Monday, September 14, 2009

Regarding Myths and Whimsical Things


"What's magic, anyway? If you asked a kitten, 'How does a bumblee fly?' the answer would probably be 'Magic.' Aerwiar is full of wonders, and some call it magic. This is a gift from the Maker...

"I have seen many things, child,” said Nia, and a faraway look came into her eyes. “Wonderful things. The old stories might call it magic, but I call it beauty.” -Andrew Peterson on magic, in North! or Be Eaten

To be honest, I’m not sure how to start writing this book recommendation. I could start drawing some comparisons between this author’s writings and C.S. Lewis’ more whimsical stuff—like "The Chronicles of Narnia"—but you wouldn’t believe me, would you?

I could start talking about how my family has read together for as long as I can remember—how about that?

When I was about eight years old, my parents began picking out books to read as a family. We started with obscure classics from the mid-1800’s (because of their strong vocabulary and sense of right and wrong) before treading into modern lit. My parents’ criteria in picking books have always been to find something that would be understandable for the whole family, convey Biblical themes, and hold some entertainment value.

Of the books we recommend to friends, Andrew Peterson's new series has become an unquestionable favorite. Last year, the singer-songwriter published the first book in his "Wingfeather Saga" series, beginning the story of two brothers and a sister who learn that they are the heirs to the throne of the ancient country of Anniera. While that sounds like a happily-ever-after conclusion rather than a beginning, it's not.

The children's world has long been subdued by conquerors from across the sea--the venomous Fangs of Dang--who are determined to squelch any memory of Anniera. Once their royal heritage is discovered, the three siblings--along with their mother, grandfather (a reformed pirate,) Nugget-the-dog, and the mysterious Peet the Sock Man--must run (and fight) for their lives.

Lace the storyline with humor and Lewis-esque profundity, and you'll get the right idea.

When the sequel, North! or Be Eaten was released in August, immediately my sister Grace began asking (and asking and asking) when we'd get a copy of the new book. She was right in doing so. Having finished the sequel, I can honestly say that the sequel is as good, possibly better, than its predecessor. Themes of responsibility and self-denial are fleshed out more thoroughly. After closing the book, I thought about Peterson's portrayal of love, weaved throughout the novel and culminating in a boy losing blood for the sake of his undeserving brother.

It brings to mind something a certain Oxford professor once wrote:

"The value of myth is that it takes all the things we know and restores to them the rich significance which has been hidden by ‘the veil of familiarity’… If you are tired of the real landscape, look at it in a mirror. By putting bread, gold, horse, apple, or the very roads into a myth, we do not retreat from reality: we rediscover it. As long as the story lingers in our mind, the real things are more themselves. This book applies the treatment not only to bread or apple but to good and evil, to our endless perils, our anguish, and our joys. By dipping them in myth we see them more clearly."

(C.S. Lewis, reviewing The Lord of the Rings in Essay Collection and Other Short Pieces.)

Sidenote: I found both of Peterson's books on sale, two for $20.