Scan barcode
nssutton's review against another edition
3.0
Depending on what day and story you caught me, I either loved this anthology or absolutely hated it. I planned to make a list of the stories I preferred best, but so much time has passed that I would rather spend those extra few minutes reading. I will know to turn to this anthology whenever wanting to read that story of mermaids that I really like, or to read my favorite short story -- Pleasure Boating in Lithuya Bay, or to remember the stories about the juniper tree and the wild swans. I'll also remembered the eye rolls I spent flipping through some impossible to read stories that shall remain nameless. I guess I shouldn't be surprised I preferred the stories by authors I already knew I loved -- Kelly Link, Jim Shepard, Neil Gaiman -- to some of the others, but I still was. That sort of surprise is always my reader's delight, when you can learn an author and return to them again and again, never receiving the same gift twice, but always leaving satisfied.
I turned to fairy tales -- dark fairy tales -- in all corners of my life during this read. I am watching A Series of Unfortunate Events with my classes through testing, which I feel is a very dark and modern take on fairy tales (go ahead, argue me like my sixth graders -- absence of parents, precious children, evil adults, having to outsmart those in charge of you) There is one part I liked watching over and over with the kids.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRV5v1Rl8IA
I like observing that moment where my students get it. Violet and Klaus find the inheritance law book, then the train schedule, then we see the train in the distance and all of a sudden the whole vibe in the room would shift. I loved watching that click over and over again.
And my penchant for dark movies extended to more adult ones as well, as I watched Black Swan for the first time. I was totally terrified of watching it - it's not the sort of thing I could handle in a movie theater, as I can't even really bring myself to watch scary movie trailers. I found myself getting really into it. Not only was it one of the best executed movies I've ever seen, it serendipitously fit into everything else that was going on in my pop culture life.
And this dark theme found it's way into my morning commute soundtracks, as I listened to Kanye West's My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy every day for over a week. I found I could only listen to it in the morning or at the beginning of a journey -- only when I was going somewhere, never when I was returning from one.
The anthology seemed to tie together all of these little things that would have seemed like isolated incidents without this point to fix them. I like how longer reads can extend themselves into this sort of mood, like how reading Justin Cronin's The Passage will forever cement in time the first few weeks I moved into the back bedroom of my apartment that I didn't know how I was going to afford the rent for as my hours at the library remained reduced.
I turned to fairy tales -- dark fairy tales -- in all corners of my life during this read. I am watching A Series of Unfortunate Events with my classes through testing, which I feel is a very dark and modern take on fairy tales (go ahead, argue me like my sixth graders -- absence of parents, precious children, evil adults, having to outsmart those in charge of you) There is one part I liked watching over and over with the kids.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRV5v1Rl8IA
I like observing that moment where my students get it. Violet and Klaus find the inheritance law book, then the train schedule, then we see the train in the distance and all of a sudden the whole vibe in the room would shift. I loved watching that click over and over again.
And my penchant for dark movies extended to more adult ones as well, as I watched Black Swan for the first time. I was totally terrified of watching it - it's not the sort of thing I could handle in a movie theater, as I can't even really bring myself to watch scary movie trailers. I found myself getting really into it. Not only was it one of the best executed movies I've ever seen, it serendipitously fit into everything else that was going on in my pop culture life.
And this dark theme found it's way into my morning commute soundtracks, as I listened to Kanye West's My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy every day for over a week. I found I could only listen to it in the morning or at the beginning of a journey -- only when I was going somewhere, never when I was returning from one.
The anthology seemed to tie together all of these little things that would have seemed like isolated incidents without this point to fix them. I like how longer reads can extend themselves into this sort of mood, like how reading Justin Cronin's The Passage will forever cement in time the first few weeks I moved into the back bedroom of my apartment that I didn't know how I was going to afford the rent for as my hours at the library remained reduced.
stefs_library's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
This was a collection of stories, so some of the stories were 5 stars and some were 1 star. But the ones that were good were really good.
waclements7's review against another edition
2.0
This was a hit and miss read for me—mostly a miss. I read it because it was recommended for a class I am going to be taking and am now feeling more than a little leery about.
Many of the stories are just weird and disturbing and sometimes disgusting. I think this book is very much a matter of individual taste.
Many of the stories are just weird and disturbing and sometimes disgusting. I think this book is very much a matter of individual taste.
wickham's review against another edition
5.0
I am, I think understandably, distrustful of anthologies of any kind. Even if an anthology contains a number of well-written pieces the overall experience of reading it is often marred by the worse pieces which pepper the book. That being said, this may be the anthology that teaches me to love them again.
The majority of the short story authors chosen are familiar names, and those that I was introduced to through this book are certainly deserving of that same recognition. The style and concept that the authors chose to pursue in the spirit of fairy tale was wildly varying, and there was never a moment that I felt I knew what was coming next. There are no beat for beat fairy tale retellings in this book: only revolutionary transformative works. The authors notes which ended every story provided necessary perspective and insight into the works themselves, and were often as thought provoking as the stories themselves.
Every story was a new, immersive adventure, able to nimbly weave intricate and engrossing narratives despite their truncated length. These may be fairy tales, but they are never childish. Many tackle difficult, complicated themes with deft, unflinching expertise. They are thought-provoking, breath-taking, and heart-stopping in turn. Even one of such stories would be a treasure - this anthology is a dragon's hoard.
The majority of the short story authors chosen are familiar names, and those that I was introduced to through this book are certainly deserving of that same recognition. The style and concept that the authors chose to pursue in the spirit of fairy tale was wildly varying, and there was never a moment that I felt I knew what was coming next. There are no beat for beat fairy tale retellings in this book: only revolutionary transformative works. The authors notes which ended every story provided necessary perspective and insight into the works themselves, and were often as thought provoking as the stories themselves.
Every story was a new, immersive adventure, able to nimbly weave intricate and engrossing narratives despite their truncated length. These may be fairy tales, but they are never childish. Many tackle difficult, complicated themes with deft, unflinching expertise. They are thought-provoking, breath-taking, and heart-stopping in turn. Even one of such stories would be a treasure - this anthology is a dragon's hoard.
megatsunami's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars. The collection varied quite a bit: some really good stories, others that were conceptually interesting but didn't really pull me in, some that were over-the-top grisly (i.e. "Look how 'dark' I can be"). Standout stories:
Aimee Bender, "Color Master" (my favorite, I think)
Karen Joy Fowler, "The Wild Swans"
Sarah Shun-Lien Bynum, "Erlking"
Francesca Lia Block, "Cupid and Psyche Revisited"
Lily Hoang, "Story of the Mosquito"
Aimee Bender, "Color Master" (my favorite, I think)
Karen Joy Fowler, "The Wild Swans"
Sarah Shun-Lien Bynum, "Erlking"
Francesca Lia Block, "Cupid and Psyche Revisited"
Lily Hoang, "Story of the Mosquito"
andtheitoldyousos's review against another edition
4.0
A great time was had by all- and by "all" I mean me, as most fairy tale protagonists are uh, cursed.
Full review to come!
Full review to come!
stealingyoursunbeams's review against another edition
3.0
I wasn't familiar with most of the fairy tales in the book, so I wasn't able to appreciate the new versions all that much. That said, this is an enjoyable read for a lazy afternoon.
cami19's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
2.0
lydiature_'s review against another edition
too weird and disturbing for me personally. hard pass