Someone critiquing Isaac Asimov remarked that words can be like clear glass or stained glass, i.e., either we look through the words at their subject-matter or we appreciate the words themselves. Asimov's prose is clear glass. Poul Anderson's is both. I have referred to his many dramatic two-word sentences like "Rain roared." However, the most expressive of such mini-sentences has to be:
"Spite spat."
-Poul Anderson, Mother Of Kings (New York, 2003), Book Three, Chapter III, p. 196.
Gunnhild unleashes venom against her enemy, Egil. Fortunately, although Gunnhild is the title character of the novel, many of its chapters focus instead on other, more sympathetic, characters like the Christian King Haakon. A long narrative presented entirely from Gunnhild's vengeful viewpoint would be both unpalatable and indigestible.
When the family goes unwillingly into exile, Gunnhild's seven-year-old daughter asks:
"'Mother, Mother! We're b-bound for greatness. Aren't we?'" (p. 200)
A young girl has been brought up not to appreciate life but to expect "greatness." Good work, Gunnhild.
4 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
Exactly! One reason why I became tired of Isaac Asimov's works was precisely because of how he seemed able to write only one kind of prose: clear and colorless. Not that there's anything wrong with prose resembling clear glass, only that too MUCH of it made that kind of writing boring. Poul Anderson was far better than Asimov at VARYING his styles of writing.
I agree, it's the long sections dealing with other characters like King Haakon the Good and Egil Skallagrimmsson which prevents Gunnhild's vengeful spririt and ruthless intrigues from ruining MOTHER OF KINGS.
The fatal flaw of Eirik Blood-ax and Queen Gunnhild was nor realizing that there are more ways than one of skinning a cat! That is, if they had been able to be patient and conciliatory with the Norwegian nobles and their supporters, Eirik and Gunnhild and their children would not have been repeatedly driven into exile. True, sometimes force would need to be used, but in MODERATION and against persons who deserved it.
Sean
Paul:
Some of those Viking women, it seems, could be real pieces of work. Freydis Eiriksdottir, sister of Leif Eiriksson, is recorded as having murdered several women and children (with an ax) after her menfolk killed the women's husbands (because she'd falsely claimed they attacked her) but the men thought killing unarmed women and children would be going too far.
I've seen a suggestion that the failure of the Vinland colony was in part due to Leif's embarrassment over what a vicious she-devil his sister had shown herself to be.
Hi, David!
Very interesting, what you said about Freydis Eiriksdottir! And that the Vinland colony failed partly because of vicious family feuds. I really need to reread the Vinland Sagas.
Sean
David,
Thank you. Historical background information is always welcome.
Paul.
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