This is a short collection of stories by the Gaiman-esque author who brought us Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell. If that novel's length and loquacity drove you crazy, you are in luck here -- Clarke revisits the same magical world vision and uses much of the same neo-victorian tone as in the novel, but none of these stories is overwrought or over-long. If, on the other hand, you didn't care for the novels tone or characters or style or perspective, you may as well pass on the stories, because not only do we have the same world, etc. but some very familiar characters pop up here as well. For those who really enjoyed the novel, I suspect you are the target audience. There are some inside nods and some satisfying plots here. While not a collection to be read at one sitting -- one does need some time in between each piece to consider and savor -- I think this is well worth the read.

The intriguing title turns out to be a disappointing red herring ('Grace Adieu' is the name of a village), but I found these short stories delightful and compelling, and a very easy read. Reading this also inspired me to take another bash at 'Jonathan Strange', which, actually, was worthwhile after all. ( )

What a simply stunning collection of short stories about magic. Never unsatisfying and always a pleasure. Susanna Clarke is one of the best authors of all time. ( )

Illustrated collection of stories about fairies, magic, and man set in and about Great Britain. Fun, whimsical and plenty cheeky. Clarke is a master of ye olde faerie tale. ( )

Story 1. The Ladies of Grace Adieu I thought was strange, I couldn’t comprehend it.
Story 2. On Lickerish Hill I thought was delightful and witty. Has some aspects of Rumplestiltskin by the Brothers Grimm about it , however, Clarke’s version is way more superior than theirs.
Story 3. Mrs. Mabb I thought was delightful and witty.
Story 4. The Duke of Wellington Misplaces His Horse is pathetic, silly and preposterous. Fortunately, it is only seven pages long.
Story 5. Mr. Simonelli is excellent. Wonderfully well-written.
Story 6. Tom Brightwiind is foolish, pointless and not very good.
Story 7. Anticks and Frets is a slight episode about Mary Queen of Scots.
Story 8. John Uskglass is another foolish story.

This collection covers a spectrum from the sublime to the ridiculous, from very excellent to really rather poor. There are three stories in the collection that shows Clarke to be an excellent writer, the characterisation is first class, and the stories are witty and delightful: On Lickerish Hill, Mrs. Mabb and Mr. Simonelli. The others are just tosh. Some stories I found to be incomprehensible or downright foolish and I resented a writer of her calibre foisting these stories on me as literature. Shame on you, Susanna, you naughty girl, don’t do it again!

So while I admired her skill in the good stories I was overall disappointed in this mixed bag, a bit like a grocer putting the rotten tomatoes underneath the good ones hoping you pay for them and all and not notice.

Clarke is a very good writer and I am looking forward to reading Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell. I think the longer form is better suited to her considerable talents.

My Recommendation:

Cons:

Susanna Clarke was ill-advised to put out this collection as 62,5% of it is frankly, not very good.

Pros:

Contains three excellent stories, read those and leave the filler. ( )

“Above all remember this: that magic belongs as much to the heart as to the head and everything which is done, should be done from love or joy or righteous anger. And if we honour this principle we shall discover that our magic is much greater than all the sum of all the spells that were ever taught.”

So begins The Ladies of Grace Adieu and Other Stories by Susanna Clarke. In some stories, she takes us straight into the world of Faerie, in others, along the borderlands where human and faerie live touching and yet a universe apart. Sometimes human and Faerie live in a strange symbiosis, seldom (but it does happen) in actual friendship. These faeries are not the sanitised Tinker Bell of Hollywood nor the twinkly sprites on greeting cards. These are the ancient Faerie of England: the Raven King, John Uskglass, Mrs. Mabb and company, who have nothing of human in their hearts, if indeed they have hearts, and access to an ancient, dark power.

The world of Faerie is in our world, around our world, separate from our world. You might walk through a gap in a hedge and there you would be. You might meet a man on a horse and find yourself with your dress torn to ribbons and no memory of how it happened. A bridge might appear in England and take you straight through to Italy.

