Round 3, Match 1: Keeper vs. The Cardturner

Keeper by Kathi Appelt Atheneum/Simon & Schuster	The Cardturner by Louis Sachar Delacorte Books/Random House
Judged by Grace Lin

When I was asked to be a Battle of the Books judge I hurriedly became acquainted with all the original titles, as I was unsure which two books I would be choosing from. To save time, I listened to many of them on audio book while I worked on illustrations or commuted. One of the first audio books I listened to was Keeper. I have to admit, the audio book did not enamor me and I stopped listening half way though. I thought Keeper would be at the bottom of my list.

However, Keeper turned out to be one of the two books for me to choose from and, valuing the opinions of the esteemed judges before me, I knew I had to give the book another chance. So, with physical book in hand, I began to read.

And what a difference! When I read the book, suddenly the magic became apparent. I loved the slow unveiling of each story, the way the back and forth narratives seemed to echo the motion of the ocean waves that rocked Keeper’s boat. I found the fantasy elements of Yemaya and Jacque der Mer enchanting and I could feel the heartbreak of each character. Even the animals—the dog BD and the crow Captain had fully-realized personalities.

The blurring of myth and reality was seamless and the writing was poetic, yet always accessible. But most of all, the theme of the story—that love of all kinds, even the untraditional, are worth keeping— and how it was conveyed was just beautiful.

Keeper is a book that needs you to be present to appreciate it. It’s not a story that can be half listened to or quickly skimmed, because then you miss the wonder. Appelt reveals the story like ocean waves lapping away bits of sand on a beach until a treasure is uncovered. And it’s the serene watching of the waves, not the sparkling pearl, that creates the book’s charm.

I also listened to The Cardturner before reading the physical book. This, I found quite enjoyable, especially as there is a hilarious foghorn noise in place of the whale image (which is in the physical book) to warn of a bridge information dump.

The Cardturner is a very, very enjoyable book. Strangely, I found myself liking the audio version just a tad more. Knowing nothing of bridge, I found it easier explained through the audio narrator than seeing the diagrams in the book. However, even while reading the physical book, I didn’t feel lost in any of the explanations and I still found myself caught up in the excitement of the game.

The characters were especially believable, I felt as if they were real people. I found myself getting disgusted with Alton’s parents (and wondering how Alton and Leslie could be so decent with such money-grubbing adults) and crying at Sophie’s words at Trapp’s funeral.

And I was surprised how well the story flowed. The plot kept changing –first it was ironic and humorous, then it was tragic, then supernatural and romantic. As an author, I would’ve been hesitant about the mix but in The Cardturner it all worked.

Reading The Cardturner felt complex and simple at the same time, probably just like a bridge game. To me, the closest analogy I could come up with was like watching a complicated dance routine. I could see all the steps, yet still appreciate the whole…and know that I probably should never attempt to do it myself (at least not in public). In short, I knew I was reading the work of a master author.

But which do I think is better? That is hard question to answer. To compare Keeper to The Cardturner is like comparing watching a magical snowfall outside your window to the pleasure of watching your favorite television show. One is soul-filling while the other satisfying. For me, I’ll go with the soul and I choose…

Keeper.

— Grace Lin

And the Winner of this match is…

… KEEPER

I would have said Keeper easily had this round—until I read Laura’s decision on The Cardturner, and then I wasn’t so sure.  Grace, too, is very eloquent in laying out the strengths of both books, summarizing each in a perfect metaphor.  Keeper: “Appelt reveals the story like ocean waves lapping aways bits of sand on a beach until a treasure is revealed.  And it’s the serene watching of the waves, not the sparkling pearl that creates the book’s charm.”  Cardturner: “Like watching a complicated dance routine.  I could see all the steps, yet still appreciate the whole.”   I also enjoyed hearing her take on how the audiobook experience compared to reading the physical book. Keeper is the first book to advance to the final round.  I had hoped for A Conspiracy of Kings from this bracket (perhaps the Undead Poll winner?), but Keeper was my second pick.  Hurray!

— Commentator Jonathan Hunt

Filed under: 2011, Round 3