December '05 Book: 'Someplace to be Flying'

[Scheherazade]

Please post your comments and questions on Someplace to be Flying by Charles de Lint here.







Book Club Procedures (http://www.online-literature.com/forums/showthread.php?p=57103#post57103)

[Jay]

YES! :D

We expect the multiple personalities of Tal to join ;)

[papayahed]

Wow!!! This is a nice change from what we've been reading. *As Papaya does cartwheels*

[Jay]

And most possibly is going to be for a few months still ;)... so many classics in the year to come :D... though my English teachers might like the change in speaking I might adopt ;)

[Nightshade]

I need to find the book *wips out diary* get money out humm birthday moiney still owed?? go make amazon order!!!

[Rosalind]

Shiny! I've read this--huzzah--I've not participated at all in 'book club' because I've had absolutely no time for recreational reading lately. The Midterms Monster rears its ugly heads. De Lint is great (imho), especially his short stories.

[Nightshade]

so are you going to participate now?

[Rosalind]

Muhahaha! Well, honestly I'm supposed to be studying right now, but that's never stopped me before... :)

[Taliesin]

YES! :D

We expect the multiple personalities of Tal to join ;)

And we will.

Notice our new profile message?(or how the little thing under our name is called)

[Nightshade]

yes very nice....humm tal d you know if hypothetically speaking of course a crow could sit on your shoulder like a parrot or is it like an owl or a hawk and need a special glove
*hides* before she gets bopped for being OT*

[papayahed]

And we will.

Notice our new profile message?(or how the little thing under our name is called)

Is that where the avatar comes from??

[Shea]

*Goes to see how late the library is open so that she can pick up her copy on hold there today*

[Shea]

*snaps fingers in frustration* Gotta wait till tomorrow.

[emily655321]

:bawling: I can't find this one in either of the used book stores, and I can't afford a new one, and I can't check it out of the library because I need proof of residency to get a library card here and I don't know how to do that. ... Waahh... *sniff*

[Nightshade]

I can help I can help!!!!!
Proof of residency is somthing that is verified by somthing offical so A bank statment, bill, drivers liscence.

In my library we accept anything that has name and address on it but is not handwritten. and has been through the post or somthing unfakable like a payslip/bank statment.
err bank cards dont count :D

[emily655321]

Oh, thank you! Thank you! :banana: I'll do that, then. Yay!

[Nightshade]

your welcome. :D :nod:

http://funsocialstudies.learninghaven.com/images/normalwierd

[Shea]

hmm... rather interesting so far. I think I'm getting a glimpse into Tal's world! :)

[papayahed]

This is the first book in quite a while that I got lost in, the god kind of lost that is...

[applepie]

This is the first book in quite a while that I got lost in, the god kind of lost that is...

I'm sunk myself. I just started yesterday and I can't seem to put the book down. It is taking lots of time from my college work. My marketing teacher will not be happy with me this week, and I'm sure a good book is not an excuse for not doing my work ;) The only thing getting me is that the character introductions are fairly long. I want to know how all of the parts fit together.

[applepie]

*************Spoiler**************unless you are to page 115 or so

Does anyone else see the reoccuring theme of birds. We have the crow girls, Raven, and the cuckoos. Then we have the as yet unidentified Chloe, we don't know what she is, but sitting on the roof and the ability to "fly away" if she falls is a good hint. Then there is Jack and his flock of crows outside his bus. I'm a little behind on myths that would apply to all the bird references, so please enlighten me if you can. The only two characters I really recognize from stories are Raven and Cody (coyote). Aren't they both tricksters depending on the myth?
I'm not sure what Kerry and Katy are, or how they are going to fit in to the story. All I know is Katy has a sister who is going to kill her given a chance, and Kerry figures she is crazy since she hears her dead grandmother's voice. The house she is in, if I figure it right, is full of animal people and her grandmother was one too. What is that going to mean for her and who is watching her? There have been so many characters introduced I'm still trying to make sense of how it is fitting together. Am I missing something, or is it just impossible to put the pieces together yet? Patience isn't a virtue for me so I'm going crazy trying to figure it all out before the book actually tells what is going on.

