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michellekernan's review
4.0
I enjoyed some of the stories more than others but overall this is a great collection
I don’t think knowledge of Maori myths is totally necessary as most of the stories are completely rewritten modern takes and the myth part is hard to recognise
The two “retellings” of Pania of the Reef were standouts for me
I also enjoyed the “stories” written by Witi Ihimaera, he really is a national treasure and his writing brought back so many nostalgic feelings
Highly recommend
I don’t think knowledge of Maori myths is totally necessary as most of the stories are completely rewritten modern takes and the myth part is hard to recognise
The two “retellings” of Pania of the Reef were standouts for me
I also enjoyed the “stories” written by Witi Ihimaera, he really is a national treasure and his writing brought back so many nostalgic feelings
Highly recommend
zookie_b's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
A great collection of stories. My only wish was that I was more familiar with the original Māori myths so that the retellings had more context. However, even without the background knowledge I still found the stories really entertaining.
robert_deas's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
tahdens's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I am not a poetry person at all so those were a bit harder to really understand but I so seriously loved a lot of the other stories in this anthology. I didn't know anything about Maori mythology except for what I watched through Moana so I'm glad to know a little bit more now. It's so interesting how similarities between myths in different cultures can exist but also be so different at the same time. Serious kudos to all the authors involved in the production of this anthology, and the work they actively do to keep their histories and culture alive.
andreaschari's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
ooo's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.75
hipstamom's review
I went through reader's guilt with this book. I thought something was wrong with me but it's not entertaining at all. A book about Maori mythology without the magic and wonder. I'm really disappointed.
nwhyte's review
4.0
https://nwhyte.livejournal.com/3626838.html
It’s an anthology of both newly commissioned work and pieces published in the last forty years or so, addressing the core strands of Māori mythology. I confess I felt somewhat thrown in at the deep end; it was only as I reached the end of the book that I found quite a large and useful chink of explanatory matter that would have helped my appreciation of the stories. For once I would advise readers to start at the back.
At the same time, I’m very appreciative of this sort of effort. I’ve read an awful lot of adaptations of Celtic Myth, and the Matter of Britain has not exactly been neglected by recent writers either; the Matter of Aotearoa is important too. And even without the background knowledge of What It’s All About, these are generally good stories by names which are new to me - the only author I’d previously head of is Keri Hulme. I guess the ones that grabbed me most where those with links to cultural setups I already knew about - eg “Māui Goes to Hollywood” by David Geary, which mixes Māui the trickster with 20th-century mythical figures like Elvis and Marilyn Monroe, or “Moving Mountains” by Clayton Te Kohe, which looks at shared history, culture and creativity through a music fan’s love for a long-since dissipated band. But they are all stimulating and I think I would like a paper copy of the book, to be able to riffle between stories and explanation more readily.
It’s an anthology of both newly commissioned work and pieces published in the last forty years or so, addressing the core strands of Māori mythology. I confess I felt somewhat thrown in at the deep end; it was only as I reached the end of the book that I found quite a large and useful chink of explanatory matter that would have helped my appreciation of the stories. For once I would advise readers to start at the back.
At the same time, I’m very appreciative of this sort of effort. I’ve read an awful lot of adaptations of Celtic Myth, and the Matter of Britain has not exactly been neglected by recent writers either; the Matter of Aotearoa is important too. And even without the background knowledge of What It’s All About, these are generally good stories by names which are new to me - the only author I’d previously head of is Keri Hulme. I guess the ones that grabbed me most where those with links to cultural setups I already knew about - eg “Māui Goes to Hollywood” by David Geary, which mixes Māui the trickster with 20th-century mythical figures like Elvis and Marilyn Monroe, or “Moving Mountains” by Clayton Te Kohe, which looks at shared history, culture and creativity through a music fan’s love for a long-since dissipated band. But they are all stimulating and I think I would like a paper copy of the book, to be able to riffle between stories and explanation more readily.