The Amulet series is a popular graphic novel series created by Kazu Kibuishi. It follows the story of a young girl named Emily and her brother Navin as they journey through a magical world filled with strange creatures and powerful amulets. **The series begins with "The Stonekeeper," where Emily and Navin discover a hidden amulet in their great-grandfather's house. This amulet grants Emily special powers, but also puts their family in danger. They are forced to embark on a dangerous quest to save their mother, who has been kidnapped by a sinister creature. **In "The Stonekeeper's Curse," the siblings continue their journey to find a cure for their mother's mysterious illness.
Q: Why did you choose the Cape?
A: For some time I’ve been fascinated with the idea of "a finer place" (see Lucy Lynch and Bobby Marconi in Bridge of Sighs). I’m talking about both fiction and real life. Why do people believe that happiness is more likely to find you in one place than another? It has something with what you can and can’t afford, what you think you’ll one day be able to swing if things go well. Except that even when they go well, you discover it’s still unaffordable, which gives the desired place a magical quality. The faster you run toward it, the faster it runs away from you. I chose the Cape because it’s always been expensive and just keeps getting more so, but it could have been any number of similar places. For Griffin’s parents, two academics, a house on the Cape would have always been just beyond their reach. One of their many dubious genetic gifts to Griffin is a sense that happiness is always on the horizon, never where you’re standing. Very American, I think.
A It probably won t surprise readers to discover that both my daughters were married during the time I was writing this book, which, if it does well, will pay for their weddings. And when, a year later, a far more important wedding takes place, their beloved Laura s, on the coast of Maine, Griffin s chauffeuring two urns of ashes as he contends once more with Joy and her large, unruly family, and both he and she have brought dates along.
**In "The Stonekeeper's Curse," the siblings continue their journey to find a cure for their mother's mysterious illness. Along the way, they encounter new allies and face new enemies who are also after the amulet's power. Emily must learn to control her new abilities as the amulet's stonekeeper, while Navin finds himself drawn deeper into the world of machines and robots.
That Old Cape Magic by Richard Russo
A t 57 and facing his "middle-aged meltdown", Jack Griffin, the "congenitally unhappy" hero of That Old Cape Magic, is a professor of writing at a New England college and an ex-Hollywood screenwriter, bi-coastal traits he shares with author Richard Russo. Russo's 2001 novel Empire Falls won the Pulitzer Prize, but he also has several movie scripts under his belt, so it's not too surprising that the novel is so ready for its close-up. Russo gives his characters lots of sight gags; a farcical rehearsal dinner for Jack's daughter's wedding, which lands half the family in ER; pages of screen-dialogue for key scenes; and even a gallant old slapper girlfriend who asks Jack to write a movie with "a girl like me in it" and cast Susan Sarandon.
Jack blames his embittered view of this "fundamentally crappy world" on his internal struggle between the prosperous hack and the aspiring serious novelist. "Crappy" is also one of the many all-purpose terms of scorn he has inherited from his despised parents, both professors of English with "an unearned sense of entitlement" who could not accept their own academic exile to the "mid-fucking-west" instead of the Ivy League. Cynical Dad was an easy grader who barely noticed his students unless he was seducing them; intellectual snob Mom conscientiously got to know her students well enough to "dislike them as individuals". Both looked down on Jack's chosen career as "writing crappy movies".
The professors Griffin found a brief annual respite on Cape Cod, where they spent "one glorious month, each summer. Sun. Sand. Water. Gin. Followed by 11 months of misery." In the first part of Russo's novel, Jack goes back to the Cape looking for the cottage where he spent a childhood holiday with a perfect family as neighbours, which he is trying to recapture in a short story called "The Summer of the Brownings". But there are signs that this trip is doomed. Jack can't sleep, has quarrelled with his wife, and spends most of the time arguing on his mobile with his mother: old, retired, widowed, but snide as ever. By the second part of the book, Jack's marriage and work are on the rocks, and he is schlepping the ashes of both parents in identical urns, looking for a suitable place to dump them along with the burdens of his past.
Russo gives Jack two good, if over-explicitly named, angels to guide him through the land of lost content: his wife, Joy, who cheerily makes the best of all life's circumstances; and Sunny Kim, the childhood friend of his daughter, Laura, who has always carried a torch for her. At Laura's wedding to another man, Sunny bears his disappointment manfully, counts his blessings as a second-generation Korean-American, and mildly chastises Jack for self-pity. But as Jack realises, rereading his fictional tribute to the Brownings, "the only characters that rang true, felt real" were based on his awful parents. The petulant but hilarious Griffins steal every scene from the estimable but colourless Sunny and Joy.
