Customer Reviews

The Innkeeper's Song

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Peter Beagle has a reputation as a young adult's author -- why, I'll never know. I didn't much like him as a teenager, but the older I get, the more I admire and enjoy his fantasies. The Innkeeper's Song is a beautiful book, but certainly better for 30 than 13 -- unless, perhaps, for a 13-year-old who has already had to deal with death. It concerns attempts to cheat death by magic, and the strange and unforeseen consequences, both good and ill, of raising a drowned young woman from the dead. The book is also noteworthy for a varied and unforgettable cast of characters who take turns narrating the story, giving the reader many perspectives on the same events and aiding suspense by concealing certain facts until the narrator shifts to someone in the know. Beagle's writing is so beautiful it's practically musical. I recommend this book highly to anyone who loves fantasy, folklore, mythology, and the grand old tradition of storytelling.

The Innkeeper's Song is a one-volume fantasy for mature readers that is by turns (or even simultaneously) lyrical and maddening. Lyrical because much of its language is, in contemporary fantasy, on par with only Patricia McKillip and Guy Gavriel Kay. Maddening because--despite the full-throttle beginning, intricately woven characters and a world made wondrous without a map or long descriptions but simply by names and prosaic brushstrokes--the promise of the beginning and middle absolutely fizzles to a all-but-incomprehensible anti-climax in which none of the characters' skills, virtues or flaws seem to matter. It's the equivalent of dreaming oneself into a world of rich and dread beauty, flying over that world so freely as to go beyond dreaming entirely ... and then being slapped awake to find oneself flailing at the air and wondering, "What might have been ..."

Sigh.

The tale concerns three women who arrive at an inn in the course of their quest to protect their ancient magician-friend from a renegade apprentice so that he might die in peace and not rise as a tormented ghost. The three are a warrior-nun who has escaped her convent; a legendary thief-sailor-swordsman; and a village girl whom the thief raised from a drowning death with the magician's ring. Added to these memorable figures are the earnest stable-boy; the gruff innkeeper; the nun's companion (a fox); and the stubborn boy who was betrothed to the village girl and follows her in the hope of reclaiming their lost love.

Each chapter proceeds from the first-person viewpoint of a different character (central or not), which works well overall but sometimes proves tiresome, especially when the author chooses (or is forced to) use a minor character as the "camera" for a particular scene or plot development or when the character's "voice" is confusing or not quite right. However, the chapters told by the thief are particularly well done; and she emerges as one of the most admirable, engaging characters in contemporary fantasy. (One actually wishes for more tales of Lal, Sailor Lal, Swordcane Lal, Lal-after-dark.)

Recommended as a library loan for dedicated fantasy buffs, fans of Kay or McKillip, or those looking for something completely different.

Beagle is one of the finest fantasy novelists currently writing, and for those who hunger for mature and literate stories his work appears far too infrequently. As in "The Last Unicorn" or "The Folk Of The Air", his writing rises far beyond the typical trappings of sword & sorcery. In "The Innkeeper's Song", Beagle starts us off with what appear to be recognizeable fantasy cliches - the old wizard, hard-bitten mercenaries, the crotchety taverner - and then stands each of them on their heads. Instead, Beagle weaves a subtle, intricate tale of deception, loyalty, and love, in which the characters having the adventure are at least as important as the adventure itself. By writing each chapter from the first-person perspective of a different character, he not only underscores differences in perception, but takes the reader deep inside each of his literary creations. In the hands of a lesser writer, this would be nothing but an annoying gimmick. But under Beagle's masterful guidance, it serves to make these characters living, breathing people. From hard, competent swordswoman Lal, to the dreamy stableboy Rosseth, to fat, cynical innkeeper Karsh, the reader comes to know them like old friends. A marvelous story which will linger in the mind long after the last page is read.

I was waiting for this. A fantasy novel that doesn't involve games of state (I guess I should say kingdom), plots of kings and princes, teenage hero + party of five deliver world from evil doom, or the quest for the magic sword. Instead, you get treated to a very quiet tale about a couple of characters who all converge at an inn. No earth-shattering battles. Rather, the tale deals with questions of loyalty and friendship in a very personal way, never overdoing it, not going for the cheap drama. If the plot is rather simple, the book more than makes up for it with the characters and world-building. Beautiful writing and a fresh taste.

I have not read Beagle's earlier work (though I have since read Giant Bones). I was suprisingly captivated by this book. I agree with some of the reviewers here that some of the shifts in character perspective are slightly clumsy (it seems odd to include sections by Lisonje and Marinesha if they only appear once or twice), and that some of the storytelling is over-the-top. But in general, I was stunned by the depth of the world which Beagle created. Someone commented that the world he created was stark -- which is precisely why I liked it. It is not filled with sylvan glens, impossibly wise and beautiful elves, dour dwarves, or fantastic dark towers wherein true evil lies. It feels very solid. The characters, through straightforward but powerful language, establish themselves as real people, rather than "high fantasy" sterotyped flat "heroes." Karsh is a man you love and hate; Rosseth is a teenager whose thoughts recall exactly what was going on in you during those years; Lal and Nyanteneri and Lukassa all break through both the "warrior-woman" and the "helpless maiden" roles to become developed characters. And, perhaps most intriguing of all, Beagle leaves mysteries unsolved, questions unanswered. You feel that his world is complete, but he has no need to strut around proving to the reader what a clever man he is for having devolped such a complex, rich reality. I cannot recommend this book enough to those interested in good fantasy which doesn't fall into the traditional traps of the genre.

