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The Vagabond King: A Coming of Age Novel
Paperback
ISBN13: 9781521432143
Publisher: Independently Published
Published: Sep 10 2011
Pages: 262
Weight: 0.86
Height: 0.59 Width: 6.00 Depth: 9.00
Language: English
Do you love detailed description and clever turns of phrase?
Then you'll love the coming of age story, The Vagabond King.When his mother dies and he discovers that the man he was raised to believe was his father is not, sixteen-year-old Chris is haunted by a mysterious apparition and flees his affluent surroundings and embarks upon a quest to find himself.
Hoping she will make a man of him he seeks sanctuary in the home of Magda, a middle aged waitress with a penchant for sex, only to discover that she lives with her father, a cigarette smoking, beer swilling immigrant.
Chris hates his shabby new surroundings at the end of the street and the shabby old man at the end of his life who spends his days listening to old blues records and making Chris fetch him fresh cans of beer.
But, when the old man tells tales of Communist Hungary, torture, escape and the mysterious medallion he wears, Chris learns that, like the old man's skipping records, history repeats itself and the roles we play have been played many times before.
If you've ever wondered what it's all about or, if you like mythological fiction like American Gods by Neil Gaiman, or visionary fiction like The Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield or The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, then this book is for you.
The Vagabond King blends ancient mythology and modern cosmology in a lyrically told tale that will leave you thinking long after the last page is turned.
Thought-provoking and absorbing...a soulful and soul-searching novel of a young man's coming of age.Star, Goodreads.ComBUY IT TODAY!AUTHOR INTERVIEW
Though The Vagabond King is billed as a coming of age story it's much more than that. What is it that makes The Vagabond King so much more and what genre would you place it in?It is a coming of age story definitely but, because the main character is questioning his life at a deeper level than he had before, it is much more than a run of the mill coming of age book. Because I love for mythology and philosophy, I used those two interests to develop a number of the themes in the book. Mythology is an essential part of the plot as it is in American Gods by Neil Gaiman. But, it is a much more contemplative book than American Gods. It is more like The Alchemist by Paulo Coehlo or The Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield in that it is seeking answers to life at a deeper level. So I would call it a work of metaphysical or visionary fiction.
In American Gods Neil Gaiman actually uses mythological figures as his characters. How to do integrate mythology and philosophy in The Vagabond King?The main character, Chris, is at a point in his life where he is questioning his very reason for being. So, this lends itself to philosophical contemplation. At this same time he meets Magda who is very well read in the fields of mythology and philosophy. As Chris questions his life and the world around him, Magda is able to use her knowledge of mythology and philosophy to advise him.
So, The Vagabond King is really more like The Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield or The Alchemist by Paulo Coehlo?In The Alchemist Paulo Coehlo uses the quest to reveal some internal realizations about our place in the universe. While The Vagabond King portrays Chris's quest to find himself, it's more of a mystery.
In The Celestine Prophecy James Redfield does the same thing. Both books are adventure based. Those books address similar themes differently and, if you like them, you'll like The Vagabond King.
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