I’ve just finished reading Susan Cooper’s The Dark is Rising sequence. I enjoyed it very much (who doesn’t enjoy tales of good triumphing over bad?) and this passage in particular resonated with me:
Gwion sighed. “So the Dark did a simple thing,” he said. “They showed the maker of the sword his own uncertainty and fear. Fear of having done the wrong thing - fear that having done this one great thing, he would never again be able to accomplish anything of great worth - fear of age, of insufficiency, of unmet promise. All such endless fears, that are the doom of people given the gift of making, and lie always somewhere in their minds. And gradually, he was put into despair. Fear grew in him, and he escaped from it into lethargy - and so hope died, and a terrible paralysing melancholy took its place. He is held by it now, he is held captive by his own mind. He, and the sword Eirias that he made; with him. Despair holds him prisoner, despair, the most terrible creation of all. For in great men, the mind can produce giant spectres of great power. And King Gwyddno is a great man.”
From Silver on the Tree, by Susan Cooper (p.708, part of The Dark is Rising sequence, Puffin books, 1984, p. 708).
I often go to the Save the Children Book Sales with a list of things I’m looking for, but what I like most about these book sales is the serendipity factor. I like not knowing what I’m going to come across. And I don’t particularly mind if I don’t find what I’m looking for.
Great finds from the South Perth Book Sale:
Japanese names: A comprehensive index by characters and readings by P.G. O’Neill. A very useful book. I occasionally read Japanese novels translated into Chinese, and having this book handy means I won’t have to read the Japanese names in their Chinese pronunications any longer. Thus I can confirm that 赤å·æ¬¡éƒŽ is Akagawa Jiro (Jiro Akagawa) and not Chichuan Cilang. And his characters are Harumi 晴美 and not Qingmei, Ishizu 石津 not Shijin, Katayama 片山 not Pianshan. Etc. (Makes me want to learn Japanese.)
Chinese calligraphy: An introduction to its aesthetic and technique by Chiang Yee. I’ve never had the opportunity to learn Chinese calligraphy. Maybe one of these days…
I always look for Maigret books by Georges Simenon. Usually I don’t find any, but this time I found Maigret en de bezoeker van zaterdag (Maigret et le client du samedi which has been translated into Maigret and the Saturday caller).
Can you tell that my favourite section is the foreign languages section?
Apparently, according to the flier they handed out at the sale, Save the Children will be opening a second hand bookshop in Tuart Hill (at 77 Wanneroo Road, to be exact) in mid-October. I’ll be interested to see what sorts of books they will sell there. If they’re creating a permanent venue for selling books, does this mean that the annual booksales will, over time, cease? I hope not.
The south of the river Save the Children Book Sale begins today!
It opens at 6pm this evening, until 9pm.
Then:
Saturday 9am - 5pm
Sunday 9am - 5pm
Monday 9am - 5:30pm
Tuesday 9am - 5:30pm
Wednesday 9am - noon
The venue: South Perth Civic Centre, South Terrace, South Perth