Susanna Clarke has a fine gift for telling the tales of these fey folk, of their magic and its impact on the human world. For we humans who love to cross the borderlands into this complicated world of illusion, tricksy goings-on, with its dark hints of danger and perilous paths, this book is a little treasure. I would have loved it as a child and I love it as an adult. I'm glad I splashed out on the hardcover edition with its embossed pink cover which slides into the grey box. Good books deserve to be well bound.

If you are an empiricist, this won’t be for you. If you love what ifs and happenstances with onion layers of contradictions, happy reading.

Little drier than Swift & Norell. But still a nice read ( )

What a delectable cocktail peanut of a book. I wish it had been available before Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, because it would have made a perfect gateway drug to the longer, more intense, and more exhausting high of the Big One. But that's like complaining that you only won $10 million in the lottery..."oh shut up" is the best response.

Nine stories set in Miss Clarke's vastly improved nineteenth-century England, the one where magical beings are and the operations of magic happen to all the people. These operations aren't always pleasant, or even kind ("Mrs Mabb", "Antickes and Frets"); sometimes, though, the balance of justice gets a magical turbocharge with satisfying results ("Tom Brightwind or How the Fairy Bridge Was Built at Thoresby", "John Uskglass and the Cumbrian Charcoal Burner"); and for the rest? Sheer pleasure to read.

Clarke creates this magical England carefully, a term I use despite its connotations of grindhood and laborious tedium; the care, gratefully, is virtually invisible to the reader. It shows itself in the effortless naturalism of these clearly contra-natural stories. It is a sign of a master storyteller working at close to peak performance. One never thinks, "Oh c'mon!" about the antics of the magical characters, since they are provided with clear, though sometimes skewed, motives for their actions. It's a pleasure to meet John Uskglass and see his interaction with the mundane world in all its bilateral confusion and misunderstanding! Tom Brightwind and Dr. Montefiore are the classic mismatched buddies that I do honestly meet in real life; even though one is a fairy that doesn't change their dynamic.

The physical book, the hardcover edition that I have anyway, is as pleasurable to possess as the stories themselves are. The handsome cloth binding, stamped with Charles Voss's beautiful floral illustration, begins the pleasure; beautiful oxblood colored endsheets are rich, inviting, somewhat unsettlingly colored; then the line drawings within the text and the handsome, clear typography complete the impression of careful, thoughtful presentation of these delightful tales.

Anyone who quailed at the sheer massiveness of the tome Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell should read these stories, and understand that equal pleasures of a more sustained sort await between those widely separated covers. Anyone who simply loves good storytelling and good stories told should run and get this book. It's very much worth your time and money. ( )

Something in the way [author: Susanna Clarke] writes gives her work the air of having been written a long time ago. It's the literary equivalent of handmade lacework, or of a chest of drawers made by some old-world craftsman: beautiful, precise, and with a subtle air of antiquity. Her previous book, [book: Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrel], gained much of its charm from the way the style of the prose matched the setting of the novel. [book: The Ladies of Grace Adieu] could be considered a companion piece, taking place as it does in the same alternate England. Rather than being a large and weighty tome as was her previous effort, though, this slimmer volume is a collection of short stories.It takes a different sort of writing (and perhaps a different sort of writer) to make a successful short story than to make a successful novel. There is an economy of words and setting that must be observed, or it just doesn't work. Clarke grasps this idea well, and the stories in this book are largely enjoyable and readable. As is the case with any selection of short stories, some are better than others. I particularly like John Uskglass and the Cumbrian Charcoal Burner, which feels like an old fairy tale in the way it plays out. I am somewhat less fond of Lickerish Hill, less for the actual story than for its being written in the actual style of a journal from the 1800s, i.e. difficult to read.If you enjoyed Jonathan Strange, this book offers more of the same. ( )

