swordmage: (Bookstore!)
Willa ([personal profile] swordmage) wrote2008-06-26 04:39 pm

Author Plug!

Currently, one of the (multiple) books I'm reading is The Pacific and Other Stories by Mark Helprin.

I first found Helprin when I was given A City In Winter many years ago. I found out it was the middle book in a trilogy intended to re-tell the story of Swan Lake. (However, it works nicely as a stand-alone.) The first is Swan Lake, the third, The Veil of Snows. All, I should add, have lovely illustrations by Chris van Allsburg.

The only novel of his I've read is Winter's Tale, which I adored. I own Freddy and Frederika, of which I enjoy the small bit I've skimmed through.

He writes wonderful, somewhat dream-like stories. Winter's Tale has a very fluid sense of time. His characters are wonderful, sometimes quite moving and powerful (the girl/queen in A City In Winter and The Veil of Snows.

The Pacific is... lovely.



As an aside - our boss dragged us all outside (the workroom has no windows) in order to see the rains. Quite fun.