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jelundberg's review against another edition
3.0
My review of this book can be found at SF Site: http://sfsite.com/09a/hf327.htm
josiahdegraaf's review against another edition
4.0
Decent little history that does a great job of detailing all the major works of fantasy over the past two hundred years. Their analysis on the development of fantasy, whether it be how modern fantasy inherently stems from Romanticism, how Tolkien and Lewis changed the course of fantasy, or how different sub-movements in fantasy impacted the course of a genre as a whole, was fantastic. These were my favorite parts of the book.
That being said, this book becomes less analytical and more "here is every fantasy book written in this era" as the book goes on. Some of this is understandable as more and more books are written each year. However, at a certain point, all the books ran together and in their quest to be comprehensive, the authors forgot to be meaningful in their selections.
Overall, I appreciated this book for what it was: a short but comprehensive history of fantasy. I would have preferred a work that was slightly less comprehensive but more analytical and broad in scope. But for what it was, it was a helpful book.
Rating: 3.5-4 Stars (Good).
That being said, this book becomes less analytical and more "here is every fantasy book written in this era" as the book goes on. Some of this is understandable as more and more books are written each year. However, at a certain point, all the books ran together and in their quest to be comprehensive, the authors forgot to be meaningful in their selections.
Overall, I appreciated this book for what it was: a short but comprehensive history of fantasy. I would have preferred a work that was slightly less comprehensive but more analytical and broad in scope. But for what it was, it was a helpful book.
Rating: 3.5-4 Stars (Good).
alexblackreads's review against another edition
4.0
This book is a great resource for fantasy fans. It has provided me with an extensive list of resources to read in the future as well as a background on some of the most influential authors. I would be interested to reread this book in a few years after I've read some more of the writers they suggested because at times I felt a little lost in my ignorance.
This book is very short, but in just over 200 pages I gained more insight into the genre than I expected. I highly recommend this to anyone interested in learning more about fantasy. If it sounds like it'll be of interest to you, you will most likely enjoy it as much as I did.
This book is very short, but in just over 200 pages I gained more insight into the genre than I expected. I highly recommend this to anyone interested in learning more about fantasy. If it sounds like it'll be of interest to you, you will most likely enjoy it as much as I did.
nwhyte's review against another edition
4.0
http://nwhyte.livejournal.com/1398365.html
This book is precisely what it says on the tin, with a first chapter taking the genre to 1900, a second taking it to 1950, and then individual chapters for each subsequent decade, with two extra chapters for a) J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis and b) Philip Pullman, J.K. Rowling and Terry Pratchett, the whole text weighing in at less than 220 pages (plus index and lists). It doesn't interrogate the nature of fantasy literature in depth (one of the authors has done that elsewhere) but does define the genre clearly and convincingly, and also looks at when and why particular sub-genres (cute animal fantasies, paranormal romance, Big Commercial Fantasy) have become popular at different times. The authors integrate children's literature and also genre films and television into the narrative; this is not just about fantasy for grownups. It would be rather a good (and inexpensive) gateway text for the reader of fantasy (and/or sf) who wanted to dip their toe into criticism.
I know I always say this, but when I read books like this I want i) a better understanding of books I have already read and ii) suggestions of books I might read in the future which may appeal to me, and I got plenty of both here; I also was provoked to start thinking (though not sufficiently to complete the thought) about the books which received popular and/or literary acclaim which I just didn't like (including Little, Big, Light, and The Sword of Shannara). Mostly I found myself nodding in agreement or realisation with just the occasional raised eyebrow - Diana Wynne Jones surely wrote more than four books in the 1970s (p.139)?
This book is precisely what it says on the tin, with a first chapter taking the genre to 1900, a second taking it to 1950, and then individual chapters for each subsequent decade, with two extra chapters for a) J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis and b) Philip Pullman, J.K. Rowling and Terry Pratchett, the whole text weighing in at less than 220 pages (plus index and lists). It doesn't interrogate the nature of fantasy literature in depth (one of the authors has done that elsewhere) but does define the genre clearly and convincingly, and also looks at when and why particular sub-genres (cute animal fantasies, paranormal romance, Big Commercial Fantasy) have become popular at different times. The authors integrate children's literature and also genre films and television into the narrative; this is not just about fantasy for grownups. It would be rather a good (and inexpensive) gateway text for the reader of fantasy (and/or sf) who wanted to dip their toe into criticism.
