Among Others: A Novel Paperback – January 3, 2012

Jeff VanderMeer of the New York Times has refered to Jo Walton's "Among Others" as "a wonder and a joy." I agree.Formally, the book is comprised of entries from 15-year-old Morweena "Mori" Markova's diary over the period September 1979 to February 1980. We learn at the outset that Mori lost her twin sister in a recent tragedy that also left her crippled, that she subsequently ran away from her mentally disturbed mother, and that the law has put her in the custody of the father she never knew. We also learn that Mori sees and communicates with fairies, believes that magic she worked with her sister saved the world from her mother's dark designs, and enjoys nothing more than a good science fiction or fantasy novel.Mori's father Daniel turns out to be a weak man dominated by his three wealthy, humorless sisters. On receiving Mori, the siblings immediately ship her off to an upper class (and, despite what the blurbs might lead you to believe, completely unmagical) English boarding school. Finding herself in a new environment where her middle class Welsh accent, her inability to walk without a cane, and her passion for books mark her as an outsider, Mori feels displaced, oppressed, and alone. It's no surprise, then, that she takes refuge in places like the school library, the town bookstore, Ursula LeGuin's The Dispossessed, and Roger Zelazny's Nine Princes in Amber.Literary and philosophical without being overbearing or boring, "Among Others" engages readers in debates over the nature of friendship, the meaning of loyalty, the mechanics of magic, the dangers of manipulating others, the facts of death, the strengths and weaknesses of family, and the importance of finding community. There's romance, ghosts, granfalloons (from Vonnegut's "Cat's Cradle"), and even a magical battle. (Just one. Sorry.) Sweet, unsentimental (mostly), and optimistic, this book is clearly aimed at sci-fi and fantasy fans who felt isolated in their younger years but it should still appeal to thoughtful, patient readers of any age or background.

It's an odd book - the writing style is in some respects reminiscent of Pamela Dean's <i>Tam Lin</i>, except in first person. Told completely in the voice and point of view of a 15 year old girl in Wales and Shropshire, during the late 1970s and early 1980s (circa 1979-1980). It's written in "diary" format, chapters are dated, and often not much longer than a sentence or two. And for a while it feels like nothing much is happening, since the story is more of an internalized or psychological narrative than an external action packed page turner. Fans of Harry Potter will most likely be bored.After a traumatic incident with her insane mother, Mori has run away from home to live with her estranged father and his three sisters, who she compares to Shakespeare's three hags in Macbeth.In reality they are middle class aristocrats, living on an estate in Shropshire, holding teas, watching telly, and ordering their somewhat bookish and rather wimpy brother about. They send Mori off to boarding school - a prestigious all girls academy. Feeling somewhat alienated and cut off from her land, Wales, and her magic, Mori who was crippled in the incident, struggles to fit in. Barely making friends. Until one day she spins a bit of magic - and a friendly librarian invites her to join his science fiction book club. Mori is convinced that the magic spell she spun to protect herself from her mother and attract "friends" resulted in this welcome turn of events. When in truth, it may well just be an ordinary chain of events - Mori devoring science fiction novels in the library, ordering more, until the librarians notice and feel the need to encourage her love in new ways.If you are a librarian or adore 1970s science fiction, this is your book. It is no surprise it won the Hugo and Nebula - the book is in some respects a homage to the sci-fi novels of that period. Mori discusses at length everything from Tolkien to Silverberg, Samueal Delany, Roger Zelzany, Marion Zimmer Bradely, Ursula Le Quinn, McCaffrey, CJ Cherryh (although less so), CS Lewis, Stephen R. Donaldson (which she does not like - mainly because the publisher had the audacity to compare it to Tolkien's Lord of the Rings), Robert Heinlein, Issac Asmiov, Harlan Ellison, Arthur C. Clark, and Philip K. Dick. If you are a sci-fi geek and adore these novels - you'll enjoy this novel. If you aren't, you may become a bit lost. I'm half tempted to state that this is a book that may only appeal to bibliophiles..and possibly science fiction librarians and academics. There's also some discussion of the philosophy of Socrates and Plato.Very little happens in the novel - it's not plotty. And the plot is rather simplestic - basically a young girl has to overcome the negative influences of various women in her life. It may turn off or offend feminists or not. The women are admittedly stronger, and the men portrayed as a bit weak. Also there's a bit of a gender flip, in that the women manipulate and use magic, are in some aspects aggressive, while the men are nurturing and supportive.It's a fascinating psychological study though - with all sorts of interesting coming of age metaphors. Also the author plays around with the concept of magic and fairies in an innovative and interesting manner - that I've seldom seen done. The fairies may or may not actually be fairies - it remains unclear. Mori calls them fairies for lack of a better name. They are various shapes and sizes, and often intangible. Also magic - tends to work indirectly...as a sort of causal chain of events. Difficult to explain, yet more realistic. A scientific take on magic as opposed to a fantastical one.Slow to start, but ultimately compelling and haunting. It sticks in your mind long after you read it.Mori wonders at various points if there is a downside of escaping completely into books. If she is shutting herself off? Yet it is through her books that she finds others like herself, and evolves. The act of reading - expands her consciousness and allows her to let go of her childhood, and past grievances. In some respects, the science fiction novels she devours ultimately heal her.