Land of Dreams by James P. Blaylock
"Land of Dreams" is a captivating narrative set in the fictional small town of Rio Dell, Northern California, where the impending twelve-year solstice brings a series of magical and mysterious events. The story follows three orphans—Skeezix, Helen, and Jack—as they navigate a world filled with odd occurrences, such as the discovery of oversized objects and the arrival of a carnival train that has been out of use for years. As the solstice approaches, legends suggest that individuals can transition between the ordinary world and parallel realms known as the land of dreams, leading to questions about reality and sanity during this time.
Each character faces personal struggles and engages with supernatural elements. Skeezix and Helen live under the care of Miss Flees, while Jack uncovers dark family secrets tied to a past duel involving his parents. The narrative unfolds with the characters' desire to explore the land of dreams, where they encounter their past and glimpse potential futures. The interplay of magic, mystery, and personal growth drives the plot, culminating in themes of hope, resolution, and the quest for identity as they confront the forces that threaten their existence. Through its enchanting premise, "Land of Dreams" invites readers to consider the boundaries between dreams and reality and the power of friendship in overcoming challenges.
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Subject Terms
Land of Dreams
First published: 1987
Type of work: Novel
Type of plot: Fantasy—magical world
Time of work: Indeterminate
Locale: Rio Dell, California
The Plot
In the fictional small town of Rio Dell, in Northern California, the twelve-year solstice is drawing close and strange things are beginning to happen. On the beach, Skeezix discovers a giant shoe, which he wants to give to his friend Dr. Jensen. A giant pair of glasses already has been discovered, but these have been hung on the wall of the local tavern and Dr. Jensen cannot experiment with them. The carnival train arrives in town, although the railway has been out of use for years, and Jack sees a miniature man, no bigger than a mouse and wearing a mouse costume, disappear through a crack in the wall after presenting Jack with a bottle of elixir.
It is clear that magic is brewing, but no one is sure what will happen. At the time of the solstice, it is believed that people can cross from the everyday world into other parallel worlds, what is termed the land of dreams. No one is sure that this really happens; all that is certain is that people go a little crazy at solstice time.
Skeezix, Helen, and Jack are all orphans. Skeezix and Helen live with Miss Flees, who reluctantly takes care of them and also of Peebles, a disagreeable young man who hates them, but of whom Miss Flees thinks very highly. Helen has struck up a friendship with the ghost of Mrs. Langley, who once owned the house. Through her book, they begin to learn a little about the nature of the solstice. Jack has learned from other sources that his mother was poisoned by a jealous suitor and that his father challenged this man, Lars Portland, to a duel. Portland had not died, as Jack had been told, and neither had Augustus Harbin. Harbin seems to have returned mysteriously as the owner of the carnival and now seeks the elixir, which enables people to cross to the land of dreams. This, it turns out, was invented by Portland, who also has returned from the land of dreams and is simultaneously a midget and a giant. He is brewing more elixir in the old taxidermist’s shop. Miss Flees is also plotting, by more disreputable means, to cross to the land of dreams, aided by Peebles, although he has given his allegiance to the carnival and gradually is being deprived of his living essence by Harbin.
Jack and Skeezix decide that in order to solve the mystery, they must cross to the land of dreams. In doing so, Jack sees his mother and father. When they leave the land of dreams, they appear to have traveled forward in time, for they seem themselves as adults. Skeezix, who has a great love of food, has achieved his ambition to own a bakery, and Jack is married to Helen. They have been followed by Harbin, who attempts to poison the adult Jack and Helen, though this attempt is thwarted. The boys return to their own time to find that the carnival has been destroyed and that Mrs. Langley’s husband finally returned home, as have Jack’s parents. Jack’s father has finally located the antidote his mother needs to counteract the poison given to her.