ARTEMIS FOWL - no kidding !

Manjureddy · Feb 9, 2007

The whole world is waiting breathlessly for the next and last Harry Potter book.
I have been reading the series faithfully too and can't wait to see who J.K.R is finishing off in this one.
My young niece brought me a book last week and recommended I read it as a warm- up while I waited for the Final Potter . Richly produced, to look like a gleaming metallic treasure chest, the book was titled " ARTEMIS FOWL" , author:Eoin Colfer. Never heard of either. But Niece insisted that it is a Best Seller Series, almost rivalling the Potter Series. I decided to try it.

It was a racy read. Absolute page turner. Populated with fairies, Info Tech Geeks, dwarves, pixies, Futuristic artillery, children , butlers. A roller coaster ride through Fairyland, James -Bond -Land, Star -Wars-Land all mixed up . It was heady stuff but left me with a reeling head.

The story is about Artemis Fowl, an intelligent child. But a criminal child.:twisted: His main vocation in life seems to be to grab wealth by any means. More foul than fair. He targets fairies for their gold. He schemes, kidnaps, uses sophisticated weaponry to kill, maim and destruct. And he has a Jeeves like butler to help him. The boy is incorrigibly wicked but is presented as a hero and routinely referred to as Brilliant and a Mastermind.:eek

Dear me ! Is this what children are reading ? I discovered that there are Artemis Fowl fan clubs and dedicated websites. The books contain some hieroglyphic codes at the bottom of each page, which are clues to be cracked for some contests. Eager Children are compelled to read the murky, grim and horrific tales in order to crack these codes.

I am the first one to agree that children should not always be fed Aesop Fables type of goody-goody stories. Let them have carefree, joyful tales without a "Moral" attached to the tail . Let them have Fantasies. Even the nonsensical but delightful Dr.Seuss . But this ? surely, this is taking it too far. I dont see what entertainment kids can get from this book.

Where has innocence gone ?

mg:
Manjula

Vandhana · Feb 9, 2007

How True Manjula,

My son ( 10yrs) read the first book last year and said no more for me . He did not like it one bit. I think some of the kids books being published these days are so unfit for them. Every time I go to the Librarary it takes me literally an hour to pick 3 books for him that I consider fit. ( apart from all the classics).
Me I am for good old Enid Blyton anytime. Can read St Claire's and Malory Towers seriesover and over again. And of course the early books of the Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys.
There so few good kids authors these days.

Vandhana

Manjureddy · Feb 12, 2007

Me too, Vandhana, a die hard Enid Blyton fan esp. Famous Five. Had the whole set and had Appa build me a plywood+hardboard mini cabinet exclusively for Blyton.
My hero was George. Read Nancy Drew only as a requirement to join in peer gangs.

During Tweens, had great fancy for Gerald Durrell and Jules Verne. There used to be a comic book series on Classics ( "Gold-Key Classics"or some such imprint) Verne, HG Wells, Jack London, Dickens,RLStevenson etc. Wonderful illustrations, still remember some. And how can I forget the Russian Fairy Tales ! Unbelievably inexpensive treasures. Brilliant illustrations. Pop-Up books that were all the wonder then. Strange stories of Baba Yaga, Kuzma, Lazy Ivan. So many.
BTW, a couple of yrs. ago Enid Blyton's daughter put out a warts- and-all Bio. of her mother. Read the reviews and excerpts. Dint want to read the book because I wanted my fantasy to remain intact. Did you read it ?

Manjula

Vidya24 · Feb 12, 2007

Hi Vandhana and Manju,

Me too-Enid Blyton fan! Me too-new book cupboard gal!

Heard Imogen Something in an interview long ago. Am sad to know that EnidB while telling us of all the jolly good scones and high teas never bothered to bake a cake for her own daughter. Not to mention that characterisation of George had severe lesbo overtones.

Where has all the innocence gone? That is another Famous Five mysery!

Malini S · Feb 12, 2007

Enid Blyton Fan

Hi Manju, VAndana, Vidya,
Me too Enid Blyton fan. My father introduced me to the world of Enid Blyton. Dont know abt the daughter's biography. Glad to be in the dark (innocence):mrgreen:. Mallory tower, St clares......faraway tree would take me to another world. Miss childhood and all that innocence. I got my kids started on Enid Blyton's books and read along with them whenever i get the chance. The mystery series with Fatty and the findouters was another favorite of mine.....Gals you have refreshed these memories........

