Helpful Score: 2
You dont need to be an SF fanor know much at all about SF history, reallyto love Mori and AMONG OTHERS. This is a book that everyone who has been or is still a bookworm can relate to and delight in.
Mori represents the kind of bookish teenager you want to be, your best friend to be, your teenage daughter to be. She drinks up books like water and then writes about them in her journalnot in-depth academic analyses, but the kind of meandering way that most bookworms do naturally. I admit to knowing hopelessly little about SF, but I could definitely relate to Moris somewhat scattered comments on the books shes finished. Shes not trying to write a SF novel or be a SF expert; shes just enjoying herself wholeheartedly as an avid reader, and you cant help but love that.
Due to its diary format, AMONG OTHERS is filled with bits and pieces of the sort of things that teenage girls wonder about: sex, their sexuality, people they meet, their future. It makes the book so genuine that there is no one primary plotline. Because its like life in that way: we have many interests and thoughts and curiosities, and they all make up a part of who we are.
I loved the bookish aspect of AMONG OTHERS so much that I was rather put off by its fantastical element, which I felt was almost unnecessary. The main plot, if you must name one, is Moris relationship with fairies and her crazy mother. I have no problem with how fairies work in Moris world: like other things that Mori writes about, the fairies are just a part of her life, just a part of her. But I do feel like the magical aspect was not the driving force of this novel, and so, in making it a significant part of the ending, I feltunsatisfied.
AMONG OTHERS is classified as fantasy, and Mori loves SF, but it doesnt mean that SFF fans should be its only readersnor, perhaps, its most significant. AMONG OTHERS is, in my opinion, above all other plotlines, a love letter to books as salvation, and so if ever you love books, you should check this one out.
Mori represents the kind of bookish teenager you want to be, your best friend to be, your teenage daughter to be. She drinks up books like water and then writes about them in her journalnot in-depth academic analyses, but the kind of meandering way that most bookworms do naturally. I admit to knowing hopelessly little about SF, but I could definitely relate to Moris somewhat scattered comments on the books shes finished. Shes not trying to write a SF novel or be a SF expert; shes just enjoying herself wholeheartedly as an avid reader, and you cant help but love that.
Due to its diary format, AMONG OTHERS is filled with bits and pieces of the sort of things that teenage girls wonder about: sex, their sexuality, people they meet, their future. It makes the book so genuine that there is no one primary plotline. Because its like life in that way: we have many interests and thoughts and curiosities, and they all make up a part of who we are.
I loved the bookish aspect of AMONG OTHERS so much that I was rather put off by its fantastical element, which I felt was almost unnecessary. The main plot, if you must name one, is Moris relationship with fairies and her crazy mother. I have no problem with how fairies work in Moris world: like other things that Mori writes about, the fairies are just a part of her life, just a part of her. But I do feel like the magical aspect was not the driving force of this novel, and so, in making it a significant part of the ending, I feltunsatisfied.
AMONG OTHERS is classified as fantasy, and Mori loves SF, but it doesnt mean that SFF fans should be its only readersnor, perhaps, its most significant. AMONG OTHERS is, in my opinion, above all other plotlines, a love letter to books as salvation, and so if ever you love books, you should check this one out.
Helpful Score: 2
Among Others is the story of a few months of a young runaway girls life, as she meets her father and his aunts for the first time, and then gets unceremoniously shipped off to an exclusive all-girls boarding school in England. An outcast from the start, branded so by her Welsh accent and affectations, she finds solace in classics of science fiction and the wonder of interlibrary loan. Oh, and her mothers an evil witch and she talks with faeries.
This book was fantastic. And I must not be the only one who thinks so, for it won the 2012 Hugo Award for Best Novel. Written as a series of chronological diary entries, we learn her history slowly: theres no explanatory exposition to speak of. And there are plenty of bits left unresolved, and others that simply exist without needing rationalization. Which, frankly, is a good thing, I think. There have been a number of magical stories Ive read lately which have completely lost their magic by the end due to needless (and poor) rationalization.
There are an innumerable number of references to science fiction from the 1960s to the 1980s. You might also take this novel as a list of good scifi in novel form. Certainly, if youve already read most of what our protagonist is discovering, you get the satisfaction of being an insider, and if you dont get the references, Im sure youd feel left out. (Id already read about half of what she was gushing over, so I felt like an insider who still came away with a great to be read list.)
Its fitting, I suppose, that the copy I read was itself from the library. Arent libraries grand?
5 of 5 stars.
