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Mormon Literature Year(s) in Review, 2006-2007
Part 2: National-market Literature
2006 and 2007 saw a Mormon author rise to the very top of the best seller lists, a bevy of excellent authors in the young juvenile fantasy and contemporary genres, the emergence of a world-class adult fantasy author, several excellent debut novels, and a final work on Mormonism by of one of the most puzzling literary authors ever to call himself a Latter-day Saint.
Following the founding principle of the Association for Mormon Letters, these reviews look at literature which is written “by, for, and about Mormons”. Therefore I am interested in all literature written by Mormons, whether the works have any Mormon content or not. Writing about the Mormon literature market is relatively easy. I know who the publishers are, and know that virtually everything they publish counts as Mormon Literature. The national market is a bit trickier. I have to go by word of mouth to figure out who the Mormon authors out there are. That also brings up the issue of authentic Mormonism. Do I have to listen to rumors saying that so-or-so author is not an active or believing Mormon? Does that matter at all?
My method is to include any author who I can confidently say is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, regardless of information about their activity, and regardless of whether they include Mormon characters or situations in their work. I also have some interest in non-Mormons who are writing about Mormon characters or situations in a serious way. If a writer has publicly announced they have left the Church, but still writes about Mormonism in some way, I include that writer in my discussion (like Brian Evenson, discussed below). If an author has publicly left the Church and does not write about Mormonism, such as Neil LaBute, I will stop considering their work for this essay.
2006 and 2007 saw a continuation of the decade-long trend of skilled Mormon authors making their greatest impacts in the national market writing in the national juvenile (young adult and middle school) genre and the speculative fiction genre. Orson Scott Card and others have held that these genres may appeal to Mormon authors because issues of moral behavior, heroism, and even religion are more appealing their readers than those of other genres.
The Mormon literature story of the decade may be Stephenie Meyer’s ascension as one of the country's best-selling authors. By mid-2007 the first two volumes of what the New York Times called a “steamy occult romantic thriller” series--Twilight (2005) and New Moon (2006)--had 1.6 million copies in print. Eclipse spent eleven weeks at number 1 on the New York Times Young Adult Chapter Books bestseller list. The first printing alone of her third book, Eclipse (2007), was one million copies, and it entered the New York Times Young Adult list at number 1, knocking Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows from that position. In juvenile fiction, Meyers books have been second only to the Harry Potter series in terms of national popularity. As with Harry Potter, the series’ popularity with adults as well as young people has been central to its financial success. The books have been sold in 28 countries, and a film adaptation of Twilight is scheduled for release in December 2008. This sudden success for the first three novels by a young Arizona housewife, not long out of BYU, has been a marvel to observe. And the fact that this apparently sweet young woman has produced a “steamy occult romantic thriller,” makes it all the more intriguing.
Twilight received numerous literary accolades, named an “ALA Top Ten Books for Young Adults,” an Amazon.com “Best Book of the Decade…So Far”, and a Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year. It was an engrossing read that drove thousands of readers to miss a night or two of sleep. Critical response to New Moon, the second volume, was just as good, although some began to tire or the melodrama and the passive character of Bella, the heroine. Jana Reiss, a Mormon and an editor at Publisher’s Weekly, wrote on her own blog, “readers who are looking for a stronger, more self-assured and independent Bella are going to be disappointed by this sequel. In fact, in some ways, she's even more of a mess: she's on a self-destructive warpath throughout most of New Moon, and her lack of self-respect can be painful to behold. She can't seem to exist without clinging to some sort of man. It's very irksome. Having kvetched about that -- which is my only substantive criticism of New Moon -- let me just say that this sequel hangs together as a novel more cohesively than Meyer's debut book. I simply love, love, love it when I can watch a writer getting better. Not only is Meyer's prose improving, but her character development is extending beyond Bella and Edward to include, fascinatingly enough, Jacob . . . And the plot is fast-paced, tightly woven, and often surprising . . . The way she weaves the Romeo and Juliet story through the novel is nothing short of genius.” Reiss continued, “When I read Twilight, I was intrigued by the subtle Mormon themes woven throughout the book, particularly the idea that is so central to the Book of Mormon: that we must overcome the "natural man," or person, and strive for a selfless spirituality and a life that is lived for others. But New Moon is deeper and more introspective, opening with some provocative thoughts on religion (what is a soul? Do vampires have eternal souls?) and carrying that through with restrained but thoughtful ruminations on the nature of eternity . . . I feel like Meyer is leading us to a greater understanding of the chasm that exists between [the Mormon concepts of immortality and eternal life]. Bella, who takes her human life entirely for granted and can't wait to shed the "burden" of being human, doesn't yet understand the precious nature of her humanity and her soul. Edward, who is damnedly immortal and understands the chasm all too well, can't make her understand what she is so ready to blithely throw away. It will be fascinating to see what happens next.”
