrid book of African Tales that was set up on the same premise--two perfect missionary children, coddled and told stories by beloved, yet crippled, family servants, learning all the useful native knowledge while still remaining superior and White.
Sure, that one was clearly racist, but is *this* one racist? or is the family just nice in that they took in a cripple to care for their kids? are they tolerant and patronizing that they allow their children to have Indian names in addition to their own? Or is that actually really open-minded and accepting of them?
And then there's the meta-questions that include such things as; Who am I to even ask this? I'm about as white as Wonder Bread. So am I more likely to notice racism where there is none, or is there mere fact that I perceive some mean that, yeah, it's PRETTY OBVIOUS?
So many questions. No answers.
But the White children are...coddled, almost beyond belief, by their nurse (who flips out when they are punished, and won't get them in trouble, even to save them), and the local Indian chief (who thinks it's sweet when they rudely interrupt and demand stories), and...pretty much every Indian they meet.
This, coupled with repeated references to 'Their Indian Ways' and other such cliches, gave the book a faint air of racism. But you could tell that, for the time, the author (and his characters) were actually doing a pretty good job of being fair and non-biased.
So then I wonder if I'm over reacting to it all. Is it even there? or am I upset because it strongly reminds me of a horrid book of African Tales that was set up on the same premise--two perfect missionary children, coddled and told stories by beloved, yet crippled, family servants, learning all the useful native knowledge while still remaining superior and White.
Sure, that one was clearly racist, but is *this* one racist? or is the family just nice in that they took in a cripple to care for their kids? are they tolerant and patronizing that they allow their children to have Indian names in addition to their own? Or is that actually really open-minded and accepting of them?
And then there's the meta-questions that include such things as; Who am I to even ask this? I'm about as white as Wonder Bread. So am I more likely to notice racism where there is none, or is there mere fact that I perceive some mean that, yeah, it's PRETTY OBVIOUS?
So many questions. No answers.
May 29, 2013
Again?
This whole forgetting-I-have-a-blog business is getting old.
In my defense, I haven't had time to read much until just recently, and when I did read it wasn't fairy tales.
But I did manage to finish a book of Tales just today! And so you will now be subjected to a rant of some sort or another.
This week I read A Chinese Wonder Book: Fairy Tales of China. It was...less than wondrous. Not horrible, just bland.
Most of the stories had morals of 'LOVE THY PARENTS' to a greater or lesser extent, which I realize is a big thing in China, but I also wonder if it's really THAT big of a thing, or if it was over-emphasized so we can laugh at the silly Oriental savages. Could be a bit of both, I guess.
And...I don't know. I didn't really have strong feelings about the book here or there, so I don't have a good rant for you. Sorry. I'll try harder next time, after I've read this book of Eskimo Folktales. No way *that* will be bland, right?
...right?
In my defense, I haven't had time to read much until just recently, and when I did read it wasn't fairy tales.
But I did manage to finish a book of Tales just today! And so you will now be subjected to a rant of some sort or another.
This week I read A Chinese Wonder Book: Fairy Tales of China. It was...less than wondrous. Not horrible, just bland.
Most of the stories had morals of 'LOVE THY PARENTS' to a greater or lesser extent, which I realize is a big thing in China, but I also wonder if it's really THAT big of a thing, or if it was over-emphasized so we can laugh at the silly Oriental savages. Could be a bit of both, I guess.
And...I don't know. I didn't really have strong feelings about the book here or there, so I don't have a good rant for you. Sorry. I'll try harder next time, after I've read this book of Eskimo Folktales. No way *that* will be bland, right?
...right?
December 16, 2012
Horrible Things
This past week I read Caucasian Legends, which is a terrible book and although I didn't get very far in it, I can only recommend it if you are looking to fall asleep quickly.
Instead of babbling about that, I thought I'd take a moment to gripe about poetry. Or, not really about poetry, but about "poetry" as appears in children's books.
I've been reading a lot of kid books lately, and there's this trend--mostly in the free stuff you can find on Amazon, but also in published books that some poor soul actually paid money for--there's this trend or assumption that rhymes are for kids.
Sure, kids like rhymes (when they are old enough to know what those are), but more importantly parents and caregivers like books that THEY CAN READ, and not ones that you have to stop four lines in and then sit in a corner crying over what our language has come to.
Poetry used to be an art form. It's only worthwhile when it has form and rhythm and structure. You can't just slap some rhyming words on a page with a picture of a train and call it a children's book.
Sure, there are a few authors of kid books who can get away with irregular rhythms and changing rhyme patterns, BUT THAT IS NOT YOU. Either learn to write a fucking poem or stick to prose.
Instead of babbling about that, I thought I'd take a moment to gripe about poetry. Or, not really about poetry, but about "poetry" as appears in children's books.
