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sailor_marmar's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
mikepalumbo's review
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
themorbidcorvid's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
mankan's review against another edition
2.0
Podcast review (swedish) http://lashart.podbean.com/e/cl-moore-jirel-of-joiry/
mbs1236's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
smiorganbaldhead's review
5.0
4.5/5. (Vague spoilers.) I really enjoyed these stories. In particular, I enjoyed the first two stories’ exploration of the consequences of revenge. Still, I wish the central relationship in those stories had been more developed. Jirel’s romantic feelings in the second story are strange, though perhaps they are a magical consequence of her actions in the first story. The plot would have still worked if her feelings were of compassion and pity without being romantic. In the later stories, Jirel’s “violence” takes a magical quality, giving her power but also luring her back into the same mistake from the first story. In this way, the final line of the last story is tragic, and perhaps dramatic irony as Jirel doesn’t seem to see the parallel with her previous actions.
eric_conrad's review
4.0
Jirel, the heroine, has these adventures that are dark, brooding and puzzling. I wonder if they are meant to be allegorical in nature.
I can see Lovecraft here and as someone who enjoys the work of Michael Moorcock and his character Elric, I can appreciate the mood of the Jirel stories.
I can see Lovecraft here and as someone who enjoys the work of Michael Moorcock and his character Elric, I can appreciate the mood of the Jirel stories.
xeni's review
I read the first story of this collection, and I was loving the weird, strange hellscape and odd creatures Jirel was encountering. It was really cool. And then... what was written to be a feminist work, something that was described as "going against the he-man brawn of the 1930's pulp stories" turned into sexual assault apologizing. So, I'm not finishing this series of short stories.
aldoojeda's review against another edition
4.0
Ever since I found out about C.L. Moore, I wanted to read Jirel of Joiry; a female writer with a female protagonist in the pulp era? I'm in!
This book gathers all the stories from the titular character. The first three (Black God's Kiss, Black God's Shadow, Jirel Meets Magic) that present us Jirel, the indomitable, fierce warrior, are actually very weak. Moore adds obstacle after obstacle for the sake of it, but doesn't adds up well. I was starting to believe that maybe it was too much hype for Jirel, but then the other two tales (The Dark Land, Hellsgarde) told me differently. These are great stories and actually made me wonder at every paragraph what will happen next. The last story (Quest of the Starstone, written along with Henry Kuttner, his husband) is a funny tale that introduces us to Northwest Smith. Also a very compelling story, although I believe it takes away a little protagonism from Jirel, who sometimes just stands there watching what Smith will do next.
What makes this book interesting, is that it let us see the evolution of Moore, from an inexperienced writer to a narrator capable of conveying powerful stories. And, in a genre dominated by the likes of Robert E. Howard and his Conan the Barbarian, it feels like a breath of fresh air.
This book gathers all the stories from the titular character. The first three (Black God's Kiss, Black God's Shadow, Jirel Meets Magic) that present us Jirel, the indomitable, fierce warrior, are actually very weak. Moore adds obstacle after obstacle for the sake of it, but doesn't adds up well. I was starting to believe that maybe it was too much hype for Jirel, but then the other two tales (The Dark Land, Hellsgarde) told me differently. These are great stories and actually made me wonder at every paragraph what will happen next. The last story (Quest of the Starstone, written along with Henry Kuttner, his husband) is a funny tale that introduces us to Northwest Smith. Also a very compelling story, although I believe it takes away a little protagonism from Jirel, who sometimes just stands there watching what Smith will do next.
What makes this book interesting, is that it let us see the evolution of Moore, from an inexperienced writer to a narrator capable of conveying powerful stories. And, in a genre dominated by the likes of Robert E. Howard and his Conan the Barbarian, it feels like a breath of fresh air.