Illyria

There seems to be a sort of miniature subgenre of theater-related YA fantasy fiction, with the latest entry to turn up in my to-read stack being Elizabeth Hand's exquisite novella, Illyria (Viking/Penguin UK 2007/US 2010; no editor listed), which I received as a birthday gift from Serge.  It was a good read and beautifully written, but I have to admit: I didn't like it as much as his last present, which may just prove that I have incurably low tastes.  I'm also not entirely sure it should be classified as YA; other than having a teenage protagonist (at first; she grows up in the course of the story) it's a perfectly fine tale for adults.

The title of the book is from Twelfth Night, of course, the land of the romantic Duke Orsino and the mournful Olivia, where the twins Viola and Sebastian are shipwrecked at the beginning of the play.  The play's alternate title (What You Will, possibly a double entendre) and one of Viola's early lines resonated with me as I read:

And what should I do in Illyria?
My brother he is in Elysium.

The lead character in the book is Madeline, and the "brother" is her first cousin, Rogan, with whom she shares first friendship and then, in the face of their family's disapproval, passion.  The fantasy element in the book is pretty minimal; it would work just as well as a coming-of-age story without it.  And it's a cruel coming-of-age: cousins, friends, and lovers with a passion for theater and, in the end, very disparate levels of talent and commitment to the acting craft, facing heavy family disapproval of their love.  It's an interesting exploration of the balance between talent and hard work needed to make a life as an actor, with subtle parallels to the play, during which Viola, of course, makes herself useful as a page to Orsino (whom she secretly loves) and after many trials finally wins his affection, or at least inherits it when he finally gives up on Olivia.  Meanwhile, her twin brother Sebastian pretty much stumbles into a metaphorical Elysium -- his relationship with the wealthy and passionate Olivia -- with no effort needed.

And so, in Illyria, Madeline works hard at acting while for Rogan everything is effortless, from his acting to his angelic singing voice.  It didn't surprise me to see where Hand went with this.  But it didn't make me particularly happy, either.  There wasn't quite enough theater for me to like it as a backstage novel, though I enjoyed the Shakespearean references and the extended quotations of the songs from Twelfth Night.  Having heard them sung, exquisitely, many times in performances, I was hearing them in my mind as much as reading them on the page.  I don't find a first-cousin relationship incestuous enough to find that aspect of their problems convincing.  And while the magical elements were delicately beautiful, they weren't enough to pull me through a story that I found rather depressing. 

Illyria was a World Fantasy Award winner (Best Novella 2008) and it's certainly a miniature jewel of a story, just not quite my cup of tea.  It's certainly a worthy read, and I want to recommend it, but I'm not sure to whom.

Read for yourself: