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As I Was on My Way to Strawberry Fair
Two strangers aide one other on a dark country road; and vow to meet again at the local Renaissance Fair. To do so they must learn to see beyond their own masks. And united, to win past a host of fairy glamours, crazed role-players, angry jugglers, sinister bikers and the secret of the ancient charter of Strawberry Fair itself.
I will find you at Strawberry Fair,
will win you a lion, a tiger, a bear.
I will buy you ices, electronic devices
And give you a kiss for finding me there.
A romance in masks.
I will find you at Strawberry Fair,
will win you a lion, a tiger, a bear.
I will buy you ices, electronic devices
And give you a kiss for finding me there.
A romance in masks.
349 pages, ebook
Published July 30, 2016
29 people are currently reading
148 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
February 11, 2018
After the recent bloodbath, preceded by bizarro surreal atrocities I needed something lighter. As I was on My Way to Strawberry Fair has been sitting on my kindle for a while. Strawberries aren't associated with rape, violence, and mayhem, so I thought it was the right time to read the book.
Two strangers aide one other on a dark country road and vow to meet again at the local Renaissance Fair. Strawberry Fair takes place in Texas between Hell and Theory (fictional towns). Angelico is quite near. I don’t want to say too much about the plot, suffice to say there is one.
The story is told from two POVs. The first one is a role-playing geek who decided to take RL (Real Job). The other is, probably, an angel.
Marshall describes himself accurately as a day-dreaming air-head space cadet and a perpetual student fantasy-fan who can imagine absolutely anything except a serious life..
Cai is more bad-ass and she has a mission. Actually, it seems Marshall is her mission. Yes, there’s a Higher Plan at work here.
There are also zombies, angels, Antlered Man, Queen of the night and a lot of other creatures who meet at the fair. There comes a moment when it’s difficult to say if we read about magic folk pretending to be mortal or mortals pretending to be fantasy-folk. At fair almost everyone wears a mask.
The story tells about a romance. It does it in a subtle and innocent way. Holding hands, stealing a kiss is all our heroes want (at least on the book’s pages).
While there is a story to be told the charm of the book lies elsewhere – in moments and emotions caught in sentences, often humorous. When Marshall meets perfect security guard, he describes him in the following way:
And there’s this charming quote about a couple sharing dark chocolate:
And if you want to read a quote about people who live to role-play, well, you have to read the book.
What I want to say is this – it’s a book that’s (at least to me) focused more on catching the moments, playing with language (being fair at fair or waiting for firemen from Hell are just minor examples) and speaking about naïve and innocent youth discovering love.
So while it’s possible to feel there’s little moral to the story, it’s also fair to note that you’ll probably smile more than once along the way.
Just don’t expect too much boom-boom. You’ll get some, just enough to push the tempo a bit. But not too much.
Overall, it was an interesting book outside my usual choice of the genre. The plot doesn’t move at breakneck speed and yet remains entertaining in a subtle way.
Actual rating: 7.5/10 or 3.75/5 rounded up to 4.
I will find you at Strawberry Fair,
I will win you a lion, a tiger, a bear.
I will buy you ices, electronic devices
And give you a kiss for finding me there.
Two strangers aide one other on a dark country road and vow to meet again at the local Renaissance Fair. Strawberry Fair takes place in Texas between Hell and Theory (fictional towns). Angelico is quite near. I don’t want to say too much about the plot, suffice to say there is one.
The story is told from two POVs. The first one is a role-playing geek who decided to take RL (Real Job). The other is, probably, an angel.
Marshall describes himself accurately as a day-dreaming air-head space cadet and a perpetual student fantasy-fan who can imagine absolutely anything except a serious life..
Cai is more bad-ass and she has a mission. Actually, it seems Marshall is her mission. Yes, there’s a Higher Plan at work here.
There are also zombies, angels, Antlered Man, Queen of the night and a lot of other creatures who meet at the fair. There comes a moment when it’s difficult to say if we read about magic folk pretending to be mortal or mortals pretending to be fantasy-folk. At fair almost everyone wears a mask.
