Don’t know whether to bless or blame Paul McNamee. Our stalwart New England ranging captain scouted up a series of books by Robert McCammon — the Matthew Corbett tales. Paul found a special edition set of the books soon to be published Lividian Publications. Now, when I see a weathered feller in a tricorn hat, it grabs my attention…
I am familiar with Robert McCammon — I know people who rank him very high as a writer and as a teller of folkloric-horror tales. I had never heard of these books before, though. Of course, I was intrigued. So, I tracked the first in the series, Speaks the Nightbird, down at Deschutes Public Library. They delivered me a giant brick of a book — a Diana Gabaldon-scale yarn. Do I need, at this moment, to fall into a 700+ page tale? I do not. And yet, of course, I do. Here’s the caper:
It’s 1699 in the coastal settlement of Fount Royal in the Carolinas when Rachel Howarth is sentenced to be hanged as a witch. She’s been accused of murder, deviltry, and blasphemous sexual congress, and the beleaguered, God-fearing colonial village wants her dead. But Matthew Corbett, young clerk to the traveling magistrate summoned to Fount Royal to weigh the accusations, soon finds himself persuaded in favor of the beguiling young widow.
Struck first by her beauty, Matthew believes Rachel to be too dignified, courageous, and intelligent for such obscene charges. The testimony against her is fanatical and unreliable. Clues to the crimes seem too convenient and contrived. A number of her accusers appear to gain by her execution. And, if Rachel is a witch, why hasn’t she used her powers to fly away from the gaol on the wings of a nightbird?
God and Satan are indeed at war. Something really is happening in the newly established settlement—of that Corbett is certain. As his investigation draws him into the darkness of a town gone mad, and deeper into its many secrets, Corbett realizes that time is running out for him, for Rachel, and for the hope that good could possibly win out over evil in Fount Royal.
McCammon can sure write. The opening sequence is a master-class in scene setting. The road to Fount Royal is the road into the frontier — where travelers might fall prey to Indians, highwaymen or Jack One Eye, a bear that ain’t a bear. Or maybe ain’t just a bear.
Don’t know how this series, which was launched in 2003 after McCammon took a 10-year sabbatical from writing, escaped my attention. It’s a problem, because there are a half-dozen of these big, damn tomes — but I’m already hooked and resigned to some late nights. Though reading Nightbird in bed is a dangerous proposition — you drop this thing on your face, it’s gonna leave a mark…
Speaking of a mark, artist Vincent Chong provided interior illustrations for the fine new editions:
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Went out scouting locations for formal engagement photos with Ceili and Jarod on a lovely evening a couple of days ago. We are experiencing distressingly unseasonable weather — it cracked 70 yesterday. This does not bode well for wildfire season, but you can’t let days like this go by with a lament. Must enjoy the moment — and we did.
Ceili snapped this fine portrait of her father:
I made it my Facebook profile pic, much to the amusement of the multitudes. One of my friends commented that it reminds him of Radagast the Brown, one of Tolkien’s Wizards.
This tickled me, but I do want the record to show that there are no birds nesting in my hat, and consequently no bird shit decorating my sideburns.
While I have a certain appreciation for ol’ Radagast, friend of the birds and animals and so forth, I think I’d rather go for a Tom Bombadil vibe. Most folks I know tend to skip the Bombadil chapters in The Lord of the Rings. Peter Jackson did, in making The Fellowship of the Ring. Me, I always liked Tom Bombadil, who was an enigma, even to the Wise.
“But I had forgotten Bombadil, if indeed this is still the same that walked the woods and hills long ago, and even then was older than the old. That was not then his name. Iarwain Ben-adar we called him, oldest and fatherless. But many another name he has since been given by other folk: Forn by the Dwarves, Orald by Northern Men, and other names beside. He is a strange creature…”
— Elrond
Tom Bombadil John Howe.
Tom Bombadil is my kinda creature. Spends his days tromping about the woods, singing; is immune to the effects of Rings of Power and is Zero Foxtrot about the political tumult of Middle Earth; has a sexy faerie wife.
Goldberry by Artybel.
