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Loading... Among Others (edition 2012)by Jo Walton
Work detailsAmong Others by Jo Walton
 lisally | May 12, 2013 |  This is a book I always hoped someone would write without imagining it was actually possible, and also a wondrous strange thing I never would've dreamed could exist. I am all undone. (  ) maribou | May 6, 2013 | I'm not a huge sci fi/fantasy fan and there were times when I asked myself why I was still reading this book, as despite the fact that it has won awards, there are many times when it just seems to be a fan's listing of top genre books (especially LOTR, which I loathe). But on I carried, partly for the shallow reason that it is based in my neck of the country, Marches border country and Wales (with much going up and down our inevitable train route) but also because it is very good on growing up, coming to terms with loss, school life, families, first love, the ways life can be interpreted - straight, religious, magic , and the main character, Morwenna, is damaged, tough yet oh so sensitive, and you want to make sure she is also a survivor. Along the way a lot of tolerance is subtly preached too. (  ) rosielee | May 4, 2013 | Written in the diary format we are introduced to the main character via her outlook on the world. Lots of fun stuff about the Science Fiction books she likes to read. Somewhat of a coming of age story. This thoughtful and interesting young girl ends up giving up a bit of her uniqueness to join into the mindless teeny-bopper relationship garbage when she unfortunately gets a boyfriend. I loved the book until it took this turn. I don't know why authors have to ruin great young girl characters by wading into the miasma of stupidity of lovey-dovey relationship crap. I wish she would have let the main character hang onto her independence and the separate from the world attitude. So disappointing... (  ) hazysaffron | Apr 27, 2013 | Among Others is a wonderful novel about the power of storytelling and the love of books. It feels like a literary novel in some respects because it's very much character-driven, but I think most readers can appreciate and relate to Mori's association and ruminations over the stories she's read. The people she's come to know over the course of the novel is interesting too, though I think what happened to her and her mother is open to interpretation. Book lovers will enjoy this novel. You could read my full review of the novel over at my blog: http://www.caffeinatedlife.net/blog/2013/01/27/review-among-others/ ( ) caffeinatedlife | Apr 27, 2013 |
 As [Mori] tries to come to terms with her sister’s death through both books and fairy magic, the novel assumes true emotional resonance.  There are really two points where the success of the novel as what it is make it fail to connect with me. The first has to do with the books. It's written in the form of a diary, and the form and voice are spot-on. But part of getting the diary form right is that it doesn't provide much in the way of information about the many books that Mori reads in the course of the novel-- you wouldn't expect a teenager with a lot on her mind to do a detailed plot summary of everything she read, after all. This is no big deal as long as you recognize the references to authors and titles. But if you don't-- and there are a lot of books mentioned that I know about but either haven't read or do not recall fondly-- a lot of significance is lost. The titles sort of flash by as blank spots in the narrative, a kind of "This Cultural Reference Intentionally Left Blank" effect that ends up being a little off-putting.  This isn't a traditional fantasy, by any means. But it's a smart, heartfelt novel, with a strong, likable narrator, and many touchstones in terms of other books that will resonate for us, depending on how we felt/feel about those books. It has also jumped right into my short list of favorite books ever, and it's one that I plan to reread more than once. But, just as the magic, it's a peculiar, unique book. I've read most of Walton's fiction. I like this best, but in some ways it's the least structurally certain of her works; I think the magic that's so subtle it's deniable at the start of the book fails to maintain that quirky quality at its end—and I understand why, but still found it jarring. Regardless, there's a deep beauty to this book that feels so entirely real I'm grateful for its existence, for the fact that I could read it, and for the way it now graces my own internal library. Among Others is many things – a fully realized boarding-school tale, a literary memoir, a touching yet unsentimental portrait of a troubled family – but there’s something particularly appealing about a fantasy which not only celebrates the joy of reading, but in which the heroine must face the forces of doom not in order to return yet another ring to some mountain, but to plan a trip to the 1980 Glasgow Eastercon. That’s the sort of book you can love.
No descriptions found. Seeking refuge in fantasy novel worlds throughout a youth under the shadow of a dubiously sane half-brother who dabbled in magic, Mori Phelps is forced to confront her mother in a tragic battle and gains unwanted attention when she attempts to perform spells herself.… (more) (summary from another edition) |
LibraryThing AuthorJo Walton is a LibraryThing Author, an author who lists their personal library on LibraryThing.
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Wikipedia in English (2)
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While there is magic in Among Others, the story is really about the magic of reading a good book. Anyone who has ever sought escapism from a library or bookstore can instantly identify with Morwenna. The fantasy portions take a back seat to Mori’s discovery of kindred spirits while coping with the loss of her sister.
What magic there is in the novel is explicitly less dramatic than that in any book, influencing events with no sure indication of its actual success. Mori’s fears becoming a witch like her mother, but it’s also possible the magic or fairies may not be real at all. Regardless, any avid reader can relate to how Morwenna finds herself through reading. (