  Prince of Evil, 2008-07-17
Most of us enter the world not knowing where our souls have come from, what the purpose of our life is, and who our enemies are. A few, however, know these things and they are the heroes of mankind. The eight-year-old Bentley Ellicott is one of these few and around him Ombra, Prince of Evil, will arrange torments, disasters and even wars. What can a mere child do against an age-old power? Bentley does not know: all he knows is that he must some day fight Ombra. But Bentley will not be alone. First he makes friends with Sally, a girl of about his age, who, through some strange impairment, cannot speak English: she speaks her own slurred version of a language which only Bentley understands. Next Bentley meets Dr. Kreistein, an ageing psychologist, who all his life has studied mythology in an attempt to understand what ancient man understood but modern man has forgotten. Together these unlikely three discover Bentley's weak point, and having fortified him, battle Ombra.
Where this book really excels is in the depiction of small-town American life: where everybody knows everybody, where everybody thinks they know each other's secrets, and where everybody certainly has an opinion of the others (for better or worse). Mrs. Tally, for example, is an almost perfect instance of an interfering old bitch, who supposedly has high morals, but actually is high in venom. But even Mrs. Tally has her human, softer side, which prevents her becoming the caricature she so easily could have been. This 'real-life' side of the novel is so well written that the fantasy elements sometimes jarred with me as my brain refused to switch to 'make-believe'. Don't get me wrong! The fantasy is quite competently written, but I did not feel it shined like the social realism.
Macleish has chosen to give Ombra a large part to play in the narrative, and, as a result, the Prince does not come across as quite the ultimate evil he should be. Even Tolkien, the master story-teller, decided to keep Lord Sauron, his equivalent character, out of the text, describing only his searching eyes. Once again I do not want to overstate my criticism as I did enjoy this book.
As with most fantasy novels the theme is of course the fight between good and evil, but this book is more overtly 'religious' than most of the genre. Certainly Macleish quotes Plato as a frontispiece, but the idea expressed is not far from the Christian Heaven. Certainly Macleish speaks of "the god that is all gods worshipped by man" and "Ombra", but these are very thin disguises for the Christian Jehovah and Satan. Other elements, such as angels and faith are openly included in the text.
Comparison with some of Stephen King's novels, particularly Salem's Lot, seems inevitable (small town America and ultimate evil), but I will leave it to fans to fight out which is better. There is also some similarity between this novel's ending and the climax of Ursula Le Guin's A Wizard of Earthsea (The Earthsea Cycle, Book 1). I think Le Guin wins in the comparison, but you may feel differently. Le Guin certainly predates Macleish.
This, to my knowledge, is Macleish's only fantasy novel.
Prince of Evil, 2008-07-17
Most of us enter the world not knowing where our souls have come from, what the purpose of our life is, and who our enemies are. A few, however, know these things and they are the heroes of mankind. The eight-year-old Bentley Ellicott is one of these few and around him Ombra, Prince of Evil, will arrange torments, disasters and even wars. What can a mere child do against an age-old power? Bentley does not know: all he knows is that he must some day fight Ombra. But Bentley will not be alone. First he makes friends with Sally, a girl of about his age, who, through some strange impairment, cannot speak English: she speaks her own slurred version of a language which only Bentley understands. Next Bentley meets Dr. Kreistein, an ageing psychologist, who all his life has studied mythology in an attempt to understand what ancient man understood but modern man has forgotten. Together these unlikely three discover Bentley's weak point, and having fortified him, battle Ombra.
Where this book really excels is in the depiction of small-town American life: where everybody knows everybody, where everybody thinks they know each other's secrets, and where everybody certainly has an opinion of the others (for better or worse). Mrs. Tally, for example, is an almost perfect instance of an interfering old bitch, who supposedly has high morals, but actually is high in venom. But even Mrs. Tally has her human, softer side, which prevents her becoming the caricature she so easily could have been. This 'real-life' side of the novel is so well written that the fantasy elements sometimes jarred with me as my brain refused to switch to 'make-believe'. Don't get me wrong! The fantasy is quite competently written, but I did not feel it shined like the social realism.
Macleish has chosen to give Ombra a large part to play in the narrative, and, as a result, the Prince does not come across as quite the ultimate evil he should be. Even Tolkien, the master story-teller, decided to keep Lord Sauron, his equivalent character, out of the text, describing only his searching eyes. Once again I do not want to overstate my criticism as I did enjoy this book.
As with most fantasy novels the theme is of course the fight between good and evil, but this book is more overtly 'religious' than most of the genre. Certainly Macleish quotes Plato as a frontispiece, but the idea expressed is not far from the Christian Heaven. Certainly Macleish speaks of "the god that is all gods worshipped by man" and "Ombra", but these are very thin disguises for the Christian Jehovah and Satan. Other elements, such as angels and faith are openly included in the text.
Comparison with some of Stephen King's novels, particularly Salem's Lot, seems inevitable (small town America and ultimate evil), but I will leave it to fans to fight out which is better. There is also some similarity between this novel's ending and the climax of Ursula Le Guin's A Wizard of Earthsea (The Earthsea Cycle, Book 1). I think Le Guin wins in the comparison, but you may feel differently. Le Guin certainly predates Macleish.
This, to my knowledge, is Macleish's only fantasy novel.
Great and Spiritual Book, 2008-04-06
This is a book that everyone should read. It uses fiction and myth to discuss deep spiritual realities.
