52 Books in 52 Weeks, it's called. The challenge is simple: read a book every week for a year.
42. The book of the Dun Cow.
A National Book Award winner (1980), written (for young people but readable at all ages) in the highly stylized — and heightened — language of classic folk tales; borrowing its title from the ancient Irish manuscript of the same name and its characters from Chaucer; that is, taking as its sources a wide range of ancient storytelling traditions, including not least The Story — where most of the characters here are Types of Christ and the tale is the ancient one of the suffering servant who defeats Death Itself by self-sacrifice, and of the common folk who hold Evil at bay simply by doing well the simple work that is given them to do (though the folk here are Roosters, Hens, Weasels, Dogs and the Dun Cow, and the evil is Wyrm and his minion, Cockatrice, and his minion’s children, the Basilisks) — this, then, is the most satisfying fable, novel, story I’ve stumbled upon in quite a while, touching the same parts of me that were/are satisfied with The Return of the King or Out of the Silent Planet, and doing them good service with a good story that serves both itself and Another, truer Story. Good work, Wangerin.
Man, I read that book awhile ago (on advice from my sister), I hope you’re planning to read The Book of Sorrows as well; Wangerin is a talented writer, who to me belongs in a category with Buechner and Berry in the “best unknown” authors.
Paul A.. July 2nd. 2009. 4:03 am.
I cried and cried and cried when I read this book. I was 22. Then I had children, and cried again when I read it. I was 32. Truly one of the best “kids” books ever. Right up there with Narnia.
e. July 14th. 2009. 12:44 pm.