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Reccomendations--More Tam Lin
Pamela Dean's _Tam Lin_ Set on a college campus.
Lots of literary discussions, beautiful
descriptions, fascinating character development.
Jane Yolen's _Tam Lin_ Well-told, compact. Some
of the best illustrations I've seen in a book
(It's a children's book).
There's a retelling in_Imaginary Lands_, edited by
our own Robin McKinley. Only passable, in my
opinion; features a rebellious girl looking for
something different (that's in keeping with the
ballad), and the rather over-used Disapproving
Priest who exists only to hassle the heroine
and to be proved Dead Wrong in the end.
Dahlov Ipcar wrote _Queen of Spells_. Good. A
fairly straightfoward retelling, though the
transformation scene takes place in a circus
carnival of all places (it does fit the story).
Elizabeth Marie Pope's _The Perilous Gard_. Fun
book, great relaxing reading after exams & quite
well told. Only marginally Tam Lin--uses some of
the motifs, but the hero & heroine are not Janet
& Tam Lin nor are they intended to be. It's about
true love, trusting yourself, discovering your own
inner worth, and probably a few other things that
I've missed.
Cathrine Storr _Thursday_. Is it or isn't it
fantasy? That depends on whether or not Thursday
is enchanted. The character development is solid,
and the heroine has one of the most functional,
likeable families I've seen in literature in quite
a while (well, the Janet in Dean's _Tam Lin_
has a good family too, but they don't play as
significant a role).
_Tam Lin by_ Susan Cooper. Lacks something. It's
an accurate enough retelling, but without Cooper's
distinctive touch. The illustration is a sort of
watery grey watercolor; not a style I particularly
like, though I've heard the art in this book
praised (others who are more knowledgeable may
contradict me). Oh--it's a children's book too,
like Yolen's.
_Winter Rose_ by Patricia McKillip. I'm still
thinking about this one. I've only vague ideas
on the symbolism & themes; mostly followed the
main plot. I'll have to reread it. It has
McKillip's spare, elegant prose & is worth reading
for that alone (and has other values, but as I said,
I need to think more about it).
Any way, that's probably more than you wanted to
know about Tam Lin--but I do reccomend the books.
Jessica
From: Jessica
Wednesday, November 26, 1997 at 03:27:18 (EST)