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Tanglewreck #2
The Battle of the Sun
Imagine a city made of gold, and each thing in it made of gold, and every person as golden as a precious statue. . . .A magus dreams of turning London into a city of gold, but he cannot do it alone and so he kidnaps a child called Jack, who he is sure will help him realise his ambition. But Jack is not a willing assistant and instead he embarks on a magical adventure to save the city, release a dragon and set free seven other boys kidnapped in the past.An enchanting novel filled with magic and mystery.
391 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
17 people are currently reading
746 people want to read
About the author
Jeanette Winterson
125 books7,753 followersNovelist Jeanette Winterson was born in Manchester, England in 1959. She was adopted and brought up in Accrington, Lancashire, in the north of England. Her strict Pentecostal Evangelist upbringing provides the background to her acclaimed first novel, Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit, published in 1985. She graduated from St Catherine's College, Oxford, and moved to London where she worked as an assistant editor at Pandora Press.
One of the most original voices in British fiction to emerge during the 1980s, Winterson was named as one of the 20 "Best of Young British Writers" in a promotion run jointly between the literary magazine Granta and the Book Marketing Council.
She adapted Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit for BBC television in 1990 and also wrote "Great Moments in Aviation," a television screenplay directed by Beeban Kidron for BBC2 in 1994. She is editor of a series of new editions of novels by Virginia Woolf published in the UK by Vintage. She is a regular contributor of reviews and articles to many newspapers and journals and has a regular column published in The Guardian. Her radio drama includes the play Text Message, broadcast by BBC Radio in November 2001.
Winterson lives in Gloucestershire and London. Her work is published in 28 countries.
One of the most original voices in British fiction to emerge during the 1980s, Winterson was named as one of the 20 "Best of Young British Writers" in a promotion run jointly between the literary magazine Granta and the Book Marketing Council.
She adapted Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit for BBC television in 1990 and also wrote "Great Moments in Aviation," a television screenplay directed by Beeban Kidron for BBC2 in 1994. She is editor of a series of new editions of novels by Virginia Woolf published in the UK by Vintage. She is a regular contributor of reviews and articles to many newspapers and journals and has a regular column published in The Guardian. Her radio drama includes the play Text Message, broadcast by BBC Radio in November 2001.
Winterson lives in Gloucestershire and London. Her work is published in 28 countries.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
June 5, 2016
I'm really torn on how to rate this book. If I could give it 3.5 stars, I would. Because it's Jeanette Winterson, I'm going to round up... I adore Ms. Winterson and often say that I'll read anything she writes (yes, even her grocery list). Something about Battle of the Sun disappointed me, though. Can't quite put my finger on it. Perhaps it's her lack of solid plot. It works brilliantly in her adult fiction, allowing for the fusion of poetry and prose. There's enough of a plot in those books to make them move. Reading them, I could certainly tell you the context, the happenings, the set-up. But nothing "happens" in the sense of The Bourne Identity, say, or even Harry Potter. And while I think this works for "The Passion," it doesn't seem so fabulous in a children's book. Some things happen far too quickly in this story, even when they ought to take forever. JW describes the stone house nicely, but action scenes feel lacking. If I wasn't so used to reading books for kids and teens, I might be less critical. However, there are some truly great things happen in the Children's/YA sphere, and I don't know if "Battle of the Sun" will appeal to those audiences. It appeals to me because JW's writing is gorgeous and brilliant as ever. But I want more of a plot in a children's book than I want in an adult book. If you liked "Tanglewreck," you'll like "The Battle of the Sun" just fine [and if you haven't read Tanglewreck, you should absolutely, 100-percent do that first].
November 22, 2018
Reviewed for The Bibliophibian.
I remember quite enjoying Tanglewreck, so I was somewhat surprised to be rather unhappy with The Battle of the Sun. The opening is fairly promising — the description of Jack being so, so eager for his spaniel, so full of thoughts of the spaniel, that he’s practically a spaniel himself, it really works and paints exactly the picture it needs to. Not that vivid imagery has ever been a problem for Winterson, and it’s so surprise that her writing is poetic and vivid and phantasmagoric.
However, it’s also quicksilver, jumping from thought to thought, and things aren’t explained — they just happen, one after another, and who knows why? I can’t remember if I found Tanglewreck to be like that, but I can’t say I enjoyed it in this book. In the end, I zipped through to the end on my ereader and put it down with a sigh of relief. Just not one that worked for me.
I remember quite enjoying Tanglewreck, so I was somewhat surprised to be rather unhappy with The Battle of the Sun. The opening is fairly promising — the description of Jack being so, so eager for his spaniel, so full of thoughts of the spaniel, that he’s practically a spaniel himself, it really works and paints exactly the picture it needs to. Not that vivid imagery has ever been a problem for Winterson, and it’s so surprise that her writing is poetic and vivid and phantasmagoric.
However, it’s also quicksilver, jumping from thought to thought, and things aren’t explained — they just happen, one after another, and who knows why? I can’t remember if I found Tanglewreck to be like that, but I can’t say I enjoyed it in this book. In the end, I zipped through to the end on my ereader and put it down with a sigh of relief. Just not one that worked for me.
October 26, 2009
Jeanette Winterson can really write anything she wants...picture books, narratives for the young and old and all are well-thought through and crafted with mastery. This latest is a great piece if historical and magical fiction. Includes a few characters from Tanglewreck if there are those who what to go back and refresh, but it's not essential to do so. A grand adventure.