Professional reviewers, however, were less positive about Eclipse, the third installment. Jana Reiss wrote, “I was easily able to put the book aside for weeks before I completed it. I also had to will myself to finish, which surprised me greatly. Why the dragging feet? Well, the dragging pace had a lot to do with my lack of enthusiasm. In the earlier books, Meyer created tight plots and demonstrated a natural talent for the ‘slow reveal’-- the mystery novelist's trick of giving the reader just enough information to keep her guessing and turning those pages. Here, however, the pacing is a disaster . . . Ideas and characters dance in and out with no follow-up . . . This book has ‘haste’ written all over it. Not only is the novel too long by at least a hundred pages, it is rife with typos and small errors throughout . . . I'm disappointed, as I had such high hopes for this book. I marked real progress in Meyer's writing ability between Twilight and New Moon. Perhaps she is having a delayed version of the all-too-common sophomore slump that many novelists experience -- especially very successful ones. I think the real culprit is that this half-baked novel simply didn't get the loving attention and revisions it richly deserved. Meyer is fantastically busy with promotions, fans, websites, book tours, and of course being a mom. If I [were] to say one thing to her, it would be this: take a break.”
Separate from Reiss’s concern about deteriorating literary quality, there has been considerable buzz by female Mormon bloggers disappointed in the depiction in Eclipse of the heroine’s desire to initiate a sexual relationship with her vampire boyfriend. Perhaps excited by the chance to share with their daughters an infatuation for an engrossing but clean romantic thrill, they are disturbed to find that narrators can be untrustworthy, and vampire relationships can be complicated.
While I have enjoyed Meyer’s novels, I am enchanted by the work of Shannon Hale, another young Mormon author who has found success in the national young adult fantasy market. While Meyer’s novels are contemporary supernatural thrillers, Hale’s young adult books are set in sword-and-sorcery kingdoms. Her first three novels sparkled with imagination and craft, culminating in a Newbery Honor prize for Princess Academy in 2005. In 2006 she published River Secrets, her third novel set in the fantasy kingdom of Bayern. I enjoyed the story, but I thought it lacked the depth of her earlier works. The professional reviewers, however, disagreed with me. The journal Children’s Literature wrote, “Hale has an uncanny knack of grabbing your interest in the Prologue and not letting go until you finish the entire book. The chapter heading spurred me on to finish the book in one day. I could not put it down. This mystery is wonderfully written, boasts excellent character development and vivid descriptions that bring the scenery and characters of this magical land in full view.” A reviewer in Kirkus Reviews wrote, “Hale makes profound statements about war and peace, friends and strangers, men and women and all the different kinds of battle. Her language glimmers like firelight, like sunshine on water as she propels readers along a river of wonderful writing to the tumultuous and heart-tugging climax.”
In Spring 2007 Hale produced her first adult mainstream novel, Austenland, a humorous tale of a women so obsessed by Jane Austen that she spends a vacation in a Austen-themed resort. Hale tuned into some powerful zeitgeist, 2007 saw the publication of several Austen-themed novels and two Austen-themed movies, one The Jane Austen Book Club, which had a premise similar to Hale’s. Reviews were mixed, with none of superlatives seen in the reviews of her young adult fantasies. Publishers Weekly wrote, “Though the narrative is endlessly charming, [the heroine] is convincing neither as a sarcastic single girl nor as a romantic idealist, and the supporting cast is underdeveloped. Nods to Austen are abundant in contemporary women's fiction, and an intriguing setup and abundant wit are not enough to make this one stand out.”
Good for Hale for trying something new, but good for us when she got back to her forte. In Fall 2007 she produced Book of a Thousand Days, a young adult fantasy based on an obscure Grimm Brothers tale about a princess in a tower. Hale sets the tale in medieval Mongolia, and makes the imprisoned girl’s maid, Dash, the central character. Publishers Weekly wrote, “The tension between her unstinting loyalty and patience and burgeoning realization of her own strength and feelings for Tegus feels especially authentic. Readers will be riveted as Dash and Saren escape and flee to the Khan's realm where, through a series of deceptions, contrivances and a riotously triumphant climax, the tale spins out to a thoroughly satisfying ending.” The reviews were universally strong, and the book was one of the School Library Journal Best Books of the Year and nominated for the ALA’s Best Books for Young Adults.
