Tam Lin (novel)

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Title Tam Lin

Cover of the 1992 softcover edition
Author Pamela Dean
Cover artist Thomas Canty
Country United States
Language English
Genre(s) Contemporary fantasy, urban fantasy and fantasy of manners
Publisher Tor Books (first edition, hardcover)
Released March 1991 (first edition, hardcover)
Media type Print (hardcover and paperback)
Pages 468 pp (first edition, hardcover)
ISBN 978-0312851378 (first edition, hardcover)

Tam Lin is a 1991 contemporary fantasy novel by U.S. author Pamela Dean based on the traditional Scottish border ballad Tam Lin.

It was originally published as one of the Fairy Tale Series edited by Terri Windling.

Contents

[edit] Plot introduction

The protagonist of Tam Lin is Janet Carter and the novel, written in the third person but from Janet's point of view, is set during her years as a student at Blackstock College in Minnesota in the early 1970s. The cast of characters are Janet's fellow students, professors at the college, her family, and a childhood friend. The plot combines the story of a young woman's life at college with a retelling of the traditional Scottish fairy ballad Tam Lin.

[edit] Characters in Tam Lin

  • Janet Carter is the protagonist.
  • Molly is Janet's college roommate.
  • Christina is also Janet's college roommate.
  • Nicholas Tooley is a student.
  • Thomas Lane is a student.
  • Robert Armin is a student.
  • Professor Medeous is head of the Classics Department.
  • Melinda Wolfe is a Classics professor and Janet's first study adviser.
  • Victoria Thompson is a campus ghost originating in the late 19th century.
  • Danny Chin is Janet's friend from childhood.

[edit] Major themes

Tam Lin is a late 20th century urban fantasy or fantasy of manners. The story touches on themes including college education, sexuality, contraception, abortion and pregnancy. Dean has referred to this novel as a "love poem" to "my college, and ultimately to the study of English literature."[1]

[edit] References and allusions to other works

The novel Tam Lin is based on the traditional Scottish border ballad Tam Lin.[2]

The novel also contains many quotations and allusions. Most of the quotations are from English literature and especially Shakespeare's plays.[3]

[edit] References to history and geography

The novel casually alludes to several historical events and figures in early 1970s U.S. history including the Vietnam War and Nixon. More importantly to the plot, Janet Carter, the protagonist, mentions the law ruling allowing legal abortions in the U.S. (see Roe v. Wade).

Blackstock College is partly physically based on Carleton College, Northfield, Minnesota, which author Pamela Dean attended as an undergraduate (1971–1975). Dean states, in the "Author's Note" published in the back of every edition of Tam Lin:

Readers acquainted with Carleton College will find much that is familiar to them in the architecture, landscape, classes, terminology, and general atmosphere of Blackstock. They are earnestly advised that it would be unwise to refine too much upon this. Blackstock is not Carleton.[4]

[edit] Awards and nominations

[edit] Release details

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Dean, Pamela; Mary Anne Mohanraj (2001-01-01). Interview: Pamela Dean. Strange Horizons. Strange Horizons. Retrieved on March 9, 2007.
  2. ^ Acland, Abigail (1997–2003). Tam Lin: Child 39A. Tam Lin Balladry. Abigail Acland. Retrieved on March 9, 2007.
  3. ^ Strates, Felix (2002-02-10). The Annotated Tam Lin. The Annotated Dean. Felix Strates. Retrieved on March 9, 2007.
  4. ^ Pamela, Dean (2006-08-03). "Author's Note", Tam Lin. Firebird Books, 457. ISBN 978-0142406526. 
  5. ^ Kelly, Mark R. (2000–2007). 1992 Mythopoeic Awards. The Locus Index to SF Awards. Locus Online (Locus Publications). Retrieved on March 9, 2007.

[edit] External links

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