[Taliesin]

*************Spoiler**************unless you are to page 115 or so
Does anyone else see the reoccuring theme of birds. We have the crow girls, Raven, and the cuckoos. Then we have the as yet unidentified Chloe, we don't know what she is, but sitting on the roof and the ability to "fly away" if she falls is a good hint. Then there is Jack and his flock of crows outside his bus. I'm a little behind on myths that would apply to all the bird references, so please enlighten me if you can. The only two characters I really recognize from stories are Raven and Cody (coyote). Aren't they both tricksters depending on the myth?

Not to mention the name of the book, "Someplace to be Flying" ;)


De Lint uses a mix of Indian and his own mythology so, we think that many characters do not have a real-world mythological basis.
Cody is a trickster figure, yes, but Raven is besides a trickster the creator.


A raven story from the Puget Sound region describes the Raven as having originally lived in the land of spirits (literally bird land) that existed before the world of humans. One day the Raven became so bored with bird land that he flew away, carrying a stone in his beak. When the Raven became tired of carrying the stone and dropped it, the stone fell into the ocean and expanded until it formed the world which humans now live in.

[applepie]

Not to mention the name of the book, "Someplace to be Flying" ;)


De Lint uses a mix of Indian and his own mythology so, we think that many characters do not have a real-world mythological basis.
Cody is a trickster figure, yes, but Raven is besides a trickster the creator.

I remember that. In one story it seems that he was the one who acquired the sun. I'm really impressed with how all the ends a tying up in the story. I'm going to search through my books again and see what I can find out. I'm really interested in where they all fit, mythologically speaking.

[Psycheinaboat]

I haven't had time to participate in a while, and I really want to read this book. While I am trying to procure a copy for myself here is a rather lengthy excerpt to tide me (and maybe you) over...

http://www.sfsite.com/charlesdelint/somepla2.htm

[papayahed]

The only part that was kind of a downer was that fact that he kept talking about "His family" and reiterating the fact that even though they weren't really family they were still family. I'm guessing that it has some significance but other then the obvious I don't get it.

And why keep pushing the fact that Hank was a tough guy, but still a sweetie. I got it the first time.

[applepie]

The only part that was kind of a downer was that fact that he kept talking about "His family" and reiterating the fact that even though they weren't really family they were still family. I'm guessing that it has some significance but other then the obvious I don't get it.

And why keep pushing the fact that Hank was a tough guy, but still a sweetie. I got it the first time.

That got a little old, but I think part of the point was to show that the bonds of "family" are unbreakable for them. Plus, as more and more characters get introduced it is easy to forget who is who and where they are fitting in. Reiterating certain traits that are important to the character, such as Hank the tough, sweet guy is important. It gives you almost a stereotype of the character that you can start to piece how they are all going to fall together.

[Psycheinaboat]

I am going to be unable to participate. :(

It's sad... I live in the U.S. and cannot find a decent library near my house. I live in a small town in a rural area and we have two libraries, but they have dismally small selections.

:( :( :(

[Kiwi Shelf]

Well, I never even see this author in bookstores. The place I did see him the other day was a spiritual store. I was Christmas shopping so I did not look to see if they had this book. I want to participate, but I am trying not to buy anything between now and Christmas... It is very hard. I am a big Gregory Maguire fan and I was shopping for my grandmother in this fancy second hand store in the city, and they had "Lost." It was hard to not buy it

[Shea]

I am going to be unable to participate. :(

It's sad... I live in the U.S. and cannot find a decent library near my house. I live in a small town in a rural area and we have two libraries, but they have dismally small selections.

:( :( :(

Can't your library do an inter library-loan? That's what I had to do, but then again I live in a city. It wouldn't hurt for you to ask though.

(Boy, no more baking in the middle of the night! for a minute there I couldn't remember that 'hurt' was spelled with a 'u'!)

[Shea]

This is a bizzare book, though I'm enjoying it. (The tatoo thing makes me grimace, however.) It's not my first choice type of read but I do like the use of mythology very much. It kind of reminds me of By the Light of the Moon by Dean Koontz because of all the improbable stuff set realistically.

[Shea]

I finished it during a long layover in Dallas. I really enjoyed it. Like I said, not my typical read, but it was fun. What I liked the most is the fact that it made me want to look up all that mythology. Perhaps I can do that next week when I DON'T WORK!

[Nightshade]

hehe finally geting round to it I really like it :nod:

[Taliesin]

Scher!
We'd like to remind you a certain promise.
:p