This book was fantastic. And I must not be the only one who thinks so, for it won the 2012 Hugo Award for Best Novel. Written as a series of chronological diary entries, we learn her history slowly: theres no explanatory exposition to speak of. And there are plenty of bits left unresolved, and others that simply exist without needing rationalization. Which, frankly, is a good thing, I think. There have been a number of magical stories Ive read lately which have completely lost their magic by the end due to needless (and poor) rationalization.
There are an innumerable number of references to science fiction from the 1960s to the 1980s. You might also take this novel as a list of good scifi in novel form. Certainly, if youve already read most of what our protagonist is discovering, you get the satisfaction of being an insider, and if you dont get the references, Im sure youd feel left out. (Id already read about half of what she was gushing over, so I felt like an insider who still came away with a great to be read list.)
Its fitting, I suppose, that the copy I read was itself from the library. Arent libraries grand?
5 of 5 stars.
Helpful Score: 1
I love so much about this book.
I love that it's character-driven rather than plot-driven. Nothing particularly happens in this novel -- a girl goes to boarding school, is shunned, writes and reads a lot, and eventually finds a few friends; the "reckoning that could no longer be put off" takes place within the confines of the last few pages, and feels. . . on the whole, slightly unnecessary. Anyone who wants action should look elsewhere. This book takes place almost entirely within the confines of Mori's head, and I love that. I love that it's about grieving, and that it's about identity, and that it's about making the best of your seriously messed up family.
I love that it's about books, and that Mori engages with books, has forceful opinions about them that the reader is clearly allowed to disagree with. I haven't actually read most of the books Mori talks about (somehow I've read lots of stuff from the 60s and from the 80s on, but precious little from the 70s) but my background knowledge of the authors was enough that I didn't feel like I missed anything. Probably the only work any reader has to be familiar with is Kurt Vonnegut's Cat's Cradle, because Mori uses the terms "karass" and "granfalloon" a lot before she explains them to an outsider -- but even those terms are fairly clear from the context.
I love the way the magic works. . . no flashes or puffs of smoke to let you know something has happened, just a sudden string of coincidences (going back long before you cast your spell) leading to the outcome you wanted. It's the sort of magic I think makes sense in a contemporary setting with our history, and it's the sort of magic I wish there was more of in fantasy, because it seems so much more magical than the magic-by-numbers currently popular. And yes, it IS magic: Mori thinks so, and the author says so, so I see no reason to question that fact.
But somehow. . . I did not quite love this book. Maybe it's because I wasn't particularly alienated as a teenager. Maybe it's because I wanted just a little bit more. . . magic, in Mori's voice, to carry through some of the boarding school drama. Or maybe this is one of those books that will hit me harder the further I get from it -- it certainly has that potential. I expected to love this book, and maybe that's why I didn't; very little can live up to the level of expectation produced by the knowledge that there's a new book by a favorite author that's getting tons of praise from other favorite authors. Whatever the case. . . I will absolutely recommend this to anyone who likes the stuff I laid out above. It's absolutely going on my keeper shelf, and I'm glad I bought it in hardcover. But it isn't quite a book that immediately carved out a place in my soul.
I love that it's character-driven rather than plot-driven. Nothing particularly happens in this novel -- a girl goes to boarding school, is shunned, writes and reads a lot, and eventually finds a few friends; the "reckoning that could no longer be put off" takes place within the confines of the last few pages, and feels. . . on the whole, slightly unnecessary. Anyone who wants action should look elsewhere. This book takes place almost entirely within the confines of Mori's head, and I love that. I love that it's about grieving, and that it's about identity, and that it's about making the best of your seriously messed up family.
I love that it's about books, and that Mori engages with books, has forceful opinions about them that the reader is clearly allowed to disagree with. I haven't actually read most of the books Mori talks about (somehow I've read lots of stuff from the 60s and from the 80s on, but precious little from the 70s) but my background knowledge of the authors was enough that I didn't feel like I missed anything. Probably the only work any reader has to be familiar with is Kurt Vonnegut's Cat's Cradle, because Mori uses the terms "karass" and "granfalloon" a lot before she explains them to an outsider -- but even those terms are fairly clear from the context.
I love the way the magic works. . . no flashes or puffs of smoke to let you know something has happened, just a sudden string of coincidences (going back long before you cast your spell) leading to the outcome you wanted. It's the sort of magic I think makes sense in a contemporary setting with our history, and it's the sort of magic I wish there was more of in fantasy, because it seems so much more magical than the magic-by-numbers currently popular. And yes, it IS magic: Mori thinks so, and the author says so, so I see no reason to question that fact.
