Today Marshmallow reviews The Archer, a short book originally written in 2003 by Paulo Coelho, illustrated by Christoph Niemann, and translated into English by Margaret Jull Costa.
Marshmallow reviews The Archer, written by Paulo Coelho, illustrated by Christoph Niemann, and translated into English by Margaret Jull Costa.
Marshmallow’s Quick Take: If you like simple yet somewhat profound books, then this is the book for you!
Marshmallow’s Summary (with Spoilers): At the beginning of this story, a stranger seeks out Tetsuya. Tetsuya is a humble carpenter now, but he used to be famous throughout the land for his prodigious gifts with a bow and arrow. His sudden retirement and disappearance were rather mysterious, but he is content to live in quiet and obscurity. The stranger searching for him is determined to find him though. He asks a boy from the town to take him to the carpenter and the two arrive at his shop. The stranger pleads Tetsuya to watch him shoot, saying he has mastered the way of the bow and merely wants Tetsuya’s approval to know that his training is complete. To show his worth, the stranger shoots a cherry off a cherry tree a certain distance away. Tetsuya calmly agrees and leads both the stranger and the boy up the mountain in silence. They arrive at a fraying bridge traversing a perilous river and Tetsuya walks to the middle. He shoots a peach off a tree only half the previous distance away from him. He asks the stranger to do the same, but the stranger fails. Tetsuya then tells him that he has mastered the bow but not his mind. With that lesson, he sends the stranger off, after having him promise to keep his identity secret.
The boy—who had been unaware of Tetsuya’s archery prowess till then—is awestruck and asks to be taught the way of the bow. As the master and young boy begin their long trek back to his shop, Tetsuya explains some of the founding ideals of the way of the bow and life as whole. After all, “the way of the bow is present in any human activity.”
Marshmallow is reading The Archer, written by Paulo Coelho, illustrated by Christoph Niemann, and translated into English by Margaret Jull Costa.
Marshmallow’s Review:The Archer was an intriguing book. To be entirely honest, some of the advice is a little too vague and seemed slightly generic. I think a lot of what the author said has been said before, just in different ways.
The pictures by Christoph Niemann were very pretty though, and the minimalistic illustrative style was very calming to look at. They were, I thought, often unrelated to the text, but you can find connections between any two things if you look hard enough.
This goes for this entire book. The text is short and simple with only a couple words or a paragraph per page, making it very spread out. There are 130 or 131 pages but it does not take a lot of time to read at all. If one were to put all words into standard book pages, you would probably not need to go beyond 30-40 pages max.
The Archer is very calming to read. However, the advice and wisdom feels very simplistic and slightly obvious. I feel like this experience is very inspiring if you are willing to analyze every word, every page, every picture and infuse it with your own meaning. If you work hard to interpret everything in a new way, in a way besides the true simple meaning, then you might emerge with a new perspective on life. Without that kind of effort on the side of the reader, most of the text felt like a repetition of ideas that most people have already heard. That said, it was still nice to read. I just don’t know how truly novel this book is.
Marshmallow’s Rating: 94%.
Marshmallow rates The Archer, written by Paulo Coelho, illustrated by Christoph Niemann, and translated into English by Margaret Jull Costa, 94%.
Many years ago, in the very early days of this blog Caramel reviewed a classic, Harold and the Purple Crayon, by Crockett Johnson. Today he is talking to Sprinkles about a sequel of sorts, Harold at the North Pole, published originally in 1957.
Caramel reviews Harold at the North Pole by Crockett Johnson.
Sprinkles: I was so excited to find this little book last week! So even though it is a Christmas book and we are nowhere close to Christmas, I thought it would be fun to talk about it today.
Caramel: Yup. And I agreed. Because who doesn’t want to talk about Santa Claus and snow and Christmas gifts?
S: I know, right? I mean we just couldn’t wait till December.. Anyways, our readers probably remember Harold, the little boy in blue overalls who creates the world around him with his ginormous purple crayon.
C: Yeah, I would expect so. You and I talked about Harold and the Purple Crayon all the way back in 2020, so if they don’t remember, they can just read our old post.
S: Yep. That was right around the time the pandemic really took off!
C: Yeah, the pandemic was around that time, which was pretty terrible. But the book was really good. And later, we also saw the live-action movie, which was actually pretty good.
S: Yeah, I remember watching it with you and liking it. It seems like the critics didn’t like it much, but we enjoyed it.
C: Yup, we did. Maybe you can put a link to the trailer in the post?
S: Sure. Here is the trailer of the movie:
Harold and The Purple Crayon: official trailer, from YouTube.
C: Thanks. It was fun to watch.
S: So let us get back to Harold at the North Pole.
C: Sure. So this is about Harold, the very same little boy, But in the cover this time he is wearing green overalls, and a red hat. Very Christmas-y!
