The Hobbit

For this week, I read “The Hobbit.” This was my first time reading anything from The Lord of the Rings as I’ve never really had that much interest in it. I was vaguely familiar with some of the lore and the characters before reading it, but not much else.

I can definitively say that the story reflects the Hero’s Journey very well. The protagonist, Bilbo, is called to a quest, refuses the call at first, he faces trials and tribulations, completes the task, and eventually returns home. Numerous characters also follow the archetypes, such as Gandalf fulfilling the role of the Mentor. I can definitively see why so many people reference the LOTR novels as pure examples of using the classic Hero’s Journey to tell its story; and it is not implemented that way without reason. The story follows that formula not only to give it structure, but also because it is part of the emotional change and development that Bilbo goes through. He goes from someone who does not want to venture out into the outside world (preferring to stay in his comfort zone), to going out and having this adventure. He grows a lot as a person through that journey. The journey was important to the overall character arc, and not just used as a cookie-cutter formula to follow. I found the book to be very enjoyable, despite it not adhering initially to my personal tastes. I think it was definitively a good introduction for me to The Lord of the Rings world.

Akata Witch

The characters of the Akata Witch novel are archetypes in a way, but they don’t feel like they are. There’s something refreshing about them. Sunny’s very existence confounds stereotypes. She is the embodiment of the in-between; She’s black but with pale skin, both Igbo and American, something that leaves her feeling outside of both identities. This is reflected in the way kids at school treat her. Even when she is revealed to have Leopard powers more powerful than she could have ever imagined, she is still treated as an outsider because of her status as a Free Agent. As such, she is labeled clueless and incompetent by the Leopard People.

Not to mention, amidst all of this, Sunny must also deal with being female in a male-dominated world. During the day, Sunny must contend with a father who never wanted a daughter, brothers who expect her to cook for them, and boys who don’t want her to play soccer with them. (Which she handles beautifully later in the novel during a joint student soccer game.) People disregard the fact that she is powerful and choose to judge her on superficial terms. These moments emphasize that, though set in a magical world, Akata Witch is also extremely relevant to the real world. Sunny is ultimately a young woman of the 21st century, trying to navigate an endless maze of judgment and categorization.

As far as the world-building itself and the rest of the characters, I would agree that it compares to Harry Potter in a sense, but it is not derivative at all. Sure, she’s a Chosen One with powerful ancestral magic who was raised in the non-magical world. And yes, her destiny is to battle a great evil with the help of her generous friends. But in Sunny’s story there’s a realness and harsh earnestness that Harry Potter lacks. Leopard People aren’t unforgiving but won’t let a crime go unpunished. Africa is a continent marred by colonialism and exploitation; to build a magical world on that foundation is to imbue it with hardship. Despite this, the book doesn’t feel gloomy at all. If anything, it is very positive and charming. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. As soon as I started reading, I could hardly let it go. I would highly recommend it.

King Rat

The New Weird genre is definitively an interesting and fresh take on literature. It is a “genre” that has elements of other genres like horror, sci-fi, fantasy, but does not exclusively fall into any one of them. By definition, when something is weird it suggests something supernatural or uncanny. It could induce a sense of disbelief or alienation from the audience. This can be achieved by forgetting about the “logic” of the real world and fully immersing yourself within the bizarre. The work that I read this week, King Rat, very much did that.

The premise itself is wild to start with. I definitively found the story unique, and some of the characters were very compelling. The city as well was almost a character in itself, rich with life and vivid descriptions. The book is definitively an immersive experience. The descriptions make you live the story through all five senses - for better or for worse, considering sometimes it went a bit too descriptive for comfort, such as using strong words to evoke feelings of disgust. I believe the first act was the strongest, as it really got me hooked. The rest of the story kind of lost steam for me; it became very grim. Which is not to say that I didn’t enjoy it. I am very fond of weird stories in general. I feel like it is compelling because you can really relax into the story and let go of pre-conceived notions. The author also has more room to stretch their creative muscles. It could also be something that activates the curiosity within ourselves. We want to somehow make sense of the weird, or try to find the logic where there is none. I honestly find that conversation between the work and the audience to be kind of fun.