This week, I picked up a book I've had my eye on for months: The Skull.
Barnes & Noble separated me from my hard-earned cash by offering this signed hard-cover edition at $3 off the cover price.
The Skull by Jon Klassen retells an old Tyrolian folk tale. What‘s old to some, though, was certainly new to me. Before reading this book, I'd never heard of the story or the region from whence it came. Of course, I've known about Switzerland and Austria for about as long as I've enjoyed eating chocolate, but somehow Tyrol, also located in the Alps, had escaped my notice. But now that I know about it, I long to visit and learn more about this land of fables. Check out these fantastic landscapes:
Let me know if you've ever visited this fair land.
Now back to the book that has expanded my world!
If a story about a girl and a talking skull seems creepy and odd...well, it is. But that's in keeping with most if not all, Germanic fables. Especially in their original tellings. Klassen himself had been haunted for years by this tale he'd read somewhere as a youngster. Finally, as an adult with the help of a resourceful librarian, he located the original story in a book of fables.
Upon rereading it, Klassen realized the story he'd replayed so many times in his mind was substantially different from his memory of it. So he had a choice. He could either slavishly adapt the original or go with his memory. He chose his recollection and the book benefits from this decision. He delivers to his audience what feels like a deeply personal story.
One thing I love about his version is its confidence in leaving so many questions unanswered. For example, a girl runs away from home. Why? He doesn't say. But not because it's unimportant, but so we can each fill in that blank with our own experiences and thoughts. By engaging and interacting with the story, it becomes more intimate for the reader than if everything was spelled out. Throughout the book, Klassen is purposeful and masterful in what he reveals and obscures.
Of course, it was the compelling cover that first drew me in. I mean, a little girl with those big white eyes, holding a skull….what's going on here? How can you not pick it up to find out? I love the textured art and the limited palette. The glow of the warm light against the cold blue background is beautiful. His complete control of values throughout the book conveys so much.
I won't lie. When the book ended, I wondered to myself for a moment, "What was that all about?" There is no heavy-handed moralizing in this story. It is subtly told in a way that sticks with you. After some reflection, I've decided it's about friendship. Everyone should have a friend like Otllia. Read it and see if you agree.
The original story is significantly different. You can read Ottila and the Death’s Head (or alternatively named, "Put Your Trust In Providence”) here, and many other Tyrolean legends, in a free ebook version of Tales and Legends of the Tyrol, by A. von Günther here. How evocative is this dedication at the beginning of Tales and Legends?
To those who dare the unfrequented mountain paths and passes of the Tyrol, in search of all that is wonderful and grand, this work is respectfully dedicated by
THE AUTHORESS.
Along with The Skull, I was happy to find another deeply discounted item at Barnes & Noble: A set of a dozen Tombow color markers marked down from $46.99 to just ten bucks! I love Tombow water-based black pens, but until now, I have never used their color alcohol-based pens.
So I decided to take them for a spin! Below is a drawing of RGB, the characters I introduced you to a couple of weeks ago, colored with my new Tombow pens. Their looks have evolved a bit. They will continue to until I finally put them into a book of their own.
I hope you run into some deals this week that broaden your horizons and spark your creativity, as these have mine.
Until next time, Always Be Creating!
Bill