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Written by Sian Rafferty
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Sunday, 03 January 2010 10:06 |
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This is the tale of two seemingly ordinary twins who learn they have a destiny the size of a mountain, and powers they could never have dreamed of. When the mysterious Mr. Jones wanders into their lives they soon learn of the dreaded Wilberforces who exist under Auckland’s volcanoes. It’s up to twins Rachel and Theo Matheson to save the world as the ancient aliens begin to waken... and threaten to blow.
There is something comforting about revisiting old classics. Maurice Gee is a New Zealand childhood legend, and reading his pages reminds me of classics like the 'Famous Five' and the 'Faraway Tree'. Originally published in the mid-eighties, ‘UNDER THE MOUNTAIN’ has many little hints which show its age, like mentioning that the population of Auckland numbers at half a million. Rachel, the girl twin, is the one which makes the tea, and is definitely the weaker sex. Yet all this is very comforting, and it reminds me of that carefree time on the cusp of adolescence where nothing really mattered except going to the beach and learning your times tables (and evidently maybe also saving the world. But that never really applied to me). |
Setting the story in Auckland is also really cool, especially for a person who has spent their whole life living in the shadow of Mt. Roskill and Mt. Mangere. The use of Auckland volcanic prehistory is an original and entirely kiwi idea. This is definitely a book for all those New Zealanders out there who jump and point at the screen whenever New Zealand is mentioned in a Hollywood movie, swelling with pride and beating their chest exclaiming: “That’s my country.” Come on, I know you do it.
At the same time, because this book wasn’t written with any of the parent-approved, child-sensitive marshmallow padding of the modern world, it’s genuinely scary. People die horrible deaths and the children go through an awful lot to complete their mission. Let’s just say there must have been a whole lot of trauma counselling for the kids, after the ordeal of saving the world.
More people should stand up and embrace the rich literary tradition we have in New Zealand, and I believe this starts with the classics. And you don’t have to be the younger side of fifteen to enjoy this book. So instead of picking up Jordan’s latest offering for your beach reading, or some trash-a-licious vampire novel, buy kiwi-made this summer.
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