My First February Reading Update and the Science Fiction Novel - Peter S. Beagle

Thou Shalt Not Kill

Yesterday was a nice day. Jo and I went to dinner at one of our favorite places, The Black Fin. I had meatloaf which was excellent and Jo had her version of the Banana Coconut Cod where she substitutes a panko-crusted chicken breast for the cod. And then we finished off with a sweet but excellent slice of pineapple upside down cake. All yummy. We spent a good portion of the day catching up on our PVR shows; Evil (love this show), 2 episodes of Longmire, some Cannons and Barnaby Jones and on Canadian TV, an episode of The Detectives and 2 X Mr. Kim's Convenience. Tonight we have Howard's End, Sanditon and Vienna Blood to watch and I'll tape Thou Shalt Not Kill and The Killing (original Danish version).

It's not very nice out today. I went for a walk this morning and it was cold and breezy. Still the same right now, all in all, a gloomy sort of day.

Anyway, to day I'll update my 2020 reading as I've completed another book. I'll update that and also the next book on my list. I'll also continue with my look at the Science Fiction novel, although technically speaking I think the next author on my list is more strictly a Fantasy writer.

Just Finished

1. Barney's Version by Mordecai Richler (1997).









"Back during my university years, I enjoyed Mordecai Richler's The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz, St. Urbain's Horseman and his children's book, Jacob Two-Two Meets the Hooded Fang. I kind of lost touch with his books until last year when I enjoyed Solomon Gursky Was Here (1989). It rekindled my interest in his novels. Which leads me to his last published novel, Barney's Version (1997).

What to say about this novel? In its simplest form, it's the story of Barney Panofsky, thrice married, with three children, a producer of TV mysteries, a drunk, a reprobate and a man slowly losing his memory. Oh yes, and an accused / acquitted murderer.

Barney is getting old (well, if 68 is old) and looking back on his life. The story is Barney's autobiography, complete with editorial comments from eldest son, Michael. We get to look back on Barney's life with his three wives; Clara Charnofsky, the American artist who he met and married in Paris while he was living there with an expatriate community; the 2nd Mrs. Panofsky (that is how she is referred to chiefly in the book) who he married out of anger and guilt at Clara's death; and Barney's true love, Miriam, who he falls in love with at the wedding to the 2nd Mrs. P.

There are so many diverse threads to this story as it jumps from the past to the present, sometimes in the course of a paragraph. There is Barney's relationship with his father, ex-Montreal cop Izzy. There is his ongoing fantasy with his public school teacher who he may or may not have had sex with. There are the letters he writes to Miriam's new husband or others who he likes to prank, under assumed names. There is of course, the disappearance of his oldest friend, Boogie, while staying at Barney's cottage and Barney's accusation of his murder. This last theme is resolved finally in the last paragraph, in a fascinating way.

All in all it's a rich, deep story. It's entertaining, funny, sad, with wonderful characters, least of all Mr. Barney Panofsky. I also enjoyed the references and appearances by characters from Richler's other novels; Duddy Kravitz, the Gurskys. You should give this novel a try. It's super! (5 stars)"

Currently Reading

1. Wall of Eyes by Margaret Millar (1943). My February challenge, along with my other challenges, is to focus on the mysteries of Margaret Millar. She is definitely one of  my favourite mystery writers. I have 4 of her books on my shelf still to read and hope to make some headway with them in February.









"Since the accident that left her blind, Kelsey has become more difficult than ever. At least this is what Alice told the psychiatrist.

Languishing in a house full of servants and unloving family, Kelsey has become bitter. She was driving the car that night. Geraldine did die, and Kelsey will never see again. But that was two long years ago. Time enough to heal. So why would Kelsey now want her life to end with a grain of morphine?"

The Science Fiction Novel - Peter S. Beagle

Peter S. Beagle

I'm playing a bit loosey - goosey with my theme with this entry as American writer Peter Soyer Beagle was basically a fantasy writer. But I do think he is worth including in this series of articles. I'll probably be including other fantasy authors as well. Beagle was born in New York City in 1939 and is a novelist and screen writer, especially of fantasy fiction.

The one novel I've read so far, The Last Unicorn, has been voted as the #5 best fantasy novel by Locus subscribers. He received a number of awards during his life; in 2018 he was voted the Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master by the Science Fiction Writers of America (SFWA).

Beagle wrote his first novel, A Fine and Private Place when he was only 19. The Last Unicorn was written in 1968. In the 1970s he turned to screen-writing,, co-writing the screenplay to Ralph Bakshi's semi-animated version of The Lord of the Rings. He has written over 30 novels since 1960. I have read one so far and enjoyed very much.

1. The Last Unicorn (1968).









"I found The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle a difficult book to rate. It is a fantasy about the search by the last unicorn on earth, along with Schmendrick, a bumbling magician and Molly Grue, to find out if there remain any other unicorns on Earth. I think my problem is that the unicorn isn't necessarily a sympathetic creature. Because she is a unicorn, she is above most other creatures, distant from everybody else. Schmendrick and Molly Grue are likeable enough especially the spirited Molly. And when Prince Lir shows up, he is also an interesting character, a hero who loves the unicorn, who by this time is in human form; a love that might not be returned.

See... it's a sort of depressing story in its way. The Unicorn is captured by a wandering band of gypsies who display captured creatures of the night. Schmendrick helps her escape and she is affected by this. Encounters with the Red Bull terrify and diminish the unicorn. I should stop at this point as I don't want to ruin the story but there is a gloomy feel throughout (although I'll readily admit that the recent weather here with its stuffy heat might have affected my mood), what with the problems of the unicorn and her friends, the broken castle they find themselves in, the constant threat from the Red Bull.

But it is a story that is resolved; I won't say necessarily nicely because even there there are sad portions. Even with that, it's a unique story, poetic and musical in a way and well worth experiencing. How could you not read a story about a beautiful unicorn? (4 stars)"

Peter S. Beagle's complete list of publications can be found at this link. 

If your a Super Bowl fan, enjoy. Otherwise, like me, find a good book to read to pass the time. Have a great week!