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smalltimereads) wrote2021-01-26 08:05 pm
smalltimereads) wrote2021-01-26 08:05 pm
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Review: Summerlong by Peter S Beagle
This book was published by Tachyon Publications, an independent SFF press that strikes me as very "classic" SFF. Peter S Beagle, Patricia McKilip, lots of anthologies.
I've read at least five books by Peter S Beagle, but I always find myself comparing them to The Last Unicorn. Not in a bad way, but because The Last Unicorn is one of the most beautiful books I've read, and because the movie meant so much to me as a kid.
Summerlong doesn't have the lyrical prose of The Last Unicorn, and that's ok- it takes place in Washington state, and that's a location that works better with the more straightforward prose of Summerlong. And Beagle still writes magic as wonderfully as ever, whether high fantasy or no.
I really liked that it follows an older couple, who have been together for decades but still have their own lives independent of one another. Lily was also great, and I loved her complicated relationship with Joanna. The way they obviously cared about each other but also just...didn't always understand or get along with one another is a complex but real family dynamic, and one I always forget I enjoy until I come across it.
I thought the Persephone and Hades reveals were well done, with hints liberally sprinkled throughout but also a good amount of ambiguity. And neither of them ever seemed really human, which I always appreciate.
The biggest problem for me, that kept me from enjoying the book as much as I would have liked, is my hatred of cheating, especially 'older man ill-advisedly cheats with younger woman.' It did result in the excellent kayaking chapter with Joanna and Lily, and heavily contributed to the bittersweet ending, which I did like, but the fact it happened really soured me on the book. It was still good! But I didn't love it the way I wanted to.
I've read at least five books by Peter S Beagle, but I always find myself comparing them to The Last Unicorn. Not in a bad way, but because The Last Unicorn is one of the most beautiful books I've read, and because the movie meant so much to me as a kid.
Summerlong doesn't have the lyrical prose of The Last Unicorn, and that's ok- it takes place in Washington state, and that's a location that works better with the more straightforward prose of Summerlong. And Beagle still writes magic as wonderfully as ever, whether high fantasy or no.
I really liked that it follows an older couple, who have been together for decades but still have their own lives independent of one another. Lily was also great, and I loved her complicated relationship with Joanna. The way they obviously cared about each other but also just...didn't always understand or get along with one another is a complex but real family dynamic, and one I always forget I enjoy until I come across it.
I thought the Persephone and Hades reveals were well done, with hints liberally sprinkled throughout but also a good amount of ambiguity. And neither of them ever seemed really human, which I always appreciate.
The biggest problem for me, that kept me from enjoying the book as much as I would have liked, is my hatred of cheating, especially 'older man ill-advisedly cheats with younger woman.' It did result in the excellent kayaking chapter with Joanna and Lily, and heavily contributed to the bittersweet ending, which I did like, but the fact it happened really soured me on the book. It was still good! But I didn't love it the way I wanted to.