I've been reading a lot of kid books lately, and there's this trend--mostly in the free stuff you can find on Amazon, but also in published books that some poor soul actually paid money for--there's this trend or assumption that rhymes are for kids.
Sure, kids like rhymes (when they are old enough to know what those are), but more importantly parents and caregivers like books that THEY CAN READ, and not ones that you have to stop four lines in and then sit in a corner crying over what our language has come to.
Poetry used to be an art form. It's only worthwhile when it has form and rhythm and structure. You can't just slap some rhyming words on a page with a picture of a train and call it a children's book.
Sure, there are a few authors of kid books who can get away with irregular rhythms and changing rhyme patterns, BUT THAT IS NOT YOU. Either learn to write a fucking poem or stick to prose.
December 8, 2012
Mighty Mikko
This week I read Mighty Mikko: A Book of Finnish Fairy Tales and Folk TalesMighty Mikko: A Book of Finnish Fairy Tales and Folk Tales, which is a really fantastic collection of Finnish fairy and folk tales.
The stories were ...I use the term "polished", which is where the author/transcriber/translator takes the old tales and edits them to a greater or lesser extent. We often scoff that the Victorians took all the grit out of the fairy tales, and that's true, but more often "polishing" just makes the stories into a better read.
The brothers Grimm didn't polish anything, and...have you read Grimm's? It's either very violent, or just very weird.
So I'm not opposed to polishing tales. Actually, in this volume, I would have preferred a bit more polish, at least in the instances of cannibalism. I'm pretty immune to most things, but for some reason, when one speaking being eats another speaking being (whether wife, child, or different animal species), it disturbs me.
I still liked this volume. I just got a bit creeped out in a few of the tales. Maybe that's for the best, actually. Maybe it's the last bit of grit in these tales and I should embrace it.
“My friends,” he said, “we’ve been eating the old woman! However, we’ve eaten so much of her that I suppose we might as well finish her!”
...or maybe not.
The stories were ...I use the term "polished", which is where the author/transcriber/translator takes the old tales and edits them to a greater or lesser extent. We often scoff that the Victorians took all the grit out of the fairy tales, and that's true, but more often "polishing" just makes the stories into a better read.
The brothers Grimm didn't polish anything, and...have you read Grimm's? It's either very violent, or just very weird.
So I'm not opposed to polishing tales. Actually, in this volume, I would have preferred a bit more polish, at least in the instances of cannibalism. I'm pretty immune to most things, but for some reason, when one speaking being eats another speaking being (whether wife, child, or different animal species), it disturbs me.
I still liked this volume. I just got a bit creeped out in a few of the tales. Maybe that's for the best, actually. Maybe it's the last bit of grit in these tales and I should embrace it.
“My friends,” he said, “we’ve been eating the old woman! However, we’ve eaten so much of her that I suppose we might as well finish her!”
...or maybe not.
November 18, 2012
The Green Forest Fairy Book
This weekend I read The Green Forest Fairy Book. It was not a book of traditional fairy tales (which is neither a recommendation or condemnation, simply an observation). Like many other books of that sort, the stories were unique, but were also rather heavy-handed with the moral and lesson of each story.
BE NICE TO PEOPLE.
BE THANKFUL FOR WHAT YOU HAVE.
...I'm trying to think of a third, but that might actually have been it, with all the stories being variations on those two themes.
Half-way through some of the stories, I wanted to shout back; I GET IT, I WILL BE NICE AND THANKFUL FOR WHAT I HAVE IN LIFE, NOW STOP YELLING AT ME. But, of course, arguing with books has never got me anywhere.
Now, the very last story in this...is it a collection if they are all by the same author? ...the very last story is called "A Tale for Halloween" and it is very strange. There's a jack-o-lantern, and a bunch of vegetables who run off, and apparently it's very special to be given a peppermint by a witch, and I AM VERY CONFUSED. It was like someone crossed The Gingerbread Man with that one story I read a million years ago about the Pumpkin-man, plus a pinch of insanity for spice. So weird.
BE NICE TO PEOPLE.
BE THANKFUL FOR WHAT YOU HAVE.
...I'm trying to think of a third, but that might actually have been it, with all the stories being variations on those two themes.
Half-way through some of the stories, I wanted to shout back; I GET IT, I WILL BE NICE AND THANKFUL FOR WHAT I HAVE IN LIFE, NOW STOP YELLING AT ME. But, of course, arguing with books has never got me anywhere.
Now, the very last story in this...is it a collection if they are all by the same author? ...the very last story is called "A Tale for Halloween" and it is very strange. There's a jack-o-lantern, and a bunch of vegetables who run off, and apparently it's very special to be given a peppermint by a witch, and I AM VERY CONFUSED. It was like someone crossed The Gingerbread Man with that one story I read a million years ago about the Pumpkin-man, plus a pinch of insanity for spice. So weird.