“Old Tom Bombadil is a merry fellow, Bright blue his jacket is, and his boots are yellow. None have ever caught him yet, for Tom, he is the master: His songs are stronger songs, and his feet are faster.”
Guess I’d better find a Kingfisher feather for my hat…
Paul McNamee says
Heh heh. Just paying forward that book enabling. 😉
Seems there are “flare ups” on social media even more frequently than weekly. 3-day cycles now. Anyway, at some point in the last week there was tweeting talk of wordcounts and expected wordcounts (and the ever prevalent – “you didn’t understand the implication” – well, what do you expect with 140 character messages? [yeah, I know, Twitter allows more now])
Which is to say, I was about to jump in with my usual “I like old school pulp novels! 40-60K tops!” And I *do* prefer those shorter lengths. But I’ve recently read a few longer novels. And sometimes it *is* pleasurable to stay in a story for a bit longer. I really don’t have anything against 100K books. What I hate is that the count is a base requirement, or I am reading something that should have be 60K but is padded out.
Which brings me around to the page count on these suckers but I think I will still give one a go. And I’ll mix a few other longer tomes into my reading this year. (already lowered my projected Reading Challenge count for 2022)
I imagine these are an interesting complement to the Thieftaker novels by D B Jackson, set in Colonial Boston.
JimC says
Honestly, I wouldn’t have bought em — I was kind of surprised to find them at the library. Then I started reading and… the man lives up to his reputation. I’m really glad to have found this, so thank you. Just don’t tell anyone I said that.
Paul McNamee says
Oh, honestly for me too, I wouldn’t have bought them as unknowns. I gotta watch those boutique editions and my wallet. (trying to cut back on the physical tome purchases, honestly, super deluxe editions or otherwise.)
Glad the library got you one. If I were still commuting, I’d consider the audio-book but at 30hrs .. I can’t just sit around the house listening on that!
Keith West says
“Don’t know whether to bless or blame Paul McNamee.”
Why not do both? 🙂
I haven’t gotten to these books because length. Novels and academia right now aren’t mixing well. But I do have some for when I get a bit of time.
JimC says
I’m hopelessly ensnared. Fortunately I face a long travel time this week.
Matthew says
Thing about high word counts is that it usually means a lot of padding. That’s one of the problems I had with the Jack Reacher books.
There are really good writers who can make long books work. Dickens comes to mind. I read Neal Stephenson’s Cryptonomicon years ago when I felt like a really long book and really enjoyed it. What you need is a really complex storyline or tons of (interesting characters) or both. So many novels nowadays have the substance of a 200 pages in a 400 page novel.
Quixotic Mainer says
If ole Tom taught me anything it’s that “the wife is waiting” is sufficient explanation to excuse one’s self from nearly anything. He closed sentences with “Goldberry is waiting” as often as Musashi drops “you must remember this.”
Any day you’re a Tolkien character is a win though, especially on a 70 degree February scout.
JimC says
Truly! Right on all counts.
Mike says
It never ceases to bring a smile to my face that this particular campfire does its best to continue the tradition of the literate mountain man. McCammon, Tolkien…heck, there was a Virgil reference recently. The world can’t be all bad if there are still a few of us singing the old songs and telling the old tales.
John M Roberts says
Tom Bombadil is the Green Man, the King of the Wood, spirit of greenery and the returning year. The oak is the Green Man’s sacred tree, and its dependent mistletoe is sacred to him. The old English word for mistletoe is Goldberry.
David Wrolson says
Apparently, I need to step up my game as the “Breaker of Book Budgets.” Paul threw the gauntlet and the challenge is accepted.-LOL.
JimC says
Uh-oh.
$$$$$$$David Wrolson says
“Conan the Librarian”
If you haven’t seen it-this might be worth 45 seconds of your time.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHNK61XkykA
Chuck says
I snagged an e-copy to read on my current business trip. I enjoyed the book. Several twists. I won’t give any other opinions until you finish it. Nice thing about e copy is traveling. I much prefer a real book.
Slàinte
JimC says
Yeah, this thing is a brick in my carry-on — but sure am glad to have it.