Από τα τρία βιβλία του Τσαρλς Ντε Λιντ που έχουν μεταφραστεί στα ελληνικά, στην βιβλιοθήκη μου ανήκει μόνο η συλλογή διηγημάτων Οι πύλες των ονείρων, που μόλις τελείωσα. Δεν είναι καν στα δέκα πιο πολυδιαβασμένα έργα του και κατά κάποιο τρόπο είναι το έκτο βιβλίο της γνωστής σειράς Newford, η οποία αποτελείται από 23 βιβλία μέχρι στιγμής, δεν καταλαβαίνω λοιπόν γιατί επιλέχτηκε αυτό το έργο προς μετάφραση. Καλώς μεταφράστηκε βέβαια, γιατί οι περισσότερες ιστορίες μου άρεσαν και γενικά πέρασα καλά, απλώς αναρωτιέμαι.Δεκαπέντε ιστορίες συγκροτούν την συλλογή αυτή, κάποιες λίγες είναι γύρω στις δεκαπέντε σελίδες, κάποιες άλλες αρκετά παραπάνω, μια μάλιστα είναι κοντά στις εκατό σελίδες. Πρόκειται ξεκάθαρα για συλλογή ιστοριών αστικής φαντασίας, με το στοιχείο του fantasy σε αρκετές περιπτώσεις να είναι ιδιαίτερα δευτερεύον ή ακόμα και δυσδιάκριτο. Δηλαδή ένας σκληροπυρηνικός φαντασάκιας πιθανότατα δεν θα καλοπεράσει, αν περιμένει μαγεία, ξωτικά και δεν ξέρω εγώ τι άλλο. Οι ιστορίες επικεντρώνονται περισσότερο στους ανθρώπους και το περιβάλλον τους, παρά στο fantasy κομμάτι. Πάντως φαντασία υπάρχει, δεν το συζητάμε. Και πνεύματα και περίεργα όνειρα και ίσως ακόμα και φανταστικοί κόσμοι παράλληλοι με την σκληρή πραγματικότητα της πόλης Νιούφορντ.Κάποιοι από τους χαρακτήρες συμμετείχαν σε περισσότερες από μια ιστορίες και απ'όσο έχω καταλάβει έχουν συμμετοχή και σε άλλα βιβλία της σειράς, είτε αυτά είναι μυθιστορήματα είτε συλλογές διηγημάτων. Και, βέβαια, τα σκηνικά είναι παρόμοια, μιας και οι ιστορίες της σειράς διαδραματίζονται στο Νιούφορντ και πέριξ αυτού. Κάτι που σημαίνει ότι πιθανότατα θα μου άρεσε περισσότερο το βιβλίο, θα έπιανα περισσότερες αναφορές, αν είχα διαβάσει κάποια από τα προηγούμενα. Και πάλι όμως, όπως είπα προηγουμένως, πέρασα καλά. Οι πέντε ιστορίες που ξεχώρισα είναι αυτές: Άστεγοι και αδέσποτα, Το πηγάδι των ευχών, Τα παπούτσια του νεκρού άντρα, Το δάσος κλαίει και Το εμπορικό κέντρο βιβλίου και η πινακοθήκη του κυρίου Τρούπενι. Τρεις ιστορίες που μου άρεσαν λιγότερο ή με άφησαν κάπως αδιάφορο, είναι αυτές: Το κουτί ζωγραφικής, Η θύελλα στα μάτια της και Η φίλη μου. Σίγουρα δεν είναι ένα βιβλίο που θα σε ξετρελάνει, γενικά όμως αξίζει να διαβαστεί. Πιστεύω ότι τα άλλα δυο βιβλία που κυκλοφορούν στα ελληνικά θα είναι ανώτερα (ειδικά το Η Καρδιά του Φεγγαριού), το θέμα είναι να τα βρω.