The Canadian author Martine Leavitt has created a string of award winning juvenile novels. In 2006 she produced Keturah and Lord Death, a fantasy about a poor, gifted peasant girl who gets lost in a forest, and meets Lord Death. Like Scheherazade, she beguiles him with a story she leaves unfinished, and receives a promise that if she finds her true love in a day, she can go free. Booklist gave it a starred review, saying, “The romance is intense, the writing is startling, and the story is spellbinding--and it is as difficult to turn away from as the tales beautiful Keturah tells to the people of her village . . . This novel gets so many things just right. Leavitt brings together a large cast of characters, but she personalizes them and weaves their stories into Keturah's, making it richer, denser, and more intricate. The plotting moves in and out of the everyday and the supernatural, but it's so finely tuned that the worlds seem one. Readers will be carried away on the wind of Leavitt's words, and few will be able to guess how she finally ends her story.” Publisher’s Weekly, in another starred review, commented, “Well-tuned narration, at once plainspoken and lyrical, conjures the sunny, brimming village at fair time, but also the volatility of a vulnerable peasantry and the encroaching forest's secrets. A fine achievement.” Keturah and Lord Death was a 2006 National Book Award Finalist for Young People’s Literature, and a Booklist Editor’s Choice and Top Ten Fantasy for Youth.
Dragon Slippers, the debut novel of Jessica Day George, is a middle-reader fantasy with a cast of quirky characters. A girl befriends a dragon and receives a mysterious pair of slippers that link her to a dangerous political plot. Booklist commented, “The plot elements are sometimes awkwardly stitched together, but the exciting, fairy-tale action and vivid scenes, from glittering dragon cave to posh dress shop, are captivating, and readers will easily connect with brave Creel, who weathers betrayals and learns to value true friends and her own talents.” YOYA noted, “The characters are wonderfully drawn, and Creel is particularly dynamic and strong. While staying solidly within the bounds of a traditional fantasy setting, George creates something new that will undoubtedly delight readers with its unexpected twists and turns, and the satisfying yet mysterious ending will leave readers clamoring for more from this first-time author.”
The Princess and the Hound, Mette Ivie Harrison’s third young adult novel, tells the story of a Prince who can communicate with animals, and uses this skill to understand his wife-to-be. Several reviewers noted that the plot was uneven. For example Booklist said, “The logic of Harrison's complicated plot isn't always clear . . . More compelling is George's poignant emotional growth, as his heart, once set afire, helps him to reconnect with his own true self and to embrace his ascent to the throne. The tale's perspective from that of a marriageable prince, not the more usual damsel's view, makes this stand out from other novels set in a folklore-influenced framework.” Orson Scott Card, a mentor of Harrison, gushed about the book, writing, “After thirty years as a writer, critic, reviewer, editor, and writing teacher, I have seen few writers as creative and innovative as Harrison. Instead of fitting her stories into a pre-existing template, she confronts the challenges of the tale she wants to tell and finds ingenious and surprising solutions. The result, though, is nontraditional structure that . . will displease some readers. That simply can't be helped . . . The essence of speculative fiction is to give readers experiences they haven't had a thousand times before. Harrison does this with emotionally effective, intellectually fascinating, and aesthetically pleasing stories. She is already one of the best, and I can't wait to see what she writes next.”
Brandon Mull and Obert Skye produced a number of young adult fantasy novels for Shadow Mountain in 2005-2006, which I discussed in part 1 of this series.
BYU professor Michael O. Tunnell wrote Moon Without Magic, a sequel to his well-received middle-grade Aladdin novel Wishing Moon. Kirkus commented, “Once again, Tunnel positively pours on the crises, disasters, quick journeys, showy magic, bandits, exotic locales and clever twists, but rather than recapturing that high-energy Arabian Nights feel, the plot just seems overstuffed and under-steered . . . A disappointing follow-up to a terrific opener, but the premise and characters are still strong enough to carry readers through, and even on to a future episode or two.”
