Book review
The Lastling by Philip Gross (2003)
It's easy to be surrounded by people and yet feel alone, don't you think? And sometimes, because there are so many people, you don't really realize how alone you are. Paris is alone. Wealthy, spoilt and neglected by her parents, Paris worships her Uncle Franklin, and is thrilled to bits when he takes her off with him on one of his expeditions to the Himalayas, because with his contacts he can take them to places where tourists are usually excluded. Alarmingly, Franklin and his associates are hunting rare and endangered species, and while Paris is delighted to be invited along on equal terms, she is less delighted to be invited to join The Ultimate Diners:
'Now...' said Franklin, savouring the moment. 'Has anyone guessed? No? If I were to say Rhodenessa caryophyllacea?'
Donald's face lit up. 'Not... the pink-headed duck? Which is known to be extinct.'
'Believed to be extinct,' said Franklin. 'Last definitively sighted in 1935. But I have friends in the birdwatching world. There were rumours. I've invested quite a lot of money in tracking down these little beauties.'
'So they're not extinct at all,' said Paris.
Franklin laughed, quite gently, and the laughter rippled round the table, as the guests grasped the joke, one by one.
What kind of man is her Uncle Franklin? I think Paris is already beginning to ask herself that question when Tahr, a young Buddhist monk, younger than Paris, blunders into the camp in a distraught state. He's been practising a life of isolation, self-denial and meditation but he brings news of another endangered species, so rare that Franklin's associates might be forgiven for thinking it mythical.
The Yeh-teh. Have you heard of it? Sometimes we call it the Abominable Snowman: a large creature that walks upright, that lives somewhere in the remotest mountains of Tibet. Now here's a creature that knows how it feels to be alone. Geng-sun is the very last of her species, and she's only young, about the same age as Paris and Tahr, in fact.
Well, obviously, Franklin is going to want to find the Yeh-teh, but for what foul purpose exactly I hardly dare think. And here we have an extraordinary story about the power of friendship across cultural barriers as these three young people fulfil theiryearning need for companionship in the world's loneliest place. Did I just call Geng-sun, last of the Yeh-teh, a person? That's for you to decide really, as you ponder the story.
A beautiful and sensitive, haunting story that explores the most basic question of all: what is it that makes us human? Earnestly recommended.
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What you say
What do you think about ‘The Lastling’?
Dide, girl, age 15, from Amsterdam, Netherlands, on 4th June 2006. Rating: 7/10
I thought it was a bit boring, sometimes. The actual searching for the creature took half the book, before they finally started. I usually read grown-up books, so I'm not really used to books for children, older children in this case, so maybe that's why I wasn't really that enthusiastic about the book. I got the assignment to test this book, if the children from my school could read it next year. Test it whether it was too difficult or something. I gave it a 7, because it wasn't really a bad story or something, and the way it has been written is also pretty nice, so that's why.
Ruthie, girl, age 10, from Wales, United Kingdom, on 26th May 2005. Rating: 10/10
this book is interesting and makes you get a feel for the book but i don't like the dinners club and when Shengo fell off the chasm. my class all like it so far but we are doing it for a project at school
In the first 5 chapters we see that there are two sides of the novel THE LASTLING. Firstly , Paris who lives in Europe. and Tahr( A MONK) who lives in Himalayas alone with a Master named Sengo. Paris with his uncle Franklin have planned to spend there Vi cation in Himalayas which is basically a restricted area. But somehow they manage to get there. With some other citizens ex. A doctor , chef , Policeman and for their gardening a local villager called Shikarri has been granted with money this secret trip you will able to see how it would work out.
the camp arrives a lost, teenage monk (Tahr), who befriends Paris, inadvertently exposes the truth in the local myth of the yeh-teh (yeti) and suddenly the hunt is on for the ultimate diners club prize. When the yeh-teh is captured and held, Paris soon has more to face than a repulsive meal. The yeh-teh is so close to being human, for perhaps the first time, Paris is forced to look outside her protected and privileged life to another world and what day-to-day existence really means. Paris must decide whom she trusts and how much she is willing to risk for her very survival.
The story explores issues of growing up, what it means to be human, being accepted, loyalty, trust and the limits of acceptable behaviour. The novel deals with all these in ways that are subtle enough to engage teenagers, and obvious enough to convey some clear messages. The Lastling draws in the adolescent reader because it deals with themes of becoming independent, resolving conflict and accepting differences (by finding out about other people and places). There are opportunities to include elements of a broad range of learning areas and to explore a range of themes as mentioned above.
Characters are well drawn and at least two develop into rounded people, making this an ideal book for the exploration of character development and to examine themes in more depth. The reader is drawn to the mystery of the story and the motivation for the adult characters, as well as wondering what the outcome will be for Tahr, Paris and the yeh-teh. Due to the depth of the characters and the way the story unfolds, the novel could be used as a basis for journal entries, and perhaps even to introduce the concept of weblogs (as mentioned in Fiction Focus Vol. 19 (2) p. 4). It also provides good scope for prediction and analysis.
Based on the sophistication of the story and the development of the characters, the book would be best used in an upper primary or lower secondary class - where it would support a solid exploration of a range of narrative elements.
Ch 15
Summary
Tahr was sleeping and when he opened his eyes he felt alone. He saw around him that were's yeti?
There wasn't yeti all around, just Tahr alone. Tahr thought that why would she stay now, she was free? She was back in the place that must be home to her. Tahr was also free but it wasn't the same as yeti. At the place, where she was, wasn't his home. even the camp-site, with strange people. Tahr heard almost like singing, but there was no bird around and it wasn't like bird singing, and Tahr spun around , looking up and down.
he saw Yeti. he waved without thinking, then put his hands in formal bow.
Now yeti was moving up the slope in the front of him.
It was yeti's mother.
Shikarri had searched the place that evening and reported back and in his report was that there was little blood, no creature was there at all.
he felt now Geng-sun must have looked and listened with all her senses. but geng-sun couldn't find her mother.
He also thought why didn't Yeti's mother came yet to save her
Shikarri knew that her mother was still in her mind too.
When shikarri stopped talking he pointed urgent and sharp at the valley and said we should go there and find her mother.
Tahr wished he could have said thank you to Paris, but there was no way now.
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