Duncton Chronicles / Book of Silence - William Horwood

Has anyone read the six Duncton books? I just got back into them, after a five- or six-year hiatus... and I have nobody to talk to about them...

Nope, sorry. Heh, I guess this forum is probably going to get a lot of these topics. (Have you read this book? No.)

I haven't but I looked them up on Amazon and think they sound cool! So maybe I'll read them.

Personally, I recommend the first trilogy MUCH more than the second trilogy...

I've read the first trilogy.... I didn't know there was a second. I found them very enjoyable, being a fan of such mildly anthropomorphized animal books like Watership Down, the Redwall series, and other such books. William Horwood also wrote several sequels to The Wind in the Willows that are very good and in the spirit of the original.

Out of the Willows sequels he wrote, I've only read the first one... I don't remember the title... Personally, the second Duncton trilogy isn't as good as the first - and even within the first, I like the first volume the most by far...

What are the names of all the books? The only one my library has is a ripped-up copy of Duncton Wood. Which trilogy is that in and where? I've started it and I must admit I sort of expected it to be a little like the Redwall books (rodent-fantasy, if that's a classification.) But it's so different there's no comparison! Much more adult. I wouldn't really feel comfortable having my little sister read it, for example.

I first read it in fourth grade, and while I understood the plot, I agree it was much too dark for me to understand the significance and symbolism of all the themes. My recent re-reading has helped that significantly. They go in this order: Chronicles: - Duncton Wood - Duncton Quest - Duncton Found Book of Silence: - Duncton Tales - Duncton Rising - Duncton Stone IMHO, Wood is the best of them all, followed by Found... but it's best - nay, imperative - to read them all in order. Wood is the only one that stands alone.

Oh, good! I was afraid I'd jumped in the middle somewhere and was spoiling the other ones for myself. And if it stands alone, I won't feel too bad if I never get my hands on the rest of them. Oh, this is so cool! I'm almost done.

Yes, then I'll have someone to discuss it with on this board. Woohoo!

Well, that was a very cool ending! I assume the rest of the trilogy continues with Tryfan. Hm, I guess I'll have to find it somewhere!

Without spoiling anything - yes, your assumption is correct. Tryfan evolves into pretty much the central character of the first trilogy by the time you're done with it.

Nifty. So would you say the books are religious in nature? It's definitely fantasy, but most of the supernatural elements seemed very religious to me--very animistic, but with elements of Christianity, as well as Hinduism and some others, I would say. (of course don't spoil anything--just opinion)

Here's what I think. Wood is a romance with a mythical, spiritual backdrop... but once you get into Quest and Found, it really centers on spirituality (you'll see what I mean when you get through those). At the end of Found, Horwood actually makes a little afterword regarding where the religious influences evident in the Chronicles comes from.

Wow! Now I really have to find those somewhere! That was a very unique book.

Yeah, and by the time you get around to the second trilogy, they even explore things like the conflict between Catholicism and Protestantism in a very parallel, metaphorical manner.

Here's an interesting thought: you know how one of the important plot points introduced has to do with how the Seventh Book has yet to be written? Ironic that Horwood stopped writing Duncton at six volumes. I think it was planned.

Books with symbolism like this are few and far between. Here's one that has almost nothing in common with Duncton besides this type of symbolism: The Westing Game. It's such a wacky, amazing little book! I loved it. There's the whole coincidence thing too, that Victor Hugo loves so much.

I'll have to go back to The Westing Game again... I haven't read that since I was about ten, and I don't remember any of it. Thanks for reminding me

cool. that book is hilarious! :lol:

I was going to say this earlier, but I had trouble posting. (It was the slow, slow day everybody has been talking about in General.)

The Duncton trilogies - Almost fifteen years in the making/writing. Three years of reading (for me), with breaks in between. I read the whole thing again, back-to-back-to... etc. in the span of 38 days, and I enjoyed it a whole lot more. I think it's best uninterrupted.

And about my little marathon... I'd have to admit the hardest part to get through was starting Tales, because of the entirely new story arc and the much slower pacing compared to the first trilogy. Just to let you know in advance...