CORBENIC

1. [Free pdf] Corbenic Corbenic Catherine Fisher ebooks | Download PDF | *ePub | DOC | audiobook #3208257 in Books 2006-09-05 2006-09-05Ingredients: Example IngredientsOriginal language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.00 x .97 x 5.31l, .80 #File Name: 0060724706288 pages | File size: 53.Mb Catherine Fisher : Corbenic before purchasing it in order to gage whether or not it would be worth my time, and all praised Corbenic: 0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Another good boob by CatherineBy Rev. George C. MurrayIt started a bit slow but by 1/3 of the way in it started to keep me going.2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Stylized but UnlikableBy S. PhillipsCorbenic is, on the whole, a good book. It's not a great book, but it doesn't fall to the depths of terrible either. The writing is highly stylized and filled with symbolism that can be hard to catch for those

2. uninitiated into the Arthurian mythology.The biggest failure of the book is the lack of sympathy generated by Cal (who is, if you aren't familiar with the myths, a modern day Percival [...] Despite his rotten childhood of hiding in closets from his drunken mother, his attitude is selfish, degrading, and overall grating on the nerves for most readers. He ACTS the victim, and almost plays it up, without displaying any sort of redeeming qualities that would make us feel sorry for him. Even later on, after some changes, we're still left with the feeling that he hasn't switched his focus away from himself. The reader is left feeling bad for Cal's mother, not the protagonist.The book isn't all bad though. If you like deciphering symbolism and comparing the modern day plot with the mythos it is based on, it can be an enjoyable read. It would, in my opinion, make a good movie because of the visuals it invokes. Just don't go looking for characters to like, and you'll be fine.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. A good readBy Paul PurmanI picked this book up from the library based on an award it received from the Mythopoeic Society ([...]). It is a well written retelling (apparently) of the Grail/Graal story. (remembering so little of the Grail story, I'm no judge of whether it's faithful to the tradition, but it has an authentic feel to it...and it's inspired me to pick up my copy of Howard Pyle's Grail story again after many years).The reviewer who gave this story one star confuses a shallow character, on the one hand, with the shallowness that we all carry and are tested to grow out of. Cal is an unappealing character (he is supposed to be) who is severely tested, and he does grow through his callous turning away from the Fisher King, his mother, the character Shadow, and others. He finds that his selfishness is a betrayal of friendship, sonship, and finds a way through despair to hope and victory, with much help.The reviewer who said this was probably too intense for younger children is correct. There are lengthy passages in which Cal is losing touch with reality, entering into a dark, scary world with no bearings. Yes for teens, no for those younger, would be my assessment.There is some beautiful use of language in this story. Well worth a read. It starts when Cal gets off the train at the wrong stop in the middle of the night, in the middle of nowhere. He's stranded.Following a muddy path leads him to a castle that appears to be deserted. But inside is Corbenic, a magnificent hotel filled with rich people preparing for a banquet#8212and Cal is their guest of honor. During the meal, he experiences a disturbing vision, but when he is asked to talk about what he has seen, he denies it. What if he's becoming crazy, like his mother?When Cal wakes the next morning, the elegant castle turns out to be nothing more than an abandoned ruin. But something inside him has changed#8212he now knows he needs to right the wrongs in his life. It will be a difficult journey, and if Cal achieves his goal, it will not be without cost. The first step#8212he must return to Corbenic. From School Library JournalGrade 7 UpSeventeen-year-old Cal abandons his alcoholic, schizophrenic mother and shabby English town. On the train to his uncle's house in a posh suburb, he gets off at Corbenic, which he later learns is nonexistent. He makes his way to the court of the crippled Fisher King, who knows Cal is really Percival, the last hope to restore the king's wasteland to its former glory. When the teenager fails to identify a vision of the Holy Grail, he is banished back to modern England. Then, as the legend goes, he searches for Corbenic, but can only return when he comes to terms with the mother he's rejected. Along the way he meets Shadow and Hawk, Arthurian reenactors who may or may not be the real thing. The blurring of fantasy and reality is sometimes confusing but helps to sustain the mood of wonder and mystery. Both the real and surreal settings are lushly rendered, and Fisher's physical descriptions are especially evocative. The dialogue is sharp, but while Cal's conversations with Shadow and Hawk are natural and engaging, his inner monologue is repetitive and boring. Cal is drawn with a heavy hand as a materialistic, pretentious whiner, and while this portrait keeps to the myth, he's impossible for readers to care about. Minor characters are portrayed with subtle wit and sweetness and are unfortunately more compelling than the narrator or his quest. Though the plot moves steadily, those unfamiliar with the myth may find the journey tedious.Johanna Lewis, New York Public Library Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.From BooklistGr. 8-11. In this dense, mystical quest story, the author of the Oracle Prophecies trilogy interweaves a teen's coming-of-age struggles with an archetypal legend. Cal is leaving his pathetic, alcoholic mother to start a new life with his uncle. On the train toward his future, he falls into an uneasy sleep from which he awakens disoriented but certain he is at his stop. After scrambling to the platform, Cal discovers that he is not where he thought he was. After wending his way through preternaturally quiet hedges and pathways, and past a strange pair of fishermen, he finds himself at an old castlelike building called Corbenic. Presiding within is a wounded king--the Fisher King himself--whose fate overlaps with Cal's and who must be healed to restore balance to the world. Not every reader will know the Fisher King myth but the story's Arthurian trappings are familiar, and many teens will relish the immersion in Cal's complex relationships, choices, and fantasy-fueled journey toward adult understanding. Holly KoellingCopyright American Library Association. All rights reservedAbout the AuthorCatherine Fisher's acclaimed works include Darkhenge, Snow-walker, and The Oracle Betrayed, which was a finalist for the Whitbread Children's Book Award. She lives in Newport, Wales.