Corbenic

by Catherine Fisher

Book Overview

It starts when Cal gets off the train at the wrong stop in the middle of the night, in the middle of nowhere. He's stranded. Following a muddy path leads him to a castle that appears to be deserted. But inside is Corbenic, a magnificent hotel filled with rich people preparing for a banquetand Cal is their guest of honor. During the meal, he experiences a disturbing vision, but when he is asked to talk about what he has seen, he denies it. What if...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0060724706
• ISBN13: 9780060724702
• Release Date: September 2006
• Publisher: Greenwillow Books
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 0.89 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.3" x 8.0"
• Age Range: 13 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 8 and higher

Customer Reviews

A good read

I picked this book up from the library based on an award it received from the Mythopoeic Society ([...]). It is a well written retelling (apparently) of the Grail/Graal story. (remembering so little of the Grail story, I'm no judge of whether it's faithful to the tradition, but it has an authentic feel to it...and it's inspired me to pick up my copy of Howard Pyle's Grail story again after many years). The reviewer who gave this story one star confuses a shallow character, on the one hand, with the shallowness that we all carry and are tested to grow out of. Cal is an unappealing character (he is supposed to be) who is severely tested, and he does grow through his callous turning away from the Fisher King, his mother, the character Shadow, and others. He finds that his selfishness is a betrayal of friendship, sonship, and finds a way through despair to hope and victory, with much help. The reviewer who said this was probably too intense for younger children is correct. There are lengthy passages in which Cal is losing touch with reality, entering into a dark, scary world with no bearings. Yes for teens, no for those younger, would be my assessment. There is some beautiful use of language in this story. Well worth a read.

A deep and intense retelling of the Grail legend

After a childhood spent taking care of his alchoholic mother, Cal finally gets a chance to leave home. He's going to live with his uncle, a successful accountant who has offered Cal a job and a place to live. But Cal gets off the train at the wrong stop, and finds himself in the middle of nowhere, in a place called Corbenic. In Corbenic, Cal stays at a mysterious hotel called the Castle, and dines with the proprietor, a handicapped man named Bron who appears to be the Wounded King or Fisher King of the Grail legend. At the dinner, Cal sees a vision, but denies having seen it, a denial which dooms him to a path of suffering. Before Cal can find peace, he must learn to confront the pain in his life, to forgive and to seek forgiveness, and to make choices about the life he wants to lead. Corbenic is an intense, dark, and deeply emotional book. Catherine Fisher does a remarkable job of juxtaposing the ancient with the modern in unusual ways, such as the bohemian reenactors who may or may not be the knights of King Arthur's court. Cal is not a very likeable character, at least not at first; he seems shallow and selfish and even cruel to his mother. But as the book progresses and the layers are peeled back, you see the deep emotional scars that Cal tries to hide, and the pain that he copes with by trying to control everything in his life. As with Fisher's other books, the writing is highly poetic and full of symbolism. For example, in some ways, Cal is the wounded king, although his wounds are internal rather than external. In fact, the whole internal/external dichotomy is never resolved, leaving open the question of whether Corbenic is real or an internal symbol of Cal's pain and healing. But in the long run, it doesn't matter, and Corbenic makes the Grail legend real and relevant, and not just some dusty story about ancient knights. Corbenic is probably too intense for most children. There's nothing overly frightening, but there is tragedy, and the emotions, particularly in Cal's relationship with his mother, will be disturbing to those not developmentally ready to deal with them. But the dark, emotional nature of the book will probably appeal to many teens.

A Surreal Story Twist of Modern Day King Arthur

It's hard to know what exactly to make of this book. I polished it off quickly in one night, though I'm not sure if it was so much that I enjoyed it as much as I just wanted to get it over with. The story is incredibly surreal and disjointed, it's almost difficult to follow. The plot is simple enough, but there are certain parts that feel pointless and certain essential things that felt entirely skimmed over. Cal as a character definately undergoes some major transformations, but sometimes it's a little bit difficult to understand why or how he changed so much. However, the surreal-ness of the story gives it a certain je ne sais quoi. It's a little bit unclear about whether the story is totally supernatural or whether half of this is in Cal's mind. This book will definately be enjoyed of fan's who like Green Angel or Indigo by Hoffman or the Weezie Bat books. It's written in that odd style. And of course King Arthur fans. Overall though, I enjoyed it. When my high school history teacher told us we'd need to know the King Arthur stories to have a full appriciation for British literature, she was right. This story does an excellent job of twisting the ancient leagends of King Arthur into modern day context. It's a lot of fun to recognize characters and know their stories.