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3.37 AVERAGE
3.37 AVERAGE
I'm reading this book for the Feminism in Fantasy /r/fantasy book club choice for September 2020. I'll review each story separately, as it's a book with 11 short stories.
General Thoughts
I am really enjoying the mix of absurd and logical conclusions. In a way it reminds me of a darker version of reading Douglass Adams. As I listen to Thomas King's lecture on The Truth About Stories, I can't help but feel that the oddness of this book can so readily be explained by his establishment of dichotomy: "most stories tell tales of heroes battling the odds and the elements, that lionize individuals who start at the bottom and fight their way to the top." This is a book of tales that delight more in "the magic of seasonal change, that frames typical forms of competition as varying degrees of insanity." This is a creation myth that seeks to look at the collective, at cooperation, and at moving from chaos to harmony, to paraphrase King. And so there's a focus on other parts of these early myths and fables, than the moral lessons or subverting expectations.
And yet... and yet. Fairy tales are to have some sort of moral lesson, some sort of warning or way of explaining why children (should not) do something - most of these stories lack that. Most of these stories are just being superficially weird for the sake of being weird. There's a missing depth, a missing darkness. The closest I got to being disturbed was by the Velveteen Rabbit, and that mostly because dolls are creepy.
I will mention that these are well written, generally well crafted stories. The writing part is superb, but the content is definitely lacking.
Feminism
There are clearly some stories here that show equality between the sexes, but I wouldn't necessarily call it a feminist book. I'd say The Six Boy-Coffins comes the closest to being a feminist fairy tale retelling as the princess is given more agency than in the original. There are some stories that play around with using different gendered pronouns and names for people who present a certain way (e.g. Catherine and Sylvie are Beauty's brothers and are referred to as he/him), but again, I miss a depth. It seems the change was made to showcase how odd or different it is, but any commentary is quickly skipped past as we head to the next tale.
Each story:
1. The Daughter Cells
This is a retelling of The Little Mermaid. I found it more empowering than the original or the Disney versions, as in this one the mermaid is essentially a being unlike humans, who has a different mortality, and a completely different outlook as to what is a 'good' thing to do in life. There's a greater emphasis on social thinking and logic - even if it's not the logic we would embody.
After she transforms into a human (and it's a far more logical transformation than just 'here are legs'), she tries to seduce the prince, and yet realizes without a voice, without a shared way to communicate it is practically impossible. He sees her as a pet; a novel item to keep at his side. (Also, I just find it hilarious how she loved him more when he was practically lifeless and dying - he was just being very shy and demure! It's the perfect partner!)
Favorite quotes:
When talking about her life with the humans:
2. The Thankless Child
Sources: Cinderella (Grimm), King Lear, Ladder of Divine Ascent (St. John Climacus), Lorica of St. Patrick - Irish-Christian prayer, and Psalm 139.
This story showed me that it's not just fairytales these retellings are based on. I sought out the sources listed at the back of the book at this time. Lavery (Ortburg is their deadname and should no longer be used) seeks to remove gender from roles in how boys and girls, men and women can hold the title of 'husband', of 'daughter', of 'sister', which is shown far more clearly in this tale than the previous one. I love how a godmother just appeared to baptize the children, and then moved in with them that same evening. Does this happen in every household?
What kind of world is this where salt is more precious than water? But also they know of things as generators, resting potential of potassium, and where crying is seen as not acceptable because it wastes both salt and water?
Paul has to work the most, because "as the godmother had pointed out, "Paul has a dead mother, who does no work, and so her daughter must work for both."" just seems very unfair to me. How is it that work continues after you die? Also where in the world are the parents as rulers of the household? This godmother loves gaslighting everyone around her, which is infinitely more cruel than the stepmother of the traditional Cinderella story.
And I have to admit, I don't understand this story at all. What is the ending trying to stay? It's futile to try to escape your past?
Favorite quotes:
3. Fear Not: An Incident Log
Sources: The Book of Genesis
In his first lecture on stories, Thomas King asks, "what if the God of Genesis was a compassionate god, who forgave Adam and Even and said 'I still love you but I'm very disappointed with you.'" This is still not that god, but it is also not the original biblical god. In fact, this messenger of God is a computer program who agrees with the official decisions, no matter how they come down. Even with administrative misunderstandings.
