Chapter Fifty: Amphigorey

This is a fun and strange collection of works by Edward Gorey, who illustrates his own writing, some of which is poetry and some of which is prose. (Amphigory, by the way, means a meaningless or nonsensical piece of writing, especially one intended as a parody, so the title, Amphigorey (punning on his surname) is quite apt.)  Gorey is a strange fellow, judging by his works, some of which have plots and some of which are intriguingly non-linear.  His illustrations have a Victorian or Edwardian style to them, which definitely adds to the creepiness of stories.  His work is quite unique, and it is well worth checking out if you want something wacky.

Chapter Forty-Nine: Brothers of the Head

This is quite possibly the strangest book I have ever read.  The edition I read includes illustrations by Ian Pollock to add to the story by Brian Aldiss, which tells the tale of conjoined twins from an isolated English hamlet who are sold into the pop music industry by their widowed father.  Thrust into fame, they meet and fall in love with a woman, learn the ropes of fronting a rock band, and they become more competitive than ever.  This is not a particularly happy story, beginning, middle, or end, but it is certainly compelling.  To add to the strangeness and intrigue, the brothers have a third head, which is dormant, attached to one shoulder.  But the third head doesn't stay dormant forever...  Only read this story if you want a truly strange experience.

Chapter Forty-Eight: The Wild Things

This book by Dave Eggers, an expansion of Maurice Sendak's classic picture book "Where the Wild Things Are" is very strange.  The edition I had happened to be covered in faux fur with a slit cut around painted human eyes...   The content of this book might be stranger than its furry cover, although in fairness the content of the storybook is pretty bizarre, too.  Eggers stays fairly faithful to his model, although of course in expanding a very short picture book into a full-length novel, he added a lot of details that were only hinted at in the storybook or that were not there at all.  Most of these details fit with my ideas about and impressions of Sendak's story, although I was rather disappointed in the ending of The Wild Things.  Without giving it away, all I'll say is that, while it remains fairly faithful to the original in terms of plot, I thought the feeling of the novel's ending was vastly different from the feeling of the storybook's ending, and I know which one I prefer.  Still, if you like "Where the Wild Things Are," it's definitely worth your while to read The Wild Things, if for nothing else than to compare the two and get a fresh perspective on what is considered a childhood classic (whatever that even means).

Chapter Forty-Seven: Abarat (Books 1-3)

This series by Clive Barker is one of the most original stories I've read.  He creates such a rich world in Abarat, populated by scores of strange entities and set in fantastic realms as it is.  It is essential to read the editions that include his amazing, brilliant full-color illustrations.  They add so much to the text and also really are helpful in visualizing some of what he's describing, especially the stuff that's more far-out.  These books--two more are planned--are basically adventure and coming-of-age stories, but their premise is so original--the Abarat is another world, composed of islands, each of which is an hour, confusing traditional ideas about where and when--that these books seem very fresh.  I also love the heroine, Candy Quackenbush.  She's flawed and spunky and down-to-earth and has the right balance of ordinary and extraordinary.  If you want a good fantasy and adventure series, I highly recommend these books (Abarat, Abarat: Days of Magic, Nights of War, and Abarat: Absolute Midnight).  I myself am eagerly awaiting the publication of books four and five.

Chapter Forty-Six: Bellwether

Bellwether by Connie Willis is one of my all-time favorite novels!  I love it every time I read it: the fun characters, the ridiculous workplace, the little tidbits of history about various fads--all these elements combine to make an engaging story about two researchers at an absurd corporation who combine projects with fantastic results.  It's not quite science-fiction from an author most known for that genre, but it is fun fiction about scientists!  I heartily recommend this heartwarming story to anyone who wants to restore their faith in humanity and in life in general.

Chapter Forty-Five: The Chronicles of Chrestomanci

I saw this series by Diana Wynne Jones (one of my favorite authors) on the shelves countless times as a kid, but I somehow never read them until a friend of mine sent them to me when she learned of my love of Jones's books.  They are fantastically fun, marvelously magical books!  There are seven in total: Charmed Life, The Lives of Christopher Chant, The Wizards of Caprona, Witch Week, Conrad's Fate, The Pinhoe Egg, and Mixed Magics: Four Tales of Chrestomanci.  As you'll quickly find out, Chrestomanci is a title for a government official who is in charge of controlling magic in several series of related worlds (our own being one of them, but not the primary focus of these stories), and the Chrestomanci is chosen for one important quality: he is a (human) enchanter with nine lives (like a cat, but he's a human).  These are really fun tales of magic running amok and being put back to rights, peppered with Jones's typical humor and delightful characters.  I highly recommend them if you enjoy fantasy novels and having fun!

Chapter Forty-Four: The Mitford Series, The Father Tim Series

Let me begin by saying that I just love these series of books, which are so related to each other that I'm writing about them in one post.  Both series follow the adventures of Father Tim, a middle-aged to elderly Episcopalian priest and his life and work in the hamlet of Mitford, North Carolina (and occasionally his adventures as he travels elsewhere, either for work or pleasure).  The plot is rather thin on the ground in these books, focusing as they do on one man's everyday life; however, this does not make the books any less enjoyable in my eyes.  I definitely wouldn't recommend it if you want fast-paced or intense reading: these books are, however, light reading at their best.  The characters are realistic and delightful; it is the characters that keep me reading this series.  It's a fun, light read.