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cinaedIt's a YA novel, about the famous One Thousand and One Nights tales. Interesting characters, fascinating plot, and wonderful, wonderful writing. Yes, it's a Young Adult, but I think it's enjoyable nonetheless.
Here are a few of my favorite excerpts:
"When you tell the old tales, like Shahrazad, you become the keeper of ancient lore. You collect the wisdom of the world, and you remember. Next, you brush off the dust, press out the wrinkles, maybe mend a tear or two. Then you present the old tales as gifts to your listeners. You might alter the cut of a story as well, or embroider in some touches of your own. But your tales have a history before you.
There is another way of being a storyteller. Like a spider, you can spin a fragile thread out of your own life--from the shadows of your dreams. Then you weave it and snip it and stitch it. At last, you put on the poor garment and wear it out into the world."
*
"Stories are thick with meanings. You can fall in love with a story for what you think it says, but you can't know for certain where it will lead the listeners. If you're telling a tale to teach children to be generous, they may fix instead on the part where your hero hides in an olive oil jar, and then spend the whole next day fighting about who gets to try it first.
People take what they need from the stories they hear. The tale is often wiser than the teller."
*
"If we don't share our stories--trading them across our borders as freely as spices and ebony and silk--we will all be strangers forever."
Here are a few of my favorite excerpts:
"When you tell the old tales, like Shahrazad, you become the keeper of ancient lore. You collect the wisdom of the world, and you remember. Next, you brush off the dust, press out the wrinkles, maybe mend a tear or two. Then you present the old tales as gifts to your listeners. You might alter the cut of a story as well, or embroider in some touches of your own. But your tales have a history before you.
There is another way of being a storyteller. Like a spider, you can spin a fragile thread out of your own life--from the shadows of your dreams. Then you weave it and snip it and stitch it. At last, you put on the poor garment and wear it out into the world."
*
"Stories are thick with meanings. You can fall in love with a story for what you think it says, but you can't know for certain where it will lead the listeners. If you're telling a tale to teach children to be generous, they may fix instead on the part where your hero hides in an olive oil jar, and then spend the whole next day fighting about who gets to try it first.
People take what they need from the stories they hear. The tale is often wiser than the teller."
*
"If we don't share our stories--trading them across our borders as freely as spices and ebony and silk--we will all be strangers forever."
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Date: 2007-06-30 02:48 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-06-30 03:37 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-06-30 07:28 pm (UTC)I'm sure you've read His Dark Materials and The Outsiders, but those are also both terrific YA books. Jackaroo is by Cynthia Voigt, by the way.