November 12, 2012
I Don't Want to Ruin Anyone's Childhood
I just (like ten minutes ago) finished reading Laboulaye's Fairy Book Laboulaye's Fairy Book: Fairy Tales of All Nations (1867) Fairy Tales of All Nations, and, honestly, I didn't like it all that much.
Well, I liked it, I just didn't LOVE IT, OMSQUEE. Which is usually how people feel about the fairy tale books they read as a kid. And that's why I'm blogging my horrible opinions about these books instead of putting them in reviews where anyone might read them; I don't want to insult a cherished part of anyone's childhood.
As for the book, I LOVED the first story, but felt that most of the tales in the middle were...not all that great. Certainly the second one was terrible, far too long, and far too unsubtle about it's Christian message. The third-to-last tale started well, but then went off on a limb about a rather monstrous Negress who killed the main princess. Not exactly my favorite sort of tale.
Then last story was good, but rather obvious in most things, and a bit too long. Also, it was kind of strange with the gender-roles. Hard to put my finger on what was so strange about it, so I won't bore you trying to explain, especially since I'm not even sure if I didn't like it.
Overall, I enjoyed reading this volume, but...not quite all of it.
Well, I liked it, I just didn't LOVE IT, OMSQUEE. Which is usually how people feel about the fairy tale books they read as a kid. And that's why I'm blogging my horrible opinions about these books instead of putting them in reviews where anyone might read them; I don't want to insult a cherished part of anyone's childhood.
As for the book, I LOVED the first story, but felt that most of the tales in the middle were...not all that great. Certainly the second one was terrible, far too long, and far too unsubtle about it's Christian message. The third-to-last tale started well, but then went off on a limb about a rather monstrous Negress who killed the main princess. Not exactly my favorite sort of tale.
Then last story was good, but rather obvious in most things, and a bit too long. Also, it was kind of strange with the gender-roles. Hard to put my finger on what was so strange about it, so I won't bore you trying to explain, especially since I'm not even sure if I didn't like it.
Overall, I enjoyed reading this volume, but...not quite all of it.
November 10, 2012
Oh man, I forgot to write
Did anyone even notice?
Well, this week I read Hindoo Tales; Or, the Adventures of Ten Princes. I'm not quite sure how to classify it. It wasn't fairy tales, but instead more along the lines of King Arthur, although I don't think it had that kind of following in India, or anywhere else. Basically, it was an old novel! an ancient work of fiction!
Some classic fairy/folk tale/myth elements were used in some of the stories, either as an *actual* fairy/supernatural being, or as the characters making it seem like something magic had happened so they could hoodwink their way into marriage (generally with the woman's knowledge and assistance).
The plot was that a bunch of lads were raised together, and then got split up when they went out Questing, so they each tell their story upon reuniting. It was an interesting set-up, but the stories-within-stories-within-stories got confusing really fast. I actually lost the thread of what was going on in the last tale, and rather than re-read the whole thing, I just gave up.
But the last tale (and thus the whole volume) isn't actually finished, so maybe that's what happened to the author, too.
I would like to comment on the fact that at least half of the ten princes disguised themselves as women for at least a day. Generally it was so they could sneak into the harems and sleep with the girls they were infatuated with, but it still happened. Manly men cross-dressing to get tail.
In summary; if you like ancient lit, this is pretty good (even if the translator took out the juicy bits), otherwise...meh.
Well, this week I read Hindoo Tales; Or, the Adventures of Ten Princes. I'm not quite sure how to classify it. It wasn't fairy tales, but instead more along the lines of King Arthur, although I don't think it had that kind of following in India, or anywhere else. Basically, it was an old novel! an ancient work of fiction!
Some classic fairy/folk tale/myth elements were used in some of the stories, either as an *actual* fairy/supernatural being, or as the characters making it seem like something magic had happened so they could hoodwink their way into marriage (generally with the woman's knowledge and assistance).
The plot was that a bunch of lads were raised together, and then got split up when they went out Questing, so they each tell their story upon reuniting. It was an interesting set-up, but the stories-within-stories-within-stories got confusing really fast. I actually lost the thread of what was going on in the last tale, and rather than re-read the whole thing, I just gave up.
But the last tale (and thus the whole volume) isn't actually finished, so maybe that's what happened to the author, too.
I would like to comment on the fact that at least half of the ten princes disguised themselves as women for at least a day. Generally it was so they could sneak into the harems and sleep with the girls they were infatuated with, but it still happened. Manly men cross-dressing to get tail.
In summary; if you like ancient lit, this is pretty good (even if the translator took out the juicy bits), otherwise...meh.
October 27, 2012
Is This Dead Yet?
Well, I always read books, and then I have Opinions about them, and the every so often I think my boyfriend gets sick of hearing them (and I know my journal complains about it all the time), so I thought I'd try putting my thoughts here.
