#tenthragon

[thelonelybrilliance]

Is Tenthragon really going to just ... end like that?????

[isfjmel-phleg]

A PSA for any of your followers who are as intrigued by your Tenthragon-blogging as I am: the text is now available on the Internet Archive!

Google doesn’t return it, but searching ‘Tenthragon’ into the Internet Archive metadata search brings up the 1930 US edition. (I won’t link in case it breaks the ask.) I’m not quite sure why it’s been made available ~2 years earlier than expected. Possibly the copyright was never renewed?

Either way, I was very excited to see it available. Your / @valiantarcher / @incomingalbatross’s commentary on it had got me super interested, and I read it all yesterday over 10 hours straight :’)

I have SO many questions and thoughts which I would love to talk about once they’re coherent. But hopefully in the meantime this can get some more new fans on the Tenthragon bandwagon!

Thank you so much for letting me know! Here's the Internet Archive link if anyone is interested.

I'm very glad to hear that you read it and enjoyed it, and I would love to hear your thoughts and questions whenever you're ready!

[incomingalbatross]

Seven chapters into Tenthragon! Disorganized bullet-point reactions below, by chapter.

Ch. 1-2:

I love the atmosphere so far.

These chapters do well at establishing that Brendan really is doing his best for Patric and cares about him (even if the evidence might not be enough for a small child to find security in that).

Despite that, Brendan also really gives the feeling that there is Danger here—not only that Patric isn't safe here unless he stays within bounds, but that Brendan is in some way constrained. If this were fantasy, there'd be a curse in this house.

(I have a very general idea of what or rather who IS in the "other house," but only very general. I don't know any of the whys or hows or plot developments, really.)

So it SEEMS like there are two Marys, and if so that's really something you need to EXPLAIN to the small child, guys.

Also, I don't like that thing of Mary trying to scare him into behaving by citing Brendan. I've seen that tactic before, and it is both unhelpful and unfair.

Ch. 3:

No, I don't like Mary. That's HIS money. Let him spend it. :(

Oh good. They DID explain the twin thing. Paddy doesn't need that stress.

She bought a SWITCH? It is not her job to buy a switch for a child who isn't hers! Much less to threaten the boy with it when his actual guardian didn't even want it in the house and doesn't know she got it!

Ch. 4:

Even allowing for the fact that this is all being filtered through Paddy's perspective, the list of People I Dislike here is growing. Why do they seem to enjoy scaring children.

Tentatively putting Ludovic Tenthragon (mentioned only) at the head of the list, though.

Ch. 5:

This! Is why you don't make children under your care afraid of you! They're scared to tell you when something goes wrong and then it gets worse. (It's fine, I'm sure this is the ONLY time something like that will happen here…)

Poor Paddy, locking out the dragon. (If I heard strangers partying on the other side of my wall I would ALSO be uneasy. It's bad enough being in a hotel room by yourself at night.)

Brendon gets significant points for this night. But also YES, sir, Paddy is afraid of you. Part of it is just that you all live in a cursed house.

Ah, so Eann Tenthragon was a LITERAL prodigal son.

…Tentatively removing Ludovic from the top of the list. Awaiting further information.

Oh. Oh BOY. Yes, I see someone else owns the coveted top-of-list space.

Ch. 6:

Very glad Paddy is getting along better with Brendon. Sad Brendon can't spend more time with him.

Prue is very good at appreciating music.

Continue to really admire the atmosphere. The way it's not fantasy and yet in every important way, all the fairy tales are true and Paddy's surrounded by them.

Ch. 7:

All right, the dragon is Hugh. ...I can see how that fits in.

(For the record, I would like to state that it is NOT Paddy's fault this house is so confusing. If I saw a house that looked exactly like mine I wouldn't notice it was facing west instead of east either.)

OOF. So he didn't KNOW Paddy was there. Yes, I see the rock and hard place Brendon has been living between.

STOP TERRIFYING THE SMALL CHILD

See, the fact that he's talking to a seven- or eight-year-old who he wants to terrify makes it difficult for me to tell how much of the supervillain monologuing is sincere—but on the other hand, the fact that he's saying it with the intent of being believed is quite bad enough. The malice is real, and it's frightening.

