The Book of the Dun Cow by Walter Wangerin Jr | Review
Published by: Harper & Row, Publishers, Inc.; 1st edition (1978)
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 241
Format: Hardcover
Source: MCL
At first glance, this is another classic tale of good versus evil. However, Wangerin seems hesitant to draw his characters, even those charged with rising to literally save the day from an all-consuming darkness, with fixed lines of moralistic certainty. As a result, a story that flows in the sing-song prose of a brilliantly written children’s book is simultaneously able to plum the depths of the individual psyche (it seems awkward to say “human psyche” as the book is entirely populated with animals).
The Princess Bride: S. Morgenstern’s Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure by William Goldman | Review
Published by: Ballantine Books; 1st edition (1998)
Genres: Fiction
Pages: 399
Format: Hardcover
Source: MCL
Let’s talk about framing devices. Goldman’s high-adventure, action-packed novel begins by recounting his grandfather’s reading of S. Morgenstern’s epic tale The Princess Bride, then meanders off to explain Goldman’s own epic journey to locate the original manuscripts of the fictional author, meanwhile giving the reader “revised” snippets of that same “original” masterpiece.
This book is a wonderfully hilarious portrayal of the thrilling torture involved in trying to redefine the genre of legends. While the book is usually marketed to teen readers, it is also completely appropriate for adults looking to chuckle a weekend away on the waves of irony.
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