April 11, 2025
3.5
“Londra, XVII secolo. Jack viene rapito nel giorno del suo dodicesimo compleanno, mentre costeggia tranquillamente il Tamigi. Si ritrova prigioniero del Magus, un essere malvagio che grazie alle sue conoscenze alchemiche vuole trasformare in oro l’intera città di Londra, e per far questo ha bisogno proprio di Jack. La situazione si fa disastrosa quando il Magus riesce nel suo intento di trasformare tutto in oro e, a un iniziale entusiasmo degli abitanti, segue la lotta spasmodica per la ricchezza e poi la disperazione della fame. Solo Jack può combattere la “battaglia del sole” e restituire Londra alla normalità, ma nessuno può dirgli come...Avvincente, originale, ricco di personaggi perfettamente ideati, il romanzo può vantare una scrittura curatissima, e tematiche forti, come l’amicizia, la forza dell’amore madre-figlio e l’avidità dell’uomo, in una moderna interpretazione del mito di re Mida.” (fonte Aazon).
Dato che mi piacciono tantissimo le rivisitazioni dei miti, dopo aver letto la trama, mi sono buttata a capofitto su questo romanzo, che più che rivistare la mitologia, è un bell’omaggio all’alchimia e al processo che conduce all’oro interiore.
È la storia di Jack, che viene rapito dal Magus, perché Jack è il Ragazzo Radiante, il pezzo che serve all’uomo per completare il suo piano e trasformare Londra in oro e ricattare la regina.
Non è tanto l’oro, l’obiettivo del Magus, ma il Potere. E si serve di qualsiasi mezzo per averlo – dal rapimento, alla trasformazione in pietra di quei ragazzi che hanno fallito nella missione, al creare una creatura e poi segarla a metà per scopi di “ricerca”, ad esperimenti che hanno dato vita all’Occhistrello).
Jack, però, è un ragazzo molto più forte e coraggioso di quello che il Magus crede e, soprattutto non è solo e ha un cuore grande, forse troppo. Ad aiutarlo ci sono la madre, Max- il suo cucciolo di cocker spaniel- l’alchimista John Dee e una ragazza che viene dal futuro e che si chiama Argenta.
Chi vincerà tra il Magus e il giovane Jack? Scopritelo in questa storia che contiene al suo interno grandi perle di saggezza e che mescola alchimia, folklore, magia, mistero e mitologia.
È stata una lettura affascinante, diversa dalle ultime che sto facendo recentemente e mi ci voleva tornare a questo genere di storie che, per certi aspetti (ma in maniera meno complicata) mi han ricordato “Piranesi” di Susanna Clarke c’è quell’alone di mistero e magia, un senso del tempo alterato che si scontra con il Tempo con la T maiuscola, c’è una persona che viaggia su diversi piani temporali… tante piccole cose che mi hanno riportato alla mente Piranesi e il suo albatros.
La scrittura è semplice, pulita, si sente che è pensato per ragazzi, ed è stato davvero bello seguire Jack nelle sue avventure. È stato stupendo trovare un Drago e la sua grande saggezza, il suo parlare per enigmi come fosse una sfinge. E il suo donarsi e trasformarsi, sapendo che c’è un ciclo continuo di vita-morte-vita.
È stato bello vedere come evolvono i personaggi- buoni e cattivi- e arrivare ad un finale dove resta un piccolo, luminoso, dubbio.
Per questa storia il mio voto è 3 stelle e mezzo, sento che qualcosa mi è come sfuggito, scivolato via, come quando si è fatto un bel sogno, ma di cui al risveglio si ricorda poco…ma mi rimane una bellissima sensazione di calore, in questo caso dovuta alla grande forza e al grande coraggio di questo protagonista.
Vi lascio una citazione, tra le tante che meriterebbero di essere riportate:
“quello è il vero oro- disse John Dee- ed è il più difficile da ottenere. L’oro interiore di cui parliamo non può essere comprato, né venduto né scambiato al mercato. È tuo e tuo solamente. E il sole è il suo emblema. E la battaglia viene combattuta e persa ogni giorno. E a volte viene vinta”
Buone letture e alla prossima!
“Londra, XVII secolo. Jack viene rapito nel giorno del suo dodicesimo compleanno, mentre costeggia tranquillamente il Tamigi. Si ritrova prigioniero del Magus, un essere malvagio che grazie alle sue conoscenze alchemiche vuole trasformare in oro l’intera città di Londra, e per far questo ha bisogno proprio di Jack. La situazione si fa disastrosa quando il Magus riesce nel suo intento di trasformare tutto in oro e, a un iniziale entusiasmo degli abitanti, segue la lotta spasmodica per la ricchezza e poi la disperazione della fame. Solo Jack può combattere la “battaglia del sole” e restituire Londra alla normalità, ma nessuno può dirgli come...Avvincente, originale, ricco di personaggi perfettamente ideati, il romanzo può vantare una scrittura curatissima, e tematiche forti, come l’amicizia, la forza dell’amore madre-figlio e l’avidità dell’uomo, in una moderna interpretazione del mito di re Mida.” (fonte Aazon).
Dato che mi piacciono tantissimo le rivisitazioni dei miti, dopo aver letto la trama, mi sono buttata a capofitto su questo romanzo, che più che rivistare la mitologia, è un bell’omaggio all’alchimia e al processo che conduce all’oro interiore.
È la storia di Jack, che viene rapito dal Magus, perché Jack è il Ragazzo Radiante, il pezzo che serve all’uomo per completare il suo piano e trasformare Londra in oro e ricattare la regina.