In one of his tougher-minded novels like Straight Man or Bridge of Sighs, Russo might have let Jack make his peace with his parents by identifying with their relentless irony and self-mocking intelligence. But although Jack thinks he is above the narrative arcs, neat third-act resolutions and happy endings of "a well-constructed screenplay", and although Russo meditates on memory, ageing, inheritance, marriage, desire and the meaning of happiness throughout That Old Cape Magic, Death in Venice it ain't. Instead it's a midlife romcom, written with humour and assurance. And why insist that every novel aspire to tragic disillusion? There's enough of the old Cape magic here to keep most readers entertained until the movie comes out.
Elaine Showalter's A Jury of her Peers is published by Virago. To order That Old Cape Magic for £11.99 with free UK p&p call Guardian book service on 0330 333 6846 or go to theguardian.com/bookshop
That Old Cape Magic might tentatively be described as a dark comedy, full of pointed satire at the bourgeoisie posturing of folks like the elder Griffins. However, the emotional force of the novel lies in Russo's alternation of moments of hilarity with others of deep melancholy and regret. In some ways, That Old Cape Magic attempts a late-life bildungsroman, the coming into wisdom of its near-retirement age protagonist – a span of human experience that is very rarely the focus of novels.
**"The Cloud Searchers" takes Emily, Navin, and their friends to a floating city in the sky as they search for a powerful amulet that can control the mysterious cloud guardian. However, they soon discover that the city is not as safe as it seems, and they must confront their own fears and inner demons. **In "The Last Council," Emily and Navin attend a council meeting of the resistance, where they hope to find answers and gather allies for their ultimate battle against the evil forces. However, they soon realize that not everyone can be trusted, and they must make difficult choices to protect themselves and their loved ones. **"Prince of the Elves" takes the siblings into the heart of the elf kingdom as they search for a cure for their mother's illness. But as they uncover dark secrets and ancient rivalries, they find themselves caught in the middle of a war between elves and humans. **In "Escape from Lucien," Emily, Navin, and their friends must escape the city of Lucien, which has been overrun by a powerful shadow creature. With their lives in constant danger, they must rely on their wits and the powers of their amulets to survive and find a way back home. **The latest installment in the series, "Firelight," finds Emily and Navin in the mystical city of Cielis, where they hope to find the answers they seek. But they soon discover that the city holds its own dangers and secrets, and they must navigate a treacherous path to uncover the truth. **Throughout the series, the main theme revolves around the power of family, the importance of courage, and the responsibility that comes with great power. Each book brings new challenges and revelations for Emily and Navin as they continue on their extraordinary journey. The Amulet series is a captivating adventure that combines stunning artwork with a compelling story, making it a must-read for fans of fantasy and graphic novels..
Reviews for "Beyond the Storyline: The Impact of Amulets on Readers of the Amulet Series"
1. Sophie - 2 stars - I found the Amulet series arranged sequentially to be quite disappointing. While I can appreciate the stunning visuals and detailed artwork, I felt that the storyline lacked depth and failed to captivate my interest. The characters felt one-dimensional and the plotline felt predictable and formulaic. Overall, I found the series to be underwhelming and not worth the hype it has received.
2. Ryan - 2 stars - As an avid reader of fantasy novels, I was excited to delve into the Amulet series arranged sequentially. However, I was left feeling extremely let down. The storyline felt disjointed and rushed, with little character development or world-building. The plot lacked substance and seemed to rely heavily on cliches and tropes. I found it difficult to connect with the characters and felt that the overall narrative fell flat. Overall, I would not recommend this series to fellow fantasy enthusiasts.
3. Sarah - 1 star - I was highly disappointed with the Amulet series arranged sequentially. The artwork was impressive, but that was the only redeeming quality. The plot was chaotic and lacked coherence, making it difficult to follow along. The characters were forgettable and lacked depth, making it hard to connect and invest in their journeys. Additionally, I found the pacing to be inconsistent, with some parts dragging on while others felt rushed. Overall, I found this series to be a major letdown and do not understand the praise it has received.
4. Alex - 2 stars - While I can appreciate the creativity and effort put into the artwork of the Amulet series arranged sequentially, I was ultimately disappointed by the lackluster storytelling. The plot felt contrived and predictable, with little to no surprises along the way. The characters, although visually engaging, lacked depth and development. I found it difficult to form any emotional connection or investment in their journeys. Overall, I was left underwhelmed by this series and would not recommend it to others in search of a captivating graphic novel experience.