S: Yeah, he is not in his blue overalls any more, but you are right, the red-green fits the holiday season very well. And the crayon is still purple, right?
C: Yup. So this time, Harold wants to find a Christmas tree before Santa can visit his home. So he goes out and tries to find a tree. Along the way he finds himself at the North Pole and ends up helping Santa. He also helps draw up Santa’s reindeer and a sleigh full of presents. And finally he gets back home and settles down near a fireplace to wait for Santa.
S: Yep. That sounds about right.
C: Actually I think it kind of sounds a bit eerie. The boy is always alone, and there is nobody and nothing around him until he draws them. It is almost like a scary dream.
Caramel is reading Harold at the North Pole by Crockett Johnson.
S: Wait, if you read it like that, then it does not come across like a cute, warm, and fuzzy story.
C: No, it doesn’t. And when you look back at the first book, that also could be the same, with Harold all alone, making stuff up as he goes around living all alone. Abandoned.
S: Hmm, yes, I can see that. But it is not really the real world that he is in, is it? He is not all alone in a scary way really. I think maybe we are in Harold’s imaginary world, as he is recreating the world. The transitions from home, to the northern woods, to the North Pole, back home would be dizzying if real. But they are not. Harold just flows smoothly from one place to the other, as smoothly as he can draw something.
C: Or actually he does not flow anywhere and the places just smoothly flow around him as he draws them. Yes, I know, it is not really about a little child all alone in a scary way, but I just wanted to say it would be kind of weird if this were real.
S: I guess that is why the movie version made the situation so weird. Nobody would believe the grown-up Harold.
C: I wouldn’t. But you know, if the crayon were real, it would be really cool! And dangerous! All those bad people who were after the crayon in the movie, it totally makes sense, because the crayon is so powerful if you can create reality all by drawing something.
S: Yes.
C: So okay, the books are really sweet, they are not scary at all. I just wanted to say they are also a bit weird, but when read in their own story world, they are really sweet. And I think any little bunny would enjoy imagining themselves with a purple crayon and trying to figure out what they would draw with it and going into adventures with it and so on.
S: Yeah, for sure. So what would you draw with it if you had the purple crayon?
C: I would draw the seventeenth book of Wings of Fire; lock in Sutherland!
S: Not sure it works that way, Caramel…
C: Dang it. Still, lock in Sutherland, I love those books, come out with more, please.
S: Okay, maybe she will some day. She has to go forth with the new story arc she started in the sixteenth book anyways. But so you wouldn’t draw anything else? I could draw an ice cream machine that makes ice cream for me, a bubble bath, a beautiful sunset, a comfy big chair, and lots of books and bookshelves around it where I could read.. I can go on forever!
C: Well, Sprinkles, we do have lots of books and bookshelves in our house, and there is a comfy chair nearby too.
S: Yes, I know we are lucky. And maybe the things Harold draws are also kind of homelike, like a fireplace, and an armchair to sit on, and his home is also a regular home, just comfy.
C: Like our home. Our home is comfy too.
S: True… Okay, so overall what did you think of this book?
C: It is cute. It would even make sense to a young person who has not read the original book, but if the young person liked that first book, they would definitely enjoy reading this around the holidays. It would make a good Christmas gift.
S: Yeah, it is kind of surreal, but young bunnies can get into surreal stories very quickly.
C: Yeah, just ignore the probable psychological implications of why Harold has no parents, friends or any other people near him. Then it makes perfect sense.
S: You’re kidding, right? No young person would be worried reading this. Many picture books about young people don’t have other actors in them.
C: Of course, yeah, it’s not scary, it’s a nice story. It is just that parents should probably be ready if their young bunny asks them these kinds of questions. It is about fun and imagination and not abandonment. Just in case, ya know.
S: Hmm, I think you have an overactive imagination sometimes Caramel.
C: Sometimes? I am offended. I have a perfectly normal imagination. And always.
S: Okay, sorry, didn’t mean it that way. You do have a big imagination.
C: The book is about Harold going north to find a Christmas tree, and then he finds himself at the north pole, and then he draws Santa and the whole Santa workshop, and then helps him make presents, then goes home, and realizes he forgot to find a tree, so he makes one. I think Crockett Johnson has an overactive imagination.
S: Yes I definitely agree. And it all makes the book suitably fun for the holidays. Which are about seven months away…
C: But it is never too early to dream of Christmas!
S: And it is actually time for some dreams. Bedtime, Caramel?
C: Yup. I think it is right about my bedtime.
S: So then let us wrap this up. What would you like to tell our readers?
C: Stay tuned for more book bunny reviews!
Caramel loved revisiting Harold while reading Harold at the North Pole by Crockett Johnson and hopes that many others will enjoy it this next Christmas or any other time of the year.