Non è tanto l’oro, l’obiettivo del Magus, ma il Potere. E si serve di qualsiasi mezzo per averlo – dal rapimento, alla trasformazione in pietra di quei ragazzi che hanno fallito nella missione, al creare una creatura e poi segarla a metà per scopi di “ricerca”, ad esperimenti che hanno dato vita all’Occhistrello).
Jack, però, è un ragazzo molto più forte e coraggioso di quello che il Magus crede e, soprattutto non è solo e ha un cuore grande, forse troppo. Ad aiutarlo ci sono la madre, Max- il suo cucciolo di cocker spaniel- l’alchimista John Dee e una ragazza che viene dal futuro e che si chiama Argenta.
Chi vincerà tra il Magus e il giovane Jack? Scopritelo in questa storia che contiene al suo interno grandi perle di saggezza e che mescola alchimia, folklore, magia, mistero e mitologia.
È stata una lettura affascinante, diversa dalle ultime che sto facendo recentemente e mi ci voleva tornare a questo genere di storie che, per certi aspetti (ma in maniera meno complicata) mi han ricordato “Piranesi” di Susanna Clarke c’è quell’alone di mistero e magia, un senso del tempo alterato che si scontra con il Tempo con la T maiuscola, c’è una persona che viaggia su diversi piani temporali… tante piccole cose che mi hanno riportato alla mente Piranesi e il suo albatros.
La scrittura è semplice, pulita, si sente che è pensato per ragazzi, ed è stato davvero bello seguire Jack nelle sue avventure. È stato stupendo trovare un Drago e la sua grande saggezza, il suo parlare per enigmi come fosse una sfinge. E il suo donarsi e trasformarsi, sapendo che c’è un ciclo continuo di vita-morte-vita.
È stato bello vedere come evolvono i personaggi- buoni e cattivi- e arrivare ad un finale dove resta un piccolo, luminoso, dubbio.
Per questa storia il mio voto è 3 stelle e mezzo, sento che qualcosa mi è come sfuggito, scivolato via, come quando si è fatto un bel sogno, ma di cui al risveglio si ricorda poco…ma mi rimane una bellissima sensazione di calore, in questo caso dovuta alla grande forza e al grande coraggio di questo protagonista.
Vi lascio una citazione, tra le tante che meriterebbero di essere riportate:
“quello è il vero oro- disse John Dee- ed è il più difficile da ottenere. L’oro interiore di cui parliamo non può essere comprato, né venduto né scambiato al mercato. È tuo e tuo solamente. E il sole è il suo emblema. E la battaglia viene combattuta e persa ogni giorno. E a volte viene vinta”
Buone letture e alla prossima!
October 25, 2017
„Es gibt alles“, sagte John Dee. „Man muss es nur finden.“
Zitat aus „Der Alchimist von London“
FAKTEN
Das Buch „Der Alchemist von London“ von Jeanette Winterson erschien erstmals 2009 unter dem Titel „The battle oft the Sun“ bei Bloomsbury Publishing und 2010 in Deutsch bei Berlin Verlag. Derzeit ist es zu Deutsch nur als Hardcover und gebraucht zu bekommen. Nur in der englischen gibt es das Buch als Print und eBook.
KURZMEINUNG
Eine sprachliche Besonderheit. Niedlich und doch ernst konfrontiert diese Fantasy mit der Gier des Menschen und der Notwendigkeit des Selbstvertrauens.
KLAPPENTEXT
Die Hitze verschlägt Jack den Atem. Im Labor des Magiers lodert ein mächtiges Feuer, zwei Jungen betätigen einen überdimensionalen Blasebalg. Gefäße mit Köpfen und Gliedmaßen darin reihen sich auf den Regalen, in den Reagenzgläsern brodelt es. Der Magus wirft eine Handvoll Staub ins Feuer, und plötzlich erscheint seine Vision einer goldenen Stadt: London Bridge, St. Pauls Kathedrale, die Themse - alles aus Gold. Der dunkle Magus ist seinem Ziel so nah wie nie. Allein die Kräfte des Auserwählten Jack fehlen ihm, um seinen heimtückischen Plan in die Tat umzusetzen. Mit seinem untrüglichen Gespür für Gut und Böse stellt sich Jack dem Magier entgegen. Doch wird er den bösen Alchemisten aufhalten und London retten können? Mit jeder Zeile dieses Buches stellt Jeanette Winterson ihre Lust am Erzählen unter Beweis: Der Alchemist von London ist ein Feuerwerk ihrer Fabulierkunst und ihrer unbändigen Fantasie.
SCHREIBSTIL/ CHARAKTERE
Bei diesem Buch handelt es sich um ein sprachliches Kleinod. Einen solchen Stil muss man sicher mögen und er ist nicht für jeden Leser geeignet, ich selbst mag aber diese wunderschöne und blühende Erzählung. Die Autorin hat oft kurze und dafür aussagekräftige Sätze. Dann wieder etwas länger und oft hat sie ausführliche Aufzählungen, doch bei dieser Geschichte stört das nicht. Es gehört zu ihr, als Teil der Atmosphäre. Dieses Buch folgt seiner eigenen sprachlichen Melodie – und ich fand sie wunderbar.
