Troll Valley
by Lars Walker
Kindle Format
Epub Format
I've never done a book review before, so I'm still figuring out how to do it. First of all, I'll say that I really enjoyed reading "Troll Valley". I'd call it a Christian/American Historical Fiction (turn of the 20th century)/Fantasy book, with a light dusting of horror from time to time (mostly off screen).
When I started the book, the fact that it opened with a character waking up in a strange room with no idea where he was, or how he got there, I almost burst out laughing. That set-up is almost a cliché for a bad slush entry. Fortunately, though, it didn't stop me from reading it.
I enjoyed the fact that the book was unabashedly Christian, though not always in favor of the Church, especially as shown in the narrator's mother.
Another thing that I really enjoyed about the book was the glimpses of magic seen throughout it. The narrator will be talking about some perfectly ordinary happening of the early 20th century, and then suddenly and matter-of-factly go into a vision or some other magical event. He does no magic, but has magic in his blood, which profoundly effects him and his family, even four generations later.
Portions of the book revolve around the narrator's church experience, which starts off well, and gradually deteriorates. But at the climax of the book, some of the characters stop a great evil from being done by quoting Scripture. That was a high point of the story to me.
The low point was the section shortly before that, where we watch the first person narrator gradually turning himself into a world-class jerk, and seeing all his justifications for it.
The main story ends on a sustained note of pure, undeserved grace. I enjoyed it, but it reminded me, that to the world, and on the outside, moments of grace can sometimes be confused with stupidity. It also made me wonder how Bathsheba felt.
Showing posts with label Review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Review. Show all posts
Friday, January 27, 2012
Friday, October 06, 2006
Starlight Theater - Part 2
(Note: I've decided to stop calling folks by their initials, and am going to use nicknames for them. I don't know why, but it somehow seems less cumbersome to call my husband Elfriend rather than J, my daughter Gidget rather than C, and my son Dash rather than N. :-) )
The third show of the season this year was Grease. We'd seen it a few years ago, the last time it came to Starlight. We remembered liking the music and dancing, costumes, things like that. What we didn't like was the moral of the story.
Since we still couldn't get anyone to go with is, we had serious discussions on whether or not we should bring the kids. Finally we decided that most of the stuff that we didn't like would just fly over the kids' heads. If Dash had been the same age as Gidget, we probably wouldn't have done so. Of course, there's always the danger that Gidget would absorb more than one would think from appearances. She's done that sort of thing before. You think she hasn't been paying attention to something, then some time later you realize that she's internalized all of it.
During our dinner, I almost ran into Bob Rohlf on our trip to the buffet. Fortunately, I was able to stop myself on time. I said "Hi," he said "hi," and that was it. It took me a moment to realize who he was, since for some reason folks look different when they're two feet away from you than when they are close to a football field's width away from you, up on stage. By the time I realized why he looked familiar, it was too late too say anything to him. Though what I would have said, I don't know . . . "You're Bob Rohlf." "I know."
The language in Grease was worse than I remembered. Probably selective memory at work. And, of course, the staging was different, and things like that. I don't remember if the last time the show was there was before or after they put in the new stage. They did that a few years, making the stage smaller, but more versatile, closer to the Broadway standard. That way, they have a greater selection of shows to choose from. The stage is also enclosed now, so it can be air-conditioned, which I'm sure the actors appreciate on these warm Kansas City nights. The first rows of the audience appreciates that, too. If the last time the show was there was before the stage changed, that would probably explain quite a few of the staging changes.
We were right about most of the plot going right over the kids' heads. Later we asked Dash what the story was about, and he told us, "It's about a car."
We all enjoyed the evening. More on the last two shows, Rent and Hairspray later.
The third show of the season this year was Grease. We'd seen it a few years ago, the last time it came to Starlight. We remembered liking the music and dancing, costumes, things like that. What we didn't like was the moral of the story.
Since we still couldn't get anyone to go with is, we had serious discussions on whether or not we should bring the kids. Finally we decided that most of the stuff that we didn't like would just fly over the kids' heads. If Dash had been the same age as Gidget, we probably wouldn't have done so. Of course, there's always the danger that Gidget would absorb more than one would think from appearances. She's done that sort of thing before. You think she hasn't been paying attention to something, then some time later you realize that she's internalized all of it.
During our dinner, I almost ran into Bob Rohlf on our trip to the buffet. Fortunately, I was able to stop myself on time. I said "Hi," he said "hi," and that was it. It took me a moment to realize who he was, since for some reason folks look different when they're two feet away from you than when they are close to a football field's width away from you, up on stage. By the time I realized why he looked familiar, it was too late too say anything to him. Though what I would have said, I don't know . . . "You're Bob Rohlf." "I know."