Last week Midnight talked to Sprinkles about Dragonlance Chronicles by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. Today he is excited to be talking about the sequel trilogy, Dragonlance Legends. The trilogy, consisting of three books (Time of the Twins, War of the Twins, and Test of the Twins) was originally published in 1986. The edition Midnight is posing with in the photos below is the fortieth anniversary edition, published in 2026.
Midnight reviews Dragonlance Legends by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman.
Sprinkles: So here we are, Midnight, talking about the next trilogy in the Dragonlance universe.
Midnight: Yes. Marshmallow has had some very busy weeks and so I am filling in for the time being.
Sprinkles: And we are grateful for that. And this is another book you really like, right?
Midnight: Yes. I have many fond memories of this trilogy. I think I like it even better than the first one.
Sprinkles: Really? That is interesting. Can you explain why?
Midnight: It explores the relationship between the brothers Majere, the enigmatic wizard Raistlin and his good-natured and protective twin brother Caramon. Tagging along with them is Tasslehoff Burrfoot, a halfling of sorts who has a habit of borrowing things from others without asking.
Sprinkles: Some might call that stealing.
Midnight: Some might. Tasslehoff is a fun character, and he was often a source of comic relief in the first series. But here he often keeps the story moving, and inserts some occasional light-hearted moments in between periods of dark drama.
Sprinkles: What dark drama? Can you say something about that? You told us about evil dragons in your earlier review. Are they still causing trouble in this book?
Midnight: The dark queen has been prevented from conquering the world in the first trilogy. So this trilogy does not focus so much on the large-scale good-versus-evil, saving the world kind of plot. Instead, it focuses more on whether Raistlin can be rescued from the darkness himself.
Sprinkles: You almost make it sound like a psychological drama. Where one of the main characters is losing his soul and maybe his brother is trying to help him fight to keep it.
Midnight: I guess it is kind of like that, but with a lot more action and high fantasy. It is a lot more interesting than just a psychological drama”. Raistlin was always physically weak but smart and powerful with magic. Despite his frailty he had incredible ambition and confidence in his abilities. Let’s just say that throughout the first series, it’s not clear whether he will embrace the darker side of his ambitions.
Midnight is reading The Dragonlance Legends by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman.
Sprinkles: That sounds intriguing. And also in the meantime, they are traveling all over the world, right?
Midnight: Well, it starts out in a familiar place, where we find that Caramon has not taken well to settling down after the war from the first series. He is in a bad place emotionally, after the conflicts with his brother in the first series. His old friend Tasslehoff visits him and finds him in a sorry state, a pitiful shell of his former self. They go on a quest that will not only restore Caramon to his former self but hopefully will also redeem his wayward brother.
Sprinkles: So that quest is what the traveling is all about?
Midnight: It is not so much traveling geographically but they travel through time. They go back three hundred years, to the time before the Cataclysm, a world-altering event that set the stage for everything to come.
Sprinkles: Wait, so there is time travel here. And this is not science fiction.
Midnight: Not science fiction. Definitely fantasy. What is fascinating is that they return to legendary times, spoken of only in terms of myths and legends in the first series. I should also mention that one of the new characters that travels with them is Crysania, a good priestess who is determined to save Raistlin’s soul.
Sprinkles: I am guessing there is a love triangle or something?
Midnight: Of sorts, but it is not mushy like that. I think it is clear from the start that Crysania is determined to prevent Raistlin from becoming the ultimate force of evil that he could become. But she is blinded by her naivete and optimism.
Sprinkles: Hmm, that is a pretty detailed plot setup Midnight. I hope it has intrigued some of our readers.
Midnight: Yes, if you make it to the end, you’ll know all about how important bunnies are to the plot.
Sprinkles: Oh now, they have to read the book! And they really should. I really enjoyed reading them myself. One after another. It was hard to stop in between the books; it was so engaging.
Midnight: Yep. It is a very addicting mix of high fantasy and drama, written in plain and accessible language.
Sprinkles: No Tolkien, we are saying.
Midnight: No. it is not Tolkien, but like all works of the high fantasy genre, it owes much to the professor.
Sprinkles: And of course you love Tolkien too. I know. Anyways, I think this might be a good place to wrap up this review. What do you think?
Midnight: I agree. I must go feed.
Sprinkles: Are we doing the creepy vampire thing again?
Midnight: Infer what you will, my dear Sprinkles.
Sprinkles: Okay. I will do that. Is there something you would like to tell our readers as we end this?
Midnight: A bunny such as myself does not do simple catch-phrases and sound bytes. But I will say this: Farewell, dear reader. Until such a time as the Black Bunny deems it fit to grace the world with his august presence.
Midnight loves reading and rereading The Dragonlance Legends by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman, and bids readers farewell, until such a time as he deems it fit to grace the world with his august presence.