Für mich las es sich flüssig und vor allem sehr zügig. Ich warne jedoch davor, das Buch als seichte Lektüre für zwischendurch hernehmen zu wollen. Dafür eignet es sich nicht. Man muss schon seinen Kopf einschalten und eventuell auch mal zwischen den Zeilen lesen. Der Stil ist anspruchsvoll und die Thematik ernst, auch wenn sie liebevoll in die Fantastik eingewickelt ist. Die Gier des Menschen wird sein Untergang …
Der Protagonist ist erst 12 Jahre alt und ich frage mich noch immer, ob ich das Buch als Jugendbuch einstufen möchte. Doch die Erfahrung hat gezeigt, dass Erwachsene oft anders lesen und die Dinge anders nehmen als Kinder. Darum denke ich, dass 12 ein gutes Alter ist, um dieses Buch zu lesen. Auch wenn die Kinder sich heutzutage leider sicher mit der Sprache schwertun, die dann doch gehobener ist, als das Umgangsdeutsch der heutigen Zeit ;)
Die Charaktere sind hier einzigartig und anders. Jack ist für sein Alter doch sehr reif, jedoch nicht übertrieben. Die Leute um den Magus herum haben alle ihre Eigenheiten und sind eher speziell ;) Am liebsten mochte ich neben Jack den kleinen Crispis und den Drachen – aber lest selbst, weshalb das so war. ;)
MEIN FAZIT
Eine wundervolle Geschichte, die den Deckmantel der Fantastik hernimmt, um die Gier des Menschen und die Notwendigkeit des Vertrauens in sich selbst aufgreift. Der bezaubernde Schreibstil der Autorin hat ihr Übriges dazu beigetragen, mich für diese Geschichte zu begeistern.
MEINE BEWERTUNG
Hier gibt es 5 von 5 Zahnrädchen.
©Teja Ciolczyk, 25.10.2017
Zitat aus „Der Alchimist von London“
FAKTEN
Das Buch „Der Alchemist von London“ von Jeanette Winterson erschien erstmals 2009 unter dem Titel „The battle oft the Sun“ bei Bloomsbury Publishing und 2010 in Deutsch bei Berlin Verlag. Derzeit ist es zu Deutsch nur als Hardcover und gebraucht zu bekommen. Nur in der englischen gibt es das Buch als Print und eBook.
KURZMEINUNG
Eine sprachliche Besonderheit. Niedlich und doch ernst konfrontiert diese Fantasy mit der Gier des Menschen und der Notwendigkeit des Selbstvertrauens.
KLAPPENTEXT
Die Hitze verschlägt Jack den Atem. Im Labor des Magiers lodert ein mächtiges Feuer, zwei Jungen betätigen einen überdimensionalen Blasebalg. Gefäße mit Köpfen und Gliedmaßen darin reihen sich auf den Regalen, in den Reagenzgläsern brodelt es. Der Magus wirft eine Handvoll Staub ins Feuer, und plötzlich erscheint seine Vision einer goldenen Stadt: London Bridge, St. Pauls Kathedrale, die Themse - alles aus Gold. Der dunkle Magus ist seinem Ziel so nah wie nie. Allein die Kräfte des Auserwählten Jack fehlen ihm, um seinen heimtückischen Plan in die Tat umzusetzen. Mit seinem untrüglichen Gespür für Gut und Böse stellt sich Jack dem Magier entgegen. Doch wird er den bösen Alchemisten aufhalten und London retten können? Mit jeder Zeile dieses Buches stellt Jeanette Winterson ihre Lust am Erzählen unter Beweis: Der Alchemist von London ist ein Feuerwerk ihrer Fabulierkunst und ihrer unbändigen Fantasie.
SCHREIBSTIL/ CHARAKTERE
Bei diesem Buch handelt es sich um ein sprachliches Kleinod. Einen solchen Stil muss man sicher mögen und er ist nicht für jeden Leser geeignet, ich selbst mag aber diese wunderschöne und blühende Erzählung. Die Autorin hat oft kurze und dafür aussagekräftige Sätze. Dann wieder etwas länger und oft hat sie ausführliche Aufzählungen, doch bei dieser Geschichte stört das nicht. Es gehört zu ihr, als Teil der Atmosphäre. Dieses Buch folgt seiner eigenen sprachlichen Melodie – und ich fand sie wunderbar.
Für mich las es sich flüssig und vor allem sehr zügig. Ich warne jedoch davor, das Buch als seichte Lektüre für zwischendurch hernehmen zu wollen. Dafür eignet es sich nicht. Man muss schon seinen Kopf einschalten und eventuell auch mal zwischen den Zeilen lesen. Der Stil ist anspruchsvoll und die Thematik ernst, auch wenn sie liebevoll in die Fantastik eingewickelt ist. Die Gier des Menschen wird sein Untergang …
Der Protagonist ist erst 12 Jahre alt und ich frage mich noch immer, ob ich das Buch als Jugendbuch einstufen möchte. Doch die Erfahrung hat gezeigt, dass Erwachsene oft anders lesen und die Dinge anders nehmen als Kinder. Darum denke ich, dass 12 ein gutes Alter ist, um dieses Buch zu lesen. Auch wenn die Kinder sich heutzutage leider sicher mit der Sprache schwertun, die dann doch gehobener ist, als das Umgangsdeutsch der heutigen Zeit ;)
Die Charaktere sind hier einzigartig und anders. Jack ist für sein Alter doch sehr reif, jedoch nicht übertrieben. Die Leute um den Magus herum haben alle ihre Eigenheiten und sind eher speziell ;) Am liebsten mochte ich neben Jack den kleinen Crispis und den Drachen – aber lest selbst, weshalb das so war. ;)
MEIN FAZIT
Eine wundervolle Geschichte, die den Deckmantel der Fantastik hernimmt, um die Gier des Menschen und die Notwendigkeit des Vertrauens in sich selbst aufgreift. Der bezaubernde Schreibstil der Autorin hat ihr Übriges dazu beigetragen, mich für diese Geschichte zu begeistern.
MEINE BEWERTUNG
Hier gibt es 5 von 5 Zahnrädchen.
©Teja Ciolczyk, 25.10.2017
April 24, 2020
I make the point that this book is a sequel to Tanglewreck first, because I did not realise this when I bought it, and I think the story would have worked better had I read the first one first.
But despite my occasional confusion, this was a wonderful adventure set mostly at the turn of the 17th century, where Jack Snap is swept up into the nefarious plans of a magician who cares little for the lives of thsoe he harms, and is plotting to bring down Queen Elizabeth (the ginger one).
The plan involves the alchemists dream of creating gold - not just from lead but from anything using stolen magic from the boys who serve him. But Jack finds help from Silver, heroine of Tanglewreck, who travels in time to aid Jack in his hour of need.
This is where I got confused, and I note that another reviewer says that readers of this book should be able to read it as a standalone. Once Silver enters the story though, I was left feeling I was missing a large chunk of important information, and though I could follow the story without it, I would say that any potential readers are well advised to read that first book first, rather than assume this book works as a standalone.
That is not a criticism of the story though. Read both books because they are great, and ideal for their intended young adult audience. They work for adult readers too. Although not profound, these are thoroughly entertaining, imaginative and original stories.
But despite my occasional confusion, this was a wonderful adventure set mostly at the turn of the 17th century, where Jack Snap is swept up into the nefarious plans of a magician who cares little for the lives of thsoe he harms, and is plotting to bring down Queen Elizabeth (the ginger one).
The plan involves the alchemists dream of creating gold - not just from lead but from anything using stolen magic from the boys who serve him. But Jack finds help from Silver, heroine of Tanglewreck, who travels in time to aid Jack in his hour of need.
This is where I got confused, and I note that another reviewer says that readers of this book should be able to read it as a standalone. Once Silver enters the story though, I was left feeling I was missing a large chunk of important information, and though I could follow the story without it, I would say that any potential readers are well advised to read that first book first, rather than assume this book works as a standalone.
That is not a criticism of the story though. Read both books because they are great, and ideal for their intended young adult audience. They work for adult readers too. Although not profound, these are thoroughly entertaining, imaginative and original stories.
Read
October 20, 2020This book was very interesting and made me not want to stop reading, i was always urging to find out what happened next. My favorite character in the book was honestly the dog, this was because the dog showed bravery and compassion, he was always looking out for his owner. One of my favorite events in the book was definitely when jack got saved by the growing sunflower. One part of the book that really had me guessing and confused was when jack gave his powers to the magnus, it just really had me guessing because he then had nothing and knew nothing so i didn't understand what was going to happen next. Overall the book had a great pace and was really good in my opinion and it just really kept you guessing all the way through.
September 24, 2017
As always, Winterson is endlessly inventive, but this book was entirely too zany for my tastes. There are an overabundance of absurd things happening and no logic to be found anywhere. I also hadn't read Tanglewreck yet, and Silver's story suffered because it was heavily reliant on the reader's knowledge of it.
November 16, 2021
Jack Snap, son of an alchemist’s maid, is kidnapped by a sorcerer working his way though boys in his laboratory until he finds the Radiant Boy to help him with his ultimate magical work— turning London completely into gold.
Jack meets a dragon, and imprisoned king, and Silver from the Tanglewreck book. Can they save London together? Or does Jack need to do it on his own?
Jack meets a dragon, and imprisoned king, and Silver from the Tanglewreck book. Can they save London together? Or does Jack need to do it on his own?
January 28, 2018
Rather poetic; meaningful messages.
February 18, 2021
It got better as it went on, but I really didn't enjoy it at first. It felt very chaotic and hard to follow, with random elements thrown in with no explanation.
July 26, 2023
Maybe this book is swollen with her personal memories, so it is not very attractive to me. It is just a good book, but I don’t like very much.
March 19, 2011
It is London in 1601, but things are not quite as history would have us believe. The life of the young protagonist, Jack, is about to take a turn away from the future planned out for him, and he goes from being a pawn in a game played by others to one where his resourcefulness and bravery lead to his his transformation into a person of some power.
'The Battle of the Sun' comes over as dreamlike, with figures from alchemical treatises, supernatural happenings and irrational actions all assuming an aura of reality and plausibility as often happens in dreams. Jeanette Winterson's declared mode of writing here is to let the action emerge from the situations she conjures up, and much of the first part of the book introduces characters and places and scenarios that seemingly lack resolution until a character from another of her children's novels intrudes herself, at which point the plot gathers momentum and a sense of direction before reaching a satisfying conclusion.
Winterson is a poet, and much of the writing is poetic, from the doggerel and rhyming couplets of the Creature to the evocative descriptions of the sights and smells of 17th century London, from the turns of phrase employed in the narrative to the alchemical imagery which lingers in the mind. The poetry is what helps to save this novel from being merely a prosaic description of fantastical happenings manipulating the dramatis personae and it is poetry which gives the story its own personality. That said, I was just a little disengaged by some of the characters who often appeared to be mere ciphers in the action rather than real fleshed-out individuals.
This novel apparently didn't set out to be a sequel-cum-prequel to 'Tanglewreck' but that is what it became. And the end of 'The Battle of the Sun' hints that, even if the girl Silver feels it is almost just a dream, there are loose threads to tie up and that the dream (if that is what it is) has not ended. I look forward to hearing more of Silver and Jack.
