I opened my email account this morning to the following cheery message from Susie, a fellow ETA. At our pow-wow last weekend, Jon shared a story of a prank Pomona seniors played on his incoming class. They wrote letters for all of them, assigning them the book Truly Madly Viking and requesting an essay. The administration sent a letter of retraction soon afterwards, but a great many freshmen had already done the assignment and Jon himself was saved only by procrastination. She wrote:
Dear friends,
As I listened to the woeful tale of my dear friend Jon Hung who was robbed of his chance to read the classic period piece romance novel Truly, Madly Viking by the authorities of his school, I resolved to remedy this situation. I could not bear to think that Jon was kept from reading "another keeper from Sandra Hill", as Amazon reviewer Eva Biediger described this book. I began weeping when I read that "Tina 'tinaellorascave'" believed this book to be "no doubt one of the funniest novels you'll read all year". Jon was deprived of fun. I don't know many people who appreciate fun more than Jon. The tears would not stop. That was all before I even got to the plot.
"Jorund Ericsson was on a quest to locate his missing brother when Thora, the mind-reading whale, found a way not only to communicate with Jorund but also a way to deliver him naked as the day he was born to the year 2000.
Claiming to be a Viking warrior, Jorund finds himself in a psychiatric hospital among the oddest assortment of lackwits he'd ever seen - and under the care of Dr. Maggie McBride. Now, in addition to his quest to locate his missing brother, Jorund must prove his sanity, contend with his growing attraction to Maggie, and get back to his own time where he belongs. But is his destiny in the year 998 AD or in Maggie McBride's 21st century arms?"
The second book in Hill's Viking series, this description made me instantly want to read The Very Virile Viking, The Bewitched Viking, A Tale of Two Vikings, The Blue Viking, and The Last Viking all at once. If I were capable of that feat, I imagine I would have done so already. Such prolific Vikingisms must mean that Truly, Madly Viking is a story that cannot be passed up.
As books in English are hard to come by in Korea, I asked the gods of emule to gift me with the ability to share this dear story. I must be blessed for they came through and I have in my possession a copy of Truly, Madly Viking, including the much discussed cover.
And so, friends, I would like to share this wonderful example of modern fiction and literary wit. I know I'd like nothing better than to read this book and keep it with my other keepers. Let's read together and bond over this experience.
If you do not feel compelled to read this story from the review above, let me share an excerpt I took from the very end of the novel. You may accuse me of spoiling the novel, but I believe it'll draw you further into its Viking web.
"Jerome had become a good friend and patron to Jorund. Not only was he lending them his yacht for a one-week honeymoon, he had even offered to help finance the health club that Jorund planned to open—a club that would cater not to perfect, already fit people—mentally and physically—but to those who needed to hone the talents that God—or the gods had given them... to be the best that they could be. It was all about self-esteem, as Maggie, in her role of psychologist, had once told him."
Never you mind who Jerome is! Look now noble Jorund has become! He would like to help imperfect people hone their God-given talents! Is that even possible? Can God be honed? Jorund must be a miracle-worker! If this does not convince you to read the novel, I do not know what will.
Jon, may you weep no longer at having been deprived of the opportunity to study this great piece. If you feel inspired to write an essay or a hundred, I will read them all.
If you would like more information about this novel, please read the reviews here: http://www.amazon.com/Truly-Madly-Viking-Time-Your/dp/0505523876 or better yet, read the novel. You'll never be the same.
Yours truly, madly, Vikingly,
Susie
This email truly madly made my day. As a budding romance novelist myself (I figure it’s lucrative and requires no brains), I am inspired. Time travel, wild romance, and brawny men? Sounds like a winning combination to me! Though I’d argue this novel appears to be an exploration of the eternal question—who am I and where do I belong? Deep, deep.
Despite all the pep talks of myself and my fellow teachers, I was still not looking forward to attacking another week of work, especially when I woke up with the beginnings of a monster cold. I have a sneaking suspicion I have hypochondriac tendencies so my illness was most likely exaggerated in my mind, but this was still not the way I wanted to face my arch-nemesis: fourth grade. Alas, I went to school anyway and was one for three. Yes, not ideal, but on days like today I am willing to cut my losses. Tomorrow will be better…I hope!
I noticed today in class that several of my students have shirts and/or outfits that say “Little Bride” on them. I’m not sure if it’s a brand or just a popular slogan, but how disturbing! And this combined with the recent emergence of lipstick-slicked mouths on my sixth-grade girls…too much, I tell you.
This afternoon I went to samulnori for the first time. I Bin is in the class, too, it turns out, as are many of my sixth graders and a smattering of fifth and fourth grade students. They are all students I really like so I am glad to spend the extra time with them. Unfortunately, samulnori is just as difficult as I expected. I thought perhaps there would be a beginning section or something, especially at the beginning of the school year when I presume new students are starting, but no. They were all really advanced and most of the time I was left just bobbing my head. I tried to read the music, but it was a complete mystery. I did learn how to sit at the janga (my instrument of choice—an hourglass-shaped drum) how to hold my two sticks, and how to hit the drum…sort of. I think I will have to practice outside of this class if I will ever really learn because I just can’t keep up with them except in a few select parts. It was fun, but I did feel just as silly as I expected, fumbling around on a musical instrument while my miniature students beat confidently and rhythmically. It’s a good thing I’ve built up an immunity to embarrassment!
Today I went to a later TKD class. I ran there and back and it was a good workout. For once, I don’t feel full to burst after dinner and that makes me happy. There is this one former student of mine in TKD and he is just cracking me up. He was in my enrichment class next semester and was perhaps my least favorite student of all time, but he’s growing on me now that he’s not my responsibility (and never will be again—he’s in middle school now, fortunately). He’s just a complete drama king. In fact, he told me today he is a king and when I told him he was too short to be a king, he puffed up and proclaimed, “No, I am BIG!” And then when we were practicing kicks at the end, I gave him a couple high fives and he would crumple up on the floor, fake sobbing his little heart out. It was highly amusing for me as the onlooker only at this point. What a strange kid!
Now I am feeling marginally less like death and thinking perhaps I need to restrain myself in upcoming weekends away. Goodness knows I have no desire to be isolated, overworked, lonely, AND sick!