But somehow. . . I did not quite love this book. Maybe it's because I wasn't particularly alienated as a teenager. Maybe it's because I wanted just a little bit more. . . magic, in Mori's voice, to carry through some of the boarding school drama. Or maybe this is one of those books that will hit me harder the further I get from it -- it certainly has that potential. I expected to love this book, and maybe that's why I didn't; very little can live up to the level of expectation produced by the knowledge that there's a new book by a favorite author that's getting tons of praise from other favorite authors. Whatever the case. . . I will absolutely recommend this to anyone who likes the stuff I laid out above. It's absolutely going on my keeper shelf, and I'm glad I bought it in hardcover. But it isn't quite a book that immediately carved out a place in my soul.
Helpful Score: 1
I REALLY wanted to like this book. I mean, really really. But it just didn't happen for me. Towards the end I wanted to skim just to get it over with. I liked Morwenna's voice and how her disability was portrayed (how she lived with it, the impact it had on her, etc.) but the plot just bored me to tears. The fairies/magic element seemed pointless to me and entirely out of place in regards to the rest of the story. This could have been a decent fantasy or a decent "girl at boarding school who loves books" novel, but trying to combine them just made it a mess. I enjoyed the discussion of all the great sci-fi novels, but I can read a list of great sci-fi on a webpage and not have to muddle through 300-odd pages. Also her relationships with her mother and sister were just...there. The confrontation with her mother was anticlimactic and didn't really seem to affect anything. The ending was abrupt and didn't solve anything either. I'm probably being too harsh, honestly, but with the subject matter and positive reviews from people I know I was really ready to love this book, and I'm bummed that I didn't.
I do not normally like memoirs, so you can image my surprise when I realized this is a memoir of sorts. Somehow though Jo Walton has written her quasi memoir as a sci-fi fantasy. The story starts out in 1975 with a small glimpse of Morwenna and her twin sister Mor when they are just 11 years old. The girls are carrying out a quest the fairies have given them. It then moves on to 1979 Mor has died in a car accident, Morwenna was seriously injured and she has run away from her mother who she believes is a witch who caused the car accident that maimed her and killed her sister. She has lived in Wales her entire life, but has now gone to live with her estranged father in England. The father Daniel lives with his three sisters. The sisters decide that Morwenna should attend the same boarding school they attended as girls. Morwenna feels that they dont really want her and even though she hates the school there is no real resentment towards them. The story follows Morwenna through the many SF books she reads. She connects to her father through SF. She has very few friends at school, but she joins a SF book club at the public library and connects and makes friends through SF literature. There is magic and fairies and beautiful descriptions of Welsh and English landscapes. The character Morwenna is also a bit of a foodie. She seems to really love food and she describes when its bad as well as when it's good. All of the characters are really wonderful, they seem so real, but possibly because they are. I loved this book and have looked up a number of writers that are mentioned. I looked forward to discovering new (to me) authors to read.
I can't figure out what to say about this book. It's a nice character study of the teen-aged girl; there's a tiny bit of "magic" happening (enough to get it classified as fantasy). The big antagonist of the story is left to the last couple pages and then just evaporates (was that the point?) The main thrust of this story seems to be how great it is for nerdy youngsters to read and discuss science fiction and fantasy, which is why I'm guessing it won awards. Lovely writing, but the fantasy elements don't seem critical to the story (it reminds me of Pamela Dean's Tam Lin, which is a rapturous paean to college life with a folk tale tacked on to the last 20 pages).
So...meh. But if you'd like a list of excellent SF from the 70s and earlier, jot down all the titles in this book.
So...meh. But if you'd like a list of excellent SF from the 70s and earlier, jot down all the titles in this book.
Excellent, wonderful young adult book, especially for people who use books to shield themselves from life, who love magic and science fiction.
This is about Mori (Morwenna), 14, a surviving twin whose mother is an evil witch. Her sister was killed in a battle with their mother and Mori will forever limp because of the car that hit them during the fight. Her father, who abandoned her mother, found her to take care of her and enrolled her in an English boarding school. She dislikes her new school, has few friends, and the food is awful but reading science fiction is her outlet. The book contains dozens of references to her reads and I made a list of those I haven't yet read which will keep me reading for a couple of years!
As Mori tries to understand her father, she discovers that he, too, loves science fiction and they begin to share impressions about books and authors. In an effort to find friends who share her interests, she does magic and creates a karass. She believes it works when she discovers a local science-fiction book club, makes new friends and finds a boyfriend.
