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4.06 AVERAGE
4.06 AVERAGE
i think this was recommended to me because i loved neverwhere and american gods, but this guy is no neil gaiman. so corny and hackneyed it reads like fan fiction. pointless.
These stories are not only about magic; they are magic. They describe the Otherworld and its intersections with our world so compellingly that you find yourself believing in fairies, animal people, and daughters of the Moon. Most of the tales are connected; well, all of them are connected, only some more directly than others. Jilly Coppercorn, whom I've met as a cameo in some later Newford books, is a major character in several of these stories, and I found her much more likable as her character - and the darkness in her past - is fleshed out. The only exception to the general excellence of these tales is "Our Lady of the Harbour," a Little Mermaid retelling, and as grim and depressing as Hans Christian Andersen's version. Of all the best-known fairy-tales, that one is probably the most disturbing and misogynist, and Charles de Lint, despite his considerable gifts as a storyteller, fails to make it any more palatable. But then, his gifts lie more in the realm of folktale and folk magic than in "literary" fairy tales.
Overall, a wonderful collection of tales, and that's according to someone who usually doesn't like short stories.
Overall, a wonderful collection of tales, and that's according to someone who usually doesn't like short stories.
Rating: 10/10
I've had this book on my virtual TBR shelf for well over five years without reading it, even though I really wanted to read it. I don't fully know why I held off for so long. I think part of it is that I really wanted it to be good and I didn't want to be disappointed. Part of it was perhaps because I knew it would be good and I wanted to hold off, because I'd only get one chance to read it for the first time. And perhaps there was also part of me that knew what creative inspiration this book would provide for me, and the right time to read it hadn't come yet. Or perhaps that's all just me inventing excuses after finally having read it.
Anyway, I did read it, and it was good: really, really good. A handful of books a year (if that) come into my life and speak to my soul. This book did that. Even fewer books a year actually provide inspiration for my writing. This book did that too. I'm aware that this collection forms part of a much larger project, and I've wanted to do something like what de Lint does here for years, but wasn't brave enough to take the plunge with it. Having finally read the book, I can say without exaggeration that it's opened up so much scope for me as a writer. I've had so many ideas from reading this book, and that's definitely one of the reasons I love it so much.
Another reason I love it is that it's about hope, love, connection, stories, art, and music: all the things that make life so worthwhile. At the centre of the stories is Jilly Coppercorn, an artist with a dark past and a huge capacity for compassion. Through Jilly, and the people we meet through her, we see reasons to go on, to hope, to refuse to give in to despair. We see magic in many forms, both the quotidian kind, in a meeting of friends or the creating of art, and in the more fantastical kind, through the myriad otherworldly beings that find their way to Newford and populate its streets. I love stories about hope and connection. There is plenty of darkness here, make no mistake - content warnings for just about everything you can think of, but this isn't a bleak book.
Is it a perfect book? No, of course not (what book is?). It's somewhat dated in parts in its style and in its cultural milieu. There are also a few darker stories I would probably skip on reread, that feel a little out of step with the more optimistic tone of the rest of the book. In general, though, I loved this. I think this is the kind of urban fantasy that I really gravitate to. It's got a touch of the real mixed with a dash of the fantastical, and that's just right up my street. Newford seems like such a cool place, and I can visualise it so well. I just really love the vibe of these stories, and I'm excited to read the first full-length novel in the Newford world soon. Definitely a new favourite. So excited to read more from de Lint.
I've had this book on my virtual TBR shelf for well over five years without reading it, even though I really wanted to read it. I don't fully know why I held off for so long. I think part of it is that I really wanted it to be good and I didn't want to be disappointed. Part of it was perhaps because I knew it would be good and I wanted to hold off, because I'd only get one chance to read it for the first time. And perhaps there was also part of me that knew what creative inspiration this book would provide for me, and the right time to read it hadn't come yet. Or perhaps that's all just me inventing excuses after finally having read it.
Anyway, I did read it, and it was good: really, really good. A handful of books a year (if that) come into my life and speak to my soul. This book did that. Even fewer books a year actually provide inspiration for my writing. This book did that too. I'm aware that this collection forms part of a much larger project, and I've wanted to do something like what de Lint does here for years, but wasn't brave enough to take the plunge with it. Having finally read the book, I can say without exaggeration that it's opened up so much scope for me as a writer. I've had so many ideas from reading this book, and that's definitely one of the reasons I love it so much.
Another reason I love it is that it's about hope, love, connection, stories, art, and music: all the things that make life so worthwhile. At the centre of the stories is Jilly Coppercorn, an artist with a dark past and a huge capacity for compassion. Through Jilly, and the people we meet through her, we see reasons to go on, to hope, to refuse to give in to despair. We see magic in many forms, both the quotidian kind, in a meeting of friends or the creating of art, and in the more fantastical kind, through the myriad otherworldly beings that find their way to Newford and populate its streets. I love stories about hope and connection. There is plenty of darkness here, make no mistake - content warnings for just about everything you can think of, but this isn't a bleak book.
