"The Dark is Rising" - Honest Assessment Required

[Steve]

--- In HPFGU-OTChatter at yahoogroups.com, "marion11111"
<marion11111 at ...> wrote:
>
> > bboyminn:
> > ...
> 
> > Now Artimus Fowl, on the other hand, while an easy
> > uncomplicated read, is still a brilliant mystery
> > that I can't stop reading. It is an odd combination
> > of childish sillyness (though delightful) and 
> > suspenseful mystery. 
> > 
> 
> 
> marion11111:
> ...
> 
> Steve - I also love Artemus Fowl! For awhile I was 
> concerned about the story bogging down, but the last
> one has me on the edge of my seat waiting for the 
> next. When these first came out there were rumors of
> a movie, but nothing ever came of it.  Just as well.
> 
> ...

bboyminn:

Marion, thanks for the other book suggestions, I'll
check them out.

I DID love the last Artemus Fowl book 'The Lost Colony'
but I think the author is running into a problem, 
Artemus is getting too old. Being an obnoxious genius
is cute when you are 12 but not so much when you are
18. I got the sense that the author had to compromise
some of the details to keep Artemus from getting too
old to fast. But beyond those subtle little details
'The Lost Colony' is a fantastic adventure; right up 
there with the other books. Though, I find 'Arctic
Incident' and 'The Eternity Cube' to be at the top of
my list.

One problem I have is describing these books to 
people in an attempt to get them to read them. How
do I describe the silly whimsy of characters like
Holly Short and Mulch Diggums but at the same time
convey what wonderful mysterious adventures these
stories are? Also, while the reader may view 
characters like Holly, Mulch, and Foaly as whimsical,
they take themselves dead serious. 

The Artemus Fowl books are an easy read, so in that
sense they are children's books, but again they have
wonderful characters, a fully realized world, and
a great adventurous story, plus a wonderful 
playfulness and silliness that are bound to make
anyone smile.

Another book by the same Author - Eoin Colfer - is
also a wonderful story that is a combination
of whimsy and adventure; the book 'Half-Moon
Investigations'. This is a gritty detective novel
that revolves around a real mystery that hides an
even deep and greater mystery. The problem is that
the gritty detective is Fletcher Moon, age 12, the
world's youngest certified detective.

I like the Artemus Fowl books better, but 'Half-Moon'
is still a great fun book to read. 

For what it's worth.

Steve/bboyminn