[LISTENED TO: August 2020] Furthermore
The pandemic pretty much nixed our summer plans. But we decided to look for someplace close by, in a low-infection rate area, for a short getaway. It only amounted to a two night trip, but it was well appreciated. We traveled to the Lake George region and that meant we needed an audio book.
I absolutely love Bronson Pinchot as a narrator. I will listen to literally anything he reads. He tends to read darker materials, so the only trick is trying to find something family-friendly. Fortunately, he reads a lot of those as well. I’d never heard of this book before (although I was vaguely aware of Mafi’s other series “Shatter Me”). But as soon as I saw that Pinchot was reading it, I checked it out.
The only bad thing about Pinchot’s narration in this story is that there aren’t all that many characters in it. Pinchot has an astonishing range of voices at his disposal. So, to only show off 8 or so means you can’t fully appreciate how great he is. But the voices he chose were outstanding.
And the story was really interesting. Mafi has taken a fairly common idea–travelling to another world–and has infused it with all kinds of novel ideas and conceits.
First off, the original world that the characters start in is not our own. Alice Alexis Queensmeadow lives in Ferenwood, a land full of magic. Magic is so integral to Ferenwood, that it is a part of everything–including the people who live there. And that magic is displayed through color. Color that is abundant and vibrant and breathtaking.
Except for Alice. Alice was born without color. She is pale as anything. Her hair is white, her skin is white–she is unlike anyone else in Ferenwood and she hates that about herself.
She also feels that her mother hates her. Her mother is cold and dismissive of her, which Alice finds very hard to live with, understandably. This is made especially difficult because her Father disappeared three years ago. He left Ferenwood with a ruler and nothing else. This is bad for Alice, but it’s also bad for Ferenwood, because her Father was one of the most respected elders in the land. His magic was unparalleled and Ferenwood counted on him. Alice can’t believe that he would just leave them all.
Alice is also plagued by Oliver, a boy who is a year older than her. Once, back in school, he announced that she was the ugliest girl in all of Ferenwood and she has never forgiven him. So why is Oliver suddenly coming to her to ask for help?
Every person in Ferenwood has a gift. Alice’s is being able to read through people’s lies. Oliver’s is persuasion. Alice is the only person he can’t persuade. But he can also read everyone’s truest desire. He knows that Alice wants her father back more than anything.
In Ferenwood when you turn 12 you have a “Surrender.” You offer up your greatest magic and you are given a quest.
Oliver has been unable to finish he quest and he asks Alice if she will help him. She says no way. Until he says that if she helps him, he will tell her where her father is. She is angry that he won’t just tell her where her father is, until finally he concedes that his quest was to find her father. His gift of persuasion was considered the most powerful opportunity for him to locate Alice’s Father.
Alice’s Father has gone to Furthermore. Furthermore is another magical land, but a land where magic is used very differently. Magic is tightly controlled in Ferenwood, bit in Furthermore it is wild and unpredictable. Every town in Furthermore has different rules about magic and visitors are not encouraged to come–lest they break the rules and get imprisoned.
And that’s what happened to Father.
So Oliver, whom Alice doesn’t like and doesn’t trust is taking Alice to Furthermore–a land she knows literally nothing about and whose rules must be followed very carefully. This is especially difficult for Alice, because she is a somewhat unlikable character. She’s not bad or anything, she’s just headstrong and impatient. She is smart and she knows it. She constantly badgers Oliver when he needs her to be quiet. She can’t stand that he knows more than her. She keeps getting in her own way.
She also has no idea that he is able to lie to her about a few key pieces of information.
Furthermore proves to be a wild and adventure-filled place. The first place the wind up is the land of Slumber. Here, the sun is personified and goes to sleep erratically. People must hide from the sun and only come out at night–where you can easily be disguised. It’s here that Oliver reveals that some people in Furthermore will eat you to gain your magic.
There’s also the land of Still where everything remains perfectly still all the time. Any movement sets of alarm bells–which is a challenge for people who want to pass through.
Then there’s the Land of Left which hadn’t seen a visitor in 56 years. The locals are so excited to have a guest that our heroes are pampered and well fed for the first time in Furthermore. Although, nothing is ever as nice as it seems in Furthermore.
Indeed, Alice winds up becoming enamored of an origami fox–a creature who lures her into a two dimensional world which nearly crushes her. She briefly turns into paper and the fox is able to tear her arm off–it doesn’t hurt, but it’s no’t like she can attach it back.
Now they have several quests: to keep themselves safe, to find Father and to try to get Alice’s arm painted back on.
And just what is up with the ruler?
Mafi’s writing is really beautiful, although I found it kind of slow at at times. Pinchot is a such a fabulous reader that he makes sure that every word is heard clearly and so some of her lengthy descriptive passages kind of drag on (when you want the plot to move along). This wouldn’t have been as much of an issue for e except that we had limited time in the car and I wanted the story to move along before we got home. If you are willing to sit back and let the beautiful lands wash over you, the writing is magnificent.
She has also written the narrator to be kind of interrupting. For example, the book is addressed to you, dear reader and you get passages like “Dear Reader: You should know that Alice, a decidedly proud girl, wouldn’t approve of my sharing this personal information with you” I don’t know how this works in print (I’ve see a few criticisms that it doesn’t) but Pinchot does a fantastic job with these interruptions–his inflection and emphases are just perfect and bring some nice humor to the story).
And of course, Pinchot is utterly captivating His choice of voice for Paramint is amazing–how did he ever decide on it. And the way he read for the seamstress–low and quiet, sad and wise, is just perfect.
I could listen to him read just about anything–so its great that this book is really enjoyable as well.
I’m really looking forward to book two, Whichwood, which is also read by Pinchot!
Incidentally, Mafi’s husband is Ransom Riggs, an author who I also like quite a lot–what a cool household they must have,
Leave a Reply