There's quite a lot of inevitability in this story: God did not ask of Abraham anything that God was not willing to provide for him. Don't worry of how Hagar's son died, because he is with God now, and it does not matter what happened to you.
This story left me hollow and even less 'with God'.
4. The Six Boy-Coffins
Sources: The Six Swans and The Twelve Brothers
This story somehow emphasized (more so than the others so far) how the usual empathy tying a family together is altogether lacking. What holds these stories together if not caring and love for your close friends and family?
Why is the queen only referred to as 'the king's wife' by the text and by the king? Possibly to create even more distance between people. Also it's just super sad that the brothers decide to blame all girls for their plight; it's the kings fault. And the mother not saying anything about the lilies? (Though these are a traditional part of the tale). Psh. Perhaps I ask too much logic of these tales.
Favorite quotes:
In the traditional story the king who steals the princess is a good and kind king and they love each other and live happily ever after. This story is far more realistic, and she suffers heaps of abuses upon her person, and yet I'm glad this story had the ending it had.
5. The Rabbit
Sources: The Velveteen Rabbit
I loved the original story as a child. I almost always cried at the end.
This tale is not that one. In this one the Rabbit is not self-sacrificing and eager to please for love, but rather reminds me of Chucky. And there is no beauteous fairy at the end to turn the Rabbit Real, but rather just a slow sapping of the boys' lifeforce into the Rabbits. Funny how in most stories toys will turn real if you just believe in them very hard, but in this one the Rabbit has a lot of agency (and via that malignancy).
Favorite quotes:
My horror was mostly about how much I disliked the Rabbit (my former favorite fairytale character) and how much he sucked.
6. The Merry Spinster
Sources: Beauty and the Beast
I believe this is the second story in which the oldest child is the odd one out and the other two are favored. This story also uses traditionally male pronouns to refer to someone with a traditionally female name, which is a fun way to play around with gender expectations.
I do like the modernist take on the family: the mother is the one in charge, and is a rich executive who loses all after mis-investing. Get's car trouble on the way home in a storm and finds an old house to shelter in. All this feels a lot more real to me than in the original tale.
This story is a bit creepier in the original - the Beast here dares to control Beauty in the details (you are the mistress of the house and I am the master of everything in it), and yet it seems this is more an accurate 'Beast' than the original, in which it was only his form that changed.
And then the ending comes out of no where, nothing changes and it's all just over with like every story. I'm not sure I want to finish this book.
Favorite quotes:
7. The Wedding Party
Sources: The Goose-Girl, The Earl of Mar's Daughter, and The Daemon Lover
I'll preface this by saying I was never fond of the goose girl tale where she is constantly harassed by the boy. I am not familiar with the other two sources. That said, I loved the suspense and the mystery and the build up of wrongness in this tale a lot. Sadly it came to naught. I really wish there had been some sort of resolution after all that tension build up.
This one was a more modern, urban style, whereas the others tend to feel very ethereal, otherworldly, or old-European.
8. Some of Us Had Been Threatening Our Friend Mr. Toad
Sources: The Wind in the Willows, Some of Us Had Been Threatening Our Friend Colby
This is literally a retelling of Donald Barthelme's tale with the characters of TWitW. I'll admit I didn't enjoy The Wind in the Willows as much as many other children seem to, but I don't think the characters needed to die or anything either! Using the animals to tell this tale puts more distance between the message Barthelme wanted to bring across (that all people, even the wealthy, powerful, supposedly 'most moral' folks in society are liable to commit terrible atrocities with only a few nonsensical reasons needed). It's a bit of a shame that this message was watered down so much. Perhaps if one loved this childhood story it would make a greater impact than the original Colby tale.
I did like the incongruity between the words on the page 'all his friends smiling around him' and 'the woods were full of Mr Toad's friends, and you are never alone, as long as you have friends' set against the undercurrent of fear, pain, violence, etc. that is evidenced by the actions the text gives us.
If anything, this story seeks to show how *not* to be friends, or let your friends walk all over you. This was one of the worst stories for me to read, because it so readily reflect real life. That insidious gas lighting, questioning your thinking and existence and all the psychological abuse going on. Definitely horrific in a 'is could be real' sense. But I'm disappointed it's not something the author came up with.