In conclusion: someone save the child. I'm going to stop here for the night, before I get sucked in.

[idratherdreamofjune]

Fortnight of Books: 2022

Day 7:

Most memorable character:

There are even more good candidates than usual this year, I can narrow it down to a few though. Hugh, the extremely conflicted and disturbed initial antagonist of Tenthragon (Constance Savery) is introduced as a straightforward villain, but as his background unfolded the reader begins to pity him and long for his reconciliation. His brother and the rest of the household are all excellent characters in their own rights, but Hugh is the most dramatic, and the one who changes the most. Mr. Land, the miracle-working father of the narrator in Peace Like a River (Leif Enger - again, a book full of finely-drawn people) also deserves notice. He is, ostensibly, the main character, and as one of the most deeply loving fictional characters I’ve ever encountered he gives the tale its heart and impetus. Jonathan Harker (Dracula) gets a mention too, I was fully invested in his story from the beginning and his character growth is truly impressive (though in some ways not positive). He’ll get special attention in the next post. ;D

Most annoying character:

The journalist detective Jimmy London in Calamity in Kent (John Rowland) - he does a fair amount of lying and goes so far as to withhold a lot of information about the murder from the police simply for the purpose of trying to get a scoop. A slimy individual all around.

[valiantarcher]

Book asks: 8, 11, 20, 21, 22, 25, 27, 28

Thank you! :) Just a heads up that I have dug back into my notes for some earlier reads since it felt like I kept coming back to the same books; I found reviewing some old reads a lot of fun, so hopefully you don't mind.

8. A book that left you emotionally devastated. Ooh. Peace Like a River by Leif Enger and Tenthragon by Constance Savery are easy answers, as are a number of non-fiction books, but I'll go with Dawn by Elie Wiesel.

11. A book with one scene that really annoyed you. Just one scene? Hmm. I don't remember all my complaints with When the Stars Threw Down their Spears by Kersten Hamilton, but I do remember one scene that really bothered me.

20. A book that you enjoyed, but barely remember. According to my notes, Sword Song by Rosemary Sutcliff is a book I remember one plot point about but also can't ever reliably remember if I've read it when asked.

21. A book that improved upon reread. I enjoyed Lamplighter by D.M. Cornish on the first read, but I just finished a reread of it and I think I like it even more now.

22. A book that got worse on reread. Ha, probably a number of my childhood reads would fit this! But I'm going to say East by Edith Pattou: I had remembered not loving it the first time I read it but I read it again a few years ago and liked it less than I remembered.

25. A book on your B-tier: Not one of your favorites, but one you enjoyed. It looks like Five Red Herrings by Dorothy L. Sayers was one of these.

27. An author whose early work you enjoy more than their later work. This might be stretching it a bit as an in-progress series is my favourite of his works, but since I have ignored the last four or so published books, I'm going to say N.D. Wilson.

28. An author whose later work you enjoy more than their early work. This is also stretching it, but it looks like most of the books I enjoy by Patricia McKillip were written in the second half of her career (but not all).

[isfjmel-phleg]

I can't say that all of these are likely to be everyone's cup of tea, but these are some books that I have enjoyed that prominently feature cousin relationships.

An Old-Fashioned Girl by Louisa May Alcott, in addition to the previously mentioned Eight Cousins and Rose in Bloom. Although the protagonist has an immediate family, the story concentrates on her visits to her cousins and the impact she has on them.

Mansfield Park by Jane Austen. Are these wonderful cousin relationships? Not really. Are they significant? Yes.

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte. This is a difficult book to warm up to, I know, but I am fascinated by the much-ignored relationship among the three cousins in the second half of the book as they deal with the fallout of the previously generations' poor choices--and in some cases, choose to break the cycle.

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. Features one of my favorite fictional cousin relationships ever.

