What do you think of Dew Pellucid, the character?

Use this forum to discuss the September 2019 Book of the month, "The Crystilleries of Echoland" by Dew Pellucid.
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Demetrise
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Re: What do you think of Dew Pellucid, the character?

Post by Demetrise »

At first, Pellucid was portrayed as a Snape-like jerk. I was left wondering why this seemingly all-knowing character didn't catch William and P3 (as I called him) in the act of pilfering? Then, she revealed that she knew, but let them get away with it! Her "eyes" watched the boys translate the map. She was helping them in substantial, but subtle ways all along, unbeknownst to them.
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Post by Lady-of-Literature »

I am most reminded of M. Night Shyamalan, I believe anyone familiar with his work will understand my comparison.
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Aaront1947
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Post by Aaront1947 »

Kro92813 wrote: 24 Sep 2019, 21:22 I think the story definitly doesnt lose anything from her presence. I wish their had been more from her though! I loved the surprise twist at the end where it is mentioned that she is going to write Will's story. I thought that was so clever! If anything, the story does gain a little from her presence, but not by much. I truly wish she had played a bigger role and showed up alittle more
I agree, rather like Alfred Hitchcock and Stan Lee appearing in their own movies --- but wouldl have like to have seen more of her too.
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Post by ciecheesemeister »

I think she was a helpful secondary character. There is more to her than meets the eye.
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Post by Akpome1 »

Definitely, without her in the story, a wide gap would be created. The story could not have gained without her presence in the text. It is not bad that the author chose to become one of the characters, and she did very well in her role.
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Post by nchoate12 »

I think it's a nice touch. Reminds me of cameos in different movies like Peter Jackson in the Lord of the Rings.
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Post by Wamakima »

I thought that it was quite clever. It's one thing being the author, and another thing being a character.
But the path I’ve chosen has always been the right one, and I wouldn’t have had it any other way. :)
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Karina Nowak
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Post by Karina Nowak »

So many Harry Potter similarities in this book. None of them seem to be cringey though but it still makes me wonder just how much of a fan the author is, and if Dew Pellucid the character has the entire volume of HP series in her secret book collection in the library. :lol2:
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Post by Kotsotu »

I don't know. Can anyone name more than three short appearances from her? The welcome ceremony, when she confronted Will at the fair, and when she popped up out of the howler, I mean the text-a-face. Don't really know her role besides revealing that the oldest book in the library was a map, which largely helped Will and Peter. Nothing like Dumbledore. Dumbledore risked his life and actually gave it in the end for Harry and his school.
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Post by Blindjew »

The question that kept popping into my head as I read was: How was she aware of the parts she wasn't there for? I'm guessing it was through crystalleries.
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Post by ReneeBrown »

cristinaro wrote: 01 Sep 2019, 00:45 Apart from being the author of this novel, Dew Pellucid is also a character in the story. As curator of the second largest library in the land and headmistress of the Orphanage of Castaway Children, Pellucid the character does not only protect Will from a distance, but also alludes to her role as a storyteller.

This narrative strategy reminds me of metafictional novels in which the boundaries between the author, the narrator, and the characters are skillfully crossed so that the readers could reflect on the inner mechanisms of fiction.

Personally, I loved both Pellucid, the talented author, and Pellucid, the wise master puppeteer in the story. What's your opinion on Pellucid, the character? Does she remind you of Albus Dumbledore in the Harry Potter series? Does the story gain or lose from her presence in the text?
Now that you mention it, I do see a slight comparison with Pellucid and Dumbledore. Interesting :)
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Post by spencermack »

Absolutely meta! The author is allowing us into their life as a fictional character, by name! It's something I haven't come across before
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Post by Michelle_Cerone »

I really love when authors appear in their books. It makes it easier to suspend disbelief. She doesn’t remind me of Dumbledore though. She is doing more than manipulating the forces of good and evil. She’s crafting the lens through which you view the world, so she’s is actually manipulating the reader too. It’s a clever technique and it’s very effective.
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Post by jessinikkip »

I saw so many similarities between this story and Harry Potter, that at times it started to feel a bit like a rewrite of an old favorite. Dew definitely would fit the role of Dumbledore. I didn't like the connection between character and author, however it is what it is, I suppose.
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AlexisLib
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Post by AlexisLib »

I actually thought it was a bit hacky on the part of the author. It felt too much like a writing device and kind of springs into the story suddenly. I might have liked it better if we knew the character wrote the book in the beginning, which was hinted at but not completely verified even by the end. I really didn't see how this added to the story or turned into much. But I can see people liking it, as evidenced by these comments, and especially younger readers who haven't seen that before and might find it intriguing.
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