Is it a perfect book? No, of course not (what book is?). It's somewhat dated in parts in its style and in its cultural milieu. There are also a few darker stories I would probably skip on reread, that feel a little out of step with the more optimistic tone of the rest of the book. In general, though, I loved this. I think this is the kind of urban fantasy that I really gravitate to. It's got a touch of the real mixed with a dash of the fantastical, and that's just right up my street. Newford seems like such a cool place, and I can visualise it so well. I just really love the vibe of these stories, and I'm excited to read the first full-length novel in the Newford world soon. Definitely a new favourite. So excited to read more from de Lint.
I'm not sure how to respond to this one. I have thoroughly enjoyed de Lint's novels (The Little Country and The Mystery of Grace). This collection does include some very wonderful pieces, but I get the impression they are character sketches, ways of fleshing out people (and they really are people in my mind; complex and fascinating) who will later appear in a novel. The linchpin is Jilly Coppercorn who pops up in many of these stories. de Lint has a whole novel devoted to her (The Onion Girl) which I will be getting a hold of... someday... In addition, de Lint has a very apparent theme running through the stories. It's not hard to suss out, so I'll let you do the work for that :) It's a nice way of getting into de Lint's world, one that overlaps the world of magic for those willing to believe and see.
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This story collection was a really mixed bag for me. To start off let me emphasize that de Lint is very good at staying concise while also maintaining beautiful rich and dreamy prose. This being my first book by the author, I was really impressed, also by the range of moods the author can depict.
At times I found the writing masterful and there were some very great stories, but at some point I felt some of it also got kind of repetitive, especially the story structure. This may simply be, because a large number of stories in this collection have bene published separately in other places at an earlier time. The consequence, however, for me was a feeling of tediousness to get through some of the stories.
At the same time, I feel this book is, as De Lint himself has said, is a good introduction to Newford, its inhabitants and its relation to the mysterious and supernatural. I am fully intent to continue into the author's work and see what else Newford has to offer, especially since some of the novels seem te come more highly regarded than this book.
Finally, what I really did appreciate is the somewhat encased way in which the two stories at the end match up with stories in the beginning. That made it feel a satisfying conclusion to the story collection.
At times I found the writing masterful and there were some very great stories, but at some point I felt some of it also got kind of repetitive, especially the story structure. This may simply be, because a large number of stories in this collection have bene published separately in other places at an earlier time. The consequence, however, for me was a feeling of tediousness to get through some of the stories.
At the same time, I feel this book is, as De Lint himself has said, is a good introduction to Newford, its inhabitants and its relation to the mysterious and supernatural. I am fully intent to continue into the author's work and see what else Newford has to offer, especially since some of the novels seem te come more highly regarded than this book.
Finally, what I really did appreciate is the somewhat encased way in which the two stories at the end match up with stories in the beginning. That made it feel a satisfying conclusion to the story collection.
I loved this story so much! This urban fantasy answers the question of what happens to the fae when only a few still believe? They integrate into the cities, play the music that is so much a part of their culture, and sometimes bestow gifts (or curses) on the unwary.
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Uncle Dobbin's Parrot Fair 6/10
The Stone Drum 5/10
Timeskip 7/10
Freewheeling 7/10
That Explains Poland 6/10
Romano Drom 5/10
The Sacred Fire 4/10
Winter Was Hard 6/10
Pity the Monsters 4/10
Ghosts of Wind and Shadow 7/10
The Conjure Man 4/10
Small Deaths 4/10
The Moon Is Drowning While I Sleep 2/10
In the House of My Enemy 4/10
But for the Grace Go I 2/10
Bridges 2/10
Our Lady of the Harbour 4/10
Paperjack 6/10
Tallulah 3/10
Rating: 2.32/5
The Stone Drum 5/10
Timeskip 7/10
Freewheeling 7/10
That Explains Poland 6/10
Romano Drom 5/10
The Sacred Fire 4/10
Winter Was Hard 6/10
Pity the Monsters 4/10
Ghosts of Wind and Shadow 7/10
The Conjure Man 4/10
Small Deaths 4/10
The Moon Is Drowning While I Sleep 2/10
In the House of My Enemy 4/10
But for the Grace Go I 2/10
Bridges 2/10
Our Lady of the Harbour 4/10
Paperjack 6/10
Tallulah 3/10
Rating: 2.32/5
Gave up on this one. Anybody suggest I go back and try again. Is this even the right place to start with deLint?