The House on the Hill by Eileen Dunlop. Two cousins living with an elderly aunt with a tragic past come to grow closer to her and each other as they try to unravel family secrets and set right a wrong. There's an element of the plot that may be ghostly, may be a time-slip situation, but it fits in with the themes of the lasting effects of harmful family situations. Content warning: PG profanities.

Understood Betsy by Dorothy Canfield Fisher. Part of the genre of "turn-of-the-century child with a questionable upbringing goes to live with relatives and proceeds to undergo Character Development."

A Handful of Time by Kit Pearson. A chance to time travel while visiting cousins during the summer offers the young protagonist insight into her family, including her estranged mother.

Tenthragon by Constance Savery. I love this book so much. It's an emotionally intense read, it deals with some heavy topics, and the ending is frustratingly ambiguous, but the themes are beautiful and the characters are striking. It's hard to find in print, but you can read it here.

The Good Master by Kate Seredy. Young cousins and daily rural life in pre-WWI Hungary.

Pauline and The Family Tree by Margaret Storey. The eponymous protagonist of Pauline bonds with her cousin after she is sent to live with an emotionally abusive uncle. The Family Tree features a relationship between distant cousins with a disparity in age as they bond over researching family history.

Theater Shoes / Curtain Up and the Gemma series by Noel Streatfeild. Theater Shoes has both negative and positive cousin relationships among students of a ballet and stage school in 1940s London. The Gemma series isn't Streatfeild's finest work, but it's about a young (former) film star in the 1960s who comes to live with cousins and must try to keep a low profile as she leads a normal life for the first time.

Mirror of Danger / Come Back, Lucy by Pamela Sykes. Another story of the maybe-a-ghost-maybe-time-slipping type, about a girl brought up in isolation by a Victorian aunt who after the aunt's death moves in with cousins and clashes with their modern (1970s) ways.

Mother Carey's Chickens by Kate Douglas Wiggin. Features a family whose insufferable cousin comes to live with them, and how they adjust to each other and character development happens. Not a flawless story, but it has its share of charm.

Anyone have book recommendations for anything involving cousin relationships? There seems to be a terrible dearth of those in literature.

[isfjmel-phleg]

I am rereading Constance Savery's The Memoirs of Jack Chelwood in order to properly respond to someone who asked about it a while back, and I am...utterly baffled as to why Savery considered this her best book.

[incomingalbatross]

IMPORTANT: I've just found out that Internet Archive has Runaway Robot, top-tier kids' sci-fi novel, available for borrowing. If you would like to meet my favorite robot of all time, please go read it. Rex is a delightful narrator, is too good for this world, too pure, and he deserves appreciation.

[isfjmel-phleg]

I have neither the time nor the inclination to reread every single one of these this Christmas season, but I'd like to get to some of them and wanted a reference. These are nonexhaustive lists of books from my own collection.

Christmas as a primary theme/setting

While Shepherds Watch by E. L. Bates

I Am Half Sick of Shadows and Thrice the Brinded Cat Hath Mewed by Alan Bradley

The Snow Sister by Emma Carroll

"The Flying Stars" by G. K. Chesterton

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

"The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle" by Arthur Conan Doyle

The Sister of the Angels by Elizabeth Goudge

Addy's Surprise by Connie Porter

"The Necklace of Pearls" by Dorothy L. Sayers

Samantha's Surprise by Maxine Rose Schur

Kirsten's Surprise by Janet Beeler Shaw

Noel Streatfeild's Christmas Stories by Noel Streatfeild

Felicity's Surprise, Josefina's Surprise, Kit's Surprise, and Molly's Surprise by Valerie Tripp

The Birds' Christmas Carol by Kate Douglas Wiggin

"Jeeves and the Yule-Tide Spirit" by P. G. Wodehouse

Not about Christmas primarily but have memorable sequences set then

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Ramona and Her Father by Beverly Cleary

Hans Brinker by Mary Mapes Dodge

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis

Tenthragon by Constance Savery

Most of the Shoes books but especially Theater Shoes/Curtain Up by Noel Streatfeild

Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend

Most of the Little House books but especially Little House in the Big Woods, Little House on the Prairie, and By the Shores of Silver Lake by Laura Ingalls Wilder

[isfjmel-phleg]

The Psmith series. That's a given. We've already discussed this extensively.

Tenthragon by Constance Savery. So much of what makes this one work is atmosphere, so it would need to have to have fantastic cinematography and soundtrack.

Enemy Brothers by Constance Savery. I think I read somewhere that a film adaptation for this one was considered in the 1940s, not too long after it was published, but it never happened.

The later Oz books. What I would really like would be an animated series in the vein of OTGW that could balance the mostly lighthearted tone with just a hint of heavier themes. Baum's other fantasies, like Sky Island, would be fun to adapt too.

When Patty Went to College by Jean Webster. The female counterpart to Psmith. A portrayal of life at a women's college at the turn of the century by someone who actually experienced it would be refreshing--it's not as different from current college life as you would expect.

Other Noel Streatfeild books besides Ballet Shoes. Many of the other Shoes books, for instance, are excellent stories with compelling characters.

The Ordinary Princess by M. M. Kaye. If this were a movie instead of a book, it would be one of those sweet, inherently reassuring movies you watch when you're sad.

The Betsy-Tacy series by Maud Hart Lovelace. How have these never gotten an adaptation? They would be an interesting counterpart to the Little House series or the Anne series.

Reblog and tell me about your favorite book (I want to say classic, but let's just say published before the year 2000) that has never gotten an adaptation.

[isfjmel-phleg]

Since you love Tenthragon, have you been able to get your hands on The Memoirs of Jack Chelwood? Now I want to read it but the printing was so limited I can't find it anywhere and don't know anyone's take on it but I know Savery considered it her best novel!

I did manage to get it through interlibrary loan about three years ago. There are about about ten libraries in the US that own it (not to mention five in the UK, one in Ireland, and one in New Zealand), but not all of them circulate it, and most of them do not typically loan for free, although that might depend on your library and where you are.

My comment on it at the time was "Savery apparently considered this one her best work. I would debate her on that if I could, but it’s certainly the lengthiest and most intricate of what I’ve read of hers." But honestly, I don't remember much about it and can't provide further details.

However, I've put in another ILL request and will give it a reread. Sometimes impressions change the second time around. I had read a lot of Savery around that time, which probably didn't give me adequate space to process the book.

[isfjmel-phleg]

December 2023 Books

AG Christmas stories: Addy's Surprise by Connie Porter; Samantha's Surprise by Maxine Rose Schur; Kirsten's Surprise by Janet Beeler Shaw; and Felicity's Surprise, Josefina's Surprise, Kit's Surprise, and Molly's Surprise by Valerie Tripp (reread)

Discussed elsewhere!

The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion: Vol. 7 by Beth Brower

I found this one more difficult to get through the most of the previous installments, mostly because it introduced a romance that does absolutely nothing for me.

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens (reread)

Annual reread.

Silent Nights: Christmas Mysteries edited by Martin Edwards

I got this book mostly because it contains the Christmas mystery short stories that should be annual rereading and it's more convenient to bring along while traveling than separate anthologies. The Doyle, Chesterton, and Sayers stories are all old favorites, but the rest of the stories in the collection were less interesting--or it could have just been that I wasn't reading them at the right time.

Switching Well by Peni R. Griffin

A girl from the present day (...in the 1990s) is switched in time with a girl from 1890s San Antonio. I have a passing acquaintance with some of the places described, so that was fun.

The Eleventh Trade by Alyssa Hollingsworth

I was not expecting this story to rip my heart out the way it did.

Tenthragon by Constance Savery (reread)

I get a hankering for this one around Christmas for no particular reason, and it was so worth the reread.

Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend (reread)

I read this for the first time on a plane and it was magical and I was traveling last month and felt like this was exactly what I needed to read on the plane again.

Adam's Common by David Wiseman

A timeslip story of sorts? It was good. I have nothing intelligent to say about it.

Comics

Stephen McCranie's Space Boy Omnibus 1-3

I love this series. A lot more than I was expecting to, and I can't wait to get the next volume (yes, I know it's all online, but there's something about encountering it in physical book form). I love the complexity of the characters, and the plot twists are captivating.

