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Tuesday, August 15, 2006

More on Bartimaeus

What I found quite remarkable about this trilogy is how Stroud actually crafted three structurally very complete stories and yet at the same time maintained the arc of a grander scheme. It took me a while to pick up the second volume. After reading The Amulet of Samarkand last summer, I thought, "What would I find in the second volume, but the same old repeated story (think Harry Potter II) since the first volume ended in a way that’s so satisfying and whole. I was wrong. In the second volume, there is so much character growth and thickening of the plot/situation, that it is not a repeat of the first at all.

And yet, though the main conflict was resolved quite satisfactorily for Golem’s Eye , there is enough left to be puzzled over: what will happen to Kitty? who is really the mysterious benefactor? how will Nathaniel go on living now with the knowledge and new found admiration and gratitude toward Kitty (and Bartimaeus)? These questions serve as appetizers for the 3rd book but they did not detract from the sense of completion of the actual volume. And, then, of course, there is the much grander story revealed in the 3rd book and gives so much more depth and meaning to the trilogy.

I feel thankful and priviledged to have had the chance reading this trilogy and I know that Bartimaeus, Nathaniel, and Kitty will be memorialized on the little “character museum” in my heart that houses statues of other “people” such as Lyra, Will, and Sara Crews.

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1 Comments:

At 2:44 PM , Blogger Kelly said...

I totally agree with you! (And, thanks to KidsLit for linking to your blog)

I think the Bartimaeus Trilogy is a work of genius.

I was still left at the end, though, wondering what will become of Bartimaeus and Kitty and truly hoping I'll meet them again someday.

 

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