The language in Grease was worse than I remembered. Probably selective memory at work. And, of course, the staging was different, and things like that. I don't remember if the last time the show was there was before or after they put in the new stage. They did that a few years, making the stage smaller, but more versatile, closer to the Broadway standard. That way, they have a greater selection of shows to choose from. The stage is also enclosed now, so it can be air-conditioned, which I'm sure the actors appreciate on these warm Kansas City nights. The first rows of the audience appreciates that, too. If the last time the show was there was before the stage changed, that would probably explain quite a few of the staging changes.
We were right about most of the plot going right over the kids' heads. Later we asked Dash what the story was about, and he told us, "It's about a car."
We all enjoyed the evening. More on the last two shows, Rent and Hairspray later.
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
Starlight Theater
We had season tickets to Starlight Theater again this year. In fact, we bought four of them instead of the usual two. We were hoping that we'd be able to convince some friends of ours to go with us in exchange for babysitting. Somehow, though, everyone was too busy this summer. I don't know what it was, since some of those who were too busy to go see the shows with us have time to in see first run movies multiple times.
But anyway, that meant we took our children to see several more shows than we were originally anticipating.
The first show was Riverdance, which none of us had ever seen before. J and I really enjoyed watching the dancing, and C seemed quite enthralled by it, but N was determined to spend his time being miserable. He insisted on spending the whole time on my lap (fortunately, it wasn't too hot that evening).
The next show, a couple of weeks later, was Dr. Doolittle. This was the "kids" show for the season, so we had planned to bring the kids to it all along. We all enjoyed this musical about the best of any of them this year. Of course, they had to introduce a love interest into the story. We could tell she was a love interest since every time they met the music took a dramatic romantic turn, and of course, they hated each other on sight.
The weather was quite warm and humid at the start of the evening. But while Bob Rohlf was talking (he went on longer than usual since he was telling us about a couple who were giving a large sum of money to the theater because their son-in-law didn't die of cancer) a sudden breeze blew through, lowering the temperature about ten degrees. No one was paying any attention to Bob Rohlf, everyone was paying attention to the breeze, watching the cotton candy blow around, relaxing in the sudden cooling.
By the program, the show originally didn't have an intermission, then they put one in. We passed the point where the intermission should have been, and they kept on going. We figured that as soon as Bob Rohlf left the stage, he probably went back to his office, called the meteorologist, and decided they needed to hurry. We had a few sprinkles before the end of the show, but nothing to worry about, though a lot of folks left anyway (if only to stand beneath the awning). Then during the curtain call, the star, Tommy Tune, cut the applause short, said they'd been told to cut out the intermission, and they'd been racing the weather ever since, and sent us home. A couple of years ago, the star of Will Rogers Follies tried to do a similar thing, but then was so impressed with us sitting in the rain that he forgot himself and talked for another five minutes. But Tommy Tune kept his head and sent us right out.
It kept sprinkling all the way to the car, and out of the parking lot, but as soon as we hit the highway, the downpour started, thunder, lightening, the whole works. It was difficult to see. We could just imagine Bob Rohlf in his office, wiping the sweat from his brow in relief that they timed it so well.
More on the next two shows later.
But anyway, that meant we took our children to see several more shows than we were originally anticipating.
The first show was Riverdance, which none of us had ever seen before. J and I really enjoyed watching the dancing, and C seemed quite enthralled by it, but N was determined to spend his time being miserable. He insisted on spending the whole time on my lap (fortunately, it wasn't too hot that evening).
The next show, a couple of weeks later, was Dr. Doolittle. This was the "kids" show for the season, so we had planned to bring the kids to it all along. We all enjoyed this musical about the best of any of them this year. Of course, they had to introduce a love interest into the story. We could tell she was a love interest since every time they met the music took a dramatic romantic turn, and of course, they hated each other on sight.
The weather was quite warm and humid at the start of the evening. But while Bob Rohlf was talking (he went on longer than usual since he was telling us about a couple who were giving a large sum of money to the theater because their son-in-law didn't die of cancer) a sudden breeze blew through, lowering the temperature about ten degrees. No one was paying any attention to Bob Rohlf, everyone was paying attention to the breeze, watching the cotton candy blow around, relaxing in the sudden cooling.
By the program, the show originally didn't have an intermission, then they put one in. We passed the point where the intermission should have been, and they kept on going. We figured that as soon as Bob Rohlf left the stage, he probably went back to his office, called the meteorologist, and decided they needed to hurry. We had a few sprinkles before the end of the show, but nothing to worry about, though a lot of folks left anyway (if only to stand beneath the awning). Then during the curtain call, the star, Tommy Tune, cut the applause short, said they'd been told to cut out the intermission, and they'd been racing the weather ever since, and sent us home. A couple of years ago, the star of Will Rogers Follies tried to do a similar thing, but then was so impressed with us sitting in the rain that he forgot himself and talked for another five minutes. But Tommy Tune kept his head and sent us right out.
It kept sprinkling all the way to the car, and out of the parking lot, but as soon as we hit the highway, the downpour started, thunder, lightening, the whole works. It was difficult to see. We could just imagine Bob Rohlf in his office, wiping the sweat from his brow in relief that they timed it so well.
More on the next two shows later.
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