A couple of weeks ago I mentioned dragon books. Right after that, one of them came up for check-out at the library – Here, There be Dragons by James Owens. It’s part of a series called Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica and true to it’s title, we had imaginary creatures (dragons) on the first page.
As the story unfolded we also got references to King Arthur, Captain Nemo, Alice in Wonderland, Sherlock Holmes, trolls, dwarves, centaurs, Pandora’s box, Stonehenge and, of course, talking badgers. Although the story starts out in WWI London, almost all of the story takes places in the “archipelago of dreams”, a world which is apparently one of many alternative realities.
As the first in a series, this one was a little bogged down by all the explanatory bits related by various characters, but the fascinating weaving of all kinds of myths and stories into the plot was just enough to keep me going as well as the quote: “Did he now?” said Charles as a smile began to cheshire over his face.” That alone was enough to make me want to pick up the next volume. And no spoiler alerts but the last chapter was worth its weight in gold, in terms of pulling together the strands of the story and leaving you with a tingling feeling that you should have known it all along.
If you could make one fantasy/imaginary place come alive, what would it be?
Trail Baboon 
Oh this looks like a lovely bit of escapism to read! I should get a list going and put this on it.
I need to readjust my thinking that it is ok to read at some point when I will actually stay awake. I was always an avid bedtime reader, and that’s just not working for me right now.
I’ve missed my annual holiday reading of Rebecca West’s Cousin Rosamund trilogy (bookmark indicates I got to maybe page 23 in the first book last year- deep and heavy sigh), but I am resolved to try again this year, and today is as good a day as any.
This quote fits today’s post so well, and is exactly why I return to this unfinished trilogy year after year, in hopes this time Rebecca West bestirred herself from the grave to finish it:
The narrator is describing her first sight of the villa next to the little house she grows up in and ends it this way:
“It never ceased to please me. I cannot so adjust my mind that I cancel my intention of living there someday, though it was destroyed by a bomb in the Second World War”.
They never set foot in the villa, but the little house full of books and music they actually live in is one of my favorite fictional places to spend the winter.
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Wow, thanks, mig – something to check out!
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Vulcan.
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And Haven
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There are also a number of pleasure planets.
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I’d like to check out that wardrobe in The Chronicles of Narnia…
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I think Professor Diggory’s (I hope I have that right) home would be a very fine place to spend a lot of time.
As is so often the case, that housekeeper would have to go!
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an OT little item for you:
How did mistletoe get its name?
All mistletoes grow as parasites on the branches of trees and shrubs. … Ancient Anglo-Saxons noticed that mistletoe often grows where birds leave droppings, which is how mistletoe got its name: In Anglo-Saxon, “mistel” means “dung” and “tan” means “twig,” hence, “dung-on-a-twig.”
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Merry Christmas
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thats nice
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It is. And I thought I was the epitome of brevity.
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I’m also thinking that Atlantis and Shangri-La would be interesting
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Here is a real unfantasy world: when you set up to have payments withdrawn from your bank account, you cannot without cost and paper and time stop the withdrawal. Only the payee can stop it easily.
And that was my morning.
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This should surprise me, but it doesn’t.
(I learn something new here every day.)
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Ick
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close the acct it is being withdrawn from and reopen with new acct number if you choose to
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That doesn’t always work with credit cards involved. Been there. Done that.
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i’ve closed cards out of concern for funds being taken not to stop funds from being auto withdrawn but the consequence is that i need to re do the auto withdrawal deals i set up previously
none transfer on their own
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Because I am such a fan of Tolkien’s four major books, people assume I am reader of fantasy. I am not. Loved first three books of Harry Poytter, but then children were in jeopardy, which I will not read.
They assume the same about sci-fi. I admire most things by Asimov, almost anything by Orson Scott Card. The blend of sci-fi and fantasy of Bradbury I enjoy thoroughly and often reread. Dandelion Wine and Something Wicked This Way Comes are up high in my list of great reads and rereads. Here and there I have read some sci-fi I liked. None stick in my mind.
None of these readings give me a vision of a place I would want to be.
The world of Jane Austen is so interesting and alien to me, but to live there, no way.
The world of Tony Hillerman, well, I have driven over many of the main roads of Apacheland, amazing to see, and tie back to the books. I would love to live there for about 4 winters, not summer, that would be enough.
The whole complex of Hawthorne’s pilgrim world is rich on detail and near fantasy romance, in the literary sense of romance. But live there. Of course not.
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Well, you don’t have to live there. I wouldn’t like to live in any of those fantasy places even Shangri-La or Atlantis. You can either just visit or you can make it live from a distance and be satisfied with that.
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shangri la came to mind for me
i’ve stayed at the shangri la in hong kong and enjoyed it very much
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This time of year I have a yearning for Mole End. https://www.storynory.com/the-wind-in-the-willows-christmas-chapter/
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I read a series of “cozy” mysteries by Susan Wittig Alberg – The Cottage Tales – based on Beatrix Potter’s life (and followed the framework of it). They’re set in England’s Lake District, and there are talking badgers, etc. I wouldn’t mind stepping into this fantasy place for a while.
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the lake district is one of my favorite areas
when i was there i was asked every morning what i was in the mood for hike wise or day trip wise
about the 3rd day i asked the woman how she know the area so intricately and she said that her father was one of the original map makers and she used to go along as he mapped every trail
and back road of the area
it was heaven
the geography the vibe the sheep and farmers all have a slow easy way about them
i hope air b&b didn’t destroy it
the old b&b system worked very nicely there
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Cool!
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