Reviews

Fancies and Goodnights by John Collier, Ray Bradbury

aclamadoautor's review against another edition

3.0

I enjoyed John Collier’s sardonic tales. They’re imaginative and strange, and we can cleary see its influence on many authors after him (like Ray Bradbury and Roald Dahl), but many of the stories are a bit dated and one can easily predict where they’re heading.

I also felt that it is a huge book of short stories not to be read on one take. I believe these stories will better be appreciated if read with some other books in between.

Nevertheless, I appreciated his writing and imagination, and would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys strange stories and quick reads.

Favorite ones:
- Evening Primrose
- Another American Tragedy
- If Youth Knew, If Age Could
- Interpretation of a Dream
- Old Acquaintance
- In the Cards

conceptsoftime's review against another edition

5.0

Check out story "Evening Primrose"

msjoanna's review

5.0

I adored this collection of short stories. Before picking up this book, I'd never heard of this author, but now I'll look for his other work. There stories are full of the very odd - e.g., men who find themselves strangely and unexpectedly turned into plants, strange inhabitants of department stores, and love affairs with mannequins. Of course, not every story grabbed me, but there were enough germs to make this a fast and highly entertaining read. I've shared the book with my mother and am looking forward to passing it on to another friend I think will really like it when my mother returns it.

davidwright's review against another edition

4.0

Collier has just entered my personal pantheon of great gripping/uncanny story authors, with Roald Dahl, Shirley Jackson, Richard Matheson and Patricia Highsmith. Got a nice old used copy of this the other day, and am loving it, and plan to read his 'Evening Primrose' for my Thriling Tales Adult Storytime at the library.

kingkong's review against another edition

3.0

I liked the stories that read like Twilight Zone episodes

bobexlibris's review

dark mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

An eclectic range of short stories by one of the masters of short fiction. When you come to the end of each, you will lay the book down, gasp, "Phew!", shake your head admiringly, and then immediately start reading the next.

neven's review against another edition

4.0

A few pages into this book, I was ready to declare Collier my new favorite writer. He has the delicious wit and dizzyingly addictive enthusiasm of Bradbury at his short best; his way with a phrase is positively Wildeian; when his endings are heat, they're really great.

But after a dozen or so stories, I started to think this collection is a bit less than the sum of its parts. Collier's stories concern the same general types of characters: young men with youthful obsessions, primed for an ironic education. Where Bradbury switches between gothic horror, southern pastoral nostalgia, and goofy comedy, Collier glides on more evenly. That makes his voice that much more recognizable, but it deflates this particular book as a whole.

This may just be a first-read impression, though. There's so much to like here—the extremely short form, the unforgettable phrases, the instantly classic twists—that despite its flaws, 'Fancies and Goodnights' is a story collection made to fall in love with.

lewis's review

4.0

Great stories. There's nothing funnier than grim and slightly erotic short stories.

chronographia's review

2.0

I am insufficiently committed to schadenfreude to stand a chance of enjoying this book.