Status
Available
Call number
Series
Collection
Publication
Corgi Books (1999), Paperback, 462 pages
Description
Fantasy. Fiction. Science Fiction. HTML:NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER � �At last, Robinton has his own book . . . McCaffrey adds another absorbing chapter to dragon lore. . . . Readers will revel in this compelling character study of a fascinating personality.��Romantic Times In a time when the deadly scourge Thread has not fallen on Pern for centuries�and many dare to hope that Thread will never fall again�a boy is born to Harper Hall. A musical prodigy who has the ability to speak with the dragons, he is called Robinton, and he is destined to be one of the most famous and beloved leaders Pern has ever known. It is a perilous time for the harpers who sing of Thread�they are being turned away from holds, derided, attacked, even beaten. In this climate of unrest, Robinton will come into his own. But despite the tragedies that beset his own life, he continues to believe in music and in the dragons, and he is determined to save his beloved Pern from itself�so that the dragonriders can be ready to fly against the dreaded Thread when at last it returns . . . �The story takes wing . . . when McCaffrey�s beloved dragons roar and their riders soar upon the beasts� mighty backs. . . . Fans of Pern will likely be enthralled.��Publishers Weekly.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member Stevil2001
My memory of the original Dragonriders of Pern trilogy was that Robinton, the Masterharper of Pern, was my favorite character, carrying me through parts of the book I found less interesting. So it seemed logical to me that I would eventually read this prequel about the life of the
Well, whatever made Robinton my favorite character in the original books, there's absolutely no trace of it here. Like Menolly and Piemur, Robinton is an obnoxious prodigy, able to compose amazing music from a young age, and basically better at everything than everybody else. And that's it, that's the book! He never seems to struggle, he just is the best at everything he does. I think McCaffrey doesn't really understand excellence; she seems to think it some kind of effortless superiority. Some of the most excellent people you know work the hardest and struggle the most, but you wouldn't know it from reading a McCaffrey novel. And why does Robinton have to be the best composer, the best singer, the best player? Surely the skills required to be Masterharper are not these technical ones, but the skills of leading men and having wisdom? These are skills Robinton never demonstrates in this book. Why is he picked as Masterharper? It's not clear, he just is. How does he adjust to this new role? As boringly effortlessly as he does everything else.
On top of all that, Robinton can hear all dragons talk, which totally contradicts the depiction of Robinton in the original trilogy. Wow, he's just so so special. Actually, a lot of stuff doesn't line up; Menolly's boyfriend Sebell is aged up by a whole generation here, and Robinton's mother was a harper when the Harper Hall trilogy made clear there were no women harpers prior to Menolly. Why write a prequel if you can't make it join up right?
This book was a tedious, awful slog that made me hate a character who had been one of my favorites. I've seen it said that as the Pern series went on, McCaffrey lost sight of what made it work in the original books. For the readers, Pern was an awesome place you'd want to live, but that hadn't been true for the characters. But as it went on, that became true for the characters too. The Pern of the 1990s has had all its rough edges rounded off, and that loses what made Pern work to begin with back in the 1960s.
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Masterharper.Well, whatever made Robinton my favorite character in the original books, there's absolutely no trace of it here. Like Menolly and Piemur, Robinton is an obnoxious prodigy, able to compose amazing music from a young age, and basically better at everything than everybody else. And that's it, that's the book! He never seems to struggle, he just is the best at everything he does. I think McCaffrey doesn't really understand excellence; she seems to think it some kind of effortless superiority. Some of the most excellent people you know work the hardest and struggle the most, but you wouldn't know it from reading a McCaffrey novel. And why does Robinton have to be the best composer, the best singer, the best player? Surely the skills required to be Masterharper are not these technical ones, but the skills of leading men and having wisdom? These are skills Robinton never demonstrates in this book. Why is he picked as Masterharper? It's not clear, he just is. How does he adjust to this new role? As boringly effortlessly as he does everything else.
On top of all that, Robinton can hear all dragons talk, which totally contradicts the depiction of Robinton in the original trilogy. Wow, he's just so so special. Actually, a lot of stuff doesn't line up; Menolly's boyfriend Sebell is aged up by a whole generation here, and Robinton's mother was a harper when the Harper Hall trilogy made clear there were no women harpers prior to Menolly. Why write a prequel if you can't make it join up right?
This book was a tedious, awful slog that made me hate a character who had been one of my favorites. I've seen it said that as the Pern series went on, McCaffrey lost sight of what made it work in the original books. For the readers, Pern was an awesome place you'd want to live, but that hadn't been true for the characters. But as it went on, that became true for the characters too. The Pern of the 1990s has had all its rough edges rounded off, and that loses what made Pern work to begin with back in the 1960s.
