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sophia_sol) wrote2011-01-11 11:58 pm
sophia_sol) wrote2011-01-11 11:58 pm
King of the Wind. Aka MY CHILDHOOD DISTILLED
Over the course of yesterday and today, I listened to the audiobook of King Of The Wind, by Marguerite Henry.* I acquired it ages ago, in the flush of my Man From UNCLE fannishness, because it is read by David McCallum. That was -- gosh, more than a year and a half ago, I think. But I never got around to listening to it until now.
I JUST finished it. And.
Reader, I cried. TWICE. Once when the queen was presenting the Plate and Agba remembered his promise to Sham and knew he had fulfilled it, and once when the explanation for the blank gravemarker is given. OH AGBA AND SHAM. THEIRLOVEISSOTRUE. ♥♥♥
I haven't read that book in probably close to 8 years, and it was fascinating to see the ways in which my perspective has changed. I still think it an unutterably fantastic book, and adore it deeply. But now I notice things like the fact that there's a character who stutters, and is portrayed rather as if the stutter is an aspect of his less than pleasant personality. Um. Problem.
But overall, it was every bit as heartwarming as I remember, though also a lot SHORTER than I remember. What's fascinating, though, is to see which bits my memory dwelt on but the book didn't, and which bits the book dwelt on but my memory didn't. There's this one bit that's dismissed with in only one line in the book, but is one of the bits that I can picture SO CLEARLY in my head that I was sure it must have been at least a page. I've never really had that experience before, because usually the books I really like I reread often enough that I never get the chance to develop these erroneous beliefs.
(Also, oh dear, I am obviously out of practice at reading books about the wildly passionately close love between a child and an animal. There were one or two moments when I couldn't help sporfling a bit over stuff fandom has trained me to see....)
ETA: I forgot to mention. David McCallum? An EXCELLENT audiobook reader. His voice is just so great. *happy sigh*
*I'm pretty sure I read every single book Marguerite Henry ever wrote, most of them at least 3 times, and the ones I OWNED? A truly astounding number of times. To have called me "horse-mad" would have been an understatement.
I JUST finished it. And.
Reader, I cried. TWICE. Once when the queen was presenting the Plate and Agba remembered his promise to Sham and knew he had fulfilled it, and once when the explanation for the blank gravemarker is given. OH AGBA AND SHAM. THEIRLOVEISSOTRUE. ♥♥♥
I haven't read that book in probably close to 8 years, and it was fascinating to see the ways in which my perspective has changed. I still think it an unutterably fantastic book, and adore it deeply. But now I notice things like the fact that there's a character who stutters, and is portrayed rather as if the stutter is an aspect of his less than pleasant personality. Um. Problem.
But overall, it was every bit as heartwarming as I remember, though also a lot SHORTER than I remember. What's fascinating, though, is to see which bits my memory dwelt on but the book didn't, and which bits the book dwelt on but my memory didn't. There's this one bit that's dismissed with in only one line in the book, but is one of the bits that I can picture SO CLEARLY in my head that I was sure it must have been at least a page. I've never really had that experience before, because usually the books I really like I reread often enough that I never get the chance to develop these erroneous beliefs.
(Also, oh dear, I am obviously out of practice at reading books about the wildly passionately close love between a child and an animal. There were one or two moments when I couldn't help sporfling a bit over stuff fandom has trained me to see....)
ETA: I forgot to mention. David McCallum? An EXCELLENT audiobook reader. His voice is just so great. *happy sigh*
*I'm pretty sure I read every single book Marguerite Henry ever wrote, most of them at least 3 times, and the ones I OWNED? A truly astounding number of times. To have called me "horse-mad" would have been an understatement.
no subject
Er. Anyway. You are totally going to make me DL "King of the Wind" now, aren't you? ...except I can't. DRAT YOU UNIVERSITY INTERNET.
(...I think I have left enough completely irrelevant comments on your journal now that I ought to friend you so as to leave more on a regular basis. *g*)
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You should DEFINITELY dl King of the Wind. Such a good book! You know you want to! As soon as you are actually able to, that is, of course.
(totally not irrelevant comments! I've been enjoying them all! Also, *friends back*(
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All of his audio work that I know of is available for free download at
Anyway! I am firmly convinced that David McCallum never delivers a line wrong, at least I've never heard him do it. He is awesome. :D
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Which episode does he recite "Cargoes" in, and is that episode available somewhere online? Because if it had that much of an impact on you, I REALLY want to see that ep!
Because OMG you recite poetry too! I am somewhere between the two perspectives you describe -- I LOVE the admiration my poetry memorization and recitation gets, and am always on the lookout for an opportunity, but I also do genuinely enjoy the poetry. Although there's also a lot of poetry I just think is stupid....
David McCallum IS awesome. I have not seen/heard him in enough things, but he has always impressed me!
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(He only recites the last verse in that ep, but... OMG BEAUTIFUL, yes. *wants to watch again too now* I mean, yeah, I've always enjoyed poetry for the rhythm and patterning of it - people were always telling me "stop punching the meter!" - but as to falling head over heels in love, especially with the interpretation side of poetry reciting? Yup. I'll never be as good as he is, but I still owe him a lot.)
'Although there's also a lot of poetry I just think is stupid....'
Hee, yeah, me too. (Though frankly, I thought "Cargoes" was pretty darn stupid before I... well, got knocked upside the head with actorliness ;-)... after which I memorized it in about half an hour flat. DMc can make anything sound eleventybillion percent less stupid, IMO.)
no subject