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A review by midgardener
The Murdstone Trilogy by Mal Peet
4.0
I raced through this book in a single day, which is a nigh unheard-of event in my reading habits. This phenomenon occurred due to a few key factors:
1) good lord, the style is addictive. The story juggernauts ahead without pause for the majority of the book, and even when it slows you are, by then, inescapably bound to the fate of the hapless protagonist, Philip Murdstone.
2) this book is bitingly funny. I mean "bitingly" in the most intentional of senses, for this humor is not kind; but, boy, does it work, whether operating on higher or lower levels of class.
3) it's a fascinating foray into the world of F(ph)antasy. Unabashedly caustic in its criticisms of the genre, it also reads as an homage. It cuts, then dabs at the wound. While I'm sure that non-Fantasy buffs will enjoy the book on its own legs, the Fantasy reader will enjoy all the references and inside jokes.
Those things aside, there are a few (spoiler-free) quibbles keeping it from 5 stars.
1) this book is misogynistic. One could conceivably chalk all the blatantly sexist characters/moments up to Peet attempting to criticize the rampant objectification of women in Fantasy; but I think this goes beyond pure humor and tropism. With the exception of one side character (Evelyn), I cannot think of one female character (and there are several) who was actually likable. Minerva Cinch, arguably the secondary protagonist, is absolutely soulless and uncaring, and cannot get through a single scene without our hero Phil drooling at her breasts. The Weird Sisters are made out to be abominable through their stalking, their unhygienic habits, and their plain lack of sense. And the only woman in the literary world of the Realm, Mesmira, is simply sex embodied. A bit like Minerva, but without any time to prove the presence of brain cells or self-worth. This whole issue almost took the book down to three stars, but I kept it at four because, as a read, it was still tremendous.
2) there are several instances of racism. Unlike the misogyny, which permeates every chapter, this issue comes in here and there. Near the end of the tale we find ourselves visiting a few different locales on the Earthly realm, and one in particular is rife with Peet's jocular nomenclature. Was the nomenclature funny on a basic level? Sure. But Peet was a white Englishman, and it can't help but come off as incredibly disrespectful. A brief instance again occurs at the very end of the book, when a person is unnecessarily described as being "black." That's not a bad thing, objectively; but at no other point is there any kind of racial descriptor attached to a character, and it serves no purpose there, leaving us to guess at why, exactly, Peet though it was so important we know that this person was "black." Was it something the character leading the scene noticed? Were we supposed to attach certain judgments? No idea, but it was far from a good addition.
3) the ending. This book is funny. It promises to be funny, it knows it's funny, and it delivers--right up until things start to change. No spoilers, as promised, but those changes really took the buzz off for me.
Despite these three detractors, I'll still recommend it to my Fantasy-loving friends. The story is an utter lark, and it's fine to read a book containing awful things as long as we recognize them for what they are. If you like funny, dark, quick, or Fantasy, this book is 100% for you. Just keep the Scotch close by for when you need it most.
1) good lord, the style is addictive. The story juggernauts ahead without pause for the majority of the book, and even when it slows you are, by then, inescapably bound to the fate of the hapless protagonist, Philip Murdstone.
2) this book is bitingly funny. I mean "bitingly" in the most intentional of senses, for this humor is not kind; but, boy, does it work, whether operating on higher or lower levels of class.
3) it's a fascinating foray into the world of F(ph)antasy. Unabashedly caustic in its criticisms of the genre, it also reads as an homage. It cuts, then dabs at the wound. While I'm sure that non-Fantasy buffs will enjoy the book on its own legs, the Fantasy reader will enjoy all the references and inside jokes.
Those things aside, there are a few (spoiler-free) quibbles keeping it from 5 stars.
1) this book is misogynistic. One could conceivably chalk all the blatantly sexist characters/moments up to Peet attempting to criticize the rampant objectification of women in Fantasy; but I think this goes beyond pure humor and tropism. With the exception of one side character (Evelyn), I cannot think of one female character (and there are several) who was actually likable. Minerva Cinch, arguably the secondary protagonist, is absolutely soulless and uncaring, and cannot get through a single scene without our hero Phil drooling at her breasts. The Weird Sisters are made out to be abominable through their stalking, their unhygienic habits, and their plain lack of sense. And the only woman in the literary world of the Realm, Mesmira, is simply sex embodied. A bit like Minerva, but without any time to prove the presence of brain cells or self-worth. This whole issue almost took the book down to three stars, but I kept it at four because, as a read, it was still tremendous.
2) there are several instances of racism. Unlike the misogyny, which permeates every chapter, this issue comes in here and there. Near the end of the tale we find ourselves visiting a few different locales on the Earthly realm, and one in particular is rife with Peet's jocular nomenclature. Was the nomenclature funny on a basic level? Sure. But Peet was a white Englishman, and it can't help but come off as incredibly disrespectful. A brief instance again occurs at the very end of the book, when a person is unnecessarily described as being "black." That's not a bad thing, objectively; but at no other point is there any kind of racial descriptor attached to a character, and it serves no purpose there, leaving us to guess at why, exactly, Peet though it was so important we know that this person was "black." Was it something the character leading the scene noticed? Were we supposed to attach certain judgments? No idea, but it was far from a good addition.
3) the ending. This book is funny. It promises to be funny, it knows it's funny, and it delivers--right up until things start to change. No spoilers, as promised, but those changes really took the buzz off for me.
Despite these three detractors, I'll still recommend it to my Fantasy-loving friends. The story is an utter lark, and it's fine to read a book containing awful things as long as we recognize them for what they are. If you like funny, dark, quick, or Fantasy, this book is 100% for you. Just keep the Scotch close by for when you need it most.