Song of the Sparrow (2007)

This ended up not really being my thing, and I mostly skimmed it. It's laid out like poetry, but I'm not sure it's really written as poetry. I'm not the type of person that dismisses free verse, or anything like that, but it didn't flow or condense the images in the way that poetry typically does -- it feels like staccato prose, instead. A quick example:

He takes a deep breath.
And I loved being your hero.
But that day, that day when you
offered yourself to me, I was shocked, and I was angry with the
world, drowning in self-pity.
I dismissed you as a child who could never understand.
But now, I suspect you understood
better than anyone.
A bitter smile that does not
reach his eyes twists his mouth.

Maybe it's just that those descriptions strike me as very prosey. If I wrote it in prose, it might sound a bit like that. If I wrote it in poetry, it'd be nothing like.

In any case, I just couldn't settle down and enjoy this as a story because of that, and I'm not sure I like this choice of interpretation, either. Her eventual lover makes little sense, in the context of Arthurian canon -- famously adaptive as it is -- and I couldn't get behind that, either. ( )

This had all the potential of being wonderful, but fell flat for me. It was a truly wonderful rendition of the Lady of Shalott; I especially loved how she made it realistic historical fiction as opposed to magic and fantasy (as is standard with Arthurian legends). What truly ruined this book for me was the format. I have to give plaudits to Ms. Sandell for making the attempt at writing it in lyrical form, however there was nothing lyrical about it. Simply breaking up sentences in odd places and spacing things weirdly does not a song make. It just made the whole story sound halting to me; it was very difficult to get into. Then there was the resolution of the conflict between Elaine and Gwynivere:

SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER

How convenient to end their feud with "You're jealous of me? But I'm jealous of you!" This trope in juvenile fiction has been cliched for a looonnnggg time.

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Yet another good idea, poorly executed. ( )

It was about a beautiful girl named Elaine, whom was living in a war camp with her two older brothers and father. When she was seven she watched as her mother was killed.after that she and one of her brothers were taken off to live with their dad and eldest brother.she fell in love with Lancelot when she was twelve. he has his eyes set on someone else though. Arthur's Fiance, Gwynivere. Gywnivere loves Lacelot, too. She doesn't love Arthur and Arthur doesn't love her either. Then a huge war breaks out and the men leave to fight. Before they go Elaine and one of her friends, Tristan, get a frog and put it in Gwynivere's tent and then he gives her a necklace that he has made. She has been preparing to follow, but little does she know she is being followed, too. She finds out when she is attcked and some junps on to one of the men. She reconises the person, it is Gwynivere. They are taken captive by the enemy While inprisonated Elaine teaches some things to Gwynivere. Then after a while they deciede to bre ( )

This book was about a girl who goes to war. She goes with her brother and father. The boy she loves ends up going to. She is scared for his life. She tells him she loves him. Her father ends up getting hurt. She crys because her love leaves for war. She marries him in the end.

I gave this book a five star rating. I gave it a five star rating because it had a love story. I love love story's. It had alot of details. I loved this story. I recomend this book to everyone. There is some parts that are not for little kids but it's a good book. I wish there was a second book. ( )

Amazing spin on this tragic love story.

If I'm right, I think the original story for Elaine was that she loved Lancelot who, being in love with either someone else or no one, didn't return her feelings so she died of a broken heart.

And for Tristan I think he was under a curse because of his love of his stepmother, which was reciprocated.

It's all very tragic but this book gives the main characters a happy ending of their own and lets people see the Good Sir Knight Lancelot in a new light. ( )