Charming, original collection... I really enjoyed the style. Sort of Dickens meets Austen, but about fairies. I never thought I'd say that was what I was looking for in a book, but there you go. I plan on picking up one of her other works soon. ( )

Well written in the same style as Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, and includes a tale relating to the same. Entertaining stories that held my interest for their duration, but all seemed to fall slightly short as being truly original or imaginative. ( )

This is a book of short stories set in Clarke's world of Johnathan Strange & Mr. Norrel. A couple of the stories were a little hard to follow for me, but I was quite interested in the ones about faerie. The story with the half human-half faerie protagonist I liked, and the short story about the Duke of Wellington. It's a good book if you want more JSMN, but probably not otherwise. ( )

My favourite story would be The Duke of Wellington Misplaces His Horse as it is set in the world of Stardust by Neil Gaiman, a book I adore very much.

Susanna Clarke is a truly outstanding writer. I really enjoyed this collection of stories/fairy tales as they share a great deal with he outstanding first novel Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell. There is even some overlap between the two through references and some shared characters. If you enjoyed Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell then I highly recommend this collection as well but be warned if you are impatient reader than Ms. Clarke may not be to your liking. It often takes some time to really get "into" her stories but once you are in you may never want to leave! I am impatiently awaiting word of her next endeavor. ( )

The author of Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell offers an enchanting little volume of eight stories that will delight the reader, especially those with a fondness for fairy tales. The vibrant characters contained within the pages include none other than Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell and an untold number of fresh yet familiar faces in the forms of Mary Queen of Scots, the Raven King, and the Duke of Wellington. Each is placed in an exquisitely detailed surrounding as the author uses her magic to weave unforgettable tales.

I fell in love with this book as soon as I picked it up. The cover is simple yet almost entrancing and I loved the way my fingers could linger over the cloth and the imprinted delicate pink flowers. The illustrations of Charles Vess are also a favourite with me, especially one in which we get a glimpse of the Raven King strolling through the woodland, with ravens soaring overhead and a large dog by each side. As gifted as the author is for defining her characters, these black and white illustrations are a stunning aid to the imagination.

As for the stories, where do I even begin? This is one of those books that make it impossible to explain exactly what you loved best about it. I gave some thought to the subject of my favourite tale and I have to say I couldn’t choose. I loved them all. A couple even stirred up childhood memories. I couldn’t read the story of Mrs Mabb without being reminded of the Alf Proysen character Mrs. Pepperpot and I hadn’t thought of those books in forever. I am not going to say much about the plots even though I usually do. I think it would take away from your own experience as you discover this fantastic book.

I have a fondness for books that stir the imagination and this is certainly one of those. It is one of those magical books that on reading will make you feel just a little younger and a little lighter in the heart. I loved fairy tales as a child and now thanks to Susanna Clarke and other authors like her, I get to love them again as an adult.

This one makes it into my favourites shelf and I will be hunting down a copy of Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell also as the title story 'The Ladies of Grace Adieu' has piqued my interest in it.

Author's website: http://www.jonathanstrange.com/ ( )

Clake writes great fairy tales in that the "fairy" element is what it was originally meant to be. She invokes the sinister, the dark and the unknown into the fantastic things that we have overlooked in our everyday fairy tales. Her stories feel REAL which as great as you can gt with an author. ( )

Like her earlier novel "Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell" I really, really enjoyed these stories by Susanna Clarke, which in some cases dealt further with themes brought up in the far longer work. I felt that each story was interesting, with styles very well evocative of their 19th (or in some cases earlier) century literary inspirations, complete with footnotes. Each takes the theme of faeries and, in very different ways, show the often times strained relationships between the "sidhe" and humanity, often in very folkloric ways. As a lover of folklore, I especially enjoyed this, as well as the extra time spent in Clarke's vision of a magical 1800 world. In some ways, I would say that I would recommend these stories in particular to people interested in "Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell" but unsure as to whether they would enjoy the style enough to read 782 pages. ( )