BTW Manju, heard that JK is finishing off two characters in her last HP book.

:wave Malini

Rogo · Feb 13, 2007

Hi,

Glad to know ppl who has similar taste like me.
I still love and read St'Clares and Malory towers by EB ..also ND's ..love them.
Still I go to the Library and pick up ND's from children section ...feel little bit embrassed ..but I cant help it ....
My mom still scolds me saying "Why dont u grow up and read books like grown up" ...I dont know when I read these books .... i go to that world and forget all my worries and tension ... it is nice ...
I read a speech of Mr.Narayana Muthy once ,he said that after a stress full work ..u ve to read some comics to lighten up ...how true !

Vandhana · Feb 13, 2007

Manjula,
Have not read the bio by EB's daughter and don't want to either. Gerald Durrel is another Favorite of mine eversince we did Zoo in my Luggage in School for literature. Another favorite is James Herriot.( for animal stories). Of course just finished re reading Jules Vernes with son again.

Vidya, What you say is so true. In those days George would simply have been a tom boy and thats that. No reading between the lines and imparting unwanted traits to a fictional character. ( the media or who ever did this with the Teletubbies too:bang for god sakes it is a program for toddlers!! and they called the purple one gay:idontgetit: ) As Captain Haddock would say " blistering Barnacles and Thundering typhoons!!
Rogo , dont feel embarrased, it just so nice to go back and read all those books and comics from childhood. Believe i enjoy them even more now. Just finsished reading the TIN TIN series for the nth time a few weeks back !! I still love to read all the Russian fairy tales , Aesops fables etc...

Vandhana

Rogo · Feb 13, 2007

Thanks vandhana for reassuring !
Yeah ...TIN TIN ...best comic ......
I like the "Expedition to the Moon" the best ...it was funny ...with captain and Thomsons ....which one do u like ?
Oh ..it is been sometime since I read those books ...I have to go and get TINTIN ...i don't think my local library has it ...

vidyasarada · Feb 13, 2007

Hi Girls!
Count me in for the childhood-revisited ( or continuing childhood ) session ! I just adored Blyton, the Noddy series included. I read sometime ago that a new "sanitised" version of Noddy ( yes, believe me :Noddy !) has been published. Will the paranoia never end ?

Vandana, James Herriot has another fan here.

And Rogo, no need to be embarrassed about reading Tintin. I think I am older than all of you girls here, but I still relish Asterix comics ! And I am not reading it for a child. For myself !
One childhood favourite was " Water Babies" Anyone read it ?

V-24, in addition to not baking cakes for the offspring, Blyton was a calculative, manipulative adultress too, I believe ! No I dint read that book either, but there was gleeful press chatter all round when it was published.

Yes I recollect the Russian pop-up books. Some of them had clever tabs which if slid or jiggled caused "live action" in the pop-up scene. My son, when little, used to be fascinated by one such book in which bears played sea saw and another, in which a rocket would shoot clear out of the book !

VS

Kamla · Feb 14, 2007

Enid Blyton and I don't write in...that is not possible
It is not wrong to say that those books paved way to my love for reading. Vidyasarada, move over, it has to be me where seniority is concerned..alas!!
I rememeber, the Blyton books were always sought after and one had to be really quick and prompt at the school library to get your copy. I used to start reading in the bus on the way back home and could not sleep until I got to the last word on the last page...I was especially crazy about the adventure series. There were not many of those. There were times that my mom threatened me about throwing the books out if I did not get to sleep.
I introduced them religiously to my daughters.
Only problem, the characters and inicidents are a bit hazy in my mind. But that should not matter, I will brush them up when I go through them again with my grandkids!
And like all teenagers, I too was in love with Darcy...I think all of you are fans of Jane Austen too?
But for some reason, pure fantasy was never my cup of tea. Never much liked Alice in Wonderland. Harry Potter bored me and Lord of the Rings does not charm me.
Artemis can stay away from me
Enjoyed this thread......L, Kamla