Many a woman who found her love of reading early will fondly reminisce about her ‘horse period’ – when she read anything she could get her hands on that had to do with horses, such as the Marguerite Henry books (Misty of Chincoteague!) and Black Beauty. There’s a smaller and more select group that can reminisce about their ‘dragon period.’ I say this because I know: I went through both. However, unlike horses, my love of dragons and dragon-lore has lasted well into adulthood. And those early dragon books that I devoured were written by the likes of Jane Yolen, Patricia C. Wrede and Anne McCaffrey. Dragonsong is the first book in McCaffrey’s Harper Hall trilogy, a set of sci-fi books for younger readers – today we’d probably call them middle grade. The series is set on the planet Pern, where colonists fight the life-threatening Thread that falls from space with dragonfire (it’s all explained in less fantastic terms than that in the book, trust me). The story follows gifted musician Menolly, youngest daughter of the head of fishing-centric Half Circle Hold, as she struggles against the restrictions of Hold life and traditions that state that women cannot be Harpers. The injustice finally becomes too much and Menolly flees, only to discover a nest of fire lizards, a new life, and a destiny that will take her far from anything she has ever known.Oh, this book. I must have gotten it at a Scholastic book sale or similar, because I distinctly remember that I bought it because: DRAGONS! and also because there was a $1.99 sale sticker on the front cover. And then, after I was swept into the world of Pern and dragons and fire lizards, I discovered it was the first in a trilogy and had to read the next two immediately. Thank goodness for libraries. The main thing I remember feeling when I read this as a child was just how unfair life was for Menolly. Rereading it now as an adult I still feel the injustice of her situation, even to the point of tears – but it is tempered now with knowledge. Menolly’s life is narrow because she lives on a colonized planet, in a very traditional community, and there are no options for, or knowledge of, anything different. Her family forbids her musical tinkering not solely out of spite, as I thought when I was younger, but out of fear. Half Circle Hold is a patriarchal, sexist society that doesn’t know how to change for the better, so it keeps a stranglehold on Menolly. And it is that attitude that eventually forces her flight into the unknown.Of course, that flight is what saves Menolly, but it also breaks her spirit and effectively cuts her off from the past. This is one of the clearest examples I can think of in fantasy and science fiction of leaving the past and pushing into the future. It’s an effective narrative to be sure, but I now also think of it as a metaphor for all sci-fi: leaving the repressive, traditional world of the past and pressing on into the future and new and greater heights.But I mentioned dragons! Well, I’ll deliver (to a degree). Menolly encounters fire lizards, the dragons’ smaller cousins, and these tiny creatures are not only her personal salvation, but they are also her introduction to the life she was meant to live – with enlightened friends and the possibility to follow her musical dreams. I won’t say any more about the book, as you should just read it yourself. It’s wonderful, and for all ages.Recommended for: fans of adventurous middle grade fiction, those who enjoy (or would like a well-written introduction to) science fiction and fantasy, and anyone who missed their ‘dragon period’ and needs to make up for lost time.
