The Crimson Bears (New American Fiction) (Pt. 1) [Paperback]

Tom LaFarge (Author)

Book Description

Series: New American Fiction | Publication Date: April 1993

a fable for adults, avant-garde bears en voyage

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Alice and Edgar, two half-grown bears, set off on a two-month journey by foot to see the world and visit their uncle, Claudio, a ruler of sorts. So begins LaFarge's tedious debut novel, the first volume in a projected series that is an adult fairy tale. When the siblings arrive, they discover Claudio's kingdom under threat of attack; he intends to send them home but they accidentally evade him and their porcupine nursemaid, and undergo a sequence of adventures reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland . The bears chase after a Slizz (a large, wooly lizard-like creature) that has become like a pet to them, exit their uncle's fortified castle and meet up with various composite beasts, including Thoog ("Saddle-backed bodies, propped in the air by a pair of legs like dandelion stems, white-haired, slender, ending in splay-toed feet") and Ceruk (gentrified Slizz-like creatures who shave the fuzz from their bodies, wear clothes, speak and walk upright). Though each encounter presents a danger to the bears, they move on to the next adventure before readers have a chance to sympathize with their plight. LaFarge is capable of smooth prose, but he has neither the language skills of Lewis Carroll nor the wild imagination of the great fantasy writers.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews

An inventive if flawed debut, the first in a series, that opens a window onto a fantasy world where bears wield power in a long-civilized animal kingdom--though their position is imperiled by the smoldering resentments of subject species, and by others of their own kind. Edgar and Alice are young siblings who decide to visit their Uncle Claudio, leading magistrate in the distant, booming city of commerce Bargeton; the two set off on a trek across the pastoral Commonwealth of Bears, accompanied by an unwanted Slizz (reptiles herded for their fleece, some of whom prove able to speak and so are given an education and a place in society). They find Bargeton in turmoil, about to be assaulted by hitherto unseen Crimson Bears: supposedly immense, ferocious creatures with no love for their city-dwelling kin. In the excitement, Edgar and Alice escape their uncle's protection to explore the metropolis, encountering sinister saurian Thoogs and the remains of a forgotten feline kingdom as they go. At a magical banquet held by rollicking yet purposeful ClownCats in their mechanical wonderland, they learn of the imminent danger to all bears, but are helped to escape by those who would seek a peaceful resolution. On their return to Claudio, they find the city in flames and are captured by renegade Ceruks (educated Slizz), only to slip away again with the aid of their trusty Slizz companion, who proves to be the son of a prominent goldsmith in Bargeton and who's far more accomplished than anyone suspected. Pleasantly fanciful, even inspired at times, but also marred by persistent cuteness and a dearth of sustained drama. -- Copyright ©1993, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Sun & Moon Press; 1st edition (April 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1557130744
• ISBN-13: 978-1557130747
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,619,894 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely Fantastic, March 18, 2000

By 

"patpdogs" - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Crimson Bears (New American Fiction) (Pt. 1) (Paperback)

This book was a total delight. I loved it so much I spent a year looking for the sequel (and found it here!). I originally bought the book because it looked like a text that could take me away from myself and into a world of fantasy and fun; and it did that and more. This tale of a brother and sister bear on an somewhat unintended adventure is so captivating that I could barely put it down. The plot twists and turns while at the same time the bear characters are so nicely developed that I found myself wishing I could visit their world. There are striking parallels in the world of the Crimson Bears to that of modern day society that are discovered when contemplating the Kingdon of the Bears, the fantasy inspired secondary characters and political/social circumstances involved. It's a fantasy novel that makes you think and turn pages quickly. When I was done with it I loaned it to a couple of friends and they have been looking for the sequel too! Besides the characters and plot being well developed the excecptionally descriptive prose used is truly outstanding, stimulating and mind-stretching. At times the text is lighthearted and funny and then reverts to serious and suspensful. An awesome read. Really anticipating reading the sequel!

2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Read, June 4, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: The Crimson Bears (New American Fiction) (Pt. 1) (Paperback)

The Crimson Bears is a great read filled with intense situations of peril and even though I haven't actually read it the extra credit that I'm getting for plugging my English teacher's book should be enough to make YOU want to. Dr. La Farge is the MAN and he deserves every penny of your hard earned rent money.

1 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Buy the book, dammit!, July 17, 1998

By 

Asparagirl (Los Angeles, CA, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Crimson Bears (New American Fiction) (Pt. 1) (Paperback)

Okay, I'll admit it. I haven't read this book. Yet. I do plan on doing so eventually, however. But I did have Dr. LaFarge as my Adavnced Placement English teacher my senior year at the Horace Mann school in the Bronx, and he rocked. I mean, the class was just a lot of fun, and he's a great teacher. So if he wrote this book, it's a pretty safe bet that it's going to be great. Therefore, you should buy this book and make him a rich and famous writer. (English teachers don't get paid all that much, I'll bet, and are rarely celebrities. But Dr. LaFarge deserves to be.)