When magic is performed, it may backfire and create problems for the person initiating it. Magic may help one change the past to satisfy desires but still be careful not to change what is. If Mori had not created magic to find friends, the book club might not have existed or would it? She turns to the fairies she knows for information.
At times I found myself caught up in the endless lists and comments about the books Mori was reading. O wondered if a 14-year-old possibly read so many books. The endless lists which distracted me from the story is the reason that I gave the book three stars rather than four. Nevertheless, it is a fun read.
As Mori tries to understand her father, she discovers that he, too, loves science fiction and they begin to share impressions about books and authors. In an effort to find friends who share her interests, she does magic and creates a karass. She believes it works when she discovers a local science-fiction book club, makes new friends and finds a boyfriend.
When magic is performed, it may backfire and create problems for the person initiating it. Magic may help one change the past to satisfy desires but still be careful not to change what is. If Mori had not created magic to find friends, the book club might not have existed or would it? She turns to the fairies she knows for information.
At times I found myself caught up in the endless lists and comments about the books Mori was reading. O wondered if a 14-year-old possibly read so many books. The endless lists which distracted me from the story is the reason that I gave the book three stars rather than four. Nevertheless, it is a fun read.
A good book, but better fiction than fantasy.
I'll admit, when I finished reading Among Others, I threw it. Yes, threw it. I threw it to the foot of the bed where I was curled up reading on a Sunday, and sighed with frustration. The pages bent up on themselves and tangled with my comforter. âThe fuck?â I exclaimed.
It's not that I hated Among Others. After all, I did managed to slog through all 304 pages without abandoning it for the other fantasy and science fiction in my queue, like Margaret Atwood's MaddAddam series or the Wool omnibus or a shelf-full of other interesting things.
In fact, Among Others *did* started out interestingly enough. In short, Among Others the story of Mori - the surviving half of a set of twins - who finds herself at boarding school in rural England. There's a witchy mother, a lovable but neglectful father figure, boarding school intrigues, and, of course, magic and fairies.
The book is written like a memoir, which I enjoyed; I like being able to see the world from a character's perspective, inner monologue and all. It's written like a journal. Trite? Maybe, but as a diarist myself, I can't knock it.
I also dig the way Walton talks about magic, describing her fairies and supernatural events as being âdeniable.â That is, one doesn't really know if magic is working because it works in mysterious ways. Are things coincidence, or truly the outcome of mystical meddling? One can never know, and that's the beauty of it.
Other than that, Among Others get a 3/5 stars from me, a solid meh rating. It reads like a love letter to Ursula LeGuin or Roger Zelazny, and even this LeGuin lover started to roll her eyes after the fifth or sixth enthusiastic reference to The Dispossessed or Earthsea. The characters are forgettable, Mori herself seems unreasonable or insane (or both?). Not the mention that the climax comes 12 pages or so out from the end and leaves the reader entirely let down, thinking: that's it?
Mori complains of one science fiction author's stories as being entirely too âpatâ and unfortunately that is exactly what Among Others is: unconvincing and too neatly wrapped.
It's not that I hated Among Others. After all, I did managed to slog through all 304 pages without abandoning it for the other fantasy and science fiction in my queue, like Margaret Atwood's MaddAddam series or the Wool omnibus or a shelf-full of other interesting things.
In fact, Among Others *did* started out interestingly enough. In short, Among Others the story of Mori - the surviving half of a set of twins - who finds herself at boarding school in rural England. There's a witchy mother, a lovable but neglectful father figure, boarding school intrigues, and, of course, magic and fairies.
The book is written like a memoir, which I enjoyed; I like being able to see the world from a character's perspective, inner monologue and all. It's written like a journal. Trite? Maybe, but as a diarist myself, I can't knock it.
I also dig the way Walton talks about magic, describing her fairies and supernatural events as being âdeniable.â That is, one doesn't really know if magic is working because it works in mysterious ways. Are things coincidence, or truly the outcome of mystical meddling? One can never know, and that's the beauty of it.
Other than that, Among Others get a 3/5 stars from me, a solid meh rating. It reads like a love letter to Ursula LeGuin or Roger Zelazny, and even this LeGuin lover started to roll her eyes after the fifth or sixth enthusiastic reference to The Dispossessed or Earthsea. The characters are forgettable, Mori herself seems unreasonable or insane (or both?). Not the mention that the climax comes 12 pages or so out from the end and leaves the reader entirely let down, thinking: that's it?
Mori complains of one science fiction author's stories as being entirely too âpatâ and unfortunately that is exactly what Among Others is: unconvincing and too neatly wrapped.