The story tells about a romance. It does it in a subtle and innocent way. Holding hands, stealing a kiss is all our heroes want (at least on the book’s pages).
While there is a story to be told the charm of the book lies elsewhere – in moments and emotions caught in sentences, often humorous. When Marshall meets perfect security guard, he describes him in the following way:
If he stood on a Halloween doorstep he’d be handed all the candy. If he stood next to ninja turtle girl, she’d burst into tears and run..
And there’s this charming quote about a couple sharing dark chocolate:
He unwrapped the chocolate, offering me half first. What a gentleman. I took the larger half.
And if you want to read a quote about people who live to role-play, well, you have to read the book.
What I want to say is this – it’s a book that’s (at least to me) focused more on catching the moments, playing with language (being fair at fair or waiting for firemen from Hell are just minor examples) and speaking about naïve and innocent youth discovering love.
So while it’s possible to feel there’s little moral to the story, it’s also fair to note that you’ll probably smile more than once along the way.
Just don’t expect too much boom-boom. You’ll get some, just enough to push the tempo a bit. But not too much.
Overall, it was an interesting book outside my usual choice of the genre. The plot doesn’t move at breakneck speed and yet remains entertaining in a subtle way.
Actual rating: 7.5/10 or 3.75/5 rounded up to 4.
July 11, 2021
My third in a row by this author which demonstrates, I guess, that I’m enjoying the books.
This one has a rather different feel from the previous two (Letters from the Well in the Season of the Ghosts; The Stations of the Angels), having a more magical, supernatural, feel, with somewhat less realism, even though it’s still set in the same Texas countryside between the same small towns. The scenario centres on a ‘ren-fair’, an event I had to look up online, even though it often pays homage to the history of ‘Ye Olde England’ where I live! These ‘Renaissance Fairs’ seem fairly popular in the US, but I’ve never come across one in England (although re-enactments of historical battles by dedicated amateur clubs are not uncommon here).
At these fairs people dress up in medieval or fantasy garb, jousts take place, and there’s generally a party feel in a historical setting. This story also gives a central position to role play; board style or live (LARP) role game playing. I’ve a strong suspicion that many fantasy authors have been active role-play game players, perhaps as an outlet for their imaginations before they turned to writing. I may be wrong, but it’s a theory based on maybe only 2-3 examples I know…
Fantasy role playing games are not something I’ve personally indulged in, but I understand the concepts, and you didn’t have to know details to appreciate its place in the story. I enjoyed how the author leaves it uncertain in places whether it is pretend role playing by various characters in the story or whether it is more than that, with something genuinely magical taking place. In fact, that’s the core of the story; the hazy boundary between ‘real life’ and magical activities. A Midsummer Nights Dream feel to the whole tale for me.
There are two companion protagonists, both telling the story in the first person. A male, Marshall, with a role playing background, though we don’t know that much more about his background, and a mysterious female, Cai, with an even less defined past, as you’ll see. They have alternating chapters to tell their story, which are also offset in time; Cai mainly telling the tale of how they arrive at the fair and the bizarre obstacles they face in their journey, and Marshall concentrating on events at the fair.
The plot is almost secondary to why I enjoy the author, for his delightful, clever prose often with a dash of light humour. Once again I highlighted a dozen or more sections with language or observational insight that really appealed to me.
It’s a story that takes a little while to get into as the scenario is bizarre with the blurring between the supernatural and everyday life, and you have to get through a few chapters to understand the outlines of a plot. The plot is complex but I really had no trouble keeping up. It’s well worth making the effort to get into it as in the end it’s a very well rounded story, without loose ends, and an added dash of romance.
I’m struggling between a 4* to 5* rating. It’s excellent stuff but if I’m going to read more by this author I’ve got to perhaps grade them with respect to each other. The Role Playing aspect in the plot isn’t really to my taste though the author cleverly makes barbed comments about those people who indulge in it. I found my judgmental self nodding in agreement with some of those comments!
But what the hell, another beautifully written, bizarre tale, off the beaten track for me, which I thoroughly enjoyed, so 5*.
