"Ka: Dar Oakley in the Ruin of Ymr" by John Crowley (BR)

[Silvana]

Part 3 is so dark!

(view spoiler)[especially when Dar Oakley made his revenge. I feel for the guy though. That Doctor was evil. (hide spoiler)]

91% now. Gosh, I don't want this book to end.

[Silvana]

Noooo, it ended....
I am genuinely sad. This is one of the best books I read this year. Five glowing dark stars.

Alright, gotta go to sleep now, more comments later.

[Rachel]

Has anyone read any of his other works? Now I’m curious about his Little,Big that seems to have great acclaim in the genre

[Rachel]

Oleksandr wrote: "Ok, a bit of research gives the following results (thanks to o mighty internet!): The Crow Nation (the name signifies I think) had legends about Nirumbee - Little People of the Pryor Mountains
http..."

oh that is super interesting. So cool. This really is a well woven tale!

[Rachel]

I want to click the last spoilers ..argh. I'min section 3 part 3.

Question: what was your favorite Section?

[Gabi]

Rachel wrote: "I want to click the last spoilers ..argh. I'min section 3 part 3.


final spurt!

Question: what was your favorite Section?"

For me, part I or II … II perhaps a bit more.

[Silvana]

Gabi wrote: "
I'm finished, and I'm..."

I can finally open your last spoiler and yes I do get your point.

To me, Part 3
(view spoiler)[is still very much connected in the ways of humans dealing with Dar Oakley were people with connection to the spirit or Death world. We had a shaman, a priest, and now a medium. That is why the ghostly apparitions Dar Oakley witnessed also came into play. Anna was also inspired by real life female sleepwalkers during the Civil War Era.

That part also gave insights on how Dar Oakley dealt with revenge and how he, a certainly abnormal Crow, could foresee something bad happening in the future involving the doctor and the captive Crow and thus decided to take action. Again, love the agency here. He was not merely an observer.
(hide spoiler)]

Also we have this funny exchange.
(view spoiler)[
He said that the oldest Crow lived somewhere in those lands. He said he knew a Crow who knew a Crow who knew.” “Yes,” Dar Oakley said. “That’s what I’ll do. Find a Crow who knows a Crow who knows a Crow.”
(hide spoiler)]

This book has some surprising funny moments.

[Silvana]

Rachel wrote: "Has anyone read any of his other works? Now I’m curious about his Little,Big that seems to have great acclaim in the genre"

This is my first. I am also curious about Little Big and have now added it to my wishlist.

[Silvana]

Rachel wrote: "I want to click the last spoilers ..argh. I'min section 3 part 3.

Question: what was your favorite Section?"

Part 2, I think?
(view spoiler)[we have that sea journey. Loved it when the terns taught Dar Oakley how to use the thermal wind to save energy during flying. (hide spoiler)]

[Rachel]

And I’m at 91% now - just part 4 to go. I am very interested in ‘the RUIN of Ymr

[Beth]

I agree, part 2 is probably my favorite, but I really liked part 3 as well.

I still need to write a review for this, but overall I liked it better than Little, Big.

[Gabi]

@Silvana: it wasn't the topic of part III that gave me troubles. I found that very fitting. It was the way the story was told in the last two chapters. I can't even put my finger on it, but it felt so different in a negative way to me that I indeed got grumpy ^^' - very personal impression, of course.

[Silvana]

Got it. Reading is always personal :)

I am trying to write a review but whatever I write won't do any justice. Will a meme suffice? 😂

[Gabi]

:D certainly!

[Silvana]

Decided not to use a meme - I just recycled what I wrote here (that's what threads are for!) Here's me gushing about the book: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

So glad to have you guys in these world spanning journey with me :)

[Oleksandr]

Great review, Silvana!

[Gabi]

That's really a wonderful review! I enjoyed this BR so much and I learned new things. What more can I ask for?

[Oleksandr]

Gabi wrote: "What more can I ask for?"

For more such reads definitely!