I loved this book! If possible, I loved it even more than "Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell. It is a collection of eight short stories in the style of the aforementioned book. It has droll humor, great characters and world building. Granted, it is our world, but an alternate version which seems entirely plausible. Usually in a book of collected short stories, there are a few clinkers, but I can's say that about any of these. Some I enjoyed more than others, but usually my favorite was the one I was reading at the moment. ( )

Susanna Clarke is clearly one of the bright new lights on the fantasy fiction horizon. Her debut novel, Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, topped bestseller lists, garnered positive reviews from the critics, and crossed genre boundaries with its elegant mixture of style and inventiveness. This follow-up collection of stories claims to be a contemporary academic review of various literary and historical sources that shed light onto the development of English magic and the intertwining of our world with the land of Faerie. Both themes will be familiar to readers of Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, as will the general nineteenth-century setting. The mythology of these works is also similar, so that they must be seen as companions. This volume is best read after the novel, as a couple of the stories will make little sense without background information.

I must admit that I found the opening story—from which the collection's title is taken—rather unappealing, for reasons I shall not reveal (else I should give away the ending). Even there, however, I kept picking out sentences that caught my interest. This excellence of writing continues even as the narrative qualities improve. "On Lickerish Hill" is an imaginative retelling of the Rumpelstiltskin legend, written in the non-standardized spelling typical of its setting ("His beard curles naturallie—a certaine sign of witt"), while "Mrs. Mabb" chronicles a strong-willed girl's efforts to rescue her love from fairy captivity. "The Duke of Wellington Misplaces His Horse" transposes the England and Fairyland of Jonathan Strange with those of Neil Gaiman's Stardust as the Duke has an adventure while staying in the mysterious village of Wall. John Hollyshoes, the antagonist of "Mr. Simonelli or The Fairy Widower," may remind Clarkites of the Gentleman with Thistled-Down Hair, com with his meddling ways and evil intentions; then again, Tom Brightwind of "Tom Brightwind or How the Fairy Bridge was Built at Thoresby" possesses much of the Gentleman's airs as well, but little of his villainy. "Antickes and Frets" is an alternative, mystical history of Mary Stuart's imprisonment, in which she plays some role in her execution, which ultimately brings her release. "John Uskglass and the Cumbrian Charcoal Burner" takes the form of a folktale, and a very entertaining one at that; I particularly enjoyed the Charcoal Burner's interactions with the various saints.

Beautiful illustrations by Charles Vess add to the magic of each tale, and this hardcover edition is lovely enough that it is worth keeping as literary eye candy alone. Highly recommended for Strangites and Norrellites everywhere! ( )

Having so thoroughly enjoyed Susanna Clarke’s previous tale of magical England, Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrel, I was pleased to find The Ladies of Grace Adieu, a collection of stories set in the same time period building on the same theme and using some of the previous characters.

As with any anthology, the stories vary in quality, but these were all enjoyable. Almost like bookends, I found the first story, the title story of the book, and the last story, John Uskglass and the Cambrian Charcoal Burner, the most enjoyable. What sets The Ladies of Grace Adieu apart was the sustained sense of the macabre and the ease with which the story was visualized. The final story had a twisted sense of humor about it that had me laughing out loud while reading.

If you enjoyed Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrel, you will find this to your liking as well. This should also attract fans of fantasy and magic of the kind found in the works of Lovecraft, not Crowley. Victorian and Gothic fans should find a lot to enjoy here as well. ( )

Charming, original collection... I really enjoyed the style. Sort of Dickens meets Austen, but about fairies. I never thought I'd say that was what I was looking for in a book, but there you go. I plan on picking up one of her other works soon. ( )

"Magic, madam, is
like wine and,
if you are not used
to it, it will make
you drunk."

