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3.37 AVERAGE
3.37 AVERAGE
I wanted it to be witty and funny and dark, but all it was was kind of pedantic and annoying.
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I wanted to like this more than I did, but still it is quite good. The Little Mermaid story is the best one, I think, so it's kind of a shame that that's the first one. The Velveteen Rabbit one was mad creepy.
Anyway, you know I can't resist retellings of fairy tales.
Anyway, you know I can't resist retellings of fairy tales.
3.5 stars
This collection was a mixed bag for me, as I enjoyed some of these adapted fairy tales, but others less so. Some of that fault lies with me - I was not familiar with all of the source material for these adaptations. Ortberg is mostly engaging with Western canon, but some of the inspiration (per the list in the back) is a little more obscure.
"Fear Not: An Incident Report" was far and away my favorite in the collection, and the other stories I thought were worth reading were "The Daughter Cells," "The Six Boy-Coffins," "The Merry Spinster," "Cast Your Bread Upon the Waters," and "The Frog's Princess" - most of these have some interesting (and horrific in some cases!) commentary on gender in society. They are also concerned with power, always a good source for horror.
I did find "Some of Us Had Been Threatening Our Friend Mr. Toad" to be very creepy, for those interested in more horror, but.
Some of these might be worth reading, but I wouldn't go to great lengths to read this - this is on my level of "if everything you're waiting on at the library is taken, and this is free, go ahead and read this to pass the time or otherwise casually toss it on the request list."
This collection was a mixed bag for me, as I enjoyed some of these adapted fairy tales, but others less so. Some of that fault lies with me - I was not familiar with all of the source material for these adaptations. Ortberg is mostly engaging with Western canon, but some of the inspiration (per the list in the back) is a little more obscure.
"Fear Not: An Incident Report" was far and away my favorite in the collection
Spoiler
(for those up to speed on the current season of The Good Place, you may similarly enjoy it for its clever skewering of bureaucracy)I did find "Some of Us Had Been Threatening Our Friend Mr. Toad" to be very creepy, for those interested in more horror, but
Spoiler
I'm fully comfortable recommending it because it's exhausting to read about gaslighting in 2019Some of these might be worth reading, but I wouldn't go to great lengths to read this - this is on my level of "if everything you're waiting on at the library is taken, and this is free, go ahead and read this to pass the time or otherwise casually toss it on the request list."
funny
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I am sorry, but this is just poorly written, pretentious garbage. Please let's stop publishing trash.
If I ever have children/nieces/nephews/unfortunate babysitting victims, I'm reading them these. Dark, sharp, and insightful, Mallory Ortberg takes familiar tales and unravels them, repurposing the yarn into something twisted, dark, unrecognizable, and surprisingly comfortable in your brain-parts. These stories are old friends whose dark sides you never knew, but instead of being repulsed by them... you realize you love them more than ever. I received this book from NetGalley for an honest review. I loved it.
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I liked all the stories in this book on some level, but The Rabbit, Six Boy-Coffins, and The Daughter Cell were spectacular.