The Shadow of the Bear (And Fraggles!)

"Have you ever felt there was something going on in life not everyone was aware of? . . . As though there's a story going on that everyone is a part of, but not everybody knows about? Maybe 'story' isn't the right word--a sort of drama, a battle between what's peripheral and what's really important. As though the people you meet aren't just their plain, prosaic selves, but are actually princes and princesses, gods and goddesses, fairies, shepherds, all sorts of fantastic creatures who've chosen to hide their real shape for some reason or other. Have you ever thought that?"

Want to know where that marvelous quote comes from? Read on:

I've been revisiting a lot of 'old loves' today: Finding old books, films, and interests that used to entrance me but were somehow left behind in the stream of time. It does in many ways feel like plumbing a river; although somewhat distorted by my maturing memory flowing over them, once clear of the water they shine (to my surprise) nearly as bright as I once knew them to be, and perhaps, in a few cases, even brighter. So it is that I have been reminded that Fraggle Rock wasn't just a strange hippie puppet show, it was quite wonderful, and in many instances, spoke almost eerily to my own personal philosophies. Don't believe me? Watch THIS . . . And then just try tell me that doesn't sound like something I would say/think! It has a sort of melancholic, gentle wisdom that I love, and I expect that is thanks very much to Jim Henson, one of my favorite people ever. I read somewhere that he said that he would have loved to have the job of the man who wanders sidewalks picking up trash with his stabbing stick thing, because it would make the world more beautiful, people more happy, and as a plus, he would be able to wander the streets stabbing trash with a stick! I had forgotten, sometime during the past few years, how much I loved this man and his work (outside of "The Muppet Christmas Carol" and "The Muppet Movie", that is), so it has been a real pleasure reacquainting myself with his stuff. "The Dark Crystal" is also better than I had remembered it, and I found a few quotable gems in it, too. My favorite, I think, is this exchange between the two protagonists:

Jen [looking at runic inscriptions on a wall]: “This is all writing.”

Kira: “What's writing?”

Jen: “Words that stay.”

So simple, but somehow profound. For that is the essence and power and beauty of writing, isn't it? That the words stay. That the scene is placed in the ruins of a dead civilization just made the lines all the more powerful. I will definitely adding this to my collection of quotes pinned above my writing desk!

So now I can return to the lines I quoted at the beginning of this post. They are from a novel by a Catholic homeschooling mother, Regina Doman, entitled The Shadow of the Bear.

I read this book when I was . . . oh, thirteen? Fourteen? . . . And had not read it since, due to the fact that as a Catholic book it is just about non-existent at libraries and when I read the thing I was only borrowing it from a friend; I don't own it myself. It made quite an impression on me at the time, but since I didn't own it, I sort of forgot about it. And then, today, I stumbled across it again and re-read it . . .

And was hooked again!

I'll try to explain why. As a Catholic myself, I find it interesting to read a novel written about contemporary Catholic teens, but as a lover of fairy tales and poetry, I also find it interesting to read a good novel based upon a fairy tale or with fairy tale elements in it. This story is both. It is a modern retelling of the story of 'Snow White and Rose Red', and rather cleverly done, too. This is a story that quotes Chesterton and poetry with reverence, is written in a lyrical, entertaining way, and intelligently weaves God, religion, morals, engaging characters, and subtle-enough-to-work parallels to a famous fairy tale into an entertaining story. Catholicism is a part of the story, but not in such a way as to make this book accessible or enjoyable only to Catholics. Oh, and I used to /love/ the character of Fish, and now I remember why (hehe). And the 'Snow White' and 'Rose Red' characters, Blanche and Rose, I now realize in many ways parallel my curren interests and likes: quoting poetry, modest clothing, flights of imagination and fancy, Chesterton, etc. 