Although Mormon authors of juvenile fiction have focused on fantasy, there have also been a few producing contemporary realistic novels. Two young women who released strongly reviewed debut novels in 2007 are Ann Dee Ellis and Olivia Birdsall. Ellis’ novel, This is What I Did, tells the story of a eighth-grade grade boy suffering from the mental repercussions of witnessing a violent act perpetrated on his best friend. The book has received fantastic reviews across the board. Publisher’s Weekly, in a starred review, wrote, “Part staccato prose, part transcript, this haunting first novel will grip readers right from the start. Fragmented scenes re-create, with grim authenticity, the almost claustrophobic perspective of the eighth-grade narrator, Logan, as he struggles to come to terms with his role in a despicable crime . . . In relaying the action chiefly through Logan's terse observations and through script-like reproductions of dialogue, Ellis never veers from Logan's point of view. In this way, she infuses the narrative with his guilt over what happened, the details of which are revealed only in a climactic finale. At the same time, the narrator's frustration does not become the audience's, thanks to Ellis's skill in dramatizing his vulnerability. Readers will recognize themselves in Logan's difficulty overcoming his shame, even if the scale of his experiences is larger than their own, and sympathy as well as curiosity about his circumstances will drive them forward.” School Library Journal wrote, “This novel is reminiscent of Mark Haddon’s The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time both in its layout and in the emotional flatness of the narrator. Readers are in the protagonist’s head, which, since he has been severely traumatized, is not always a pleasant place to be. But Logan is doing the best he can and is very likable. The odd layout – no chapters, only small sections that cover a thought or a moment in time – is a stylistic touch that could have come across as gimmicky, but instead tells the story in an inventive way. This is an intense, well-told story that will make readers think hard about how they would handle rough situations in their lives. Expect it to generate a lot of questions and discussion.” LDS author Liz Condie wrote, “She didn't make her main character, Logan, overtly LDS, but there are some nice touches. When Logan auditions for the school play, he sings "Where Can I Turn for Peace?" and wonders if that's okay, if you can sing about God at school . . . She didn't de-Mormon her character; nor did his Mormonism usurp the story or distract from it. She was mindful of both her culture (and that of her characters) and of her national audience.”
Olivia Birdsall won the 2005 Delacorte Press Contest for a First Young Novel for her work Notes on a Near-Life Experience, the serio-comic story of a 15-year old girl experiencing her parents divorce and other pressures. VOYA wrote, “Many elements in this work are familiar from other books about family problems, but there is a freshness about the snappy writing style and especially the dialogue that keeps the reader intrigued. Despite the too-quick ending and the incredibly forgiving Haley, Mia's best friend, Birdsall creates sympathetic characters and skillfully depicts a teen having difficulty facing events that are sad, frightening, and overwhelming.” Publishers Weekly wrote, “Newcomer Birdsall is a smooth writer and punctuates her heroine's self-absorbed navel-gazing with gimlet-eyed observations and wry humor . . . The heroine's epiphany--that in order to work through her problems she's going to have to admit to her patient psychotherapist that she has some--may not be climactic, but there's succor here for kids in similar straits. Even teens whose parents' marriage is intact will likely enjoy Mia's world-weary view.”
Janette Rallison has carved a merry place for herself in the world of humorous teen-age chic-lit. Her 2006 novel It’s a Mall World After All won an AML Honorable Mention for Young Adult Novel. In 2007 she released two novels, How to Take the Ex out of Ex-Boyfriend, and Revenge of The Cheerleaders. I have never seen a negative review of her books, they appear to engender great good will. Spring Creek Books editor Tammy Daybell wrote, “I always enjoy Jeanette's books that are written for the national teen audience. Her writing reminds me a lot of Meg Cabot, but her books are clean, and I wouldn't mind giving them to my daughter read them.”
John H. Ritter has produced a string of quality middle-grade novels mixing baseball and mythic wonderment. Philomel published his Under a Baseball Moon, a sequel to The Boy Who Saved Baseball. Booklist wrote, “[In the first novel] Ritter seasoned the familiar Bad-News Bears formula with a splash of myth and a touch of otherworldliness. Here he uses the same spicing in a story that mixes softball and jazz--and the results are equally tasty . . . Ritter pulls out all the stops in his myth-heavy plot, but what really makes the book soar is his sense of place: the laid-back, hippie-influenced, communal spirit of [Ocean Beach] permeates every scene, offering stark contrast to the coldly commercial world toward which Andy aspires. As in his earlier work, Ritter melds style to content beautifully, telling his story in a hip, street-smart argot that perfectly matches Andy's trumpet improvisations. Teen friendly, lots of fun, never preachy, but with plenty of thematic pizzazz.” A starred review in School Library Journal stated, “Sparkling with descriptions of music improvisation and softball action, and with expressive, idiomatic Spanglish dialogue, Andy's poetic first-person narrative superbly catches the weird uniqueness of Ocean Beach and briskly moves the somewhat overlong story to a satisfying conclusion.”
A bridge figure in moving the discussion from juvenile fiction to adult speculative fiction is Brandon Sanderson. Sanderson impressed me in 2005 with his fascinating debut fantasy novel Elantris. In 2006 and 2007 he produced the first two volumes in his Mistborn trilogy, subtitled The Final Empire and The Well of Ascension Publishers Weekly wrote of the first, “This mystico-metallurgical fantasy combines coming-of-age-in-magic and its well-worn theme of revolt against oppression with copious mutilations, a large-scale cast of thieves, cutthroats, conniving nobles and exotic mutants. The fast-paced action scenes temper [the] interminable ballroom intrigues, while the characters, though not profoundly drawn, have a raw stereotypic appeal.” That novel won an AML Novel Honorable Mention prize. Of the second, Publishers Weekly wrote, “Sanderson's entertaining second Mistborn novel begins after most fantasy series end, when the team of brave and cunning heroes find that holding on to power is even harder than overthrowing the previous tyrant. . . . .This entertaining read will especially please those who always wanted to know what happened after the good guys won.”
Sanderson also began a new comic children’s fantasy series, the first titled Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians, about a boy who does battle with a cult of evil librarians. VOYA commented, “In this original, hysterical homage to fantasy literature, Sanderson's first novel for youth recalls the best in Artemis Fowl and A Series of Unfortunate Events. The humor, although broad enough to engage preteens, is also sneakily aimed at adults.” Kirkus Reviews, however, wrote, “The premise is intriguing and Sanderson gets in some good digs at pushers of books about dysfunctional families and dying dogs, but the joke becomes tiresome with repetition. Awkward similes add absurdity but stop the narrative flow. Alcatraz often interrupts his story with comments about reading, sometimes predicting accurately that we won't believe the events on the page. He doubts that librarians will recommend this book. He may be right.” One last piece of Sanderson news, he was chosen to finish write the final novel of the late Robert Jordan’s bestselling Wheel of Time fantasy series, a significant honor.
Brian Evenson, a post-modern horror author, is an amazing artist whose art I like to spend as little time immersed in as possible. He was once an instructor at BYU, but the violent nature of his work led to his dismissal from the university, and he has in recent years publicly distanced himself from the Church. Evenson has written several disturbing works featuring Mormon in the past. He claims he intends his 2006 novel The Open Curtain will be his last Mormon-themed novel. His anger at Mormonism is palpable in this novel which explores an apocalyptic connection between religion and violence. It is the story of a troubled Mormon youth who is pushed over the edge when he learns of a true murder committed by a grandson of Brigham Young. Booklist comments, “The Mormon angle is not what is most interesting about this uncompromising novel; instead, it's the convincing portrayal of a disturbed young man pushed to the breaking point by social isolation and religious extremism.” The Salt Lake Weekly, not a common defender of Mormon culture, noted, “[Evenson] seems to be stuck on anger--which is a long way from understanding. Rants make for interesting literature when the emotion leads to insight, but Evenson . . . never quite reaches that level in The Open Curtain. . . . . His purpose in this book seems to be to throw the accusation of violence right back at the church as if to ask, “Who are you calling violent?”
In other speculative fiction news, superstar author Orson Scott Card produced Empire, near-future political thriller about a new American civil war between the left and right, The Space Boy, a short novel about a human and an alien boy who become friends, A War of Gifts, an Ender Christmas novel, and, together with Aaron Johnson, Invasive Procedures, a gene therapy thriller. David Farland produced the 5th and 6th in his Runelords series (Sons of the Oak and Worldbinder) as well as the second in his Ravensapell series for the Mormon publisher Covenant. Michael Collings published a Stephen King-style horror novel, titled The House Beyond the Hill. Other speculative fiction authors publishing books include Virginia Baker, Steven L. Kent, and Eldon Thompson.
In other national fiction, Richard Paul Evans produced Finding Noel and The Gift. The first is a heartwarming Christmas romance, the second a fantasy about a boy whose magic touch can cure others, but is killing him. Publishers Weekly said of The Gift, “The tightly honed narrative, brimming with good intention to find courage in shared suffering, brings everyone together.” Several new books by the British author Anne Perry appeared in the bookshelves, including the final two volumes of her World War I series.
Part III will be on Mormon theater.
Andrew Hall
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