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Murphy also uses Sarah and the plot to explore feminist themes and to criticize concepts of Western culture exceptionalism. The civilization of Western expansion is contrasted to the civilization of native populations and the inherent biological capabilities, instincts, and intelligence of humans when even stripped of all 'civilized' remnants. This permits Murphy to highlight absurd social constructs that people, especially females, are expected to conform with for no rational purpose other than to facilitate separation or oppression.
Things that otherwise we take for granted until stripped down to the simplest of lives that Sarah enjoys. Beyond the significance of its themes, Wild Angel is simply well written and a fun read. It has a good mixture of contemplative seriousness, light humor, conflict and danger, and tenderness. In contrast, Adventures in Time and Space with Max Merriwell is far more limited in scope and vision. Taking place on a cruise ship full of eccentric characters as it heads into the Bermuda Triangle, the novel mixes quantum physics with a murder mystery to tie together the other two novels in the series into its recursive plot.
It is in this third novel that the Bad Grrlz' Guide to Physics comes into play, comparing facts of quantum physics such as entanglement, with events in the macro. Aboard the ship reality begins to go askew as events turn surreal and the line between characters real and imagined, living and dead, begin to blur as if existing in two states simultaneously. Events from both There and Back Again and Wild Angel are retold by characters in this book, for instance one 'scene' in Wild Angel where a surreal turn of events uncharacteristic for that novel's setting and tone.
Characters appearing in Wild Angel and presumably There and Back Again reappear in this third novel, including a character named Pat Murphy. The real Pat Murphy actually writes Wild Angel as an artist and adventurer named Max Merriwell, who is also a major character in that novel, and who writes frequently under pseudonyms like Mary Maxwell. This recursive structure for the novels with its gender swapping is in the background of the other novels, not essential to the stories or themes, but relating to them.
In b Adventures in Time and Space with Max Merriwell this becomes the crux, in relation to modern physics and in relation to writing. Point to point decisions, quantum events end up defining observed reality as a wave of possibilities collapse. Or in the Bermuda Triangle, the reverse happens and perspectives, possibilities all coexist like in the mind of an author, a creator. Personally I found Adventures in Time and Space with Max Merriwell too gimmicky in this respect, and think that its surreal, almost farcical nature would have fit better into shorter form.
Though more lighthearted, Murphy does still compose this final novel exceptionally well, keeping a consistency with references to the previous novels and vice versa, despite the walls, laws, of normal macro reality breaking down.
Very different novels, though interlinked on many levels, both are worth checking out. And now I'll have to scour second-hand shops for There and Back Again.
I received a free advanced reading copy of this from Open Road Media via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Oct 12, Theresa rated it it was amazing. Sarah is still so young that when a wolf that has lost her pups to the same killer she is able to be adopted by the wolves. Sarah is raised by wolves, learns to hunt and survive. Circumstance has not chang Bad Grrlz' Guide to Reality: Circumstance has not changed her curious spirit, Sarah learns about the human world from an artist. Sarah survives on the edge of the wilderness her connections to the wolves and the human world creates a mythological reality to her life.
The story shows how humanity can be enhanced by circumstance, and that true good can come out of the strangest places. Adventures in Time and space with Max Merriwell: This is an odd tale, a curse ship murder mystery turned on its head. The ideology of a cruse escaping from the dangers for the world and the reality of life in an in closed protected monitored space has been turned on its head in this story.
Susan has won two world class tickets on a cruise ship. Taking her friend Pat Murphy she hesitantly boards the ship looking more to the adventure then the change she needs in her life. Every point is a turning point…. You see, each point is a turning point. You are always making decisions, even if your decision is to stay put.
At each turning point in the story Susan has to make the decision to act, to not act, or to just observe. Her behavior and actions change her life for the better, giving her confidence, over writing her previous expectations, and giving her purpose. It often involves a decent into madness.
The magic of the story begins when the ship passes into the Bermuda triangle. Persons not registered with the cruse, or who should not exist keep popping up, changing circumstances, and creating havoc on the ship as it crosses the Atlantic. The chapter headings are quotes from other works by Max Merriwell, Mary Maxwell, and Weldon Merrimax the three pin names of the author, they are presented as his works and ideas about the chapter are hinted in each quote giving the reader a glimpse of what is to come.
I did find both stories well written and able to stand on their own. I think there is some great guidance to the writing process with in the stories, and the ability to change your perspective may help children understand the writing process. Oct 14, Suzanne rated it liked it Shelves: Her family is killed and she is raised by wolves. It is quite like Tarzan of the Apes, which was a favorite of the author during childhood.
The wild child raised by a benevolent animal mother, learning to hunt and survive in the wilderness and shy of mankind is an iconic figure in literature. This particular version also embraces the strength of females of all ages. Everything from gold miners, Pinkerton agents, and a traveling circus work their way into the story and somehow all come together at the end. The ship passes through the Bermuda Triangle during the cruise, which might account for some of the oddities that occur.
A popular writer is sailing on the ship and giving a writers workshop to some of the passengers. Susan recognizes them due to her familiarity with the writer's work. Her friend Pat is a physicist who believes the strange occurrences may have more to do with theoretical physics than the power of the Bermuda Triangle, but there is definitely something strange going on aboard that ship.
I read the books out of order, but I think they can easily stand alone, so it didn't really matter. According to the back matter, the Estate of Tolkien contends the work infringes on the copyright of The Hobbit and Tor Books has discontinued publication of There and Back Again. I would have liked the chance to read it as well, since all three work together as a piece of metafiction, delving into the transformative power of stories and how their creators and readers are affected by them and also influence them.