This one has a rather different feel from the previous two (Letters from the Well in the Season of the Ghosts; The Stations of the Angels), having a more magical, supernatural, feel, with somewhat less realism, even though it’s still set in the same Texas countryside between the same small towns. The scenario centres on a ‘ren-fair’, an event I had to look up online, even though it often pays homage to the history of ‘Ye Olde England’ where I live! These ‘Renaissance Fairs’ seem fairly popular in the US, but I’ve never come across one in England (although re-enactments of historical battles by dedicated amateur clubs are not uncommon here).
At these fairs people dress up in medieval or fantasy garb, jousts take place, and there’s generally a party feel in a historical setting. This story also gives a central position to role play; board style or live (LARP) role game playing. I’ve a strong suspicion that many fantasy authors have been active role-play game players, perhaps as an outlet for their imaginations before they turned to writing. I may be wrong, but it’s a theory based on maybe only 2-3 examples I know…
Fantasy role playing games are not something I’ve personally indulged in, but I understand the concepts, and you didn’t have to know details to appreciate its place in the story. I enjoyed how the author leaves it uncertain in places whether it is pretend role playing by various characters in the story or whether it is more than that, with something genuinely magical taking place. In fact, that’s the core of the story; the hazy boundary between ‘real life’ and magical activities. A Midsummer Nights Dream feel to the whole tale for me.
There are two companion protagonists, both telling the story in the first person. A male, Marshall, with a role playing background, though we don’t know that much more about his background, and a mysterious female, Cai, with an even less defined past, as you’ll see. They have alternating chapters to tell their story, which are also offset in time; Cai mainly telling the tale of how they arrive at the fair and the bizarre obstacles they face in their journey, and Marshall concentrating on events at the fair.
The plot is almost secondary to why I enjoy the author, for his delightful, clever prose often with a dash of light humour. Once again I highlighted a dozen or more sections with language or observational insight that really appealed to me.
It’s a story that takes a little while to get into as the scenario is bizarre with the blurring between the supernatural and everyday life, and you have to get through a few chapters to understand the outlines of a plot. The plot is complex but I really had no trouble keeping up. It’s well worth making the effort to get into it as in the end it’s a very well rounded story, without loose ends, and an added dash of romance.
I’m struggling between a 4* to 5* rating. It’s excellent stuff but if I’m going to read more by this author I’ve got to perhaps grade them with respect to each other. The Role Playing aspect in the plot isn’t really to my taste though the author cleverly makes barbed comments about those people who indulge in it. I found my judgmental self nodding in agreement with some of those comments!
But what the hell, another beautifully written, bizarre tale, off the beaten track for me, which I thoroughly enjoyed, so 5*.
February 27, 2024
As I was On My Way to Strawberry Fair
By Raymond St. Elmo
What do you get when you mix A Midsummer Night’s Dream, A Comedy of Errors, Renn fairs, DND, gaming, and a healthy dose of St. Elmo wit and wordplay?
This book.
I’m not going to say much about it, because this is a ride you need to experience for yourself. But here’s some thoughts to hopefully hook you.
It’s a bit of a fever dream. A magnificent chase through fantasy and reality. Be prepared for duels and damsels, security and straw men, fools and flights, marshals and ministers, angels and ardor, kisses and kings.
(See my bookstagram or TikTok for my reading while baking cookies challenge)
By Raymond St. Elmo
What do you get when you mix A Midsummer Night’s Dream, A Comedy of Errors, Renn fairs, DND, gaming, and a healthy dose of St. Elmo wit and wordplay?
This book.
I’m not going to say much about it, because this is a ride you need to experience for yourself. But here’s some thoughts to hopefully hook you.
It’s a bit of a fever dream. A magnificent chase through fantasy and reality. Be prepared for duels and damsels, security and straw men, fools and flights, marshals and ministers, angels and ardor, kisses and kings.
(See my bookstagram or TikTok for my reading while baking cookies challenge)
July 17, 2021
Was genuinely surprised by this novel. The prose was magical and the story felt magnetic. Thanks, Mr.K!
August 31, 2020
Two people meet on the road to Strawberry Fair, one with a quest, one with a purpose, both at the whim of higher powers playing their own game.
