Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Collection
Publication
Del Rey (1986), Edition: 1st, 330 pages
Description
While attending the revels of the League for Archaic Pleasurs, a group dedicated to the pleasures of the medieval period, Joe Farrell comes face-to-face with Nicholas Bonner, a spirit from the past and an ancient evil.
User reviews
LibraryThing member antiquary
I read this about te time t came out 30 years ago and have not reread it, so my memory of the plot is vague, but basically the hero is involved with friends in the League for Archaic Pleasures, a very obvious version of an extremely early form of the Society for Creative Anachronism, with people
As a veteran SCA member myself, I can recognize the atmosphere, though not the maigc, but like the hero's Master-El-like friend, I have remained in the SCA.
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with very clumsy weapons and armor (out of date by 1986 in the real SCA) having medieval-style battles and tournaments. Some members strongly resemble genuine early members of the SCA; in particular a very large, very nice African-American bears a strong resemblance to Master El of the Two Knives (Elliot Shorter) one-time seneschal of the East KIngdom. The critical point is that some members of the LAP can work real magic, and some of the magic is very dark. Ultimately, the plot climaxes in an attempt to use dark magic to win what the SCA would call a crown tourney, which is, if I recall rightly, narrowly defeated, but leaves the hero so disillusioned that he drops out of the LAP. The sad tone at the end resembles the tone of Robert Asprin's "The Khakhan's Lament".As a veteran SCA member myself, I can recognize the atmosphere, though not the maigc, but like the hero's Master-El-like friend, I have remained in the SCA.
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LibraryThing member AltheaAnn
In Which Peter Beagle Discovers the SCA, and Thinks it is Pretty Nifty.
Joe Farrell, a hippieish slacker lute player wanders into the super-Berkeley-ish town of Avicenna, California to crash with his old friend Ben for a while. Ben and Joe's old friend-and-lover Julie introduce Joe to the SCA (I
Joe is slightly weirded out by his friend's new lover, who's much older than Ben, and rather strange. But he rolls with it. However, as he gets deeper into the League, the mundane and the supernatural, the past and the present become intertwined as malicious witchcraft and ancient nature magic head toward a showdown; and innocent enthusiasts may just be in the way of forces beyond their control.
I had mixed feelings about the book. As someone familiar with the SCA, I wasn't really that enthused about the detailed descriptions of the activities of the group, which take up quite a bit of real estate here. It takes quite a long time to get into anything supernatural or fantastic at all, and I just wasn't that interested in Joe Farrell's rootless life, his hobbies, or his romantic issues.
However, once it does get going - there's some powerful, good stuff here. It features an excellent portrayal of a nature goddess. In many ways, the goddess here reminded me of another, older aspect of George MacDonald's goddess figures (although I think that might have rather horrified MacDonald).
Joe Farrell, a hippieish slacker lute player wanders into the super-Berkeley-ish town of Avicenna, California to crash with his old friend Ben for a while. Ben and Joe's old friend-and-lover Julie introduce Joe to the SCA (I
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mean, the League of Archaic Pleasures), who's delighted to embrace an expert lutenist.Joe is slightly weirded out by his friend's new lover, who's much older than Ben, and rather strange. But he rolls with it. However, as he gets deeper into the League, the mundane and the supernatural, the past and the present become intertwined as malicious witchcraft and ancient nature magic head toward a showdown; and innocent enthusiasts may just be in the way of forces beyond their control.
I had mixed feelings about the book. As someone familiar with the SCA, I wasn't really that enthused about the detailed descriptions of the activities of the group, which take up quite a bit of real estate here. It takes quite a long time to get into anything supernatural or fantastic at all, and I just wasn't that interested in Joe Farrell's rootless life, his hobbies, or his romantic issues.
However, once it does get going - there's some powerful, good stuff here. It features an excellent portrayal of a nature goddess. In many ways, the goddess here reminded me of another, older aspect of George MacDonald's goddess figures (although I think that might have rather horrified MacDonald).
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LibraryThing member jenzaquinn
It took me awhile to get into the book because it wasn't what I was expecting, especially considering it's cover. Once I got over my expectations though, I fell in love. There are just some great lines and imagery and it's so wonderful.
LibraryThing member Larkken
Surprisingly light-hearted installment in fantasy literature from the king of beautiful prose and heavy subject-matter, when a group of Ren-fest re-enactors actually seem to really turn into the characters they claim to be. You might remember the author from the gorgeous but melancholy "Last
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Unicorn," but this novel has hijinx to balance out the pretty writing and theme of decline. The opening sequence had me laughing so hard I was disturbing people three rows behind me on the plane. Show Less
LibraryThing member juniperSun
Uncanny early version of a genre currently popularized by deLint. If I was a true fan, I'd be able to tell you how derivatory his Newtown and the Jack tales are, and who knows who, but I'm just a humble reader.
I'm sure I had previously read this book, but it was long enough ago that I enjoyed it
I appreciate that Farrell is a "witness", as John Erne calls him, even tho I am the opposite kind of person--constantly letting go of the past without looking back. What I can't figure out is how the title is relevant to the tale. It is very misleading--the 'folk' are too solid flesh, and those that aren't, are more earth or fire than air. "The Folk of the Air" makes me think about the "little people"--fairies and sprites--not elementals.
I'm sure I had previously read this book, but it was long enough ago that I enjoyed it
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afresh, with just an occasional tinge of deja vu.I appreciate that Farrell is a "witness", as John Erne calls him, even tho I am the opposite kind of person--constantly letting go of the past without looking back. What I can't figure out is how the title is relevant to the tale. It is very misleading--the 'folk' are too solid flesh, and those that aren't, are more earth or fire than air. "The Folk of the Air" makes me think about the "little people"--fairies and sprites--not elementals.
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LibraryThing member librisissimo
Not very interesting to me.
LibraryThing member bunwat
I don't know why I love this book so much I just do.
LibraryThing member nmele
I was not far into this book when I realized I had read it previously and not particularly liked it. I liked it better this time out, but I don't think Beagle plays fair with his readers, really, in this novel.
LibraryThing member DinadansFriend
No one ever forgets the fight between the man with the knife, and the man with the Volkswagen Bus! I really like the book, and it explains so much abut the kind of person who ends up in the SCA! You read it, you'll keep it!
LibraryThing member TheDivineOomba
I read this a long time ago, and the only thing I remember about it is the Goddess stuck in a house. On a reread, I found it to be more or less how I remembered it, but much more annoying.
I really didn't like any of the characters. They all seemed petty and annoying. Aife, the teenage girl involved
The story itself might have been well received in the 80's, but it felt dated in this age of cell phones and computers. Also, the setting of ex-hippies trying a new persona of middle ages characters just seemed sad. Either way, I forced myself to finish it.
I really didn't like any of the characters. They all seemed petty and annoying. Aife, the teenage girl involved
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with Creative Anachronism Society, and the bad guy in the story, was just annoying.The story itself might have been well received in the 80's, but it felt dated in this age of cell phones and computers. Also, the setting of ex-hippies trying a new persona of middle ages characters just seemed sad. Either way, I forced myself to finish it.
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Awards
Mythopoeic Awards (Finalist — 1987)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1986-09
Physical description
330 p.; 9 inches
ISBN
0345337824 / 9780345337825