Today Caramel is reviewing America As It Happened: A Moment-by-Moment Journey Through Time, From Prehistory to the Present Day, a neat book published in 2026. As usual Sprinkles is taking notes and asking questions.
Caramel reviews America As It Happened: A Moment-by-Moment Journey Through Time, From Prehistory to the Present Day.
Sprinkles: So today we are talking about another book of facts.
Caramel: Yup. This is a book full of facts!
S: So tell me a bit about it.
C: Well, it is big and yellow and heavy. And smells kind of like newspaper but a bit fancier.
S: Those are all correct descriptors for the book. Even the smell. I agree with you. It does smell like newspaper but as it is on somewhat thicker and higher quality paper, it does also feel a bit fancier.
C: Of course that is intentional. Because the whole book is meant to look like newspaper pages. The idea is that each page shows you the front pages of a newspaper from a specific time in American history.
S: Well, they are kind of fictional, right? I mean, in the sense that probably no newspaper actually printed these things. But the content is supposed to be factual.
C: Yes, true. I don’t think anyone was printing newspapers back in 15,000 BCE. But there is a news piece titled “Land Bridge From Asia Under Threat” for that date. And there was not even an America back then. I mean it was definitely not called America.
S: You are right Caramel. But I like the idea, definitely. The title is “America As It Happened” and newspapers report on events as they are happening, so it makes sense.
C: Yep.
S: So tell me a bit more. You mentioned the land bridge and that was way back in time. Is that the earliest thing that the book mentions?
C: No. The very first thing is “Stalking Giant Sloths” and it is dated 21,000 BCE. It is saying that a community of hunter-gatherers stalked and hunted giant sloths. And then there are a few other articles all before 1600 but with lots of time between each. Of course we did not keep written records of what happened back then, so they only have a few things to tell. But then from 1600 on, things get busier. Each century gets its own section. And each section is about twenty to forty pages or so.
S: So then there is the prehistory and then 1600-1700, 1700-1800, 1800-1900, 1900-2000?
C: Yes. And the last section is what has happened since 2000. Of course that is the most important one because I was born in that century.
S: A lot of other young bunnies would agree, I am sure.
Caramel is reading America As It Happened: A Moment-by-Moment Journey Through Time, From Prehistory to the Present Day.
S: The book was published in 2026. So it gets us to today?
C: Kind of. The last item is “The Land of Liberty Turns 250”, so that is July 4, 2026. So it goes even beyond today!
S: Cool! I saw that there were entries for quite a lot of the important historical events that I can remember, and a lot of earlier events I knew about. But there were quite a lot of things I did not know. Did you learn anything new from this book?
C: Of course. I am a very young bunny. And even though I know a lot of history, there has been a lot of history before me. And a lot of things I know about but maybe not enough. For example I know about the Ford Model T, but the article on it was a lot more detailed than what I knew. For example, I didn’t know that the first factory was able to build only 11 cars a month. So learning that was cool.
S: Great! I found it fun to flip through the pages of the book myself. What else can we tell our readers about the book?
C: Hmm, let me think. Maybe we can tell them that the bottom of each page has a continuing timeline, with smaller items for more specific things that happen that are important but did not get the flashy headlines. And at the end of the book there is a glossary. That is kind of like a dictionary, where some of the important big words get definitions so you don’t have to find a dictionary yourself.
S: Yeah I saw that. And the definitions provided are kind of simplified. I think the book is intended for younger bunnies, so they define words in somewhat simpler terms.
C: I saw that they defined anarchist as “a believer in anarchism. This is the idea that society should be organized without leaders and that people should work together because they want to, not because they are forced to”. That must be simplistic then, because that sounds kind of like when young bunny friends get together and play. And people seem to think anarchists are bad, but the way they define it does not sound too bad.
S: Yeah, it can work for a group of four or five young bunnies, not to have any leaders or organizing systems, but when you have a lot more bunnies involved and a lot more things to coordinate, things can get really unwieldy without at least a somewhat rigid structure. And throughout history, some folks who called themselves anarchists resorted to violence, so there is that, too. Wikipedia has a decent article on the topic. So yes the glossary is intended for younger bunnies so it does simplify a lot of things. Technically they are accurate but because they have to be so simple, they do miss out on some details and nuance.
C: Still, they can be helpful when reading. I guess if one is curious or confused they could look things up on Wikipedia.
S: I agree. Overall the glossary is helpful, I’d say.
C: Me too.
S: So Caramel, maybe this is a good time to wrap this review up.
C: Sure. Wednesdays are always school nights.
S: Yep. So what would you like to tell our readers?
C: Stay tuned for more book bunny reviews!
Caramel enjoyed reading America As It Happened: A Moment-by-Moment Journey Through Time, From Prehistory to the Present Day and believes he will continue to enjoy looking through its pages every now and then.
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