A brief forward to the review: “Dragonsong” is the first book in Anne McCaffrey’s Harper Hall trilogy. The series is generally catalogued as children’s (at least in the nypl catalog) but is really for any readers. Like many of McCaffrey’s novels, it’s set in the world of Pern. I haven’t read anything but this trilogy yet, but am pretty sure these novels (from the 1970s) operate as prequels to the other more adult oriented novels. Oh, and I absolutely loved the entire trilogy.On to the review:Menolly was born in the small fishing village of Half Circle Sea Hold on Pern. Despite her father’s leadership position in the community, Menolly finds herself with very little freedom–especially freedom to make music, her one bliss. When Petiron, the village’s old Harper, passes away Menolly’s parents realize with some horror that their daughter is the only one who can take up the Harper’s duties until a replacement is sent from the Harper Hall.Once this replacement arrives, Menolly is ordered to abandon her music (even in her head) on threat of physical harm in order to save her family and the hold from the scandal of having produced a girl Harper. Her hopes shattered, Menolly runs away from the hold and takes refuge in a beach cave where Menolly discovers a nest of the much sought after (and semi-mythical) fire lizards. After finding her new friends, things begin to look up for Menolly who realizes that anything is possible if you aren’t afraid of going after what you want.There’s more to the plot, of course, but all of that is better learned by reading the book instead of this review.“Dragonsong” is written in what I would call an understated style. McCaffrey isn’t at pains to illustrate her talent as a writer–she knows she’s good and has a story worth telling. Having never read about Pern, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Despite a mildly confusing start, McCaffrey created a story here that functions as a standalone from the larger world of the Pern series. Furthermore, she also expertly builds up the landscapes and cities of Pern the better for readers to imagine them.The other thing that I really like about this story is that it has a fairly narrow focus. The novel centers on Menolly and her journey to the Harper Hall. There are a lot of stories out there about girls who are told they don’t deserve much from life, or girls who think they can’t do what they really want to do. In a way, Menolly has that problem–especially because of her parents. But she’s more than that too. As the novel progresses, Menolly begins to realize with the help of her friends (fire lizard and otherwise) that she deserves better and that there is more to life than pleasing others.So, on the one hand we have a wonderfully written fantasy novel that is arguably the first word on Dragon stories in the genre. On the other hand we have the story of a girl finding her own way in the world as she discovers that she’s a much stronger, smarter and more vibrant girl than her parents would have her believe.
What do You think about Dragonsong (2006)?
This book has an amazing story. It is a short read that is incredibly easy and so much fun! Menolly is the the main character, she is a girl only 15 years old, and she has an incredible talent. She is a gifted signer and musician, she would make for the perfect harper. Only one problem, Harpers cannot be girls. After embarrassing her father -The Sea Holder- with her talent she runs away to a cave full of fire lizards. She manages well on her own with the clutch of nine lizards, until one day she is caught in a Threadfall (metal falling from the sky). One of the dragon riders manage to save her and bring her back to the Dragons Hold. After much healing Menolly makes new friends and finds her place among the women. Until her old habits come forth again and twist her fate forever. This is a fun story full of dragons, music, and passion. A great read for anyone who needs something fun!
—Anja
Dragonsong was a pretty quick read. At first, I also didn’t like her writing style: she liked to use colons a lot. Apparently, we don’t use colons as much as we used to: they have widely become relics of the past. So she uses this a few times in a few paragraphs, and for some reason that bugged me a little. The biggest bother for me was the names. Do fantasy books have to have such stupid names? Here are some examples. The main character could have been named Mellony, her sister could have been named Stella, and Mellony’s mentor could have been named Petir. This was too convenient for Ms. McCraffrey, and so we get Menolly. Did you see what she just did? She changed some letters around! Brilliant! Stella becomes Sella. Whoa! Now we’re dropping off letters?! What will she do with Petir’s name? She adds more? It becomes Petiron. Snap! I can’t believe she thought of that. Some of the dragon riders even get apostrophes in their names—names like T’gran. What a sweet name. I’m surprised we don’t see it more often. There. My rant is done. Getting around the names (which I did by visualizing and actually saying what I thought their names should be) I started to enjoy this book. Menolly takes care of some fire lizards. These are like mini dragons. She has nine of them and she plays music and the end. Before she got the dragonlets, she was oppressed by her traditional family who wouldn’t let her play music. So she ran away and had a bit of an adventure. Apparently, fire lizards are awesome. The book explained why they were needed, but I guess I just didn’t think it was a big deal. I ended up liking the book, but I think it could have been better. Maybe the next book will take us on some bigger adventures. This all sounds harsh now, and it was a fun read, but with a few changes, I would have really been into it. 3 stars.
—Russell Woodward
I loved the Harper Hall books when I was a kid (considerably younger than 15, I think) and I still do. I'd already read many of McCaffrey's other works and enjoyed them, but Menolly was special. I think that when the book was written, being a girl felt a bit more limiting than it did even a decade later. So the book resonated for me on the "Menolly is a girl, oh no!" level, even though the limitations I faced me were far more subtle.
—Janni