Prince Ombra: A Thought-Provoking Adventure Story for All Ages, by Annie Haroldsen, 2007-11-09
Prince Ombra is an amazingly well-written novel that has the ability to capture its audience and keep them reading from the first page to the very end. Roderkick MacLeish's brilliant themes and characterization bring the book to life and make it meaningful to every reader--whether they are young or old. It is well worth the money to buy and time spent on reading this book, because it is full of meaning and intrinsic value which makes it a rare jewel in the literary world.
The characterization in Prince Ombra is a major factor in what makes this novel so enticing and enjoyable. The main character is Bentley Ellicott--an eight-year old boy with a life changing secret: he remembers where he came from before coming to earth, and beating within his body is the heart of a thousand previous heroes, including King Arthur and Hector from the Iliad. He knows that with this gift he has been given, he must defeat the essence of evil in the world: Prince Ombra. Because of this great task that he has been faced with, the development that Bentley goes through throughout the novel is stunning and realistic. He must come face to face with his fears and insecurities to save the world, and by doing so, he transforms into a mature and intelligent boy to fulfill his destiny. He is given a friend to help him along the way: Sally Drake. Sally is an interesting character in herself because she doesn't have the ability to speak coherently, and no one can understand her--except Bentley. When we are first introduced to Sally, she is shy and insecure, and is simply scared of everything around her. However, as the novel progresses and as her best friend works at becoming the hero he is destined to be, Sally matures and must face many hardships and trials that are placed upon her. She becomes Bentley's main support in his battle against the evils of the world. This friendship that Sally and Bentley share is full of happiness and realistic struggles that are enjoyable to read about and to learn from.
Every character in this novel develops in a stunningly realistic manner, and that makes Prince Ombra even more enjoyable. Multiple types of people are portrayed in this novel, and are changed and shaped by the events that take place. Bentley's father, Richard, must deal with the death of his wife and the apathetic feelings that he finds himself experiencing towards his son. Sally's mother, Ellen, has been through a hard divorce and attempts to let herself love again. Dietrich Kreistein, Bentley's psychologist, must decide whether to believe the seemingly insane claims that Bentley has given him, and must try to help himself overcome past horrors that he has had to face in his life. Every character is beset with realistic challenges and important decisions that they must make, which makes these characters relatable to the reader, and makes the novel even more enjoyable to read.
The themes portrayed in Prince Ombra are very deep and evoke many theological questions important to self-discovery, such as: is there such a thing as destiny? How can our fears be detrimental to our growth and fulfillment of our destiny? Were we chosen before coming to this earth to do a work for mankind? What is the true nature of evil and good in the world? All of these questions are addressed in Prince Ombra and whether we take the answers given in the novel literally or symbolically is up to us. Either way, this book promotes deep thinking and analysis of ourselves and our goals in life, yet is still adventurous and fun, and could be enjoyed by an expert of philosophy or a ten-year old boy.
The theme of friendship helping to overcome the obstacles in our lives is also very prominent and inspiring in this novel. Every character is beset with their unique set of challenges, and in order to overcome them, they are given friends to help them along the way. Bentley is given Sally, Richard is given Ellen, Mrs. Tally, a self-proclaimed widow, helps Polly Woodhouse, who, in turn, attempts to help Charlie Feavey. Through working together and providing support, these characters are better able to adapt to the changes that are wrought upon the town of Stonehaven where they live. These same ideas can be applied to our lives. Everyone needs a friend to help them get through challenges, and by becoming a friend to someone, you are helped as well. Although it is hard to get along with everyone all the time, it is possible to find compromises in stressful situations that make everyone as happy as possible. Prince Ombra reminds us of the importance of friendship and the impact we can make on someone's life by becoming their friend. Lives are changed by friendship, and lasting impressions can be made. We see this with all of the friendships in the novel, especially those of Bentley and Sally, and Richard and Ellen.
The realistic struggles of life in this novel are counter-balanced by the adventurous fun that the characters go through. Because of this, children could be just as satisfied with this novel as the adults that read it. There are many different layers of meaning in this book, and the reader can choose whether to delve down into the depths of human essence portrayed, or to keep their minds at the surface of the story, to enjoy it for its intrinsic amusement. Because the main character, Bentley, is only eight years old, the younger readers of this novel could better relate to him, and enjoy the fact that he is neither boring nor intimidating. There are many older characters in the novel as well, which face more adult problems that the more mature readers of this book would be able to relate to and learn from. The themes, although deep, are also simple, like the idea of fear, insecurity, and friendship. Everyone, whether young or old, faces these issues in their life, and because there is such a wide range of character types in this novel, this story can be appreciated and enjoyed by everyone who reads it.
Prince Ombra is so amazingly well done and contains such deep questions about the essence of life and being, and has such realistic character development, that it is easy to say that it has become one of the best books that I have had the privilege to read. It is versatile and could be enjoyed by many different audiences because of the nature of the characters and the adventurous plot that is mixed in with thought-provoking themes and motifs. I would suggest it to anyone who loves psychological fantasies and child-narrated adventure stories. I guarantee that those who read it will not be disappointed.
I LOVE THIS BOOK!!!, 2005-08-04
It's been a long time since I read this book, but it has never left me. I was so impressed by it that I keep recommending it to people to read.
I think it has one of the most wonderful and intriguing beginnings:
It is said-and it is true-that just before we are born,a cavern angel holds his finger to our mouths and whispers, "Hush! Don't tell what you know."
This is why we have a cleft on our upper lips and remember nothing of where we came from.
Towards the end of the last century-in 1978, to be precise-a smooth-lipped boy appeared in the world.
Doesn't that totally make you want to read it??? ;-)
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