From: Monica R. Edinger <edinger>
Date: Sat, 10 Nov 2001 10:50:24 -0800

Jonathan wrote, " ENCHANTRESS FROM THE STARS seems an unlikely, improbable choice for all those If-you-liked-Harry-Potter lists." with which I agree (although I've seen many improbable choices being recommended to Harry fans such as His Dark Materials ; quite a leap, I'd say for many) but I still think it likely that there was more interest in reissuing it as well as buying other fantasy books because Harry Potter has changed the publishing landscape, making fantasy much more appealing than previously.

I do agree with Jonathan that ENCHANTRESS feels akin to L'Engle's Time books. I can only respond to it as an adult reader, having not read it when young (as it came out my last year of high school and I did not come across it then although I read tons of sci fi and fantasy then.)

Maggie Parrish's point about strong female characters is interesting. I guess I've never minded the lack of them in The Hobbit. It just seems a male world not unlike that of The Wind in the Willows. Although I love strong female characters such as those in Robin McKinley's works.

And I am so glad this book has helped those of you who are not fans of sci fi and fantasy is causing you to reconsider the genres.

The clearly impossible romance reminded me a bit of the one in The Sterkham Handshake.

 I loved the three narratives too. And the dragon (this is a bit of a non sequitur) made me think of Phyllis Reynolds Naylor's The Grand Escape where the cats have a similar misunderstanding.


Monica Edinger The Dalton School New York NY edinger at dalton.org monicaedinger at yahoo.com
Received on Sat 10 Nov 2001 12:50:24 PM CST