Those of you who have read my blog in the past may have realised that I have fallen head over heels in love with Susanna Clarke's writing. I did not cope well with Dickens at school and to this day have never finished any of his novels. Then I discover Ms Clarke, who writes like a modern day Dickens, and her fabulous book, Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell. A mysterious journey through the Napoleonic era, following the rivalry of two magicians, and their effect on the fate of English magic. Now one of my favourite novels, and reviewed here, it left me wanting more.

The Ladies of Grace Adieu is a collection of short stories set in the same world as magic and faery as Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell. There are eight stories, each written in the same delectable style, and each delving into a different faery story.

The Ladies of Grace Adieu is perhaps the story most reminiscent of Clarke's first novel, introducing us to a trio of female magicians and their struggle to get accepted by their male counterparts. Jonathan Strange himself makes an appearance in this glorious tale of magic, superstition and vengeful owls.

On Lickerish Hill is the tale of a sly woman who sells her daughter to a nobleman, under the proviso that in the last month of the first year of their marriage, she must spin five skeins of flax every day. The young woman, as cunning as her mother, devises a way to fulfill her husbands demands, by making a deal with a fairy. All she has to do, is discover his name, or her life will be his.

Mrs Mabb is the sad tale of a young woman who loses her love to the mysterious Mrs Mabb. Only her determination can rescue her love.

The Duke of Wellington Misplaces His Horse is an amusing story, set in Gaiman's fictional village of Wall. There in The Seventh Magpie Inn, the Duke of Wellington quarrels with a local villager over a pair of embroidery scissors and is later forced to cross the Wall to retrieve his stallion, released in spite by the angry man. There he discovers a small house where a young woman is embroidering some beautiful images of the Duke's past and possible future. When faced with his own death in gloriously coloured thread, the Duke must take matters into his own hand.

Mr Simonelli or The Fairy Widower, is a series of extracts from the diary of a young Italian man, who takes a position as cleric in a small town, where he has hopes over marrying well and creating a good home for himself. There he encounters a Fairy Widower, only to learn and discover more about his heritage and future destiny.

Tom Brightwind or How the Fairy Bridge Was Built at Thoresby is the tale of a young Jewish doctor and his fairy friend, travelling to visit a sick patient, when they come upon the poor begotten village of Thoresby. Tom is persuaded to build a fairy bridge across the river with unforeseen results.

Antickes and Frets is the tale of Mary, Queen of Scots, thrown into prison by her cousin, Elizabeth, and who ends up in the care of the Earl of Shrewsbury and his ambitious wife. She soon begins to suspect that the Countess had gotten where she was through dark means in her embroidery. Mary endeavours to use the same means to get rid of her cousin and thus usurp the throne of England.

The final story, John Uskglass and the Cumbrian Charcoal Burner, is an amusing tale of a Charcoal Burner (and his pig Blakeman!), whose life is rudely interrupted by the Raven King himself, and who enlists Saints to have his revenge on Uskglass.

Clarke's style is perfect for me. She manages to write about a world so unusual and unfamiliar to us, yet makes it so evocative and believeable that I for one, got completely sucked in. Her writing is a sheer delight to read, and I found myself having to take breaks after each short story, just as I would with a great novel, in order to really digest and enjoy the experience. My fear was that the next story would never be as good, but each was as good as the last.

A fabulous collection by a wonderful author. I cannot recommend these stories enough, and dearly hope that Susanna Clarke writes more very soon. ( )

http://bookchronicle.wordpress.com/20... ( )

Clarke has a fantastic ability to tap into the sideways logic and whimsy of fairy tales, and so the short stories in this collection evoke the many fairy tale collections I read as a young child; several in this anthology I could easily have supposed to be genuine and many centuries old. She mentioned in her talk with Neil that she finds short stories much harder to write than a novel, but you'd never guess it; clearly she has just as much talent in this form as well. ( )

Really enjoyed reading this collection of short stories. I really love the way that Susanna Clarke thinks about magic and the social conventions of the time. I can see why the reviewers feel the need to compare her to Jane Austen. ( )