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4.06 AVERAGE
4.06 AVERAGE
"Every time it rains a ghost comes walking."
Dreams Underfoot introduced readers to de Lint's fictional city of Newford. Magic is on the streets of Newford if you just know where to look for it. It's usually in the most unexpected places.
Man, I love the Newford books. This book started my re-read of them all in order. They aren't really a series, so I've skipped around, reading them as I find them, but I'm curious to see my favorite characters grow in a more natural progression.
I really don't remember what order I read these in initially, but this was definitely one of the first. There are some true gems in here.
I'm going to pull most of this review straight from my status updates.
Uncle Dobbin's Parrot Fair--"Jilly, Christy, Professor Dapple, Goon, and even a crow (not a Crow Girl, mind you, but a crow nevertheless)--I don't love this first story but de Lint laid one hell of a foundation for Newford here."
The Stone Drum--"Liked Stone Drum, although it reminded me how curious I am about the Kelledys. I wonder if there is a book about them that I haven't read yet? Would be nice to know their backstory in full. And Goon's a skookin. I've been thinking of him as a goblin because I couldn't remember the right name."
Timeskip--"Starting Timeskip! I remember it as my favorite of de Lint's stories. I hope it holds up. With an opening sentence of "Every time it rains a ghost comes walking," it is off to the perfect start....Such a perfect, bittersweet story. So important to "Geordie, me lad"'s story arc. Love. It."
"Freewheeling is too sad for me. I probably shouldn't see it that way but I do."
That Explains Poland--"A fun yet thoughtful story. It is better to keep the magic of some experiences to yourself."
"Romano Drum--The Romany story was nothing new."
"The Sacred Fire was super-creepy! I'm regretting reading it before bed! It is interesting how the idea behind this story fully manifested itself in The Onion Girl."
"Winter Was Hard is another of my favorite stories. I love the gemmin. It's another bittersweet story, but when I finished, I had to just sit there for a few minutes and enjoy what it made me feel."
And I stopped my updates there. I'll do what I can from memory now.
Pity the Monsters--Verrry creepy. These two are definitely a pair of monsters. Yet I did pity one of them at least. The more monstrous one. Makes you wonder who the real monster is.
Ghosts of Wind and Shadow--More of the Kelledys! I really had forgotten how much I like them. The dangers of putting children in convenient "boxes" and refusing to see the magic in the world. More about the magic found in music.
The Conjure Man--I love the idea behind this one. A tree that grows as people share their stories with it.
Small Deaths--I don't remember this one as well. It's not a standout by any means. It's something about the light inside us and how the choices we make can lead to "small deaths." You know, those choices that we all make that start us down the wrong path.
The Moon is Drowning While I Sleep--Another old favorite! I love Sophie and her alternate reality. This one has a very classic fairy tale feel.
In the House of My Enemy--A difficult story about child abuse. Gives some big insight into the histories of some favorite characters.
But For the Grace Go I--I like Margaret and Tommy and their pack of dogs. A reminder that we can always choose to turn our life around.
Bridges--I don't like this one much either. It's a little dark, but ultimately it is about hope.
Our Lady of the Harbor--Basically a modern re-telling of The Little Mermaid.
Paperjack--Gives some closure to "Timeskip." Paperjack himself reminds me of John Coffey from The Green Mile.
Tallulah--Christy's first real story. No wonder I always think of him as being melancholy. About the way the very nature of a city can change with its people.
This collection is just a fantastic introduction to Newford. It reminded me why I fell in love with these books in the first place.
Dreams Underfoot introduced readers to de Lint's fictional city of Newford. Magic is on the streets of Newford if you just know where to look for it. It's usually in the most unexpected places.
Man, I love the Newford books. This book started my re-read of them all in order. They aren't really a series, so I've skipped around, reading them as I find them, but I'm curious to see my favorite characters grow in a more natural progression.
I really don't remember what order I read these in initially, but this was definitely one of the first. There are some true gems in here.
I'm going to pull most of this review straight from my status updates.
Uncle Dobbin's Parrot Fair--"Jilly, Christy, Professor Dapple, Goon, and even a crow (not a Crow Girl, mind you, but a crow nevertheless)--I don't love this first story but de Lint laid one hell of a foundation for Newford here."
The Stone Drum--"Liked Stone Drum, although it reminded me how curious I am about the Kelledys. I wonder if there is a book about them that I haven't read yet? Would be nice to know their backstory in full. And Goon's a skookin. I've been thinking of him as a goblin because I couldn't remember the right name."
Timeskip--"Starting Timeskip! I remember it as my favorite of de Lint's stories. I hope it holds up. With an opening sentence of "Every time it rains a ghost comes walking," it is off to the perfect start....Such a perfect, bittersweet story. So important to "Geordie, me lad"'s story arc. Love. It."
"Freewheeling is too sad for me. I probably shouldn't see it that way but I do."
That Explains Poland--"A fun yet thoughtful story. It is better to keep the magic of some experiences to yourself."
"Romano Drum--The Romany story was nothing new."
