Stormy shores, mysterious travelers, moonlit dragon rides,
flickering portals, unexpected destinies...
Join author Mary Ruth Pursselley on a journey of imagination
that not only features stories told in modern style, but also resurrects the
neglected tradition of poem-form storytelling. And whether your taste runs to
elves and dragons, the fragile border between dream and reality, or the simple
thrill of an uncharted journey, A Knight on the Old North Shore offers
something to satisfy your fantasy craving and ignite your imagination.
The first poem in this book was entitled, A Knight on the
Old North Shore. I must say I was astounded. I had never read this style before
and was expecting far less than I got. (No offense Mary, just didn't realize
the power in poems of this sort.) Though mere 15-16 stanza's I was transported
to a different world. In a note at the beginning the book Ms. Pursselley
requested that the reader take the time to allow the entirety of the richness
of the story to sink in. Something by no means easy for me as I am accustomed
to reading fast. (I get so involved in books I can't wait to see what's going
to happen and attempt to get there as soon as possible.) But I did my best to
read slowly. It was well worth the time. Though a simple poem I could see many
things unfolding before my eyes. I knew who the man-though never described-was.
I knew what type of person he was. The richness of his life was there for all
to see though it was never openly discussed. The woman was of a kind, gentle
soul. You could tell simply by her actions. There was a sort of richness in
this poem I have never experienced before. I didn't know that 406 words could
show the story of someones life. In these amazing 406 words you feel as though
you were old friends with two people who don't even exist! I truly saw the
beautiful night told in the poem as though it was happening before my eyes. I
can say one thing about the poem. It was truly exquisite.
The second story entitled Shift was fascinating. It was one
of those stories that is brief but profound yet at the same time you don't know
why it was profound. I may figure it out after thinking on it a while longer
but for now I have left it nameless and unexplained. The style of writing was
vague yet familiar. It drew you into it's clutches. It is one of those types of
stories where reality is held loosely. And the end? Well the end is leaves you
with no explanation. It is but a 1 1/4 of a page but it speaks of much more.
The questions you were left off with were answered in unspoken words. You just
know and understand all that as happened in the past. I can say no more.
Honestly I did not like the third installment Man of the Road very much at all. It lacked
the richness and intrigue of the others and was rather boring. It was sort of
like one of those poems you had to read for school but didn't like and so you
attempted to get it over with as soon as possible.
The fourth story was very nice, though I liked the thrill
and richness of the first to better. This one definitely deserves 4 stars! I wish in fact that the fourth story
Butterfly Song had been a full length book. Although it made a good short story
as well. I was curious to know more about the Callers and the Gifted. It was
written with skill and the concept of the Gifted and Callers was a good one.
Overall there were some wonderful things to read in this
book and I enjoyed it immensely. I would have liked it if there were a few more
stories/poems in this book as there are only 4 and rather short ones at that.I
would have to rate it at a solid 4 stars. I wish it could be more but the 3rd
installment did not measure up to the others. Still, beautifully done.
I saw this the other day and it looked fascinating! I'll have to check it out now! :)
ReplyDeleteWell, I am sure you will enjoy it. It was super neat!
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