This is the second time I've read Pamela Dean's gorgeous version of Tam Lin. I fell in love with her writing when I picked up a copy of The Secret Country, back when it originally came out. And I still love that trilogy more than almost any other fantasy I've read.
But Tam Lin is something else. I missed my stop on the train yesterday morning, and almost missed it this morning, as well. Because I was so completely absorbed in the book.
It's romantic in a peculiar sort of way that I find extremely compelling. It makes me want to start my daughter on Shakespeare early.
Posted by jeniwren (Member # 2002) on :
Is that the one that is set in modern times on a college campus? I love that genre of fantasy, especially the ones in that circle of writers. Jane Yolen, Pamela Dean, Charles de Lint, etc.
Posted by Dragon (Member # 3670) on :
I absolutely love that book. And it's odd, I came across a mention of a college that has a tradition of kidnapping a bust of Schiller while researching him for a paper a few weeks ago, and it reminded me of the book. I looked it up and realized that not only was that the college she really did base the setting on, but that she lives (or did) in the same area in which I'll be going to college in the fall.
Sort of connected me to the book even more. I think I'll have to read it through again before I start packing...
Posted by Kwea (Member # 2199) on :
Jeniwren, I usually don't like thos modern setting fantay novels, but De Lint is great. I liked this version of Tam Lin as well.
Another series similar to this that I liked was A Man of the Word, by Brooks. The first book is named Running witht eh Demon. I actualy liked that a LOT more than most of his Shanarra stuff, as it was fairly original.
Posted by starLisa (Member # 8384) on :
I think I'd actually be afraid to go to Carleton after reading this. Are you going to major in Classics?
And jeniwren, that's definitely the one. Though her Janet feels to me like Ruth from the Secret Country trilogy, just a few years older.
For some reason, though, I couldn't get into The Dubious Hills at all. And now she's writing a book calling Going North, which is a sequel to The Dubious Hills as well as to the trilogy, and I don't know what I'm going to do.