retro friday – dragonsong

Friday, June 22, 2012 |
Retro Friday is a weekly meme hosted at Angieville that focuses on reviewing books from the past. These can be old favorites, under-the-radar treasures that deserve more attention, woefully out-of-print books, and so on. Everyone is welcome to participate!

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Many a woman who found her love of reading early will fondly reminisce about her ‘horse period’ – when she read anything she could get her hands on that had to do with horses, such as the Marguerite Henry books (Misty of Chincoteague!) and Black Beauty. There’s a smaller and more select group that can reminisce about their ‘dragon period.’ I say this because I know: I went through both. However, unlike horses, my love of dragons and dragon-lore has lasted well into adulthood. And those early dragon books that I devoured were written by the likes of Jane Yolen, Patricia C. Wrede and Anne McCaffrey.
dragonsong by anne mccaffrey book coverForbidden by her father to indulge in music in any way, fifteen-year-old Menolly of Half Circle Hold on the planet Pern runs away, taking shelter with the legendary fire lizards who, along with her music, open a new life for her.

Dragonsong is the first book in McCaffrey’s Harper Hall trilogy, a set of sci-fi books for younger readers – today we’d probably call them middle grade. The series is set on the planet Pern, where colonists fight the life-threatening Thread that falls from space with dragonfire (it’s all explained in less fantastic terms than that in the book, trust me). The story follows gifted musician Menolly, youngest daughter of the head of fishing-centric Half Circle Hold, as she struggles against the restrictions of Hold life and traditions that state that women cannot be Harpers. The injustice finally becomes too much and Menolly flees, only to discover a nest of fire lizards, a new life, and a destiny that will take her far from anything she has ever known.

Oh, this book. I must have gotten it at a Scholastic book sale or similar, because I distinctly remember that I bought it because: DRAGONS! and also because there was a $1.99 sale sticker on the front cover. And then, after I was swept into the world of Pern and dragons and fire lizards, I discovered it was the first in a trilogy and had to read the next two immediately. Thank goodness for libraries.

The main thing I remember feeling when I read this as a child was just how unfair life was for Menolly. Rereading it now as an adult I still feel the injustice of her situation, even to the point of tears – but it is tempered now with knowledge. Menolly’s life is narrow because she lives on a colonized planet, in a very traditional community, and there are no options for, or knowledge of, anything different. Her family forbids her musical tinkering not solely out of spite, as I thought when I was younger, but out of fear. Half Circle Hold is a patriarchal, sexist society that doesn’t know how to change for the better, so it keeps a stranglehold on Menolly. And it is that attitude that eventually forces her flight into the unknown.

Of course, that flight is what saves Menolly, but it also breaks her spirit and effectively cuts her off from the past. This is one of the clearest examples I can think of in fantasy and science fiction of leaving the past and pushing into the future. It’s an effective narrative to be sure, but I now also think of it as a metaphor for all sci-fi: leaving the repressive, traditional world of the past and pressing on into the future and new and greater heights.

But I mentioned dragons! Well, I’ll deliver (to a degree). Menolly encounters fire lizards, the dragons’ smaller cousins, and these tiny creatures are not only her personal salvation, but they are also her introduction to the life she was meant to live – with enlightened friends and the possibility to follow her musical dreams. I won’t say any more about the book, as you should just read it yourself. It’s wonderful, and for all ages.

Recommended for: fans of adventurous middle grade fiction, those who enjoy (or would like a well-written introduction to) science fiction and fantasy, and anyone who missed their ‘dragon period’ and needs to make up for lost time.

10 comments:

Melissa (Avid Reader) said...

It has been years since I read this, but I loved it!

Liviania said...

I've only read one Pern book, although I did read all of Yolen and Wrede.

Did you ever read Laurence (Lawrence?) Yep's dragon books? Those were absolutely fantastic.

My cousin is in her horse period right now and it's adorable.

Cecelia said...

Liviania: I never read Yep - I'll have to look up those books! Thanks for the recommendation.

Charlotte said...

I did both the horse thing and the dragon thing myself! Neither of my boys are cooperating and reading all the horse and dragon books I carefully saved, which is vexing...

Alyce said...

When I was in junior high I was very anti-dragon stories, so it took me a long time to try these books. Once I did though I realized that they weren't typical fantasy dragon stories. They were amazing & captivating and still some of my favorite books of all time to this day.

Meagan Spooner said...

Ahh! You're a Pern fan?! See, this is why I wish we'd gotten to hang out a bit more at BEA! I was crazy for dragons in general, and Pern in specific, when I was a teenager. 100% got my biggest push diving into writing through Pern fandom.

Jaima said...

I had the same experience with the Harper Hall trilogy. Loved them. And Misty of Chincoteague. I had my horse phase in grade 4. Thank goodness MH wrote so many books! I couldn't get enough.

April (BooksandWine) said...

I hate myself for writing this but I've never ever read the Pern books. I know, I know what a horrible fantasy fan. I also never went through a horse stage, but did go through a whale and dog stage. Figure that one out haha.

Anyways, I like how you mention reading it as an adult and picking up on the patriarchy and things you missed as a kid. Methinks I need to read Dragonsong and the other Pern books to see what I've been missing out on.

Allison said...

I'm now jealous of April's whale stage. I want a whale stage.

I wasn't a fan of dragon books until more recently, and I definitely need to read the Pern books! They've been on my radar for awhile, so hopefully one of these days...

Cecelia said...

Charlotte: That's too bad of them, isn't it?

Alyce: I knew you loved McCaffrey - Pern is just special, isn't it?

Meagan: I have (regrettably) only read the Harper Hall trilogy and Lessa's story. I need to read more McCaffrey! But I will claim kinship with you anyway. *grin*

April: A WHALE stage?! I'm not sure I've ever heard of books about whales! So exotic...

Allison: HA! Right?! Jealous here, too.

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