Strawberry Fair is derived from an English festival called Stourbridge Fair. This had me excited briefly as the rather uninteresting town of Stourbridge is about 10 miles from me. But in fact it is named after Stourbridge Common in Cambridge. A far more likely setting for an important medieval fair.
But grievances aside this a pleasure to read. As well as the story of the main characters, I think Strawberry Fair is also a romance about the outlets of fantasy we have in the real world. The book acknowledges the plastic and tack that are fundamental to a renaissance fair, behind magical buildings are wires and waste pipes. Online role play is full of jargon and negotiation with the meta-game. Costumes are overpriced and unconvincing. All of it is plagued by over-commercialisation and financial interests. And yet the book revels in these juxtapositions.
“I will find you at Strawberry Fair,
I will win you a lion, a tiger, a bear.
I will buy you ices, electronic devices
And give you a kiss for finding me there.”
With this and humour there are times the book veers close to mocking, but there is too much affection for this world for that to happen. It embraces the physical necessities needed to bring a fantasy world to life and helps you to see the marvel that is people creating a shared universe in their minds and coming together to role-play. The humour and gaudiness help ground the tone allowing the book to explore the more aspirational aspects of fantasy.
"What roles do they play?"
...
"Whatever allows them to get away with being who they really are"
It’s entertaining, funny and heartfelt. I really loved it.
Strawberry Fair is derived from an English festival called Stourbridge Fair. This had me excited briefly as the rather uninteresting town of Stourbridge is about 10 miles from me. But in fact it is named after Stourbridge Common in Cambridge. A far more likely setting for an important medieval fair.
But grievances aside this a pleasure to read. As well as the story of the main characters, I think Strawberry Fair is also a romance about the outlets of fantasy we have in the real world. The book acknowledges the plastic and tack that are fundamental to a renaissance fair, behind magical buildings are wires and waste pipes. Online role play is full of jargon and negotiation with the meta-game. Costumes are overpriced and unconvincing. All of it is plagued by over-commercialisation and financial interests. And yet the book revels in these juxtapositions.
“I will find you at Strawberry Fair,
I will win you a lion, a tiger, a bear.
I will buy you ices, electronic devices
And give you a kiss for finding me there.”
With this and humour there are times the book veers close to mocking, but there is too much affection for this world for that to happen. It embraces the physical necessities needed to bring a fantasy world to life and helps you to see the marvel that is people creating a shared universe in their minds and coming together to role-play. The humour and gaudiness help ground the tone allowing the book to explore the more aspirational aspects of fantasy.
"What roles do they play?"
...
"Whatever allows them to get away with being who they really are"
It’s entertaining, funny and heartfelt. I really loved it.
August 16, 2021
Given how much I've enjoyed other books by this author I'm not surprised to have really enjoyed this one. One thing I appreciate about this one is how the main characters kept taking everything in stride. When in doubt, go with it isn't the worst advice I've ever come across.
January 27, 2023
Loved this; the humor, the writing. It was crazy strange but I loved the writing, the characters and the humor.
March 14, 2017
So it turns out that Strawberry Fair (the template for Vanity Fair in The Pilgrim's Progess) began in medieval times in Oxford, was revived in the 1970s, and at some indeterminate time magically relocated to a point in Texas somewhere around the fictional (as far as I know, but Texas is a big place, after all) towns of Hell* and Theory.
Well, stranger things have happened, particularly in this story.
As I Was on My Way to Strawberry Fair, following as it does the adventures of a decidedly mixed lot of Renaissance Faire-type role players, reminds me of Peter Beagle's Folk of the Air, but it's much sillier. This is often, but not always, a good thing. On the one hand, there are a lot of funny scenes, and quite a few stylistic gems to be mined from the prose. On the other, sometimes I get the feeling the narrator(s) (especially Marshal, the geeky guy) are trying too hard to be funny and clever in every paragraph, sometimes even every sentence. Maybe because of this, I got the feeling that the book is longer than it really needs to be.
