Deerskin
by Robin McKinley
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Book Summary Information
Author: Robin McKinleyEdition: Mass Market Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 1994-07-01
ISBN: 044100069X
Number of pages: 320
Publisher: Ace
Book Reviews of Deerskin
Book Review: "Deerskin" -- lovely! Well written, lyrical and intelligent.
Summary: 5 Stars
"Deerskin" like Yolen's "Briar Rose" is not for small children. There seems to be a developing genre of fantasy literature that deliberately faces the harsher parts of life through the use of fairy-tale and archetypal imagery. "Deerskin" is one of these tales. As an aside, students of Carl Jung and Campbell's approach to myth will also find this tale especially interesting in its usage of archetypal imagery and fairy tale. Most of fantasy, regardless of popular myth, is not written with very small children in mind -- much like the original un-expurgated fairy tales themselves.
I would recommend this book for readers old enough to have a little bit of life experience and who -- at least -- are familiar with the facts of life. If a parent inadvertently finds this book in the hands of a very youthful reader, expect a lot of questions and discussion concerning the difficult subjects of grief, sexual abuse and insanity -- and, most importantly, healing. This -- academic approach -- is not to detract from how well written and lyrical McKinley's prose truly is. A good fire, a stormy night, and "Deerskin" will make for a really good read.
Young and older teens, and young women who are in the stages of healing from the kinds of hurts inflicted upon the protagonist will find this book engaging and valuable. Having said that, I often think that we shelter our young readers far too much from "reality" and the depth of emotional content reserved for "adults" in choosing literature. Elementary teachers, especially, trained in the "realism"- schools of children's literature, seem to bypass books like "Deerskin" all too readily for (pretty much) more of the same old thing. Literary imagination, (with the notable exception of "Harry Potter") it seems, is out of style in the classroom. I, while working in the public schools, have seen teachers and librarians go so far as to discourage young people from choosing to read such classics as "Earthsea" -- a trend that I find both disheartening and a little bit alarming.
Robin McKinley's book belongs in U.K. Le Guin's category of "psycho myth", a tale the enters a very dark place -- one that is present in fairy tales in their original un-expurgated forms -- and then finds it's way out again through the healing of the protagonist in a way most unexpected, magical and fulfilling.
Even as an adult reader of fantasy, I found this book filled with well-written lyrical prose that remains true to the fairy tale genre. The world building aspects are sharply defined and consistent without overwhelming the character development. The characters are supremely human, courageous and a little foolish, without becoming overwhelmingly depressing, sentimental or maudlin. The plot is intelligent, smoothly paced and could easily be set alongside the "classics" of the genre by Yolen, Lee, Gorodischer, Beagle, or Le Guin, herself.
A fine piece destined to be, I believe, a classic in the genre and well worth placing in one's permanent collection.
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