The story isn't for everyone. It deals with a lot of dark issues: drugs, murder, bullying and peer pressure, and there is a scene where one of the female protagonists has to be disillusioned of and escape from a drunken boyfriend. I think these issues are, on the whole, tastefully dealt with and in a healthy manner, but one can always question whether they were necessary to the story. Some parts (a kidnapping and torture, especially) can seem a bit too outlandish for the realism of the rest of the story, but as a creative way of translating a fairy tale into a modern story, I can forgive them. And even enjoy them a little, heh. So I recommend it, even though it's somewhat hard to find.

Oh, and get this: A student fan film is currently being made!

I've recently become a fan of fan films (hah, that sounds strange) after being being treated to "The Hunt for Gollum" (A Lord of the Rings fan film) and "Fire and Ice" (Doctor Who-based). So now I have not only "Born of Hope" to look forward to, but this as well! Life is good.

It's good to revisit one's past from time to time. Little treasures like these invariably turn up and make the present a whole lot better!

Finite (Almost)

School officially ended today. After a limbo of final exams next week, I'm free! Home is just around the corner!

http://americanchestertonsociety.blogspot.com/2007/10/dr-thursdays-thursday-post.html

And I found this very interesting, entertaining, and well-written.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go blow my nose and cut up more lemons . . .

In the Words of Gabriel Gale

My newest hero, added to my select but large list of literary heroes. He is the poet/artist/detective-ish protagonist of the G.K. Chesterton book 'The Poet and the Lunatics'. I am only just now beginning chapter three, and they are short chapters, too--I'd say I'm about 60 pages into the book--but I am already spellbound and demand that you read it too. Gale's purpose as a character seems mainly to illustrate the point Chesterton made in Orthodoxy (which Linden has already quoted on her blog) that poets are saner than rationalists, because poets seek to get their head into heaven, while logicians try to cram heaven into their head, and therefore are destroyed. I know I will be re-reading this book many times during the 4 weeks I have it from the library. There are so many layers to its brilliance.

But anyway, here is a collection of my favorite Gale quotes from the first two chapters alone. I have trimmed some by taking out descriptions and such between his continuous dialogue, to save room. I might add more as I get further into the book, who knows?

'"Excuse me," he said, "I often [do handstands]. It's all very well to talk about being topsy-turvy. But when the angels hang head downwards, we know they come from above. It's only those that come from below that always have their noses in the air. . . Shall I tell you a secret? The world is upside down. We're all upside down. We're all flies crawling on a ceiling, and it's an everlasting mercy that we don't drop off."' (p. 21)

'"We were talking about St. Peter," he said; "you remember that he was crucified upside down. I've often fancied his humility was rewarded by seeing in death the beautiful vision of his boyhood. He also saw the landscape as it really is: with the stars like flowers, and the clouds like hills, and all men hanging on the mercy of God."' (p. 22)

'"Do you call that practical? You can only forbid him to die. Can you persuade him to live? Believe me, that is where we come in. A man must have his head in the clouds and his wits wool-gathering in fairyland, before he can do anything so practical as that."' (p. 14)

'Gale still lay in the shadow of the thick trees staring up at the birds, as if he had never stirred. Garth called to him by name, but it was only after a silence that Gale spoke. What he said was:

"Were you ever an isosceles triangle?"

"Very seldom," replied Garth with restraint. "May I ask what the devil you are talking about?"

"Only something that I was thinking about," answered the poet, lifting himself up to one elbow. "I wondered whether it would be a cramping sort of thing to be surrounded by straight lines, and whether being in a circle would be any better. Did anybody ever live in a round prison?"' (p. 39)

'"I used to want a hammer to smash things with," continued Gale; "but I've learnt to do something else with a hammer, which is what a hammer is meant for; and every now and then I manage to do it."

"What do you mean by that?" inquired the doctor. 

"I can hit the right nail on the head," answered the poet.' (p. 41)

'"Would it do, I wonder, when one has changed a cheque into gold, to give a man coppers, instead, and explain that they have more of the rich tones of sunset?"' (p. 43)

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