Book Round-up: Dark Academia Edition

 The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark: The original Dark Academia, although not actually that dark. Spark's tale of a female teacher in 1930s Scotland who has a tendency to collect students she considers special in some way has spare prose, piercing insight, and all-too-human characters.

The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz: a thriller (and satire of the publishing world) about a failed writer who uses his dead student's plot idea to make the bestseller list, only to have someone threaten to reveal everything. There was a huge clue that hinged on having read a certain literary novel, but figuring out the twist early on didn't lessen my enjoyment of watching it all unfold.

The Scholomance series by Naomi Novik: Novik's trilogy is set at a ludicrously dangerous wizarding school where only a quarter of the students actually survive through graduation. Galadriel is a prickly, overly verbose, but endearing character; "fated" to be the greatest maleficer ever, she is shunned by everyone, even as she steadfastly and grumpily refuses to take advantage of her dark powers or fellow students. I really appreciated how Novik does not just depict the casual cruelty of the Scholomance system while engineering a happy ending for a few characters, but instead shows those characters committing to righting wrongs for all students, present and future, and not giving up until they find a way to do so. In this way, it contrasts with The Absolute Book that was clear-eyed about the horrors of the Tithe but ultimately punted the issue. 

Special Topics in Calamity Physics by Marisha Pessl: Another re-read. Having now read Spark's novel, I can see the similarities -- a charismatic teacher encourages an almost cult-like devotion from the students she singles out. The difference -- the hidden connection between the teacher and the narrator -- provides an added complexity that ultimately results in murder. I love this book, and I find myself wanting a sequel just to reassure myself that Blue finds herself surrounded by good, honest people who care for her.

The Absolute Book by Elizabeth Knox

 

 

The Absolute Book is unlike any other fantasy I've read, incorporating murder, revenge, libraries, portals to other worlds, mysterious objects, demons, fae folk, Norse gods, actors, and ancient curses. When author and library expert Taryn makes a rash decision regarding the death of her beloved sister, she opens herself up both to great evil and the presence of worlds and peoples she never knew existed.

Knox's narrative is rich and engaging, filled with details that humanize the characters and make the world and its inhabitants seem grounded in reality, even the fae folk -- who, in the tradition of the oldest folk tales, are completely alien in their behavior and outlook. Which leads to another through line in the story: the moral evil of the Tithe, where the fairies sacrifice the souls of thousands of humans to prolong their own lives. I greatly appreciated that Knox never shied away from how abhorrent this literal deal with the devil is, and how it casts an ugly pallor on the otherwise paradisiacal world of the fairies. 

Which is why the ending fell so flat for me. The resolution of the Tithe problem was abrupt and uncertain, and because of a hard left turn at the end to address a completely different issue (not raised in the novel beforehand), the fate of all past (and potentially future) human souls became an afterthought. 

It's not the only misstep, from my point of view at least. A portion of the story takes place in Purgatory, portrayed here (as in almost every mainstream depiction) as a place of unending waiting; perhaps not as bad as Hell but not a good place (ha) to end up in. Which is in complete contrast to the actual theological concept, almost exclusively Catholic, where Purgatory is simply a way station of sorts where souls are purified before they enter Heaven. 

Given this and the offhand way the Judeo-Christian God is mentioned in the narrative (albeit with the evocative phrase "The Great God of the Desert"), I suspect Knox comes from a fairly secular background and did not focus much on the theological, as opposed to folkloric, underpinnings of her novel.  

But these are minor complaints, and on the whole I greatly enjoyed the novel. It was refreshing to read a fantasy concerned as much with morality as with world-building.