The Young Unicorns (1968)

This story always intrigued me with its matter of fact story telling and real characters. Plus it is another story that ties together characters from various novels. ( )

Ooooh, that was kind of suspenseful and thrilling at the end. Canon Tallis is totally kick-ass in a Father Brown way, with even more world travel under his belt. ( )

10

I enjoy Madeleine L'Engle's books, in part because of their underlying philosophy. This book, while a bit of a thriller, explores freedom, trust, free will, beliefs, and choices. It also looks at the use and misuse of technology. While dated, it still resonated deeply with me. Today's young adults might need some reminding of a time without cell phones.

Much of the book can be summed up in this quotation, "Because to take away a man’s freedom of choice, even his freedom to make the wrong choice, is to manipulate him as though he were a puppet and not a person." To have the ability to choose, to be trusted to make the right choice, to have people believe in you and your choices speaks to having a good life.

This book is for anyone who enjoys a well-plotted novel and doesn't mind dated technology. ( )

This is the last in The Austins series by L'Engle and the only one of this series that I have read. The writing is rich and dense, and the upper West Side Manhattan autumn setting was perfect when curling up as the daylight has waned. This is not a perfect book, however, but I would recommend it to a reader who enjoys some dense, delicious writing and is willing to navigate some of the dated elements of the story (a racial slur & a fearsome street gang named the "Alphabats") for the quirky characters and the '70s-era New York.

The science/technology in the plot is funny in an early Star Trek way (beware the "Micro-Ray"), but it does allow for discussion of the use and misuse of technology. Likewise the setting in the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, incorporating a vicar and a dean, & the friendship of precocious young Rob with the neighborhood rabbi creates the opportunity for examination of good and bad. In keeping with the moral tenor of the book, we also learn that power corrupts, and that "'One can tell a great deal around a dinner table....I think the closest we ever come in this naughty world to realizing unity in diversity is around a family table.'" (p. 205)

Having read this, I'd like to go back to New York and meet the Austins again.




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