Re: R.I.P. Maurice Gee, 93, wrote "Under the Mountain" (1979)

About "Plumb" (from Kelly, a Goodreads reviewer):
"If you asked the narrator of Plumb what the book is about, he would
tell you it's the story of his struggle to devote his life to his
ideals, and the sacrifices he made to live by his principles, supported
by the deep love and understanding between himself and his late wife,
and their unstinting pursuit of their shared goals. But the genius of
this book is that through his voice the reader discerns a different
tale--that of a selfish hypocrite and the irreparable damage he does to
his family. A man who spends all his time contemplating the nature of
God and Love (in capital letters) while neglecting and withholding from
his wife and children, forcing them all to live lives of poverty and
hardship while he takes the best of everything. A man who is extremely
harsh in his judgment of others, but entirely forgiving of himself
(though he wouldn’t believe it); who spends his whole life in an
academic exploration of the human soul, and somehow fails to have even a
basic grasp of human nature. He is so believable—we have all met people
like this. They are infuriating."
About "Under the Mountain":
"Beneath the extinct volcanoes surrounding the city, giant creatures are
waking from a spellbound sleep that has lasted thousands of years. Their
goal is the destruction of the world. Rachel and Theo Matheson are
twins. Apart from having red hair, there is nothing remarkable about
them - or so they think. They are horrified to discover that they have a
strange and awesome destiny. Only the Matheson twins can save the world
from the terror of what is under the mountain."
Most of what I posted in 2011:
Birthday tribute:
http://beattiesbookblog.blogspot.com/2011/08/happy-birthday-maurice-gee.html
Contemporary Authors:
"Maurice Gee is an award-winning New Zealand author of fiction for
both adults and children. His stories, which are usually set in
fictionalized versions of his hometown and the surrounding area, are
characterized by a distinctive sense of place; he often sets his
novels in New Zealand's past, thus allowing observations of how his
country's politics and ideals have evolved over time. Whether he is
writing for young or mature audiences, Gee's books contain common
themes, such as the problems caused by intolerance of those of
different races, nationalities, or social status, the rejection of the
outsider, and the struggle between good and evil forces. A realistic
writer for the most part, even his tales of science fiction and
fantasy aimed at young readers are notable for their detail, which
makes them all the more believable and useful as "as a springboard for
the bizarre," as Mark Sullivan put it in the Encyclopedia of World
Literature."
St. James Guide to Children's Writers:
"Against these evil characters are the child-protagonists. Helped by
Nature, their special gifts, each other, and sympathetic, sometimes
symbolically drawn adults, all discover the necessary strength to meet
each challenge. The red-haired twins Rachel and Theo develop
telepathic powers and control of magic stones to make the volcanoes
erupt just in time. Caroline saves the magic glasses from the Grimbles
and returns them, revitalised by the sun, to the elvish Moon-girl who
can then win the yearly fight against the dragon. Nicholas supports
his cousin Susan Ferris on her long journeys in her quest for the
magic charms. With help she succeeds in destroying each set of
oppressive rulers and, as a final solution, wipes out all memory so
that life on O returns to the Neanderthal stage.
"But this struggle demands sacrifice. Gee's "colouring" shows that in
the overthrow of evil, because of human imperfections, innocent people
must suffer, for which we "do right to grieve." Since "Good must be
won daily in the battle that never ends," some repetition in the
trilogy is inevitable, but each story ends successfully. And Gee
underlines the duality of his vision by pairing and paralleling
characters, creatures (notably cats, domestic and wild), magic stones,
and images."
In July 2006, Gee won the Montana New Zealand Readers' Choice Award,
the Montana New Zealand Book Award, and the Deutz Medal for Fiction or
Poetry for his novel "Blindsight." (And many awards before that.)
http://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=1708
(Literary Encyclopedia entry)
http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/g/maurice-gee/
(book covers & synopses)
https://www.google.com/search?q=maurice+gee+books&sca_esv=8900ff206bef6d47&hl=en&biw=1366&bih=633&gbv=2&udm=2&ei=hI5RaKKgIrrdptQP0avw2As&ved=0ahUKEwii8pin5_iNAxW6rokEHdEVHLsQ4dUDCBE&uact=5&oq=maurice+gee+books&gs_lp=EgNpbWciEW1hdXJpY2UgZ2VlIGJvb2tzMgUQABiABDIGEAAYBRgeMgYQABgIGB4yBhAAGAgYHkikDFCJA1ipC3ABeACQAQCYAW6gAcgEqgEDNC4yuAEDyAEA-AEBmAIHoAK2BcICEBAAGIAEGLEDGEMYgwEYigXCAgYQABgHGB7CAgQQABgemAMAiAYBkgcDMy40oAf-GbIHAzIuNLgHlgXCBwcyLTEuNS4xyAdg&sclient=img
(photos & book covers)
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1088298/
(filmography)
http://christchurchcitylibraries.com/Kids/ChildrensAuthors/MauriceGee.asp
(interview)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maurice_Gee
Juvenile Writings:
Under the Mountain. Wellington, London, and New York, Oxford
University Press, 1979 .
The World Around the Corner, illustrated by Gary Hebley. Wellington,
Oxford University Press, 1980 ; Oxford and New York, Oxford University
Press, 1981 .
The Halfmen of O. Auckland and Oxford, Oxford University Press, 1982 ;
New York, Oxford University Press, 1983 .
The Priests of Ferris. Auckland and Oxford, Oxford University Press,
1984 ; New York, Oxford University Press, 1985 .
Motherstone. Auckland and Oxford, Oxford University Press, 1985 .
The Fire-Raiser. Auckland, Oxford University Press, 1986 ; Boston,
Houghton Mifflin, 1992 .
The Champion. Auckland, Puffin, 1989 ; New York, Simon and Schuster,
1993 .
The Fat Man. Auckland, Penguin, 1994 ; New York, Simon and Schuster,
1997 .
Loving Ways, Penguin (New York, NY), 1996.
Orchard Street, Viking (Auckland, New Zealand), 1998.
Hostel Girl, Puffin (Auckland, New Zealand), 1999.
Ellie and the Shadow Man, Penguin (New York, NY), 2001.