I know I always say this, but when I read books like this I want i) a better understanding of books I have already read and ii) suggestions of books I might read in the future which may appeal to me, and I got plenty of both here; I also was provoked to start thinking (though not sufficiently to complete the thought) about the books which received popular and/or literary acclaim which I just didn't like (including Little, Big, Light, and The Sword of Shannara). Mostly I found myself nodding in agreement or realisation with just the occasional raised eyebrow - Diana Wynne Jones surely wrote more than four books in the 1970s (p.139)?
lizshayne's review against another edition
informative
This book is EXACTLY what it says on the tin.
jaxcatx's review
4.0
I liked the layout of the book, chapters by decades and then highly specific chapters by authors. Offered an amazing reading list and detailed index of fantasy books/authors, which i'm basically going to print out and carry around with me errywhere.
melissa89's review
3.0
This does an okay job of giving a very general overview of the publication history of the genre. However, it reads a bit like a list of published works with attached summaries. There isn't as much analysis of why certain trends and changes emerged. As such, it was a very dry read that ended up feeling overlong. 2.5 stars.
rafalreadersinitiative's review
3.0
Przystępna, błyskotliwie napisana i stosunkowo aktualna - obejmująca przestrzeń czasową od roku 1900 do 2010 (po wstępie o wpływie mitów, baśni i legend na ukształtowanie się gatunku) - analiza rozwoju literatury fantastycznej z przedstawieniem pojawiających się w jej obrębie najpopularniejszych tropów i motywów, typów i podgatunków, oraz z krótkim - acz miarodajnym - omówieniem dorobku jej najwybitniejszych przedstawicieli - dawnych i współczesnych.
Mimo, iż autorzy koncentrują się głównie na literaturze, nie zabrakło też miejsca na to, by pokrótce omówić jej wpływ na inne dziedziny kultury. Dobór przykładów z zakresu filmu może poniekąd dziwić - z pewnym zaskoczeniem odebrałem wzmiankę o serialu "Sześć stóp pod ziemią", choć oddać trzeba, że autorzy bardzo ładnie uzasadnili pojawienie się tego tytułu w opracowaniu - a nawet lekko rozczarować lapidarnością. Z pewnością nie jest to książka, której docelowym odbiorcą mógłby być ktoś poszukujący szerszej wiedzy w materii filmowego fantasy. Jakkolwiek te krótkie wzmianki o serialach i filmach (oraz zaledwie dwa słowa o grach) mogą zachęcić czytelnika do szerszej samodzielnej eksploracji.
Natomiast dla czytelników i fanów literackiej fantastyki "A Short History of Fantasy" będzie idealnym kompendium i punktem wyjścia do poszukiwania nieczytanych wcześniej autorów i książek z tego gatunku. Jest to zdecydowanie pozycja, którą powinno się czytać z długopisem na podorędziu - sporządzona przeze mnie lista pisarzy, powieści i serii książkowych, na które apetyt wzbudzili pani Mendlesohn i pan James, dostarczy mi zajęcia na co najmniej rok. Polecam!
Mimo, iż autorzy koncentrują się głównie na literaturze, nie zabrakło też miejsca na to, by pokrótce omówić jej wpływ na inne dziedziny kultury. Dobór przykładów z zakresu filmu może poniekąd dziwić - z pewnym zaskoczeniem odebrałem wzmiankę o serialu "Sześć stóp pod ziemią", choć oddać trzeba, że autorzy bardzo ładnie uzasadnili pojawienie się tego tytułu w opracowaniu - a nawet lekko rozczarować lapidarnością. Z pewnością nie jest to książka, której docelowym odbiorcą mógłby być ktoś poszukujący szerszej wiedzy w materii filmowego fantasy. Jakkolwiek te krótkie wzmianki o serialach i filmach (oraz zaledwie dwa słowa o grach) mogą zachęcić czytelnika do szerszej samodzielnej eksploracji.
Natomiast dla czytelników i fanów literackiej fantastyki "A Short History of Fantasy" będzie idealnym kompendium i punktem wyjścia do poszukiwania nieczytanych wcześniej autorów i książek z tego gatunku. Jest to zdecydowanie pozycja, którą powinno się czytać z długopisem na podorędziu - sporządzona przeze mnie lista pisarzy, powieści i serii książkowych, na które apetyt wzbudzili pani Mendlesohn i pan James, dostarczy mi zajęcia na co najmniej rok. Polecam!