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With no Harry Potter
(well, no
new Harry Potter) this summer, a Fomorian sized gap has appeared in the book
world. Artemis Fowl, who knows a good deal when he sees one, has
attempted to seize the market. But not all of Artemis Fowl's plans work
out as he would desire...
The comparisons with J. K. Rowling's creation may
be seen as a lack of imagination, but have only been helped by the news that
Artemis Fowl's life is to be portrayed in a movie. The Potter phenomenon
grew quite rapidly, but Artemis Fowl seems to have leaped to the top with just
one jump. True, Artemis Fowl has yet to reach Potter's sales figures, but
when you do a deal with the faeries, what do you expect? No doubt the
movie will also leapfrog Artemis Fowl's earnings, just as long as there are no
flatulent dwarves around. But does Artemis Fowl really need the
money? When we first meet him, we learn that he has been jetting all over
the world in his bid to find a copy of the Book that lays down the laws for
Fairies. With a huge manservant called Butler by his side, armed with a
vast array of expensive weaponry, Artemis finds his prey in Ho Chi Minh
City. It is here that Artemis first demonstrates his guile and his great
knowledge of chemistry. With the whole resources of Fowl Manor behind
him, Artemis Fowl is one privileged boy. He is, after all, only
twelve. There is no Hogwarts to distract him from the travails of life at
home (namely a mad mother in an attic - is Colfer trying to appeal to Gilbert
and Gubar?), but his comfortable lifestyle has created a certain boredom that
needs to be quashed. A degree of isolation has meant that Artemis has had
to teach himself, and he's as original as only a self-teacher can be. It
doesn't help that he has come from a long paternal line of thieving Fowls.
Artemis's father got mixed up with the Russian Mafia and has vanished, and his
mother, Angeline Fowl, has not been the same since.
Butler is more of a companion to Artemis than a
substitute father, but the presence of his sister Juliet means that there is
quite a family atmosphere in Fowl Manor. But to what extent will
Artemis's plan place them all in danger? For Artemis desires no less than
to kidnap a fairy... Into his path buzzes Captain Holly Short of the
LEPrecon unit, his legendary nemesis (or so we're told - there are a few hints
of future adventures). Since Artemis has managed to decrypt the Fairy
Book, he is able to keep one step ahead of the LEPrecon unit sent to rescue
Holly. Commander Julius Root, although always the most critical of the experimental
female attachment to the squad, shows an admirable sense of loyalty to
her when he decides to lead the rescue from the front, even although he was far
more active five hundred years ago. Assisted and hindered by a techno
centaur called Foaly, Root leaps into action. But will his ties with the
captured agent compromise the operation?
Dysfunctional families seem to be an integral part
of children's fiction at the moment. Harry Potter's parents were blasted
by Voldemort, and Artemis has seemingly also lost his mother and father.
Artemis's mother seems to spend most of the novel drugged on sleeping pills,
whilst Natalie's father in Katherine Roberts' 'Spellfall' spends most of his
time drunk. Angeline Fowl's drugged state forms an integral part of the
plot, and Natalie is also kidnapped and fed sleeping pills in
'Spellfall'. Away from his parents though, Artemis doesn't muck around
with spells like Harry Potter or Natalie, he mixes chemicals together.
There is something very unsightly about a hero who uses drugs to get his
way. He poisons the drunken fairy at the beginning of the book, and
tranquilizes Holly Short with curare and succinylcholine chloride. Curare
has been used by South American Indians as a poison to dip their darts into
while hunting, whilst succinylcholine chloride too has been used to
murder. It's just as well that these chemicals aren't very easy for your
average kid to get hold of. Perhaps Artemis's self education on the
net is not such a good idea after all.
Artemis's moral ambiguity does not make him an
easy hero. Harry Potter is not a paragon of virtue either, but his
character works much better. You spend more of the novel rooting
for Holly and Root than Artemis, because you don't really want Artemis to get
away with his villainy. Eoin Colfer may think that villains are more
interesting than heroes, but that's a cliché for actors, not
authors. Who out there ultimately ends up rooting for Iago?
Someone who's prepared to risk the lives of his friends and cross species war
that could engulf the entire planet? So Artemis may not like whaling
ships, but Katherine Roberts' critique of the same practice was a lot more
powerful in Song Quest, and a
lot more imaginative to boot. Eoin Colfer's knowledge of myth is very
good however, and he's not afraid to make his own adaptations and inventions,
like Mulch Diggums, the aforementioned flatulent dwarf. But you can't
help thinking that the movie is going to be released during the Yuletide
season. No matter how reminiscent Artemis's representation of Santa Claus
is, you can hardly wave off the sprig of cynicism induced by ending the novel
on Christmas Day. Artemis Fowl is ultimately more 'Temple of Doom'
than 'Raiders of the Lost Ark', with its sporadic, gruesome action. It
just as well that trolls have the patience to wait for dramatic interludes
whilst they bloodthirstily hunt down their prey. There are plenty of
hints for sequels to come - we can only hope that Colfer will produce an
'Empire Strikes Back' rather than a 'Return of a Jedi'.
Authortrek rating: 6/10.
Kevin Patrick Mahoney
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Artemis Fowl -
Kevin Patrick Mahoney reviews Eoin Colfer's blockbuster novel. Below are
some links that chronologically follow the cultural context of the caper:
Sig-Sauer -
what Butler's gun looks like
Vietnam from Five Perspectives -
Nguyen meets Artemis and Butler on Dong Khai Street. This is where Colfer
seems to make an error: "head down fabled Dong Khoi Street. Known as Rue
Catinat during the French colonial period, it was the Rodeo Drive of its day.
In the '60s it was renamed Tu Do Street" - Nguyen says that the
fairy is a healer "near Tu Do Street". Maybe Colfer's just
trying to reflect the many names Dong Khai Street has had, and that even the
Vietnamese still call Ho Chi Minh City "Saigon". The drunken
fairy does seem attracted to the more seedy parts of the city
Every Ogham thing on the web -
explains what Ogham is
The Leprechaun in Literature -
reveals the real derivation of the word "Leprechaun"
Martina Franca -
what this real place looks like before it is trashed by a troll
Goddess Information -
gives more details about Eriu
Tuatha De Danann -
their history
Fomorians -
who were these giants?
Tuatha De Dannan -
more in depth info
The Lia Fail -
a lot of wild rumours surround this stone
Living History: Tara -
mentions The Lia Fail and the Ard Ri
Curare: A South American Arrow Poison -
Artemis must be an excellent pharmacist to be able to expertly administer
several dangerous drugs
Curare -
more info
Wikipedia -
reveals how succinylcholine chloride has been used to murder. The
tranquilizers that Artemis uses on Holly do have their risky sides
Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin -
is where Artemis's parents got hitched
truth
serum - (sodium pentothal)
Names Potpourri -
mentions argon and cumulus
The Story of the World Cup -
aka the Jules Rimet Cup that Mulch Diggums nicked
Classical Net - Tchaikovsky - 1812 Overture
MIDI Files: Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture -
you'll recognise the tune of glory that comes to Artemis's mind
Stockholm Syndrome -
discussed in various contexts. Root accuses Holly of identifying
with her captors in this way
The German S-Mine (Bouncing Betty) -
Holly fears that Artemis may have deployed this type of weaponry as she returns
to Fowl Manor
History of Santa Claus -
Eoin Colfer's not the first author to have described Santa Claus as an elf like
figure. Clement Clarke Moore in his poem 'A Visit from St Nicholas' (more
famously known as 'The Night Before Christmas'), also described Santa as an
Elf. This shows that there is an element of substance in Eoin Colfer's
twisting of myth
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