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mehitabels's review against another edition
2.0
Pretty. The ballads are interesting. I would have wished for a little more explanation on the ballads themselves, my knowledge on the subject being a little, well a lot, lacking.
A nice collection of artistry and writers.
A nice collection of artistry and writers.
ilseoo's review against another edition
4.0
This is a lovely compilation of popular English, Scottish and Irish ballads, and -as a lover of folk and fairy tales- I highly enjoyed it. This book provides illustrated folktale-like interpretations of the ballads written by a variety of authors, alongside the original version of the ballad. The illustrations, though black and white, were beautifully detailed and added a lot to the story.
lucyblack's review against another edition
3.0
This is a really cool premise for a book. Old ballads/poems/ folk stories being retold with pictures in comic form. Nerdy and historical and absurd. I just don’t think it was executed very originally or interestingly. Most of them stuck with oldey timey language so the ballads were still pretty opaque. None of them subverted the misogyny much or spun a new take.
I did like the strain of elf queens, witches and sex with Satan.
I did like the strain of elf queens, witches and sex with Satan.
crowyhead's review against another edition
5.0
Very, very nice. Authors such as Charles de Lint and Emma Bull (among others) reinvent classic folk ballads, which are lovingly illustrated by Charles Vess. The whole volume is beautifully done -- I especially appreciated the inclusion of the full text of each original ballad, as well as the suggested recordings list at the end.
fionak's review against another edition
3.0
Very meh. There seems to be little value added by the graphic treatment to most of the ballads presented, although the artwork is nice overall.
vylotte's review
4.0
Charles Vess is an artist I've come across a number of times. His work is instantly identifiable, with lots of long flowing lines and a timeless sensibility, it's easy to imagine his work in a renaissance tome or a fairy-tale library. I personally remember his work in Sandman (the "A Midsummer's Night's Dream" fae story), Fables and the illustrated version of Gaiman's Stardust.
From what I gather, this was a labor of love for Vess. He took classic old English and Scottish ballads and had various friends create stories around them, which he then illustrated, and produced on his own label. And when you consider among his friends are Emma Bull, Charles de Lint, Terri Windling and Neil Gaiman, you have something special.
Every panel is intricate and detailed, dreamy and dramatic. Really a lovely book, and one I will be looking for to add to my own collection.
From what I gather, this was a labor of love for Vess. He took classic old English and Scottish ballads and had various friends create stories around them, which he then illustrated, and produced on his own label. And when you consider among his friends are Emma Bull, Charles de Lint, Terri Windling and Neil Gaiman, you have something special.
Every panel is intricate and detailed, dreamy and dramatic. Really a lovely book, and one I will be looking for to add to my own collection.
lyrafay12's review
5.0
Thanks to Tor/Titan for creating this fantastic reissue of Charles Vess's Book of Ballads! This a book is a wonder to behold thanks to Charles Vess's artwork and his process which is on full display within the ballads and extras at the back.
mordredrisika's review
2.0
An interesting adaption of folk songs. I do want to listen to a bunch of them now, but I found I got a bit bored or struggled with some of the dialects.
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