From a collection of magical novellas to the story of the end of the Enlightenment, these are the books you should read this month
Maiden, Mother, Crone
Maiden,Mother,Croneis acollationof three previouslypublished novellaswith three new shortstories, all based onThe Child Ballads, acollection of Englishand Scottish folk talesdating as far back asthe 13th century. Thestories have everythingyou want from an oldfolk tale: love, revenge,magic, mystery andthat glorious qualityof an un-Disneyfiedfairytale grim tragedy.These are by no meansfaithful retellings of the tales, but asHarris tells us in theintroduction, “storiesthat cannot change aredoomed to die and tobe forgotten.”
"The stories have everything you want from an old folk tale: love, revenge, magic, mystery and grim tragedy"
The first tale, “APocketful of Crows”, tellsof a “travelling” girl—both in the usual sense,and in the ability to leapinto other creatures andtravel inside of them.She falls in love with ahandsome prince andallows herself to betamed, losing her magicand freedom. Of course,he breaks her heart andshe’s then left powerlessand heartbroken—butnot for long.
The second novella, “The Blue SaltRoad”, is about the selkie folk, whoshift between seal and human. Inthis story, Harris allows herself amuch more modern ending—notquite happy, but certainly morediplomatic than any versions I’vecome across. I won’t give it away, butthe story is a delightful combinationof selfish, guttural cruelty andempathy for all.
"This is perfect chilly winter reading, evoking stories told by the fireside, passed from one generation to the next"
In the third novella,titled “Orfeia”, Harristhrows the text away alittle. Loosely following acouple of ballads, andvaguely reminiscent ofthe Orpheus myth, it’s theonly story set in the 21stcentury, although itquickly swerves into thefantastical with only amention or two of amodern London.
Each main plot is followed by acomplementary short story, often simplya different version of the same ballad,giving a glimpse of how many ways eachtale could be told; how un-possessive theauthor must be with stories that havebeen around in one form or another forhundreds of years. This is perfect chillywinter reading, evoking images of storiestold by the fireside and passed from onegeneration to the next.
Maiden,Mother, Croneby JoanneHarrisis published inhardback byGollancz at £25
The End of Enlightenment by Richard Whatmore
This is not a book forbeginners. If you onlyhave a vague knowledgeof the Enlightenment,just about know that the Frenchhad a revolution, and take mostof your facts about the USA’sindependence from Hamilton,you will be lost. Whatmore spareslittle thought for the amateurenthusiast who would need athorough glossary to explainSmith’s mercantile system,Hume’s perfect commonwealth,and Rousseau’s social contract, aswell as all the pre- and proceedingwars, the monarchy changes, andwhatever was going on in theDutch Republic, Spain and Italy.
"If you already know your Brissot from your Burke, your Pitt from your Petty, this is an exhaustive and fascinating read"
On the other hand, if youalready know your Brissot fromyour Burke, your Pitt from yourPetty, this is an exhaustive andfascinating read on how theEnlightenment came to a bleak andgrizzly end.
Whatmore takes us through eachof the major voices remaining atthe tail-end of the Enlightenment,exploring their origins and thephilosophical journeys each ofthem necessarily took as the volatilepolitics of the late 1700s scupperedtheir beautiful ideals.
While each man and womanclaims to fly the Enlightenment flag,it’s fascinating how at odds they wereon major subjects such as slavery,colonialism and monarchy. Thatbeing said, it’s also interesting howmuch they claimed to be at oddsover differences that now seemsubtle to the point of non-existent.
There are also some majorinconsistencies in argument:Burke, for example, “was horrifiedat the upsurge of xenophobicpatriotism” while also accusingNative Americans of being“cannibals and torturers”;Wollstonecraft argued that whilea woman was equal to a man,her place was firmly domestic, allthis argued while she herself waspropositioning a married couplewith a ménage à trois. Whatmoredoesn’t really spend much timeanalysing these hypocrisies,presumably because they’re clearas day, but it might have beeninteresting to see them all laidside by side, just so we could seequite how unfinished and abstracteach of these philosophers’ andpolemicists’ ideas were.
It’s amazing that theEnlightenment is such a vastsubject that even a book simplycovering its very end is absolutelyrammed with facts and ideas. Ifyou take nothing else from thisbook, you will at least understandhow little you understand.
The End ofEnlightenmentby RichardWhatmore ispublished inhardback byAllen Lane at £30