I suppose I could stick them in reviews, but I feel that reviews should be Useful and Informative, and also somewhat Unbiased...very few of which are things I can do regularly. But not, like, unbiased, since reviews are supposed to be your opinion....okay, look, I have no idea where I was going with that. Either you understand and you'll stay, or you don't and you'll leave anyway, so do you thing.
So, let's get this party started:
Last week I read Rootabaga Stories. Well, I read some of it.
It's quintessential American fairy tales in the tradition of whimsical American folk-lore stories. Which is a bit hard to explain.
A while back I read or heard something that explained that American folk-tales--not the stuff from the Native American Indians--are unique in that they have something strange happen in them, and then in the end everything is the same as in the beginning.
It's like speculative fiction stretched to the limits and left to hang plotlessly.
Rutabaga Stories are not specifically folk-lore (you can track them to one author), but they seem to be pretty popular among certain people, and I'd speculate that it's because they are the same sort of weird speculative insanity as our actual folk-lore.
In this volume, the author takes that whimsical wired-shit approach to the limits of their zigzag railroad with the city on a cream puff at the end of it.
If whimsical is your thing, it's great. Unfortunately, whimsical doesn't seem to be my thing, at least not here, so I'm going to pass on the rest of the book.
I suppose I could stick them in reviews, but I feel that reviews should be Useful and Informative, and also somewhat Unbiased...very few of which are things I can do regularly. But not, like, unbiased, since reviews are supposed to be your opinion....okay, look, I have no idea where I was going with that. Either you understand and you'll stay, or you don't and you'll leave anyway, so do you thing.
So, let's get this party started:
Last week I read Rootabaga Stories. Well, I read some of it.
It's quintessential American fairy tales in the tradition of whimsical American folk-lore stories. Which is a bit hard to explain.
A while back I read or heard something that explained that American folk-tales--not the stuff from the Native American Indians--are unique in that they have something strange happen in them, and then in the end everything is the same as in the beginning.
It's like speculative fiction stretched to the limits and left to hang plotlessly.
Rutabaga Stories are not specifically folk-lore (you can track them to one author), but they seem to be pretty popular among certain people, and I'd speculate that it's because they are the same sort of weird speculative insanity as our actual folk-lore.
In this volume, the author takes that whimsical wired-shit approach to the limits of their zigzag railroad with the city on a cream puff at the end of it.
If whimsical is your thing, it's great. Unfortunately, whimsical doesn't seem to be my thing, at least not here, so I'm going to pass on the rest of the book.
January 1, 2011
New Year's Shop Stuff
To welcome in the new year I added a few things to my shop! hoo-ray!
Stories with their own pages are:
The Loyal Huntsman
Koshchya (this one has the shrinking 'castle' in it)
Koshchei (the 'evil' magician accidentally steals the queen)
The Moon-Prince
Ninjastiltskin
Stories you have to buy by buying something else but saying you want this one in the 'notes to seller' section during the checkout process are:
The Knight and the Prince
The Ninja's Challenge (which I wrote, like, two days ago)
The Student and the Ninja
For a complete list of fairy tales available, visit the shop policies page ('cuz it's getting out of hand)
Stories with their own pages are:
The Loyal Huntsman
Koshchya (this one has the shrinking 'castle' in it)
Koshchei (the 'evil' magician accidentally steals the queen)
The Moon-Prince
Ninjastiltskin
Stories you have to buy by buying something else but saying you want this one in the 'notes to seller' section during the checkout process are:
The Knight and the Prince
The Ninja's Challenge (which I wrote, like, two days ago)
The Student and the Ninja
For a complete list of fairy tales available, visit the shop policies page ('cuz it's getting out of hand)
December 28, 2010
Hello?
So...the more blogs the merrier? Because I already have one blog that's utterly unrelated to writing, and I have an LJ that's utterly devoted to writing, and then I keep a journal--the paper kind, that is.
I'm going to get tired of all this talking about myself soon...
Well, not really.
BUT! I did write a fairy tale today. I'm going to try and put it up as part of my writing here on goodreads, but I can't seem to find that button (which is how I ended up on the 'new blog post' page...)
So...yeah. Look for that soon. Or you can visit my LJ (qui-te.livejournal.com) and check it out there.
EDIT: Success! The Prince in the Tower is now up under my writing section! I feel so accomplished.
I'm going to get tired of all this talking about myself soon...
Well, not really.
BUT! I did write a fairy tale today. I'm going to try and put it up as part of my writing here on goodreads, but I can't seem to find that button (which is how I ended up on the 'new blog post' page...)
So...yeah. Look for that soon. Or you can visit my LJ (qui-te.livejournal.com) and check it out there.
EDIT: Success! The Prince in the Tower is now up under my writing section! I feel so accomplished.