I was first introduced to deLint's world of urban fantasy with his book, Dingo, and it was love at first word. He has the ability to look beyond the day to day struggles and show the magic of the world around us, a dream world where all is possible and the inhabitants take on a life of their own, blending mythology, the spirit world, fantasy and reality together and inviting his readers to join him. I must confess though that I truly lack an appreciation of short stories. I've always preferred a full length novel that has the time to develop the characters as well as building a well executed plot line, things not available in short stories. That being said, I also have so great an appreciation for the tales told by Charles deLint that I thought I'd give it a shot. In true deLint style he presented 15 short stories that introduced us to fairies, wood spirits, desert spirits and other magical beings we've seen in folklore from around the world. Each story was well crafted, some of which I loved, others less so, but when taken as a whole seemed to lack a cohesive flow leaving the tales to blend together in what I felt was a bit muddled fashion.Not being a veteran short story reader I fear that I approached and read the book in the wrong way. I read it as though it was a regular length novel without leaving enough time between stories, time to digest what I had read and to savor each tale on its own merits. I wish I had used a different method and read one short story per night so that I could have appreciated the book more, the way it deserved. I started out loving it but for the reasons given lost much of my enthusiasm. Still, deLint remains one of my favourite authors and I'm eagerly anticipating reading some of his other works that rest on my nightstand.Rating: 3.5Originally published on www.chapterofdreams.com
What do You think about The Ivory And The Horn (1996)?
A collection of short stories, all set in DeLint's imaginary city of Newford. DeLint is a good writer. I can't deny that a couple of these stories even made me cry. But, overall, their quality is really diminished by being too social-agenda-oriented. Too many of them seem to be written For Disadvantaged Youth; To Have a Positive Influence. It's been a recurring criticism I've had of DeLint's writing - he's good enough to just let his characters Be People, rather than Girl-With-An-Eating-Disorder, Abused-Homeless-Boy, or etc. But he doesn't. I generally agree with DeLint's messages of tolerance, diversity, multi-culturalism, ecology, and especially the importance of artistic ..and the one story about the girl who gets her life together, goes back to school, gets a job - and finds herself with not enough time for things that really matter to her, definitely spoke to me) - but too often pop psychology takes over and the writing begins to feel preachy. And it's no fun to be preached at, even when you agree with the message of the sermon.Contents:"Waifs and Strays""Mr. Truepenny's Book Emporium and Gallery""The Forest Is Crying""The Wishing Well""Dead Man's Shoes""Bird Bones and Wood Ash""A Tempest in Her Eyes""Saxophone Joe and the Woman in Black""The Bone Woman""Pal o' Mine""Where Desert Spirits Crowd the Night""Dream Harder, Dream True""The Pochade Box""The Forever Trees"
—Althea Ann
The Ivory and the Horn is a set of short stories set in de Lint's Newford environment. Perhaps, the most compelling thing about de Lint's stories is that he writes characters in a manner that makes me want to actually met them. He writes stories in a way that makes me want to step into them and become another one of the characters. For me, this is the magick of his writing - and the thread that I keep pulling at whenever I pick up one of his novels. Characters that I can relate to, characters that I can believe in, and stories that invite me in as another character witnessing the events that are played out in print.
—Tommy /|\
The title and the cover art of The Ivory and the Horn implied high fantasy to me, but instead this is a pioneering set of urban fantasy short stories from back before UF was a common genre category. In the mid-90s (at least to the best of my memory), fantasy rarely involved characters with any 'modern' problems. Stories set in 20th century or futuristic cities had grit and smoke, but also usually shined with a noir gloss. Charles de Lint's Newford residents are the fantasy contempories of characters from the musical 'Rent' - young, confused, poor, yearning for more, but lost as to how to get there. Unlike later vampire and werewolf-happy UF, in Newford magic and nonhumans aren't known to exist, even by an elite. In Newford anything uncanny is something a character has to face alone, knowing the rest of the world would think she's crazy. While de Lint isn't quite as deft with psychology as, say, Han Nolan, and occasionally the Right Answer About What To Do is a bit too obvious, many moments about rarely considered heroes ring true. Recommended for fans of the Welcome to Bordertown stories and of Holly Black's Tithe and Valiant. 3.5 stars.
—Janet