[Rachel]

loved your review Silviana. i also finished. the part that bothered me:

(view spoiler)[ "Is that I wanted to know more about the RUIN part.
It felt like a downfall of society was clearly hinted at but part 4 was so short...I wanted to know more about the Future of Ymr. I guess adding onto Gabi- i could have used a bit less of part 3 and a bit more part 4 and been a bit more satisfied with the end. (hide spoiler)]

Still a book I'd recommend to those who like "different" especially non humanoid POVs!

[Rachel]

I think I liked part 1 the best - I'm a sucker for coming of age tales *that aren't dystopian love triangles*
And Fox Cap rules.

[Gabi]

Rachel wrote: "loved your review Silviana. i also finished. the part that bothered me:"


I have to embarrassingly admit, that (view spoiler)[ in the beginning I didn't understand that he was describing a landfill. I thought it was something more ominous that had to do with end of civilization or the likes. So I thought the story would go much further into the future.
But once I understood it, I was okay with the last part. I especially loved the only-the-living-can-go-into-the-realms-of-the-dead part. Gave me shivers. (hide spoiler)]

[Silvana]

I also would love to know more about the Ruin of Ymr itself and now thinking everything is actually about (view spoiler)[Ka: Dar Oakley telling stories among the Ruin of Ymr. But that would complicate an already rather complicated title :D (hide spoiler)]

Gabi, that part is mind-boggling. While I loved the book a lot I could not claim I understand all the things. Should definitely reread those parts later.

[Beth]

Great review Silvana!

[Silvana]

Thanks, Beth. What parts did you like more than Little, Big?

[Beth]

Most of it! I mean I liked Little, Big but I don't really get the love for it. I like the setting in both books, but the characters are much more vivid in this one, I think. I was definitely more emotionally invested in this one.

[Beth]

my review is up (some of this repeats what I already said in the thread, but I also selected some of my favorite quotes):

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

I am super late (sorrryyyy) but I am joining in and can't wait to open all these spoiler tags!

[Silvana]

Allison wrote: "I am super late (sorrryyyy) but I am joining in and can't wait to open all these spoiler tags!"

Finally! I have a feeling you will enjoy this.

Beth wrote: "my review is up (some of this repeats what I already said in the thread, but I also selected some of my favorite quotes):

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show..."

Love the review and selection quotes, Beth!

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

Wow, I just caught up. Wonderful discussion, everyone and thank you so much for adding things about myths and timelines! I had agreed with most of your assumptions, but seeing each of you add a little (and about the Nirumbee which is so cool!) really added a lot to my reflections.

I'm so torn about this book! (view spoiler)[I loved the Crow protagonist and how crow-like he felt. I liked Fox Cap a lot though the gender thing although I'm not sure if it's supposed to signify that she's trans/two-gender or if she's trying to fit a role that only belongs to men in her society? I'd have to research more about that. I really liked the most the parts where he was going back to the Crows and sharing what he'd learned. I thought it was hilarious when One Ear turned the Crows stories back on him, that was so funny and felt very meta--a myth within a myth. Of course I love love LOVE all the myths and ways we blended in the crow stories that permeate so many cultures. I adored Kits and the owl is my own personal patronus so that was cool, to see all three death birds.

I loved the terns and like you, found so many gorgeous lines. I think what it comes down to for me is that it was a bit long, I didn't get the tie-in to modern day and it's another gods-damned ambiguous ending. What do you think happened at the end? Was the ruin that we were always in Ymr? Was it that Ymr was too full and was rejecting people? A symbol that we can't go collectively to a realm we don't share each other's beliefs? What is it to you? (hide spoiler)]

[Oleksandr]

re: Fox Cap

(view spoiler)[I assumed that it is not a modern sense trans/two-gender, but the idea that mage/bard/holy person is outside the society, therefore no spouses for example. Look at her 'teacher' who is male but is also living aside w/o a family (hide spoiler)]

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

Yeah, (view spoiler)[it felt like it was more about the mantle than her identity, though two gender is at least several hundred years old so I wasn't sure! (hide spoiler)]