

Loading... The Starlit Wood: New Fairy Talesby Dominik Parisien (Editor), Navah Wolfe (Editor)
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Books Read in 2020 (1,646) » 1 more No current Talk conversations about this book. Like so many short story collections, some standouts, some that didn't work for me. I was a little disappointed that it was fairy tale retellings, not actually new fairy tales, but it was still worth the read. ( ![]() This is the tale of two women who must bear their burdens for the betterment of those around them. Because men cannot help themselves around her beauty, Amira must imprison herself high on a glass hill to keep all of her potential suitors at bay. Tabitha must wear out seven pairs of iron shoes to break her husband's curse. Neither questions their situation on their own, but when they cross paths and tell each other their stories, they learn not only about the value of perspective but also about assumptions and misconceptions as well as the power they both have to control their own destinies. There is something about a well-written adaptation of a fairy tale that I always enjoy. Reimagining and reinventing a classic story invokes considerations of perspective and innovation, and it is not easy to retell an existing story in an original way. But here readers get the gift of not only one excellent retelling but two intertwined tales that gain additional layers of meaning through the juxtaposition of each woman's story. 18 stories. I skipped the last 5. I've learned I don't like Fairy Tales. It took 15 stories (and countless years ;) to cement it. My favorites of the ones I read: -- The Briar and the Rose - Marjorie M. Liu -- 4.5 I'm very impressed by the talent of this author. She retold the Sleeping Beauty story in a very cool way. -- Badgirl, the Deadman, and the Wheel of Fortune - Catherynne M. Valente -- 4* I had some wrong assumptions about this author. I thought she only wrote in poetic prose. She didn't in this one until the very end which was completely acceptable based on where the character's head was at. This was a dark story and very well done. ------------------------ ------------------------ In the Desert Like a Bone - Seanan McGuire -- started, dnf we are not a good match. ------------------------ Underground - Karin Tidbeck -- 3* I loved the author comments which I recommend reading first if you are not familiar with Prince Hatt Underground (East of the Sun, West of the Moon). ------------------------ Even the Crumbs Were Delicious - Daryl Gregory -- DNF got about half way. Based on Hansel & Gretel and one twist is, instead of candy on the walls, it's wallpaper with precut acid papers hung. That was done as a "shrine" to the former home owner and maker of the acid. Kids break in, eat the walls, start tripping. One is OCD-cleaning the other stuck in a box because he thinks he is tiny... I'm bored. If this description sounds fun to you please don't let me dissuade you. I'm just not into it. P.S. pen = cell phone *huh!?* ------------------------ The Super Ultra Duchess of Fedora Forest - Charlie Jane Anders -- 3* The author recommends reading The Mouse, the Bird, and the Sausage which is the tale that inspired her story. https://www.pitt.edu/~dash/grimm023.html Wow! So weird yet interesting! Onto CJA's story... I was happy to read it and she did a good job interpreting the original and adding more details especially about those forged papers LOL. She says, "... on another level, it's about an unconventional family, and what happens when they pay too much attention to the opinions of outsiders." wow! *hat tip* ------------------------ Familiaris - Genevieve Valentine -- DNF "She wanted to tell a story that could lock the door" (that is a sentence in the story) yeah no. I skimmed and still, yeah no. I don't want to decipher or sit in confusion. ------------------------ Seasons of Glass and Iron - Amal El-Mohtar -- DNF This winning story is available for free here: https://uncannymagazine.com/article/seasons-glass-iron/ Mythology. I like the author's note describing what the story is about but I couldn't read it. I'm not in the mood for dreamy. I'm in the mood for concrete, solid stories to follow. I guess I shouldn't be reading fairy tales. ------------------------ Penny for a Match, Mister? - Garth Nix-- 2* Little interest in the story. ------------------------ Some Wait - Stephen Graham Jones -- 1* Too ambiguous for me. Based on Pied Piper ------------------------ The Thousand Eyes - Jeffrey Ford -- 2.5* Felt like one of a hundred Stephen King stories I've read. I don't know the source fairy tale perhaps if I did, I would of enjoyed this re-telling more. ------------------------ Giants in the Sky - Max Gladstone -- DNF Format was unenjoyable for me. I do love the Jack in the Beanstalk story which this story is based on. SF twist. ------------------------ The Other Thea - Theodora Goss -- 3* Too YA for my taste. ------------------------ Skipped: When I Lay Frozen - Margo Lanagan Pearl - Aliette de Bodard The Tale of Mahliya and Mauhub and the White-Footed Gazelle - Sofia Samatar Reflected - Kat Howard Spinning Silver - Naomi Novik Five stars for Amal El-Mohtar's story Seasons Of Glass And Iron (which is the only sorry I've read from this book). I really enjoyed it! As with most short story anthologies, this one is a mixed bag. Some of the stories I liked, some of them I didn't like. However, in this case, some of them I *really* didn't like. Also, I couldn't help but notice that with a couple of exceptions (out of eighteen) the stories were all retellings of Western fairy tales. While I do like retellings where I know the original material, I thought there was so much more room for exploration of other cultures in this book of supposedly "new" fairy tales. I did enjoy a few of the stories a lot ("Reflected" by Kat Howard, "The Other Thea" by Theodora Goss, "Pearl" by Aliette de Bodard, and "Seasons of Glass and Iron" by Amal El-Mohtar which I'd read before) and some of the stories a little ("The Briar and the Rose" by Marjorie M. Liu, "In the Desert Like a Bone" by Seanan McGuire, and "Giants in the Sky" by Max Gladstone which I felt almost went over my head) but there were some I just didn't like at all ("Even the Crumbs Were Delicious" by Daryl Gregory, "Badgirl, the Deadman, and the Wheel of Fortune" by Catherynne M. Valente, and most especially "When I Lay Frozen" by Margo Lanagan which I liked even less after I read the author's notes afterward). no reviews | add a review
This "first rate anthology of reimagined fairy tales" (Locus Magazine) features an all-star lineup of award-winning and critically acclaimed writers. Once upon a time. It's how so many of our most beloved stories start. Fairy tales have dominated our cultural imagination for centuries. From the Brothers Grimm to the Countess d'Aulnoy, from Charles Perrault to Hans Christian Anderson, storytellers have crafted all sorts of tales that have always found a place in our hearts. Now a new generation of storytellers has taken up the mantle that the masters created and shaped their stories into something startling and electrifying. Packed with award-winning authors, this "fresh, diverse" (Library Journal) anthology explores an array of fairy tales in startling and innovative ways, in genres and settings both traditional and unusual, including science fiction, western, and post-apocalyptic as well as traditional fantasy and contemporary horror. From the woods to the stars, The Starlit Wood: New Fairy Tales takes readers on a journey at once unexpected and familiar, as a diverse group of writers explore some of our most beloved tales in new ways across genres and styles. Contains stories by: Charlie Jane Anders, Aliette de Bodard, Amal El-mohtar, Jeffrey Ford, Max Gladstone, Theodora Goss, Daryl Gregory, Kat Howard, Stephen Graham Jones, Margo Lanagan, Marjorie Liu, Seanan McGuire, Garth Nix, Naomi Novik, Sofia Samatar, Karin Tidbeck, Catherynne M. Valente, and Genevieve Valentine. No library descriptions found.
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![]() GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)813.010806 — Literature English (North America) American fiction Anthologies and Criticism Short fictionLC ClassificationRatingAverage:![]()
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