'The Battle of the Sun' comes over as dreamlike, with figures from alchemical treatises, supernatural happenings and irrational actions all assuming an aura of reality and plausibility as often happens in dreams. Jeanette Winterson's declared mode of writing here is to let the action emerge from the situations she conjures up, and much of the first part of the book introduces characters and places and scenarios that seemingly lack resolution until a character from another of her children's novels intrudes herself, at which point the plot gathers momentum and a sense of direction before reaching a satisfying conclusion.
Winterson is a poet, and much of the writing is poetic, from the doggerel and rhyming couplets of the Creature to the evocative descriptions of the sights and smells of 17th century London, from the turns of phrase employed in the narrative to the alchemical imagery which lingers in the mind. The poetry is what helps to save this novel from being merely a prosaic description of fantastical happenings manipulating the dramatis personae and it is poetry which gives the story its own personality. That said, I was just a little disengaged by some of the characters who often appeared to be mere ciphers in the action rather than real fleshed-out individuals.
This novel apparently didn't set out to be a sequel-cum-prequel to 'Tanglewreck' but that is what it became. And the end of 'The Battle of the Sun' hints that, even if the girl Silver feels it is almost just a dream, there are loose threads to tie up and that the dream (if that is what it is) has not ended. I look forward to hearing more of Silver and Jack.
February 7, 2012
Battle of The Sun is an astounding book by Jeanette Winterson. It features Jack who on the afternoon of his twelfth birthday gets kidnapped by a Magus. Upon arriving at the Magus' dwelling, Jack quickly befriends the four other boys who share in his misery and misfortune. As they misadventure together, Jack discovers the true meaning of love and friendship. Jack explores the house and finds two halves of the same living creature-the Magus' Servants, a phoenix, a sunken king and a bargaining dragon. Jack plots to escape from the house and go home before he helps the Magus turn the entire city of London, from people to rivers to buildings, into gold.
I liked the scene where Silver, a girl from the 21st century, gets thrown into a cauldron full of mercury and becomes an infinite amount of tiny Silvers. Winterson really had me believe that she was gone for good. It was sad because Silver was one of the main characters and the relationship between her and Jack was like a brother and sister. Another one of my favorite scenes was when Jack first met the dragon. It was interesting to see how at first, Jack didn't fully trust the dragon. The dragon always talked in riddles and whenever Jack wanted something from the dragon, Jack hadx to do something in return. Jack was really cautious while near him but their friendship and trust grew over time. The Magus' power was also growing but Jacks will to overcome that power grew too. The dragon did a deed for Jack just before he died, at the beginning of the Battle of the Sun.
I would recommend this book for younger readers in the fourth or fifth grade although it has some old English which can sometimes be a little tricky to understand.
I liked the scene where Silver, a girl from the 21st century, gets thrown into a cauldron full of mercury and becomes an infinite amount of tiny Silvers. Winterson really had me believe that she was gone for good. It was sad because Silver was one of the main characters and the relationship between her and Jack was like a brother and sister. Another one of my favorite scenes was when Jack first met the dragon. It was interesting to see how at first, Jack didn't fully trust the dragon. The dragon always talked in riddles and whenever Jack wanted something from the dragon, Jack hadx to do something in return. Jack was really cautious while near him but their friendship and trust grew over time. The Magus' power was also growing but Jacks will to overcome that power grew too. The dragon did a deed for Jack just before he died, at the beginning of the Battle of the Sun.
I would recommend this book for younger readers in the fourth or fifth grade although it has some old English which can sometimes be a little tricky to understand.
July 12, 2015
The caveat first: it's a kids' book, so I'm not the intended audience. I'm trying to think back to what books I'd have read at that age. Robert Heinlein's juvenile novels (Red Planet, etc). Dracula. Mike Moorcock's Mars books. Very different.
It's full of inventive ideas and Ms Winterson is obviously enjoying herself, to such an extent that it often feels as if she's making it up as she goes along. That's okay, by the way, as long as you don't drop any plates. And she doesn't.
The style is lush and lyrical, but feels a little repetitive after a while. No doubt that's deliberate (it creates an incantatory feel) so is only a complaint from an adult reader's perspective.
Likewise the perfunctory characterization. It's like a fairytale, so there's no depth or complexity there. A character is brave, or devious, or ruthless, or honest, and motivations are: greed, love, fear. Lacking that, it reads like a role-playing game write-up in which characters are seen doing things but we never really go inside them. I'd have preferred fewer characters with more time given to them, but children now have different expectations from when I was reading Heinlein and Stoker.
Btw I only discovered halfway through that it's sort of a sequel to Ms Winterson's other kids' book, Tanglewreck. I'm not sure that matters - you can read this one on its own - but it was odd.
It's full of inventive ideas and Ms Winterson is obviously enjoying herself, to such an extent that it often feels as if she's making it up as she goes along. That's okay, by the way, as long as you don't drop any plates. And she doesn't.
The style is lush and lyrical, but feels a little repetitive after a while. No doubt that's deliberate (it creates an incantatory feel) so is only a complaint from an adult reader's perspective.
Likewise the perfunctory characterization. It's like a fairytale, so there's no depth or complexity there. A character is brave, or devious, or ruthless, or honest, and motivations are: greed, love, fear. Lacking that, it reads like a role-playing game write-up in which characters are seen doing things but we never really go inside them. I'd have preferred fewer characters with more time given to them, but children now have different expectations from when I was reading Heinlein and Stoker.
