Jo Walton: Among Others

Hi

The first novel I finished this month is Among Others by Jo Walton.
It got a lot of hype online and I wanted to find out what it’s all about. It won the Nebula Award and the Hugo Award and it was nominated for the World Fantasy Award.
I got my copy from bol.com and it has 408 pages.

“When Mori discovers that her mother is using black magic, she decides to intervene. The ensuing clash between mother and daughter leaves Mori bereft of her twin sister, crippled for life and unable to return to the Welsh Valleys that were her own kingdom. Mori finds solace and strength in her beloved books. But her mother is bent on revenge, and nothing and no one – not even Tolkien – can save her from the final reckoning.”

Among Others is a lovely novel. It’s absorbing, charming and fun.
Walton mixes the magic into our world in a brilliant way. It seems so real and almost logical that you’re wondering why it isn’t real.
Mori is a wonderful character. She’s smart, she’s without prejudice (e.g. LGBT people) and she is a very strong girl.
This novel is set after the Big Event, after the Climax and Mori has to go on living with the consequences of her actions. She says that it's like life after the Scouring of the Shire.
Nothing much happens in the novel. It’s even quite boring. There’s no suspense or big event and because of that it is a slow novel. But that doesn't really matter.
The moments Mori realizes and anguishes over the possibility of others liking her only because of her magic are truly genius.
So real and so unlike anything I have ever read before. Now I’m wondering what happens after almost every other fantasy novel I have ever read. How the characters are coping etc.
A truly wonderful novel. I loved the style, the feel, the idea behind it.

The amount of reading she does and her opinions on them as a 15-year old is quite ridiculous though.
From the moment Mori gets a boyfriend I became a bit irritated with the novel. Suddenly it’s all about someone’s looks and how nice and sweet he is. I really didn’t care for this part.
The part where her father tries something on her was completely unnecessary too.
And the ending is rather meh. It’s a bit stupid I mean. How is it even possible that all three are there? There was no need for that final confrontation or for what happens with the fairies. Really she should have cut those last 70 pages and written an ending closer to the style of the novel.

When I’ll reread it I’ll make sure to make note of the mentioned authors. Among Others is more than anything else a love letter, an ode to literature.

Happy reading.
Helena

Enjoying this!