Everything pertaining to Damage and the Ray (reread/skimmed)

You all know how I feel about my boys. There's a lot of analysis yet to come.

Everything pertaining to Triumph

Apparently this character was ridiculously unpopular, with everyone from the readership to DC staff, mainly because he threw off the Sacred Origins of the JLA and because he's an unlikeable jerk. Even his writer has described him as "the hero you love to hate." But I'm approaching this from a literary standpoint, and it's very clear that he's a superhero version of The Tragic Hero, and it works. I'm fascinated by the complexity that Priest gives him.

Really, guys, 1990s DC writers did not have to go that hard with their characterization but they did and I have so much respect for it.

[isfjmel-phleg]

1, 4, 7, & 15-20 for Tenthragon; 2, 3, 9, & 10 for The Candymakers; and 9, 11, & 15-20 for The Secret Garden, please?

Tenthragon

1, what got you into this story?

At some point, I decided to read every Constance Savery novel I could get my hands on. The atmosphere and mystery drew me in, and I could hardly put it down.

4. assign this story a hyper-specific genre name, e.g. "inspirational religious semi-horror sci-fi western" (yes, that's Trigun)

Psychological-horror gothic mystery revenge-tragedy family-drama redemption story with fairy-tale motifs.

7. how does the story compare to your initial impressions of it? has it surprised you yet? how?

I didn't know what to expect of it going in, and I was surprised at how invested in it I became. It hasn't really surprised me on rereads, but I have never stopped being impressed.

15. what time are you most likely to be found reading/watching this story? (time of year, time of day, season of life, whatever makes sense to you)

I tend to get a hankering for it around Christmas. It's not an overtly Christmassy book, although there is a chapter set at that time, but for whatever reason my brain has designated it in that category.

16. do you think this story has broad appeal, or is it meant for a very specific audience? if it's more "niche", what kind of person would most enjoy this story?

It will definitely not be everyone's cup of tea. The depictions of abuse (mostly psychological/emotional) can be intense. (And it's not that I'm not sensitive to such things--I am!--but I sometimes find that reading about certain awful things in fiction helps me process.) The ending is vague and not everyone will find it satisfying. It's hard to classify, since the protagonist is a young child but the themes are more suitable for an older audience.

If you like dark, atmospheric stories dealing with complicated and difficult family relationships, but with an ultimately hopeful and redemptive worldview, you might like Tenthragon. That's a big might. I make no guarantees. Please don't come after me with sharp implements if you happen to read it and hate it :P

17. compare this story to your usual tastes. how does it differ from what you've already enjoyed?

It is a bizarre, bizarre story. The vague ending isn't typical of what I usually gravitate toward, but it works for me.

18. compare this story to your usual tastes. what parts of it are exactly the kind of thing you've always loved?

The eerie and atmospheric old house settings, family mysteries, and Sad Children get to me every time.

19. pitch an idea for a sequel or spinoff novel for this story!

I'd pick up right where the novel leaves off. The Tenthragon boys have made a lot of personal progress, but how are they going to handle moving forward now that the originator of much of their issues has returned and holds power over most of them?

20. what's the WORST thing about this story, in your opinion? (feel free to be positive, e.g. "it's not longer", if you want!)

The unanswered questions. The fact that there isn't a sequel. The fact that it's out of print and very difficult to find at a decent price so I can't easily inflict it on people.

The Candymakers

3. quickly list 3 things you like about the story!

The main cast, the use of multiple POVs to constantly shift our understanding of the narrative, the themes.

9. give the most UNHELPFUL and/or SILLY summary possible.

It's a light-hearted story about four children competing in a candymaking contest--nope, it's a coming-of-age drama--nope, it's a thriller--nope, it's a revenge tale--nope, it's still a light-hearted story about four children competing in a candymaking contest but now you're emotional about it.

10. if you made an amv about this, what song would you set it to?

Ohhh, this is difficult. Maybe "Another Believer."

The Secret Garden

9. give the most UNHELPFUL and/or SILLY summary possible.