Btw I only discovered halfway through that it's sort of a sequel to Ms Winterson's other kids' book, Tanglewreck. I'm not sure that matters - you can read this one on its own - but it was odd.
April 15, 2014
Imagine
A city made of gold, and each thing in it made of gold, and every person as golden as a precious statue, and the Thames itself a flowing golden god, where a dropped line would hook a golden fish. . .
This story is about a man called the Magus. He dreams of turning London into a grand city of gold, but he can’t do it alone. So he kidnaps a child called Jack, who he is sure will help him realise his ambition. But Jack is not a willing assistant and instead he embarks on an adventure to save the city.
This is a sequel to the book Tanglewreck, which I haven’t read yet. It doesn’t really matter what order you read it in. They’re different stories altogether.
I liked this book because it wasn’t too fast or too slow, though it was pretty slow in some points. But it was made up by some interesting knowledge. The gaps are filled with quirky happenings. This story has a very original idea, and, as I say, the bizarrer, the better!
I’m not to happy with the characters. They seemed very flat, in my opinion. The writing wasn’t a mind-blower either.
This is a great book for enthusiastic readers in grades 3-5, but after then the novel seems a little simplistic. All in all, I give this book 3.5/5 smiley faces.
A city made of gold, and each thing in it made of gold, and every person as golden as a precious statue, and the Thames itself a flowing golden god, where a dropped line would hook a golden fish. . .
This story is about a man called the Magus. He dreams of turning London into a grand city of gold, but he can’t do it alone. So he kidnaps a child called Jack, who he is sure will help him realise his ambition. But Jack is not a willing assistant and instead he embarks on an adventure to save the city.
This is a sequel to the book Tanglewreck, which I haven’t read yet. It doesn’t really matter what order you read it in. They’re different stories altogether.
I liked this book because it wasn’t too fast or too slow, though it was pretty slow in some points. But it was made up by some interesting knowledge. The gaps are filled with quirky happenings. This story has a very original idea, and, as I say, the bizarrer, the better!
I’m not to happy with the characters. They seemed very flat, in my opinion. The writing wasn’t a mind-blower either.
This is a great book for enthusiastic readers in grades 3-5, but after then the novel seems a little simplistic. All in all, I give this book 3.5/5 smiley faces.
January 25, 2012
I liked this book, but I think it will turn out to be one of those books that in a years time I can't remember much of. The plot was interesting and had definite potential, but it felt so underdeveloped: some things happened way too quickly, also there were too many loose ends. My copy of this book says there's another book called Tanglewreck available, which might clue me in on the details I missed while reading The Battle Of The Sun, but because I was under the impression this was a stand-alone book, that kind of disappointed me.
The underdevelopment was a theme that also recurred in the characters. While I liked the main characters, the minor characters just weren't worked out as well. Plus I found it hard to get a grip on Jack, the main character, who suddenly seemed to change radically in the second half of the book. In the first half he's a confident boy who seems to know what to do, but this boy somehow disappears in this second half and turns into someone who's constantly persuaded to do another's will. It didn't add up for me.
But the story was still kind of exciting, and it was a nice read, so it still gets three stars from me.
The underdevelopment was a theme that also recurred in the characters. While I liked the main characters, the minor characters just weren't worked out as well. Plus I found it hard to get a grip on Jack, the main character, who suddenly seemed to change radically in the second half of the book. In the first half he's a confident boy who seems to know what to do, but this boy somehow disappears in this second half and turns into someone who's constantly persuaded to do another's will. It didn't add up for me.
But the story was still kind of exciting, and it was a nice read, so it still gets three stars from me.
Read
June 22, 2012I’d call this more a companion than a sequel to Tanglewreck, this time focusing on London in 1601, combining a folktale with a hero named Jack (just 12), who must complete many strange tasks to defeat the evil Magus and his plot to turn everything in the city into gold, with the perspective of a 21st-century girl named Silver, the protagonist of the earlier time-slip novel. The combination allows for pleasures like a string of Yoda-like statements finishing with the Dragon’s “‘what comes to pass is what comes to pass.’ Silver wondered if everyone she was going to meet was going to talk like this.” A few pages later, she says “‘this is the doing that you have to do,’ and then she realised that she was sounding as peculiar and enigmatic as the Dragon or the Knight.” So it’s a self-aware folktale with themes about true worth and identity and the power of love, and I can’t resist quoting some more: “‘The Magus was sometime a long time ago a Knight Templar,’ said the Dragon, ‘and every knight is also the dragon he must fight, and every dragon has within him a phoenix. Good and evil are not as simple as the world wishes them to be.’” Worth reading.
July 7, 2015
Unfortunately, I did not like this book at all! I finished it but did not enjoy it in the slightest. Hence the 2 star rating as I couldn't really give it any more than that in all fairness.
I loved the blurb and the cover and book was gorgeous, but in this case the book definitely did not live up to expectations.
I was annoyed by the fact that the book ended up being connected to another of the authors books Tanglewreck! Which I haven't read! I have it but I preferred the blurb on this one and decided on it instead! And what did I find about a third of a way in! References to Tanglewreck! It proceeded to tell me what happened in it so I've got no need to read it now - not that I actually want to anymore - but I was still annoyed as there was nothing on either book to indicate they were connected.
Unfortunately, I have nothing good to say about it, except I liked the short chapters which helped get me through it! Other than that it was a strange book and I did not care for the writing style. Buy the end I was just glad it was over! Very disappointing!
