FLIES OF A SUMMER by Peter Kocan:
A book I borrowed from my University library.
I thought my University library has no cool novels, but I wanted to observe it and find out whether it is true or not. I went to the library often, but never really looked for novels because I thought the library only provides academic books. When I walked through the aisle of the bookshelves, I looked carefully to every book and I stopped when I looked at this book, I thought it wasn't a novel then I took it and read the very first pages and found out that it is a novel, I borrowed it and read it at home. The story is quite fascinating, the genre is fantasy because it introduces unnatural creatures, strange culture and life style. It uses the first person view. The interesting thing is the author uses present tense. The story starts when the narrator explains their lives as slaves for Margai (creatures that are bigger than human), they do farming, fishing, and picking blueberries. Most of the characters are girls and boys including the narrator, he introduces a friend of him who is different from others, not physically but the way the boy sees things and his different friend's name is Rowan. The funny thing I found in the novel is the culture of the mating time as though humans are animal that have certain time for mating. Rowan is the bravest and toughest than others, he always wants to explore all lands. One day, Rowan pursued an old man whom his friends don't believe his existence except the narrator. Rowan found the old man's garment and a spear, Rowan keeps them and tells only to the narrator about the garment and the spear. He hides them in the bush because Margai don't allow slaves to have weapon. The beginning of conflict happens when Rowan and the narrator went to the Big Stones, near a river, two Margai suddenly come and almost kills the narrator and Rowan, they are separated. The narrator falls into the river and the old saves him and brings him to his cave, he gets loads of information from the old man. The narrator goes back to the village and meets Rowan, he tells that he met the old man, Rowan encourages the others but only some who are interested in his speech. Rowan practises spearing even when the mating time comes, the narrator has a girl who he mates to. After months, the babies are born, grow up and when they are old enough, the Margai takes the boys and the girls to the Mountain, Rowan is gone because he is found by Margai while he practises spearing and he is put in a pit. The narrator and the others go to the Mountain and at the same time, the Margai battle with each other, Rowan uses the chance to escape. When the narrator and the others guided by Margai are halfway to their destination. One of the Margai is killed by Rowan and then the other Margai too. Rowan saves the boys and girls and they plan to go back to the village takes it over from the Margai, but one of their friends is gone. They go to the village, do the plan and they make it. However, suddenly their lost friend comes with the Margai fight Rowan. Their lost friend doesn't mean to call the Margai, he thought they needed help when one of the Margai were killed and lost when they were halfway to the Mountain. Rowan fights to death, he tells the narrator to take the others to the save place near the old man's cave. They leave Rowan behind and Rowan becomes their hero.
Personal Opinion:
It is a bit difficult to find references for this novel, I want to look more about the novel but couldn't find it on the internet. The story in this novel follows the path of Hero's journey by Joseph Campbell where in the novel the narrator explains the status quo or the normal life, then something motivates him and his friend to get new life, a freer life and the trails face them and it ends happily.