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LibraryThing member Katissima
I have been reading Anne McCaffrey's Pern books for many years. I discovered them when I was twelve, and over the course of that summer I devoured all that had been written. I adored them. I adore Masterharper Robinton. I have a print of the portrait of Robinton that Robin Wood did for her People
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of Pern book. I always thought a book about Robinton would be great, and I wanted to like The Masterharper of Pern when it came out. I expected a lot from The Masterharper of Pern, and I was greatly disappointed. Ms. Caffrey seems to have written this book in a vacuum. It does not fit in at all with the impressions of Robinton's early life and life at the Harper Hall at the end of the long interval that she gave in her earlier books. She gives short shrift to story lines and characters she had alluded to in earlier (written) books, while focusing on entirely new characters created for this book. If these other events and people were so integral to Robinton's life--why were they never mentioned later in his life? Ms McCaffrey fell for the same pitfall that many writters of prequels encounter. That said, I am sure Pern fans will still want to read The Masterharper of Pern, but it won't be one of those books to make it into the reread pile. Instead when you get a hankering for Robinton and the Harper Hall, I would suggest listening to the companion CD of the same name recorded by Tania Opland and Mike Freeman. The cd is definitely the best thing to have come out of the book. Show Less
LibraryThing member jshillingford
Masterharper Robinton may be Anne McCaffrey's most beloved character. A truly good man, who wants the best for his people and friends. After a long wait by fans, McCaffrey finally gave us his story. Excellent!
LibraryThing member EssFair
The back story leading up to Lessa’s becoming Weyrwoman of Benden Weyr. Story ends with death of Fax as Ruatha Hold is liberated. The main part of the story is the growth of Robinton, his relation with his parents, and his eventual acceptance of the post of Master Harper.
LibraryThing member kpolhuis
Dragons, Menolly, Piemur, and Pern...what more can you ask for?
LibraryThing member dragonasbreath
A lighthearted Biography of the Greatest MasterHarper of them all, this tome follows the story of Robinton from his birth to a musical genius of a family, his early travails with a father who does not understand him, to his journeys about Pern.
For all who have wondered HOW Robinton became the man
This is the journey you will take.
For all who have wondered HOW Robinton became the man
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he is, how he understood a misused, abused girl so well, and could so easily divert and distract a woman who was sometimes a joy and sometimes a shrew...This is the journey you will take.
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LibraryThing member willowcove
One of the best books in the series.
LibraryThing member LarraChersan
For me THE best Dragonrider's novel! Anne McCaffrey describes the life of Masterharper Robinton here, a fascinating character with a troublesome history, which made him the outstanding man he is (with some bad habits).
LibraryThing member MarthaJeanne
This book tries to explain everyone and everything that lead up to the original Dragonrider books. That some of it works is a testimony to Anne McCaffrey's great talent. But even she can't make the whole thing seem anything but contrived.
LibraryThing member AngelaRenea
I absolutely loved reading about Master Robinton's life. I really liked seeing the whole evolution of this generation of Pern through his eyes. I also really enjoyed the explanation of how Flax came to power, which has always confused me a bit. Portions were frustrating, but only because I think,
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they were supposed to be from a plot's perspective. An excellent addition to the Pern series. Show Less
LibraryThing member snotbottom
Good telling of the original Pern series from another point of view. Enjoyed it very much.
LibraryThing member leslie.98
2020 reread via audiobook narrated by Dick Hill:
I love this entry in the Pern series - Robinton is one of my favorite characters and, having seen him and come to love him in the earlier books, it is very enlightening to read about his life from his birth up to the events in the first book of the
I love this entry in the Pern series - Robinton is one of my favorite characters and, having seen him and come to love him in the earlier books, it is very enlightening to read about his life from his birth up to the events in the first book of the
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series, "Dragonflight". Dick Hill does a great narration. Show Less
LibraryThing member GlenRH
Robiton is one of my favorite characters. A musician, teacher, politician (or more of a lobbyist) and a man of most uncommon sense. This fills in some holes that don't get explained in the other books.
Subjects
Original publication date
1998-01
Physical description
462 p.; 6.93 inches
ISBN
0552142743 / 9780552142748
Local notes
MasterSinger Merelan and Harper Petiron were a brilliant and devoted couple. Merelan was the most outstanding soprano ever heard on Pern, and was often the only one who could master Petiron's technically accomplished compositions. When, after a long and difficult birth, Robinton was born to them, it should have been the culmination of a unique partnership. But Petiron, almost from the first day, had no time for his son, refusing to see the incredible talent the boy possessed, ignoring his achievements and maintaining a strict and disapproving vigilance over him at all times.
Carefully, secretly, the Harper Hall took over, training the greatest talent Pern had ever seen - a talent that was more than just musical, for Robinton was able to talk to the dragons of Pern.
Carefully, secretly, the Harper Hall took over, training the greatest talent Pern had ever seen - a talent that was more than just musical, for Robinton was able to talk to the dragons of Pern.