I loved the blurb and the cover and book was gorgeous, but in this case the book definitely did not live up to expectations.
I was annoyed by the fact that the book ended up being connected to another of the authors books Tanglewreck! Which I haven't read! I have it but I preferred the blurb on this one and decided on it instead! And what did I find about a third of a way in! References to Tanglewreck! It proceeded to tell me what happened in it so I've got no need to read it now - not that I actually want to anymore - but I was still annoyed as there was nothing on either book to indicate they were connected.
Unfortunately, I have nothing good to say about it, except I liked the short chapters which helped get me through it! Other than that it was a strange book and I did not care for the writing style. Buy the end I was just glad it was over! Very disappointing!
December 1, 2014
In Winterson's sequel to Tanglewreck we are thrown back into Elizabethan London and Jack is on his way home eager to take charge of his new puppy when he is kidnapped and kept prisoner in the grey stone of the house of the Magus, an alchemist who has found a way to turn London to gold and force Elizabeth I to cede power to him. As Silver is pulled through time from the present day and her previous battle to rescue the Timekeeper in Tanglewreck London starves and the children battle old and new enemies and encounter bizarre and magical creatures, an old dragon, a wraith like ancient king, a fearsome phoenix and a servant girl and man who are one person split in two. Brilliantly written and bringing to life the the reality of life in Elizabethan times, dirty, smelly, often wretched, impoverished and supersititious, thronging with people and created from living wood and trees.
March 11, 2012
Aimed at 9s – 12s. Set in an alternative London around 1600, this is the story of Jack, kidnapped by a Magus who believes him to be The Radiant Boy. Apprenticed against his will in a strange magical household, Jack encounters seven more kidnapped boys, the Sunken King, a Creature Sawn in Two (Wedge and Mistress Split) and The Knight Summoned. While he's looking for a way to escape the Magus and his strange alchemical experiments, his mother is trying to find him with the help of a local witch.
This seems to be a standalone until part way through there's a character introduced – Silver - who was the protagonist of the earlier 'Tanglewreck' and who has been brought back through time as The Golden Maiden.
This seems to be a standalone until part way through there's a character introduced – Silver - who was the protagonist of the earlier 'Tanglewreck' and who has been brought back through time as The Golden Maiden.
June 7, 2013
This was an amazing book based in 16th,17th, 18th century ( i forget which one) london, with an interesting plot, and great detail in the setting. The fantasy mixed great with with the time as all this wasn't that absurd. All the characters were special and soo cool, that i wanted so much to be in Jack's shoes.
May 14, 2014
Jeanette Winterson is one of my all-time favorite authors, and I was pretty excited about parts of this book: alchemy, medieval London, the way it feels like a bedtime story, where fantastical things happen, and even the narrator doesn't know what to expect. But eventually that trope stopped working for me, and then the book lead back to characters from the dread Tanglewreck book, and I just... got tired of reading it. If you liked Tanglewreck (and someone must have), then I think you will like this too.
May 6, 2013
I found this slightly less fun and thought-provoking than Winterson's previous novel for kids, Tanglewreck, which is also - surprisingly and happily - connected to this one. Lots of stuff in this, weird creatures, magic, good people, bad people, bad people turning good, stuff of legends and fairytales along with everyday stuff, and a suitable moral and happy ending... Not as fascinating as I hoped though. Not for me at least. Recommended for kids, though.
December 22, 2015
Probably a three and a half. The beginning has a taste of Neil Gaiman, plunging you right into the very weird action, which is related as very normal. There is also some big love for old England and some likeable characters. Agree with reviewers who were a little dissapointed, but it's tricky comparing her to herself...this was such a different type of book from her other works (except for the related Tanglewreck, which was written for her young goddaughters).
October 23, 2012
3.5
After a stellar start, the book gets lost halfway through trying to be a sequel to Winterson's first and less proficient YA novel, Tanglewreck. It winds up being a good but ultimately forgettable Elizabethan fantasy novel.
After a stellar start, the book gets lost halfway through trying to be a sequel to Winterson's first and less proficient YA novel, Tanglewreck. It winds up being a good but ultimately forgettable Elizabethan fantasy novel.
December 27, 2012
A beautifully written YA book, lots of great characters, I particularly like the Creature(s), a half man/woman made in a bottle and split in half to hop along together/not together being hateful and hated and wanting. I hadn't known Jeanette Winterson did YA and I will certainly check out Tanglewreck.
September 29, 2014
I always like to enjoy reading a children's or YA novel from time to time and this was a good choice.
Perhaps not quite as enjoyable as it's predecessor, Tanglewreck, but it is a worthy read.
I found the first half of the book stronger than the second but any fans of young adult fantasy or anyone who absolutely loves the mind of Jeanette Winterson will enjoy the whole journey.
Perhaps not quite as enjoyable as it's predecessor, Tanglewreck, but it is a worthy read.
I found the first half of the book stronger than the second but any fans of young adult fantasy or anyone who absolutely loves the mind of Jeanette Winterson will enjoy the whole journey.
April 5, 2015
This is an excellent book for pre-teens, especially boys, and YA/adults too. It's full of interesting and unusual characters, and the plot goes at a great pace and keeps twisting and turning. It uses a real historical context (16th century Elizabethan London) to tell a magical story of good winning over evil.
July 2, 2010
Loving how it links into Tanglewreck...was thinking all the way through though..this is leading to a third book and what dya know..cliffhanger! humpph! series writing authors!
JW is still my one true love though! xx
JW is still my one true love though! xx
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