But what the hell**...it's still fun. Even the "everyday" Texas through which the magical (or semi-magical) folk journey is quirky and interesting, sort of a 'lite' version of R.A. Lafferty's cheerfully feral backwoods America. The secondary characters are three- or maybe even four-dimensional, making one feel that they must have really interesting back stories (though the story unfortunately doesn't provide any).
The double narration, offered from characters on either side of a human (and dark angel--if that's who/what Cai is?) romance***, works well and does a good job of interweaving the story's dual timelines. But the ending left me with some mixed feelings.
Considering all this, I would rate As I Was on My Way to Strawberry Fair at 3.5 stars, but given that the author, or his co-protagonist, has the proper attitude about chocolate (i.e. that it's at its best when a) dark and b) chilled), I'll round it up to four.
* However, there actually is a Hell, Michigan; or so Wikipedia claims.
** The other (hopefully fictional) double hockey stick place.
*** There are only two sides, so it's obviously not a love triangle. A love digon, I guess?
Well, stranger things have happened, particularly in this story.
As I Was on My Way to Strawberry Fair, following as it does the adventures of a decidedly mixed lot of Renaissance Faire-type role players, reminds me of Peter Beagle's Folk of the Air, but it's much sillier. This is often, but not always, a good thing. On the one hand, there are a lot of funny scenes, and quite a few stylistic gems to be mined from the prose. On the other, sometimes I get the feeling the narrator(s) (especially Marshal, the geeky guy) are trying too hard to be funny and clever in every paragraph, sometimes even every sentence. Maybe because of this, I got the feeling that the book is longer than it really needs to be.
But what the hell**...it's still fun. Even the "everyday" Texas through which the magical (or semi-magical) folk journey is quirky and interesting, sort of a 'lite' version of R.A. Lafferty's cheerfully feral backwoods America. The secondary characters are three- or maybe even four-dimensional, making one feel that they must have really interesting back stories (though the story unfortunately doesn't provide any).
The double narration, offered from characters on either side of a human (and dark angel--if that's who/what Cai is?) romance***, works well and does a good job of interweaving the story's dual timelines. But the ending left me with some mixed feelings.
Considering all this, I would rate As I Was on My Way to Strawberry Fair at 3.5 stars, but given that the author, or his co-protagonist, has the proper attitude about chocolate (i.e. that it's at its best when a) dark and b) chilled), I'll round it up to four.
* However, there actually is a Hell, Michigan; or so Wikipedia claims.
** The other (hopefully fictional) double hockey stick place.
*** There are only two sides, so it's obviously not a love triangle. A love digon, I guess?
March 23, 2023
You've just fallen through the looking glass, and Dark's Pandemonium Carnival has just pulled into the station. Except it's a Ren Faire. Also it's pretty much Disneyland. It's also in Hell, Texas, or near enough to it, or they're the same thing. That last one.
I read it all in 2 nights, I couldn't put it down. Maybe I should have made it 3 though, for dramatic irony.
I read it all in 2 nights, I couldn't put it down. Maybe I should have made it 3 though, for dramatic irony.
July 14, 2025
There absolutely needs to be more audiobook editions of these. I thoroughly enjoyed this one, but it’s the only one I could find (here in Australia, anyway). I’ll definitely be continuing the series in their paperback counterparts, but as a primarily audiobook person these days, I do wish there were more Raymond St Elmo books in that format.
Favourite quotes:
(To be added to when I have the paperback)
“That old preacher said we become what we pretend. What he really meant was that pretending what we aren’t makes us less what we should be. He’s wrong. I think pretending to be someone else helps us to be who we really are.”
Favourite quotes:
(To be added to when I have the paperback)
“That old preacher said we become what we pretend. What he really meant was that pretending what we aren’t makes us less what we should be. He’s wrong. I think pretending to be someone else helps us to be who we really are.”
May 29, 2021
Currently only giving 2 stars as reading this for SPFBO7. A proper review and star rating will come later.
April 4, 2023
I tell myself that I don't like magical realism...but I can't think of any other way to describe this book, and it was gorgeous. I chose it purely on the title and have zero regrets.
August 8, 2024
This author NEEDS to be known. I absolutely loved this. Now on to the next book.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews