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Reviews
How a Mother Weaned Her Girl from Fairy Tales: and Other Stories by Kate Bernheimer, Catherine Eyde
percys_panda_pillow_pet's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
tesch18's review against another edition
4.0
Takes a while to get into, but the stories are marvelous once you do. A very fast read too.
jonathanwlodarski's review against another edition
4.0
The thing that really stands out about these stories to me is how overflowing with sadness they are. Lonely, melancholy, despairing--these are the words I would use to characterize Bernheimer's collection. It's not a bad thing, because she knows how to manipulate these feelings for maximum effect.
One thing I have noticed that appears to be dominating the fairy tale culture these days is the idea of flatness as an essential component of folktales. I agree with the philosophy, because when really are, for example, characters psychologically complex or situations explained fully and in great detail; it's clear that this flatness aesthetic is the goal in these stories, and it works for the most time, but there were occasions ("How a Mother Weaned Her Girl from Fairy Tales," for example) where it grated on me.
I will say that, stylistically, I wasn't really into the idea of every paragraph starting on a new page, but it doesn't take away from the content of the stories. "Professor Helen C. Andersen," "Babes in the Woods," and "The Old Dinosaur" are my favorites.
4/5
One thing I have noticed that appears to be dominating the fairy tale culture these days is the idea of flatness as an essential component of folktales. I agree with the philosophy, because when really are, for example, characters psychologically complex or situations explained fully and in great detail; it's clear that this flatness aesthetic is the goal in these stories, and it works for the most time, but there were occasions ("How a Mother Weaned Her Girl from Fairy Tales," for example) where it grated on me.
I will say that, stylistically, I wasn't really into the idea of every paragraph starting on a new page, but it doesn't take away from the content of the stories. "Professor Helen C. Andersen," "Babes in the Woods," and "The Old Dinosaur" are my favorites.
4/5
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