Title: Memory and Dream
Author: Charles de Lint
Pages: 400
Finished: November 24, 2019
First Sentence: Katharine Mully had been dead for five years and tow months, the morning Isabelle received the letter from her.
Summary: A book of artists, magic, memory, and abuse. Isabelle has turned her back on her previous work, her abusive mentor, and most of her friends. But when a letter from her now dead friend shows up right around the same time that that same friend's books are about to be republished, Isabelle's past comes roaring back.
Thoughts: Whew. This is the first "normal" de Lint I've read in a while. His normal stuff is lighter than the books he wrote under his pseudonym, but they're by no means light.
The story is engaging and the characters really multifaceted. While you get the idea that the bad guy is the bad guy, the amount of mind games he plays and the way he plays them really makes the reader second guess what's happening. In fact, there was definitely a point where I didn't feel I could really trust anyone. Of course things come around again.
The non-linear storytelling is interesting too. The story starts in 1992. The reader knows little other than Isabelle has received a letter from her friend Katharine, something bizarre considering Katharine died five years ago. The reader also knows Isabelle's painting style has taking a 180 degree turn and she has reservations about painting in her old style. Then the story shifts back to 1973 and we start to see Isabelle's beginnings with her mentor, the controlling and abusive Rushkin. From the beginning, we hear about various events from Isabelle's past in the "present day" section which are then slowly revealed in the past section.
Isabelle, herself, is an odd person. Throughout the novel, things happen, and it becomes clear that she may or may not be telling the full truth about stuff. She may be rewriting history. Whether she truly believes it, or not, it in question through much the story.
The book was published in 1993. It always amazes me just how sensitive and completely properly de Lint manages to peg things like abuse and sexual assault. He writes the characters so convincingly. He writes the feelings so convincingly. There's a point where a girl is dealing with the after effects of reporting a rape, and it could have been written today.
We met quite a few of our favorites again though. Jilly plays a role, which makes sense considering this is a book about artists. The Riddell brothers have a passing role. I really like how characters keep showing up in Newford. And the geography. It's fun to hear about the same streets or restaurants. The world building is fun. Also, he namedropped Jane Yolen. It is interesting to me, too, how he usually has a character that in some way seems to be an extension of himself. Very meta.
I did find one thing about the writing to be... I wouldn't say annoying... but it pulled me out of the story. Let me just quote a bit to show you what I mean. To give some context, Izzy's mentor hit her in a fit of rage, but then they talked about it. Then the following happened:
I enjoyed reading this though. Yes, there was darkness, but in general, things turn out okay in de Lint novels. I like how he sets up the fantasy in a real world setting. In fact, because the rest of the world is so real, it makes it all the more believable. While Dreams Underfoot is still my favorite so far, this was quite a good addition to the world of Newford.
Read for my Newford challenge.
The story is engaging and the characters really multifaceted. While you get the idea that the bad guy is the bad guy, the amount of mind games he plays and the way he plays them really makes the reader second guess what's happening. In fact, there was definitely a point where I didn't feel I could really trust anyone. Of course things come around again.
The non-linear storytelling is interesting too. The story starts in 1992. The reader knows little other than Isabelle has received a letter from her friend Katharine, something bizarre considering Katharine died five years ago. The reader also knows Isabelle's painting style has taking a 180 degree turn and she has reservations about painting in her old style. Then the story shifts back to 1973 and we start to see Isabelle's beginnings with her mentor, the controlling and abusive Rushkin. From the beginning, we hear about various events from Isabelle's past in the "present day" section which are then slowly revealed in the past section.
Isabelle, herself, is an odd person. Throughout the novel, things happen, and it becomes clear that she may or may not be telling the full truth about stuff. She may be rewriting history. Whether she truly believes it, or not, it in question through much the story.
The book was published in 1993. It always amazes me just how sensitive and completely properly de Lint manages to peg things like abuse and sexual assault. He writes the characters so convincingly. He writes the feelings so convincingly. There's a point where a girl is dealing with the after effects of reporting a rape, and it could have been written today.
We met quite a few of our favorites again though. Jilly plays a role, which makes sense considering this is a book about artists. The Riddell brothers have a passing role. I really like how characters keep showing up in Newford. And the geography. It's fun to hear about the same streets or restaurants. The world building is fun. Also, he namedropped Jane Yolen. It is interesting to me, too, how he usually has a character that in some way seems to be an extension of himself. Very meta.
I did find one thing about the writing to be... I wouldn't say annoying... but it pulled me out of the story. Let me just quote a bit to show you what I mean. To give some context, Izzy's mentor hit her in a fit of rage, but then they talked about it. Then the following happened:
She was in such good spirits as she took the bus back to the university for an afternoon class that she completely forgot about what had happened in the studio earlier that day. Until the next time he hit her.de Lint used this technique a lot in this book. A foreshadowing of types, but it felt clumsy. Or something. Like I said, it took me out of the experience the few times I was reading.
I enjoyed reading this though. Yes, there was darkness, but in general, things turn out okay in de Lint novels. I like how he sets up the fantasy in a real world setting. In fact, because the rest of the world is so real, it makes it all the more believable. While Dreams Underfoot is still my favorite so far, this was quite a good addition to the world of Newford.
Read for my Newford challenge.
This was the first novel by de Lint I ever read, and it still remains one of my favorites. His Newford stories are pure magic. I may reread this one again soon.
ReplyDeleteOooo, this would be an interesting first! I'm fairly certain my first was Jack the Giant Killer followed by a short story in a YA literature magazine I used to get as a teen. I really liked this one.
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