My reading corner

The hobbit-hole in question belongs to one Bilbo Baggins, an upstanding member of a "little people, about half our height, and smaller than the bearded dwarves." He is, like most of his kind, well off, well fed, and best pleased when sitting by his own fire with a pipe, a glass of good beer, and a meal to look forward to. Certainly this particular hobbit is the last person one would expect to see set off on a hazardous journey; indeed, when Gandalf the Grey stops by one morning, "looking for someone to share in an adventure," Baggins fervently wishes the wizard elsewhere. No such luck, however; soon 13 fortune-seeking dwarves have arrived on the hobbit's doorstep in search of a burglar, and before he can even grab his hat or an umbrella, Bilbo Baggins is swept out his door and into a dangerous adventure. The dwarves' goal is to return to their ancestral home in the Lonely Mountains and reclaim a stolen fortune from the dragon Smaug. Along the way, they and their reluctant companion meet giant spiders, hostile elves, ravening wolves--and, most perilous of all, a subterranean creature named Gollum from whom Bilbo wins a magical ring in a riddling contest. It is from this life-or-death game in the dark that J.R.R. Tolkien's masterwork, The Lord of the Rings, would eventually spring. Though The Hobbit is lighter in tone than the trilogy that follows, it has, like Bilbo Baggins himself, unexpected iron at its core. Don't be fooled by its fairy-tale demeanor; this is very much a story for adults, though older children will enjoy it, too. By the time Bilbo returns to his comfortable hobbit-hole, he is a different person altogether, well primed for the bigger adventures to come--and so is the reader.

I read this book after the more famous trilogy of The Lord of the Ring, in the enthusiastic wave that book arose in me. But I guess you must read it before, to better understand Tolkien masterpiece.

  The Black Trillium (1990) 

The kingdom of Ruwenda is attacked by neighboring Labornok, whose king has long been jealous of its wealth and prosperity. Ruwenda's rulers are brutally slain, but their daughters--the three Petals of the Living Trillium, prophesied to save their country in a time of peril--flee to the Archimage Binah, who directs them to their magic talismans. Each accompanied by a childhood companion, Oddlings of the area's aboriginal races, the girls must conquer their weaknesses: the eldest, her intellectual arrogance; the middle sister, her tendency to act before thinking; the youngest, her great timidity. Their enemies pursue them, led by a sorcerer seeking ancient secrets hidden in the abandoned cities. Throughout appear intimations that some of the magic is a relic of an old technology, possibly ours.

  The Forest House (1993)

YA-The setting of this historical/fantasy novel is Roman Briton. Eilan, a Druid girl who has been raised in the cult of the Goddess with the priestesses wielding the power, has fallen in love with a young Roman named Gaius. He is a half-Briton whose mother was of the Druid tribes and whose father is a powerful officer in the Roman legions. The clash between these two cultures and the eventual hope of unification through Eilan and Gaius's son is one of the book's many story lines. Bradley does a masterful job of creating the flavor of the period and the two diverse cultures, as well as strong female characters. With its elements of love story, intense emotions, and mysticism.

  It's the very first book of fantasy I've ever read (so long ago.....) and I surely began with a blast!! It's still one of my favourite of all time.

The story: Long ago the world of Shea Ohmsford was ruined by the wars of ancient Evil. Now mankind must compete for the Earth with many other races-- gnomes, trolls, dwarfs and elves. But Shea, the half-human, half-elven adopted son of an innkeeper, knows little of such troubles. Shady Vale, where he grew to manhood, seems a haven for peace. Then into Shady Vale comes the giant, forbidding figure of Allanon, possessed of strange knowledge and even stranger Druidic powers. To Shea, he reveals that the evil Warlock Lord, supposedly long dead, is once again plotting to destroy the world. Against this Power of Darkness the sole effective weapon is the Sword of Shannara, which can be used only by a true descendant of Jerle Shannara. Shea is the last living heir: on him rests the hope of all races! When Shea protests that he is no hero, the Druid states that he must reclaim the Sword. In the morning Allanon is gone, leaving behind a mysterious warning note. Soon a Skull Bearer, dread minion of the Warlock Lord, flies to the Vale, seeking to destroy the last heir of Shannara. Rather than risk destruction for the Vale, Shea and his skeptical half-brother Flick flee, drawing the Skull Bearer after them. Allanon's cryptic orders have directed them to Culhaven, home of the dwarfs. Somehow they must go there to await him, despite the Skull Bearers and other unknown, dire perils. And beyond Culhaven, they must enter the ravaged Northland, where the Warlock Lord holds total dominion. Thus begins the seemingly hopeless quest of a simple man against the greatest power of evil the world has known. Valiant comrades join him against a host of foes and soul-wrenching dangers. Terrors and wonders increase as the overwhelming armies of the Warlock Lord move toward war. But in the end, Shea alone must confront the Lord of Evil without knowledge or hope to guide him.

  Her books are really fairy tales, but not for children. This one is the very first I've read of her books, and I enjoyed it so very much.

The book: The Mists of Avalon is one of the more controversial books in Arthurian fiction. Readers either love it or hate it: lukewarm seems not to be an option. There is no way any fiction book can get across the reality or unreality of the Arthur saga, however, I feel that this book certainly remains true to the point of view. Rather than Arthur, Morgaine is the focus of the book. Generally known in legend as the fairy queen who is the enemy of Arthur, in this book she is his sister and a priestess of Avalon. Morgaine is the primary focus, with the secondary focus being the other women around Arthur -- his mother, Igraine, his wife Gwenhyfar, Morgause, queen of Lothian, and Vivienne, Lady of the Lake. All of these points of view weave to tell a tale less of chivalric honor and more of the stresses between the Druidic and Christian religious factions which seek to control the throne of Britain. Morgaine is a very sympathetic character. She often feels buffeted by fate, and does her best with her information and the training of a priestess. Her status as a priestess and independent woman makes her dangerous in the Christian court of Arthur, despite Arthur's vow to be a king to all the people of Britain. Morgaine reminds him of this vow, not always to her benefit. Arthur is portrayed in an interesting manner. His strength and weakness are in many ways the same. As Morgaine realizes on page 621: "'I like that everybody be happy,' Arthur said, and she knew that this was really the key to his nature; that he did indeed seek to make everyone happy down to the least of his subjects." Arthur is beloved because he wants everyone to be happy, and will do all that he can to make them happy. Unfortunately, a King cannot make everyone happy and still be true to the land and himself. In his efforts to please Gwenhyfar, his pious Christian wife, he betrays Avalon and the pagan people he has sworn to protect. Because he loves so much, he cannot stop the scandal caused by his wife and his best friend.  Here is a man who is High King, does the best that he can, but because he is a good man, he cannot be the ruthless politician that a High King must sometimes be. The conflict of private person vs. High King is an echo of the Avalon vs. Christian friction; and this strife dooms both the private Arthur and the lost world of Avalon.

  It was a hot summer, I was waiting for the release of the first movie of the trilogy, and I decided to read the book, a little scared by the pages number, not a suitable reading for bed time!! It was love at first sight!! I've read other fantasy books in my life (especially in my younger years) but this one was a really masterpiece! The quest, the eternal fight between good and evil, the characters, so different from each other, not heroes but just human beings finding their inner, unespected strenght when it will be needed, the chronicles of the battles, the peace of the Shire, the pity for Gollum, so alike many modern men wasting their life pursuing an impossible goal! It's a mile stone, a book that should be in everyone bookshelf.

The story: Do I really have to write what the story is about????