Reviews

Fifty-One Tales by Lord Dunsany

tilikon's review against another edition

dark lighthearted mysterious reflective relaxing fast-paced

5.0

missbookiverse's review against another edition

3.0

This is a collection of 51 incredibly short texts (most of them are only 1 page long) that can be read separately but I found that a lot of them were interconnected, especially with the order they appeared in. Some were creepy, others clever and a few I didn't understand because I lacked knowledge of the context (certain myths or names that are alluded to). I'd love to return to these one day for some close reading and analysis.

leesmyth's review against another edition

4.0

For a work first published in 1915, its overall cynical, despairing view of humanity seems very much au courant for 2022.

My favorites of the collection are probably "The Worm and the Angel," "The Guest," and "Taking Up Piccadilly." Runners-up include "Death and Odysseus" and "Three Tall Sons." As always, YMMV.

ameliareadsstuff's review against another edition

medium-paced

3.0

A collection of very short stories by Lord Dunsany. I like Dunsany's work quite a bit and some of these stories were quite impactful, but reading fifty one pieces of flash fiction by the one author is always going to be a mixed bag.

slferg's review against another edition

dark sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? N/A

1.0

I found these short stories and bits and pieces incredibly depressing. Rather dreary, in fact. 

koki_siringo's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark funny mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.5

warlockry's review against another edition

lighthearted medium-paced

4.0

scarfin_and_barfin's review against another edition

medium-paced

3.0

jcovey's review against another edition

4.0

A series of very short vignettes that focus unvaryingly on a few topics. Almost all involve some combination of mythology, a deep dissatisfaction with the modern world, and a keen feeling for the ephemeral nature of all things. All the stories are enjoyable, and Lord Dunsany's lyrical prose shines throughout, but they do become a tad repetitious. Even the real gems, Charon being a particular diamond, lose some of their effectiveness after their point has been repeated 51 times.

mallorn's review against another edition

reflective fast-paced

• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No

2.75