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eriynali's review against another edition
5.0
pretty trippy. found this in the kids section of a used bookstore, the back cover comparing hoban to tolkein and cs lewis... but this is NOT a kids book! a terrifically symbolic/philosophical/fantastic/folkloric/modern tale of the most basic of human relationships - parent to child
ocurtsinger's review against another edition
3.0
It's hard for me to compare this book to anything I've read before, which automatically earns it some uniqueness points. It hints at sci-fi/fantasy, but the only fantastical elements to the story are the extinction of lions (which may not be all that far off in reality) and the fact that maps in Hoban's world are far more revealing and magical than our world's paper maps. The story is told with the soft focus of allegory that is void of place names (ironic in a book about maps?) and slight on detail but heavy on thematic elements.
Those big thematic elements seem to revolve around fatherhood, identity, and male virility vs. impotence. The importance of the themes, the message of Hoban's allegorical tale, and the richness of the world he created get pretty muddled and lost throughout the book because of the schizophrenic and dreamlike narration. There seems to be too much to digest, and it's crammed into a blurry story that's somehow about lions and sex and fatherhood all at once. On top of that, it's been relegated to live with its contemporary pulp of seventies sci-fi paperbacks.
Through all that, it's still quite the head trip, and a joy to read. Hoban writes about maps in such an enchanting way that I started thinking about my own personal maps and how I could play with them. And as I wrote above, I've never really read anything quite like it (maybe In Watermelon Sugar and I am the Cheese and yes, The Alchemist all jumbled together?), so cheers for that. It's good to know that Hoban was not a one-trick pony, although Bread and Jam for Frances will always be great.
Also, RIP.
Those big thematic elements seem to revolve around fatherhood, identity, and male virility vs. impotence. The importance of the themes, the message of Hoban's allegorical tale, and the richness of the world he created get pretty muddled and lost throughout the book because of the schizophrenic and dreamlike narration. There seems to be too much to digest, and it's crammed into a blurry story that's somehow about lions and sex and fatherhood all at once. On top of that, it's been relegated to live with its contemporary pulp of seventies sci-fi paperbacks.
Through all that, it's still quite the head trip, and a joy to read. Hoban writes about maps in such an enchanting way that I started thinking about my own personal maps and how I could play with them. And as I wrote above, I've never really read anything quite like it (maybe In Watermelon Sugar and I am the Cheese and yes, The Alchemist all jumbled together?), so cheers for that. It's good to know that Hoban was not a one-trick pony, although Bread and Jam for Frances will always be great.
Also, RIP.
dillonrockrohr's review against another edition
4.0
The platonic form of a novel about fathers and sons, set on the stage of a quietly surreal world. A melancholy and fantastic little odyssey. It feels sort of like Bergman’s Wild Strawberries mixed with David Lynch and C.S. Lewis.
meghadutam's review against another edition
5.0
Read this 50 years ago and now read it again. Beautiful prose. Best book-SF book I’ve read in years.
jimmypat's review against another edition
5.0
This was a magnificent and mysterious novel of fathers and sons. Highly recommended.
maliniidk's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
vlrieg's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
tansy's review
challenging
reflective
3.0
Odd and very short magical realist novel about a map-maker and his son. Challenged by his son to find a lion, (apparently extinct in this world), the map-maker leaves his wife and son, taking a map he had originally intended to give to his son. The son sets off after him, but before leaving home the son unleashes his anger at his father in the form of a lion.
The tone is uneven. Earlier parts of the book have a deliberately vague setting and a lyrical, fairy-tale quality. In later parts the world more closely resembles our own - it seems as though the father might flee to England - and events become more comedic. Despite its brevity it does feel repetitious towards the end.
The tone is uneven. Earlier parts of the book have a deliberately vague setting and a lyrical, fairy-tale quality. In later parts the world more closely resembles our own - it seems as though the father might flee to England - and events become more comedic. Despite its brevity it does feel repetitious towards the end.
marhill31's review against another edition
3.0
Sometimes a book will come out of nowhere for you to read it?
The Lion of Boaz-Jachin and Jachin-Boaz by Russell Hoban is a such book. I’ve had this book on my Kindle Paperwhite for awhile and I finally decided to read it while on vacation in Europe last week. I did not plan to read this book, but once I started I could not put it down until I finished.
It is the story about Jachin-Boaz, a middle-aged mapmaker, who has reached a mid-life crisis. His life has not gone the way he had imagined and decides to leave his wife and son to find it. However, Jachin-Boaz encounters a lion on his travels that is meant to represent what he has been truly missing in his life.
His son, Boaz-Jachin, decides to search for his father and find out why he has abandoned his family. The son discovers on the journey his own dissatisfaction with life and realizes his father had a lot to do with it.
I will admit that I was not sure what to make of this book once the conclusion had been reached. Hoban wrote an engaging and odd story that kept me interested. But, I did not fully get his meaning about a man having to search for his lion. Was the lion a figment one’s imagination? Was it to represent man’s yearning to be free is more important than being a responsible citizen? I really do not know.
The Lion of Boaz-Jachin and Jachin-Boaz is one of the books you come across at random and sucks you in for an interesting reading experience. But, I wanted more from the book and found that Jachin-Boaz’s estranged wife was the most interesting character in the novel. I wished her story could have been explored further.
The Lion of Boaz-Jachin and Jachin-Boaz by Russell Hoban is a such book. I’ve had this book on my Kindle Paperwhite for awhile and I finally decided to read it while on vacation in Europe last week. I did not plan to read this book, but once I started I could not put it down until I finished.
It is the story about Jachin-Boaz, a middle-aged mapmaker, who has reached a mid-life crisis. His life has not gone the way he had imagined and decides to leave his wife and son to find it. However, Jachin-Boaz encounters a lion on his travels that is meant to represent what he has been truly missing in his life.
His son, Boaz-Jachin, decides to search for his father and find out why he has abandoned his family. The son discovers on the journey his own dissatisfaction with life and realizes his father had a lot to do with it.
I will admit that I was not sure what to make of this book once the conclusion had been reached. Hoban wrote an engaging and odd story that kept me interested. But, I did not fully get his meaning about a man having to search for his lion. Was the lion a figment one’s imagination? Was it to represent man’s yearning to be free is more important than being a responsible citizen? I really do not know.
The Lion of Boaz-Jachin and Jachin-Boaz is one of the books you come across at random and sucks you in for an interesting reading experience. But, I wanted more from the book and found that Jachin-Boaz’s estranged wife was the most interesting character in the novel. I wished her story could have been explored further.