Favorite quotes:"I would so like to have tea," Rat said, setting down his cup [of tea]. "I haven't had any tea in the longest time, and Mole hasn't either."
9. Cast Your Bread Upon the Waters
Sources: Johnny Croy and His Mermaid Bride, Summa Theologica (Thomas Aquinas)
I am not familiar with either of these sources. But this story is fucked up. The Christian and godly thing to do is mutilate your grandchildren, your son, his wife, and abandon them all? Ugh, disgusting things are done all the time in the name of religion and I don't see this as an exception. I like to think this story was included for the author to show the hypocrisy of religion: "I love my son, so I mutilate him and separate him from his family forever".
10. The Frog's Princess
Sources: The Frog Prince
I like the idea of unluckiness being connected to beauty - it certainly hasn't worked out well for many other people in these stories! I actually like this retelling a lot. It feels more honest and understandable in it's reasoning than the original. But, again, the ending was just left off. Where are the endings!?
11. Good Fences Make Good Neighbors
Sources: The Fisherman and His Wife and Frog and Toad Are Friends
I'm a little bit tired of all these people-say-one-thing-but-mean-the-opposite type of characters. It was interesting for the first few stories, came to a raging peak in the Wind in the Willows tale, and now has gotten quite stale.
Favorite quotes:
Overall Ratings:
Best Fairytale Retelling: The Six Boy-Coffins
Most Horrific: The Rabbit
Most Unsettling: Some of Us Had Been Threatening Our Friend Mr. Toad
Most Interesting Strange-Society: The Thankless Child
My Favorite: The Daughter Cells
General Thoughts
I am really enjoying the mix of absurd and logical conclusions. In a way it reminds me of a darker version of reading Douglass Adams. As I listen to Thomas King's lecture on The Truth About Stories, I can't help but feel that the oddness of this book can so readily be explained by his establishment of dichotomy: "most stories tell tales of heroes battling the odds and the elements, that lionize individuals who start at the bottom and fight their way to the top." This is a book of tales that delight more in "the magic of seasonal change, that frames typical forms of competition as varying degrees of insanity." This is a creation myth that seeks to look at the collective, at cooperation, and at moving from chaos to harmony, to paraphrase King. And so there's a focus on other parts of these early myths and fables, than the moral lessons or subverting expectations.
And yet... and yet. Fairy tales are to have some sort of moral lesson, some sort of warning or way of explaining why children (should not) do something - most of these stories lack that. Most of these stories are just being superficially weird for the sake of being weird. There's a missing depth, a missing darkness. The closest I got to being disturbed was by the Velveteen Rabbit, and that mostly because dolls are creepy.
I will mention that these are well written, generally well crafted stories. The writing part is superb, but the content is definitely lacking.
Feminism
There are clearly some stories here that show equality between the sexes, but I wouldn't necessarily call it a feminist book. I'd say The Six Boy-Coffins comes the closest to being a feminist fairy tale retelling as the princess is given more agency than in the original. There are some stories that play around with using different gendered pronouns and names for people who present a certain way (e.g. Catherine and Sylvie are Beauty's brothers and are referred to as he/him), but again, I miss a depth. It seems the change was made to showcase how odd or different it is, but any commentary is quickly skipped past as we head to the next tale.
Each story:
1. The Daughter Cells
This is a retelling of The Little Mermaid. I found it more empowering than the original or the Disney versions, as in this one the mermaid is essentially a being unlike humans, who has a different mortality, and a completely different outlook as to what is a 'good' thing to do in life. There's a greater emphasis on social thinking and logic - even if it's not the logic we would embody.
After she transforms into a human (and it's a far more logical transformation than just 'here are legs'), she tries to seduce the prince, and yet realizes without a voice, without a shared way to communicate it is practically impossible. He sees her as a pet; a novel item to keep at his side. (Also, I just find it hilarious how she loved him more when he was practically lifeless and dying - he was just being very shy and demure! It's the perfect partner!)
Favorite quotes:
"The witch looked the girl up and down with a critical eye. (You know, by now, I think, that the witch had no eyes, and I need not explain every little difference to you, but bear in mind that even if someone is merely in possession of a clot of photosensitive cells and a rudimentary sort of lens that is only dimly aware when a shadow passes overhead, they might be just as proud of that clot of cells and that rudimentary lens as you are of your own two eyes."
