Friday, July 27, 2012

Musings: Skellig

Skellig
I completely forgot that Skellig, by David Almond, was on my wish list until I was going through it the other day looking for audiobooks that were available for digital download from the Chicago Public Library.  I downloaded it, but I had no recollection of what the book was about or where I had heard about it.  A quick search on my GoodReads made clear to me that I heard about Skellig from MANY people, and it's a little bizarre that I forgot about it so completely.

In any case, I read it and was a bit taken aback to learn in the forward to the book that this is a story that has been adapted into a radio show, a movie, and an opera.  In fact, the audiobook features music from the opera.  Obviously, I was reading a book that had become a Big Deal.

Skellig is about Michael, a 10-year-old boy who has just moved to a new home with his parents and baby sister.  But his baby sister was born prematurely and is very ill, and there is a heavy burden of worry on Michael's family.  One day, he goes into the creaky, unused garage and discovers that there is a man there, Skellig, who is cranky and in pain and not doing much of anything.  Michael confides his discovery to his new friend Mina, and the two of them help the man recover from his sufferings.  And that leads to a friendship and the belief that you should always have faith in the extraordinary.

I enjoyed this book, but I must admit that I think it suffered a bit for me in comparison to A Monster Calls.  The two are similar enough in my mind to warrant comparison, and while A Monster Calls had me curled up on the couch bawling my eyes out, Skellig did not have the same effect (thank goodness, as I listened to it on my commute to work).  I think this is because Skellig is more subtle.  Michael has a lot to deal with- his baby sister is dying.  But the book doesn't dwell on that.  We see Michael playing soccer, learning about evolution, helping his dad around the house, and exploring his new home with his new friend Mina (who is an awesome, smart, and charming young woman well worth her own full-length novel).  While the mystery around Skellig is integral to the story, it is not the center of the story.  Similarly, Michael is very aware that his sister is sick, but he goes about his day trying to think about other things, too.  This makes the story even more ethereal.

Almond also touches upon the interplay between science and religion, of faith in medicine and in prayer.  I enjoyed that he provided no answers but showed that both sides of the coin have value and people deal with situations beyond their control in different ways.

The language, too, is quite lyrical, and I loved David Almond's narration of this audiobook.  He gives Skellig an excellently gritty and tired voice, and all of the other characters are well defined and differentiated as well. I enjoyed listening to the operatic pieces and the short story about Mina that were provided at the end, too.

13 comments:

  1. I wish I could dl audiobooks, but you can only listen to them on your comuter

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    1. I have audiobook difficulties as well, so I understand your frustration.

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  2. I remember reading this SO long ago, and a few times, but I can't remember much about it (other than who/what Skellig is, to which I say OMG!) I'm kiiind of tempted to revisit it, but I don't even own it anymore sadly... and maybe I should just try A Monster Calls instead!

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    1. Yes, A Monster Calls is really brilliant - definitely recommend it :-)

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  3. I bought this book, and right away, my kids honed in on it and read it. They were excited about it, and told me the secret too, which didn't diminish my need to read it. I have heard so many good things about this book, and want to take the time to get a chance to listen to it as well. I think I would definitely prefer this in audio. You bring up some interesting points about comparing the novel to A Monster Calls, and I agree that no book dealing with subjects like this could possibly compare to that one. That was just a soul-crumpling read (but also sort of hopeful, you know?). Great review today!

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    1. As I think you know, spoilers never ruin books for me, so I'm glad knowing the secret didn't ruin this one for you, either.

      I COMPLETELY agree with your term "soul-crumpling." So true!

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  4. Mina DOES deserve her own book, I'm sad I've not read it yet. I shall download the e-book from my library today!

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  5. Including the opera music in the audiobook is so cool!

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    1. It is, isn't it? Very well-made audiobook, I must say. So much thought and care put into its creation.

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  6. My kids found this in the children's section of the public library, which is where I think it belongs. It's a great story, but one meant for children to discover.

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  7. I love this book for teaching purposes, and I always teach it in my college courses directed at education majors. It's a great example of a "quiet" novel rich in symbolism, intertextuality, and it's highly discussable. Great musings today!

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  8. Skellig is one of those books that I read as a young teen and I just went back and reread some of it. I think I never really realized how much impact this story had on me as a reader and a writer. It's a very powerful story for me. I haven't read A Monster Calls yet, but now I'm even more excited to read it. I don't know if it would have had the same impact on me if I had read it for the first time as an adult.

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