(no subject)

[noahgibbs]

Peter Beagle wrote a really incredible book called "Giant Bones". I forget who I loaned my copy to, but I've been meaning to buy a couple more for awhile -- I like to get loaner copies of all my favorite books, and Giant Bones is one of them.

It's out of print.

Powell's had two copies, both of which I've ordered.

Comments

[noirem.livejournal.com]

so what's it about?

[angelbob.livejournal.com]

It's six short(ish) stories, set in the same world as "The Innkeeper's Song", which makes it pretty unusual for a Peter Beagle book. He normally never repeats a setting or a character. It even has one story with two of the same characters, which is really unusual, though it's many years later and they've known each other for decades rather than having just met.

Each story is told in a different voice. One is an old fellow talking about a magician named Lanak, from the village of Karakosk, who was too good at magic (that one one some kind of fantasy award, and deserved it). The title story is a boy's father taking a turn telling a story (usually his mother does) about why the men in their family are so tall, while taking breaks to check on the large farm animal giving birth downstairs. Another is about Lal and Soukyan: friends, co-students and rivals of several decades, meeting again and parting again. One is Choushi-wai, Lal's student, telling a story she learned from Lal in the storytelling style of Lal's village. Another is a former royal stage-manager talking about how his troupe was thrown out of Derridow, and why his troupe is no longer the Jiril's Players. And one is about a famous musician named Sirit Bayar, and the very last song he played, as told by the woman who carried his kiit (like a cello-sized mandolin) on the road for years.

They're all different, they're all beautifully told, and each has an incredibly distinctive voice and audience. Peter Beagle simply doesn't write the same way twice, even when he uses the same world. You get a really good idea of who all the characters are just from the tone and from the turn of phrase. And all the stories are just excellent.

[stephtoth.livejournal.com]

ooh! that does sound good :) I just ordered a copy too :) Thanks for the recomendation!

[angelbob.livejournal.com]

No problem. From Amazon, or elsewhere?

[stephtoth.livejournal.com]

half.com Got it for 2.50 plus shipping :) I love used books!

[dangerpudding.livejournal.com]

Yay! Powells!

[wetheril.livejournal.com]

i must say, your read a lot and you certainly have broad interests in reading. sometime, eventually, i will check out your recommendations. :)

what kind of genre would you classify this one under?

[angelbob.livejournal.com]

I'd call it Fantasy (which is filed under Science Fiction in bookstores without a Fantasy section). Apparently it can be found on half.com, and Amazon lists some used-book resellers that have it as well.

I'd recommend Powell's first, except that I just cleaned them out on this one :-)

[wetheril.livejournal.com]

Half.com you say? Then I must check it out. Cheap books = good. :) (Statement is always true. ^^)