When talking about her life with the humans:
"They did not seem anxious to find a purpose for her. She was not going to be useful, she was not going to be shared, she was not even going to be eaten. It was with mounting horror that she realized their selfishness extended even to her."
2. The Thankless Child
Sources: Cinderella (Grimm), King Lear, Ladder of Divine Ascent (St. John Climacus), Lorica of St. Patrick - Irish-Christian prayer, and Psalm 139.
This story showed me that it's not just fairytales these retellings are based on. I sought out the sources listed at the back of the book at this time. Lavery (Ortburg is their deadname and should no longer be used) seeks to remove gender from roles in how boys and girls, men and women can hold the title of 'husband', of 'daughter', of 'sister', which is shown far more clearly in this tale than the previous one. I love how a godmother just appeared to baptize the children, and then moved in with them that same evening. Does this happen in every household?
What kind of world is this where salt is more precious than water? But also they know of things as generators, resting potential of potassium, and where crying is seen as not acceptable because it wastes both salt and water?
Paul has to work the most, because "as the godmother had pointed out, "Paul has a dead mother, who does no work, and so her daughter must work for both."" just seems very unfair to me. How is it that work continues after you die? Also where in the world are the parents as rulers of the household? This godmother loves gaslighting everyone around her, which is infinitely more cruel than the stepmother of the traditional Cinderella story.
And I have to admit, I don't understand this story at all. What is the ending trying to stay? It's futile to try to escape your past?
Favorite quotes:
""Attend and account how you love me," the godmother said. [...] "More than milk," Gomer said. "More than eggs, more than a portable generator, more than bread and lamps, more than my living parents and my own sweet bed; you are air and light to me.""
3. Fear Not: An Incident Log
Sources: The Book of Genesis
In his first lecture on stories, Thomas King asks, "what if the God of Genesis was a compassionate god, who forgave Adam and Even and said 'I still love you but I'm very disappointed with you.'" This is still not that god, but it is also not the original biblical god. In fact, this messenger of God is a computer program who agrees with the official decisions, no matter how they come down. Even with administrative misunderstandings.
There's quite a lot of inevitability in this story: God did not ask of Abraham anything that God was not willing to provide for him. Don't worry of how Hagar's son died, because he is with God now, and it does not matter what happened to you.
This story left me hollow and even less 'with God'.
4. The Six Boy-Coffins
Sources: The Six Swans and The Twelve Brothers
This story somehow emphasized (more so than the others so far) how the usual empathy tying a family together is altogether lacking. What holds these stories together if not caring and love for your close friends and family?
Why is the queen only referred to as 'the king's wife' by the text and by the king? Possibly to create even more distance between people. Also it's just super sad that the brothers decide to blame all girls for their plight; it's the kings fault. And the mother not saying anything about the lilies? (Though these are a traditional part of the tale). Psh. Perhaps I ask too much logic of these tales.
Favorite quotes:
"Six sons were one thing. Six men quite another. [...] And what could a kingdom do with six kings?"I dunno... maybe think about that before having so many children? (It's a fantasy book; headcannon says there is birth control. Okay, I spoke to soon, there clearly is a form of birth control in this universe - murder).
"'Someday, I think,' she said, her voice muffled under the tub, 'I would like to meet someone I have not caused any pain.'"And yet none of that pain is really her doing. It's just terribly sad.
"She could not understand how she was here, when she had never said yes to being brought anywhere. She could not remember speaking to him, much less agreeing. She as beginning to learn the danger of silence, and that someone who wishes to hear a yes will not go out of his way to listen for a no."I feel like the pronouns, while fitting to the story, were also explicitly chosen to convey a very specific image that is far too common in our world. The fact that the rest of the story emphasizes the abuse he heaps on her underpins my reading.
In the traditional story the king who steals the princess is a good and kind king and they love each other and live happily ever after. This story is far more realistic, and she suffers heaps of abuses upon her person, and yet I'm glad this story had the ending it had.
5. The Rabbit
Sources: The Velveteen Rabbit
I loved the original story as a child. I almost always cried at the end.
