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Heartsinger (2009)

by Karlijn Stoffels(Favorite Author)

3.4 of 5 Votes: 1

ISBN

0545069297 (ISBN13: 9780545069298)

languge

English

genre

Fantasy

publisher

Arthur A. Levine Books

review 1: Karlijn Stoffels' Heartsinger is her first appearance in the U.S. book world. It reminds me of the work of Isak Dinesen--an entirely original book that uses folk motifs and storytelling. Mee (this looks to us like the word "me" but in Dutch it would sound like "may") is a "singer of sorrows" who brings comfort to the mourners and grievers whose stories he sings. It is beautifully and poetically written--don't give up if you do not find it compelling in the first few chapters. It is worth it in the end.
review 2: Five stars for writing craft, word-smithing, and story telling. This is a beautifully done book. The use of repetition was extremely well handled and the story came together perfectly. (and the English is a translation – so hats off to the tran... moreslator as well.) It is written as an old fashioned fairy tale, which really worked.One star for my reaction after finishing. I sat there, staring at the cover, and felt mildly depressed. That is not why I read books.It is the story of Mee (the name isn’t accidental) – the singer of sorrows. He travels the land attending catastrophe and funerals to sing the truth of individual’s lives and thereby give comfort. As he sings, we learn different stories of different people, including a princess named Esperanza on a far off island that spends her entire life staring at herself in mirrors. Her people want Mee to save her from her mirrors along with the help of Mitou (say that aloud), a girl known as the merrymaker.This is a book of messages. Each person Mee meets had a story message, the book overall had a message. The problem is that these messages were all so sad. They were about human relationships: parent-child, husband-wife, hero-followers, sex (although not overtly – the sexual story was handled via metaphor). Each one showcased the negative – abuse, abandonment, loneliness, craving, infidelity. I think the overall message was of chasing hope (Esperanza) and finding self, but it didn’t come off nearly as strongly as the negative. I have a hard time seeing teens enjoying this. It is more the type of book to read because you want to dissect it and figure out what is beneath the surface.Great cover - but misleading on what is on the pages. less

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