Terrible child touches grass and gets an attitude adjustment, then passes the lesson along to a possibily even worse child.

11. if you were put in the main character's position, how well would that go for you on a scale of 1-5?

I would be a lot more compliant and ready to mind my own business, but I sure wouldn't get much plot moving. Maybe a 4.

15. what time are you most likely to be found reading/watching this story? (time of year, time of day, season of life, whatever makes sense to you)

Spring is TSG season around here!

16. do you think this story has broad appeal, or is it meant for a very specific audience? if it's more "niche", what kind of person would most enjoy this story?

It's a beloved classic, so yeah, it apparently has pretty broad appeal.

17. compare this story to your usual tastes. how does it differ from what you've already enjoyed?

This story has defined a lot of what I enjoy ever since I was seven, so I can't really think of anything.

18. compare this story to your usual tastes. what parts of it are exactly the kind of thing you've always loved?

So much. Terrible children with growth arcs. Atmospheric settings. A general sense of mystery. Etc.

19. pitch an idea for a sequel or spinoff novel for this story!

...you know, this is one of those stories where I'm actually pretty okay with leaving the characters where their story ends. I know they'll be fine, and I don't particularly care what they do when they grow up or who they're romantically involved with.

But a story focusing on the Sowerbys specifically might be fun.

20. what's the WORST thing about this story, in your opinion? (feel free to be positive, e.g. "it's not longer", if you want!)

I could live without Burnett's heavy-handed philosophizing toward the end of the book.

[siena-sevenwits]

#Constance Savery's novel Tenthragon has a character who swears frequently#there is not a single swear word in the book#Savery will simply say that he swore and leave it at that#and it works perfectly fine via @isfjmel-phleg

In my novel WIP I do something similar inspired by authors who use this technique, and while I can't say how effective it is in my case, it always reads perfectly naturally to me when I see this done by capable, established authors. I appreciate this kind of sensitivity - it's possible to characterize characters accurately without including the actual words.

i heard recently that it’s unrealistic for none of your characters to swear in a wip of yours. and that makes it cringy apparently??

so i’m here to tell you that it’s okay to not have any characters (that’s right, any) who cuss if you don’t want it. most of the books i’ve read don’t have much language, and if they do, it’s such a little amount that it’s hardly significant. and ya know what, a lot of those books have made it onto my favorites list, ONE OF WHICH was about a SOLDIER, ya know, surrounded by people who are almost 100000% guaranteed to cuss a lot, and guess what, i love that story with every ounce of my being. 

you don’t need swearing to make a good story. 

[isfjmel-phleg]

Fortnight of Books: Day 3

Book you recommended most to others in 2023?

I don't think I've recommended any one thing often enough to qualify for this? Most of what I've been interested in lately I know isn't the sort of thing a lot of people want to get dragged into.

Maybe it was Tenthragon. Someday the revolution of Savery appreciation in this establishment is coming, if I have anything to do with it :P

Book you most anticipated this year?

The new Never moor book, which was supposed to be released close to my birthday but got bumped back again. I am expecting a Masterpiece with all the time this book is taking to arrive.

[isfjmel-phleg]

Fortnight of Books: Day 1

Overall - best books read in 2023?

No new five-star books this year, although I might decide to promote some of them later after a reread. Five stars are reserved for books that absolutely rocked my world, and it often takes time for me to decide to confer the distinction.

A selection of the ones I enjoyed most includes:

The Night Gardener by Jonathan Auxier

The Dean's Watch by Elizabeth Goudge

Giant Pumpkin Suite by Melanie Heuiser Hill

The Eleventh Trade by Alyssa Hollingsworth

The Invisible Boy by Alyssa Hollingsworth

Tin by Pádraig Kenny

The Monsters of Rookhaven by Pádraig Kenny

The Lockwood and Co. series by Jonathan Stroud

Bellwether by Connie Willis

Best series you discovered in 2023?

Space Boy by Stephen McCranie has been a delight so far, and I am eager to get my hands on the next installment.

Best reread of the year?

Tenthragon by Constance Savery is always a very moving reread.