If you enjoy survival stories, tales that go beyond the limits of reality, or authors who include you in their quest to explore how reality and fiction intertwine, then try out Bad Grrlz' Guide to Reality and see what you think. I read an e-book provided by the publisher through NetGalley. Oct 08, Lis Carey rated it it was amazing Shelves: How have I not read Pat Murphy before this year?
There was originally a third, the first one in the sequence, There and Back Again by Max Merriwell, but the Tolkein estate objected, and the publisher at the time decided not to contest the issue. Wild Angel turns Tarzan inside out. A little girl's parents are murdered while panning for gold in California, and she escapes to be rescued and rai How have I not read Pat Murphy before this year?
A little girl's parents are murdered while panning for gold in California, and she escapes to be rescued and raised by a pack of wolves. Sarah is the hero of her own story, growing up smart, strong, and gifted. Max is not her rescuer but her chronicler. He's well-meaning, honest, kind, and honorable, but occasionally clueless. Sarah's Aunt Audrey, the adventurous young Helen Harris, a circus leader, and a temperance preacher of many talents all add to the fun and adventure. This is light entertainment and a lot of fun.
Adventures in Time and Space with Max Merriwell is a rather different story. Susan and her friend Pat are on a cruise shortly after Susan's divorce. He's also written a series of dark and gritty mysteries under the pen name Weldon Merrimax. When Odyssey crosses into the Bermuda Triangle, Max's pseudonyms start showing up and making trouble. Susan has strange dreams, Max finds odd and vaguely alarming notes slipped under his stateroom door, and the ship's band comes up with a strangely compelling conga dance song. Pat offers explanations rooted in quantum mechanics.
Tom, head of ship's security, has some real puzzles on his hands, with drinks being charged by passengers who don't exist and a report of a knife fight with no actual victim, but he still has time to find Susan very distracting. Both these stories are a lot of fun, and this is a book where you will want to read the multiple afterwords, by Mary Maxwell, Max Merriwell, and, yes, Pat Murphy. Go buy it now. I received a free electronic galley of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. Oct 25, Frankie rated it really liked it Shelves: Wild Angel is a rollicking tale of Sarah, a girl who is raised by wolves after her parents are murdered in California after following the gold rush.
Because this is a fantasy, instead of being eaten by various hungry creatures or dying of exposure, she has her senses honed to nearly superhuman by living with wolves, but learns to speak both a native language and english when given a chance.
Susan and her friend Pat Murphy who shares more than a few passing similarities with our author have been lucky enough to win a cruise for a change of scene they both need. This would probably have bored me with a less capable writer, but Ms. Murphy has her plot together. Since he managed to be the focus of a scandal a decade later, he was definitely pretty lively. However, when the reference is made again in Adventures , I realized Mr. Tilton would have appreciated his being killed off by a clever author http: Physics and rescue by elephant.
What else do you need? Oct 23, Carla rated it really liked it. I fell in love with the story of Sarah in Wild Angel. Here was a young girl left abandoned by circumstances out of her control and not by choice who in order to survive lives with a pack of wolves.
She becomes so much like her wolf family - learning to communicate in the same way they do, hunt like a wolf hunts and treat others in the pack like a wolf would. The story brings to mind the nature vs nurture debate. Sarah left all alone in the world adopts the traits of the wolves in order to surv I fell in love with the story of Sarah in Wild Angel.
Sarah left all alone in the world adopts the traits of the wolves in order to survive but she doesn't just survive she thrives. No matter how hard she tries she will always feel at home and a closer connection to her wolf family instead of her human family. I could not put down Wild Angel - Sarah's story was incredible, you just have to know what happens to her. The novel incorporates parts of the previous story Wild Angel and the authors various names.
At times, I found myself having to re-read certain parts to ensure I properly understood what the author was trying to portray. Pat Murphy did a really great job intertwining the stories while still making this novel interesting and unique in its own way.
Sep 18, Lolly K Dandeneau rated it liked it. Strange be the word They are killed in a gruesome scalping leaving the vulnerable child alone, terrified, and hungry. The child grows to legendary proportions with a life full of adventure. The Old West was enjoyable to read about, the author brings the time period to life and it was an unexpected pleasure to read ab Strange be the word The Old West was enjoyable to read about, the author brings the time period to life and it was an unexpected pleasure to read about a female for a change who is raised in the wild. The second story is a bit of a fog on the brain, because of the subject.
In the tradition of classic space opera, this is a wild journey through space and time, from the asteroid belts of the Solar System to the very heart of the galaxy.
A word of warning: With its strong heroines and passionate storyline, filled with romance, adventure, and dangers both physical and moral, this novel will appeal to a wide array of readers, not just those who shiver with delight when the moon is full…. After a plague wipes out most of the population of the United States, San Francisco is taken over by artists. They are remaking the city with their art and a little bit of magic from the ghosts who haunt the city streets. Invaded by an army from Sacramento, they fight back using art.
No one comes out of this confrontation unchanged, including the reader. Read an excerpt Buy the book , ebook or audio book. Archaeologist Elizabeth Butler has a special gift — she can see ghosts of the past. Her interactions with an ancient Mayan priestess draw her close to madness and tragedy.
Read an excerpt Buy the book or ebook. The Shadow Hunter In a blend of science fiction and fantasy, the power of myth clashes with future technology.
A young Neanderthal is transported from the ancient past to a future of brilliant and terrifying possibilities. He brings the spiritual beliefs of his people to this alien world, while maintaining a connection with the earth and with the spirits of animals. Pat Murphy Messages from another place. Celebrate your darlings Experiment 1: Write a pirate haiku….