...about Peter Beagle. He writes simple stories that mean more to you the more you read them. He has a quirky and ironic way of writing that makes him fantasy's answer to Vonnegut. I read this book from a proof copy I found at a used book store, which meant it had quite a few typos and some missing lines, which did not make it any less endearing.

This story plays with the form, much like Vonnegut did in Slaughter-House Five. Instead of coming unstuck in time, Beagle's story comes unstuck in narrator, as each chapter is told from inside a different head than the last. By the end, you know all the characters so well it's hard to let go.

This book was a little hard to find, but the search made it sweeter. It is more mature than the Last Unicorn-- there is a sex scene that's probably too vivid for youngsters-- but if you're old enough to handle it, you will enjoy this book.

When I read The Innkeepers Song I was enchanted. It is a beautifully lyrical piece full of warmth and kindness and reality. You are not sucked into a typical fantasy world where the "hero" must save the universe by reciting a magical incantation and waving a sword about. You are also not subjected to the idiocy of a innocent male hero who is simply confused and doesn't want any of the burden of saving the world. Rosseth has a completely new twist on this boring character and was a joy to read about. Subtlety was exquisite and it portrayed the truth in any world, ours or theirs. This is a true piece of artwork and defines the fantasy genre (or an ideal fantasy genre) to a T.

Enjoy.........

In terms of length, The Innkeeper's Song is one of the shorter fantasy novels I've read; it's not a series, not a huge book, but for its modest length, it manages to achieve the depth sorely lacking in many works twice its size. To appreciate the book, it's best if you don't go in wanting or expecting a lot of action and adventure. Yes, there is a wizard, a warrior-nun, a sailor slash swordsman, and even something of a 'quest', but at its core, The Innkeeper's Song is not about magic or quests or swords. It's about people. It's about loss and love and things that go unsaid. It's about interpersonal tragedy and people who deal with their own private tragedies in different ways, all interacting with one another in whatever manner life has conditioned them to.

The prologue begins with a boy and girl, Tikat and Lukassa, childhood loves who are soon to be wed. One day, Lukassa falls into the river, and though Tikat tries to save her, she slips from his arms and drowns. As he sits awake mourning for her that night, he hears singing and looks up to see a black woman on a horse who has revived Lukassa with an emerald ring. The two ride off together, and though Tikat calls to Lukassa, she does not answer. He pursues them; the prologue ends by stating that he never sees the village of his birth again.

But Tikat and Lukassa are only two characters in this fantasy drama. The black woman, Lal (Lal Alone, Lal After Dark, Swordcane Lal; what an amazing character), has her own story, her own past which is alluded to but never fully explained. Lal is on her way to search for her wizard friend, whose sendings reveal that he's in great peril. As she and Lukassa travel, they encounter a brown woman, Nyateneri, who has escaped from a convent, and who carries with her a fox (who is not, in fact, always a fox). All of these characters take turns narrating the story in first person, recounted years later to some unknown person or people, and along with them, there's also fat, gruff Karsh, innkeeper at The Gaff and Slasher (where most of the novel takes place) and Rosseth, the stable boy who dreams of adventure. In another writer's hands, such characters could easily be types, but Beagle's superb characterization renders each with a unique voice and a unique story to tell. No one comes close to being a shelf character. Even the most minor character seems to come with nuances, depth, life.

Additionally, I can't review this novel without mentioning Beagle's exceptional descriptive style. The prose is lyrical without being overwhelming (though I did occasionally have to take breaks after reading particularly intense chapters), and there's something about the way Beagle writes descriptions that really makes you feel them all throughout your body. When Lal speaks of how Lukassa's soul cried out with such intensity that it hurt her all over, even in the soles of her feet, I could practically feel it. Much is hinted at but never elaborated upon, which is maddening, but it also leaves me with a great desire to read more stories about these characters and their lives. Greatly recommended.

How quickly Harry Potter became second on my list of favorite books after reading this. The journey is long and imaginative, and I could not put it down. If you are in need of escaping the horror of our current life on this planet, open this book. You will feel as though you are in the taverns and on the less traveled roads in this story. You will soon come to love the fox, and the love story, and the magic and danger. It is a story told from many points of view, each chapter titled after the character telling the story from that point. Sometimes you will go back and sometimes you will hear the last chapter all over again, and never with a lull in the pace. Peter S. Beagle is a master of words and storytelling. He takes the fantasy genre and pushes it onward with the stroke of genius he used to write this little novel. I highly recommend investing a few hours into this story, and the limits of your imagination will be forever changed.

Unfortunately I agree with most of Ariod's comments about the novel (below). Still it is quite well written and much better than most of nowadays fantasy (which means almost nothing). There are some nice and new ideas (for example the great fox character!) but there is no magic in this book you could expect from the author of "The Last Unicorn".