"The Sacred Fire was super-creepy! I'm regretting reading it before bed! It is interesting how the idea behind this story fully manifested itself in The Onion Girl."
"Winter Was Hard is another of my favorite stories. I love the gemmin. It's another bittersweet story, but when I finished, I had to just sit there for a few minutes and enjoy what it made me feel."
And I stopped my updates there. I'll do what I can from memory now.
Pity the Monsters--Verrry creepy. These two are definitely a pair of monsters. Yet I did pity one of them at least. The more monstrous one. Makes you wonder who the real monster is.
Ghosts of Wind and Shadow--More of the Kelledys! I really had forgotten how much I like them. The dangers of putting children in convenient "boxes" and refusing to see the magic in the world. More about the magic found in music.
The Conjure Man--I love the idea behind this one. A tree that grows as people share their stories with it.
Small Deaths--I don't remember this one as well. It's not a standout by any means. It's something about the light inside us and how the choices we make can lead to "small deaths." You know, those choices that we all make that start us down the wrong path.
The Moon is Drowning While I Sleep--Another old favorite! I love Sophie and her alternate reality. This one has a very classic fairy tale feel.
In the House of My Enemy--A difficult story about child abuse. Gives some big insight into the histories of some favorite characters.
But For the Grace Go I--I like Margaret and Tommy and their pack of dogs. A reminder that we can always choose to turn our life around.
Bridges--I don't like this one much either. It's a little dark, but ultimately it is about hope.
Our Lady of the Harbor--Basically a modern re-telling of The Little Mermaid.
Paperjack--Gives some closure to "Timeskip." Paperjack himself reminds me of John Coffey from The Green Mile.
Tallulah--Christy's first real story. No wonder I always think of him as being melancholy. About the way the very nature of a city can change with its people.
This collection is just a fantastic introduction to Newford. It reminded me why I fell in love with these books in the first place.
Have I lost my taste for magical realism? I wanted to enjoy this author, but I think I waited too long to finally read this book.
adventurous
fast-paced
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
This book... Has not aged well. And de Lint's treatment of poc and queer characters is not great. And now I can see the romanticization of homelessness and his handling of molestation and rape is a little too... Hard? Voyeuristic?
But there's so much that's great. Especially the stories where he focuses on music. His writing is so fey. Haunting. All the potential stuff of later books is there, hiding, but de Lint isn't there yet
But there's so much that's great. Especially the stories where he focuses on music. His writing is so fey. Haunting. All the potential stuff of later books is there, hiding, but de Lint isn't there yet
I tried this book, even though I typically don't gravitate towards collections of multiple stories. While some narratives captivated, others failed to engage my interest. Ultimately, I made the decision to set the book aside. The writing itself is good, and I can understand its appeal to those who like this particular storytelling structure.
This was a collection of connected short stories. I liked some of the stories more than others. They were all beautifully written and included a lot of music and art.
I listened to this as an audiobook. The narrator did a nice job but I wish I had a real copy of this book because the writing was so beautiful I would’ve liked to slow down during some parts. Some of my favorite stories were “The Sacred Fire” and “Our Lady of the Harbour.”
I listened to this as an audiobook. The narrator did a nice job but I wish I had a real copy of this book because the writing was so beautiful I would’ve liked to slow down during some parts. Some of my favorite stories were “The Sacred Fire” and “Our Lady of the Harbour.”
I've been ambling my way through this for months now. It took a little bit to grow on me but I came to really love it. First book by this author, I'll read more soon.
One of Charles de Lint's characters in the last story in this collection says, "My themes are simple. They're about love and loss, honor and the responsibilities of friendship. And wonder... always wonder."
That is why I read de Lint. His themes are the same as those his protagonist writes. I especially like this quote because de Lint's interest in the love of friendship is something not everyone writes about. When people write about it, it is often between women, men aren't involved. It is amazing how much the people in these stories care about each other. Almost every tale in this collection includes themes of compassion and caring.
There are other writers who cover love and loss - so many stories deal with these themes. Also I have read stories about wonder from other authors, many of them are speculative writers like de Lint.
This is the sixth de Lint book I have read since I started writing these reviews. I am not sure what else I can say except read his stories. They are magical, wonderful and true in the best sense of the word. If you can read about Jill, Sophie, Maggie and Christy and not feel blessed by de Lint, you better make sure that Despair is not hunting you down.
That is why I read de Lint. His themes are the same as those his protagonist writes. I especially like this quote because de Lint's interest in the love of friendship is something not everyone writes about. When people write about it, it is often between women, men aren't involved. It is amazing how much the people in these stories care about each other. Almost every tale in this collection includes themes of compassion and caring.
There are other writers who cover love and loss - so many stories deal with these themes. Also I have read stories about wonder from other authors, many of them are speculative writers like de Lint.
This is the sixth de Lint book I have read since I started writing these reviews. I am not sure what else I can say except read his stories. They are magical, wonderful and true in the best sense of the word. If you can read about Jill, Sophie, Maggie and Christy and not feel blessed by de Lint, you better make sure that Despair is not hunting you down.