This book review is dedicated to Shelly over at This Eclectic LIfe because she is one.
Awhile back, I did the meme of the closest book. That book was Storyteller by G. R. Grove. I'm always rather leery of "product discriptions", but in this case, it is totally accurate.
Blood and fire, gold and steel and poetry, a river's voice in the silence of the night, and the shining strings of a harp -- all these and more I have known in my time...Now they are all gone, the men and women I knew when I was young, gone like words on the wind, and I am left here in the twilight to tell you their tale. Sit, then, and listen if you will to the words of Gwernin Kyuarwyd, called Storyteller!"
From the time that human beings first gathered in groups around a fire to chase away the dark, trade the news of the day, or pass along the history and lore of the tribe, there have been story tellers. Out of this telling and retelling have grown the great myths, fairy tales, and histories of the human race. Some of our greatest classics are the retelling of tales whether it is Homer's Odyssey, Virgil's Anead, Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, or Boccacio's Decameron. The storyteller defines who we are and what we believe.
This little book isn't grand and glorious as some those named above. It is about the teller not the tale. This is Scherezade trying to stay alive one more day or in the case of Gwernin find a meal and a few coins while learning his art by traveling from town to town in the middle ages. Each chapter is a story in itself and always ends with: "But that, O My children, is a story for another day". As you stay with him just to hear that story of another day, you travel the length of Britain, hear a new version of the Romans and King Arthur now departed while encountering many adventures, facing dangers and deceit, and ..... no that is a story for another day.
The only drawback is becoming familiar with the Welsh words. The author is kind enough to provide some translations and pronunciations in the back, but my advice is slide right over them and keep reading rather than interrupt the flow until you come to the very end for the final story that ends or in this case never ends with:
"But that, Oh my children, is truly a story for another day."
3 comments:
Sounds like a fascinating read though I would definitely bypass the definitions until later on unless it was something I really, really wanted to know right then!
I have so much trouble skipping over names and words that are difficult to pronounce. I want to be able to hear the words in my head. It's a quirk that adds to my enjoyment of any story.
After you told me about this book, I put it on my "wish list." Let's see if a wish comes true. It sounds like an engrossing tale! Thanks for dedicating a post to me. I wanted to tell you that yesterday, but couldn't seem to operate my iPhone!
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