Author: Anne McCaffrey First published: June 1978Length: 319 pages, 7042 kindle locationsThis book has posed me a challenge to review. For much of the time, I didn't like "The White Dragon". I like the ideas. I like the extensive World development. I like the overlap of characters and events from other books.But I really dislike the way the story has been told.1. McCaffrey's portrayal of women in "The White Dragon" is very poor. It's not even the case of trying to find an appropriate role for women within what amounts to a feudal caste system; they're just very badly drawn. Characters who are supposed to be strong - Lessa, Mirrim, Brekke - are mercurial, either bitch, slut, or doormat. Women we meet in passing - Corana, Deelan - are vessels for others' emotions and desires. Women who have larger roles as they relate to Jaxom - Sharra, Menolly - are 1-dimensional and quite characterless. It is so completely A Man's World one wonders why women are in it at all.2. Sexuality. A big stress-point for our hero is his own coming of age and sexuality when coupled with Ruth's apparent lack. It's somewhere between a YA story of discovery within a feudal rapey-world, and a dissertation on asexuality and acceptance of difference. And with this reader wishing to get back to the original thesis - Dragon Riders of Pern - the wishy-washy, male-centric approach was pointless, boring, and digressing. Add in Robinton's unfulfilled yearnings... A story for men, perhaps?3. So many names! Single references to characters with names, roles, and activities similar to others. There is a definite necessity for the Dragondex included in the book, but it's still greatly irritating to wonder if a) I'd heard that name before, and b) if I needed to care/remember for later.So as a reviewer I am challenged. It's an interesting story that resolves many of the sf issues raised in "Dragonflight" and "Dragonquest", but I have to willingly get to the end of the book to appreciate it. It really just feels wrong. Choppy. Mis-matched. Superficial.It isn't my favourite. And I wouldn't put it in a list of "All-Time Best Fantasy Novels".Original trilogyDragonflight, 1968 - Lessa (Ramoth) and F'lar (Mnementh) @ Benden Weyr- 8th Interval + 9th Pass, 2505-2508Dragonquest, 1970 - F'nor (Canth) and Brekke (Wirenth)- 9th Pass, 2514-2515The White Dragon, 1978 - Jaxom (Ruth)- 9th Pass, 2519Harper Hall TrilogyDragonsong, 1976 - Menolly- 9th Pass, 2514Dragonsinger, 1977 - Menolly- 9th Pass, 2515Dragondrums, 1979 - Piemur- 9th Pass, 2518Referenceshttp://pern.srellim.org/chrono.htmhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragonri...http://www.pern.nl/library/Pern_readi...http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:P64...(ISBN 9781448127955)-CR-
I have said this before and I still think it's true, there are some books that are meant to be read at certain times. And if you miss that particular time, then they just won't do it for you the way they might have. I suspect that The White Dragon is just such a book. I have found, and it seems to be more often the case with science fiction/fantasy novels, that I seem to have missed the (space) boat with McCaffrey's novel. Back in the 80s, when I was in the midst of my science fiction binge, my best friend got me Dragonflight, the first in the Pern series, and I loved it. I immediately grabbed up the next Pern book I could find (this one) and put it on the shelf....and got distracted and never read it--till now.Which leads me to my first question. If I read Dragonflight now, would I discover that it too has no real storyline? Because as far as I can tell, The White Dragon doesn't. We have young Lord Jaxom, last of the Ruatha Hold bloodline, who whines and carries on about how nobody treats him like a Lord and yet he's not allowed to be a real dragonrider even though he's got a dragon--albeit an unusual, under-sized one. And he goes off and teaches his dragon to fly and destroy the deadly Threads in secret. And he has sex along the way. And, oh---this is a good one, his dragon participates in the sex too (No, NOT physically, but he loves right along with Jaxom and his lady-friends....say what? A dragon peeping tom.). And he flits here and he flits there and he saves a dragon egg and finds where the ancient men used to be and....well, it's all this major jumble. And there's no real struggle, no real plot points, and no real resolution. It all just kind of rambles to a close.Granted, I didn't read every word on every page--mainly because I was not interested and also because when I did I couldn't see that it mattered a whole heaping bunch. And maybe you've noticed that my review style has changed here and my writing isn't exactly full of coherent thoughts? Yeah, we'll blame that on side-effects.The best part (and what makes this a two-star book instead of a one-star book) is the relationship between Jaxom and his white dragon Ruth--with most of the points going to Ruth. Ruth has a very well-defined personality and I like the way he calms Jaxom down when he (Jaxom) gets off on his "why are they treating me this way?!" jags. I would have enjoyed this book a lot more if there had been more focus on Jaxom and Ruth.This was first posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks.
What do You think about The White Dragon (1986)?
I can't wait to get my hands on the rest of the books of this series. I highly enjoyed the first two, but I was hesitant about the third one because of the shift in protagonists. Usually in series with lots of different characters and a book is devoted to a minor character, I dread that book. However, this was not the case with this book. The shift from Lessa, F'lar, and F'nor to Jaxom was extremely well developed. He was featured enough in the first two books and developed enough so that when I began the third book, it was a smooth transition. It felt completely organic and I never missed the main characters of the first two books. The plotting of this book is gradual and more akin to some old school Tolkien-esque fantasy where each chapter could be its own self-contained story. At least it began this way. One adventure after another, and for a while seemingly unrelated, but everything came together and tied up very nicely. This was my first experience with McCaffrey and I was not disappointed.Now, I just need to get my hands on the rest of the series.
—Max Ostrovsky
As much as I loved the first two books of the Dragonriders of Pern series, The White Dragon remains my favorite. And not because of Jaxom, whom I never liked as a lead character/protagonist. Ruth was my favorite character. Ruth, the stunted runt totally unique White Dragon. The archaeological discoveries on the Southern Continent at the original landing site are the most memorable and compelling parts of this installment in the saga of Pern. And Ruth's abilities to manipulate time and space are
—Jon
The old saying goes, "You can't judge a book by its cover." I can still remember that summer day when I spotted the Michael Whelan cover on "The White Dragon" and how it caught my eye. I remember picking it up, reading the blurb on the back cover and deciding I wanted to read it. I was fourteen-years old and I liked that the protagonist was around my age. It was the last book of the Dragonriders of Pern series that introduced me to McCaffrey's world.But it was the story inside that cover that absolutely transfixed me! Easily, this ranks as one of my all-time favorite reads. I read the book so many times, the cover wore out and I had to keep the book held together with cellophane tape! I greatly enjoyed McCaffrey's style of writing and the incredible world she created.The story follows the life of young Lord Jaxom of Ruatha after impressing the white dragon, Ruth; a runt of a dragon compared to others. How he finds himself caught between two worlds: the life of a dragonrider and that of a Lord Holder, never quite fitting in with either. When a shocking crime is committed, Jaxom has to grow up quickly and face his responsibilities or the world of Pern could be plunged into war. While trying to avert dragonrider fighting against dragonrider, Jaxom uncovers a secret about the world of Pern that no one suspected…
—William Richards