This tale is not that one. In this one the Rabbit is not self-sacrificing and eager to please for love, but rather reminds me of Chucky. And there is no beauteous fairy at the end to turn the Rabbit Real, but rather just a slow sapping of the boys' lifeforce into the Rabbits. Funny how in most stories toys will turn real if you just believe in them very hard, but in this one the Rabbit has a lot of agency (and via that malignancy).
Favorite quotes:
""Why don't you get up and get better?" the Rabbit whispered to the boy that night. The next morning the boy woke with four teeth cracked open to the root."
My horror was mostly about how much I disliked the Rabbit (my former favorite fairytale character) and how much he sucked.
6. The Merry Spinster
Sources: Beauty and the Beast
I believe this is the second story in which the oldest child is the odd one out and the other two are favored. This story also uses traditionally male pronouns to refer to someone with a traditionally female name, which is a fun way to play around with gender expectations.
I do like the modernist take on the family: the mother is the one in charge, and is a rich executive who loses all after mis-investing. Get's car trouble on the way home in a storm and finds an old house to shelter in. All this feels a lot more real to me than in the original tale.
This story is a bit creepier in the original - the Beast here dares to control Beauty in the details (you are the mistress of the house and I am the master of everything in it), and yet it seems this is more an accurate 'Beast' than the original, in which it was only his form that changed.
And then the ending comes out of no where, nothing changes and it's all just over with like every story. I'm not sure I want to finish this book.
Favorite quotes:
"Instead, she read books, which did her no good whatever. She was twenty-eight and mostly useless."Hey, I resemble that remark - ouch!
7. The Wedding Party
Sources: The Goose-Girl, The Earl of Mar's Daughter, and The Daemon Lover
I'll preface this by saying I was never fond of the goose girl tale where she is constantly harassed by the boy. I am not familiar with the other two sources. That said, I loved the suspense and the mystery and the build up of wrongness in this tale a lot. Sadly it came to naught. I really wish there had been some sort of resolution after all that tension build up.
This one was a more modern, urban style, whereas the others tend to feel very ethereal, otherworldly, or old-European.
8. Some of Us Had Been Threatening Our Friend Mr. Toad
Sources: The Wind in the Willows, Some of Us Had Been Threatening Our Friend Colby
This is literally a retelling of Donald Barthelme's tale with the characters of TWitW. I'll admit I didn't enjoy The Wind in the Willows as much as many other children seem to, but I don't think the characters needed to die or anything either! Using the animals to tell this tale puts more distance between the message Barthelme wanted to bring across (that all people, even the wealthy, powerful, supposedly 'most moral' folks in society are liable to commit terrible atrocities with only a few nonsensical reasons needed). It's a bit of a shame that this message was watered down so much. Perhaps if one loved this childhood story it would make a greater impact than the original Colby tale.
I did like the incongruity between the words on the page 'all his friends smiling around him' and 'the woods were full of Mr Toad's friends, and you are never alone, as long as you have friends' set against the undercurrent of fear, pain, violence, etc. that is evidenced by the actions the text gives us.
If anything, this story seeks to show how *not* to be friends, or let your friends walk all over you. This was one of the worst stories for me to read, because it so readily reflect real life. That insidious gas lighting, questioning your thinking and existence and all the psychological abuse going on. Definitely horrific in a 'is could be real' sense. But I'm disappointed it's not something the author came up with.
Favorite quotes:"I would so like to have tea," Rat said, setting down his cup [of tea]. "I haven't had any tea in the longest time, and Mole hasn't either."
9. Cast Your Bread Upon the Waters
Sources: Johnny Croy and His Mermaid Bride, Summa Theologica (Thomas Aquinas)
I am not familiar with either of these sources. But this story is fucked up. The Christian and godly thing to do is mutilate your grandchildren, your son, his wife, and abandon them all? Ugh, disgusting things are done all the time in the name of religion and I don't see this as an exception. I like to think this story was included for the author to show the hypocrisy of religion: "I love my son, so I mutilate him and separate him from his family forever".
10. The Frog's Princess
Sources: The Frog Prince
I like the idea of unluckiness being connected to beauty - it certainly hasn't worked out well for many other people in these stories! I actually like this retelling a lot. It feels more honest and understandable in it's reasoning than the original. But, again, the ending was just left off. Where are the endings!?
11. Good Fences Make Good Neighbors
Sources: The Fisherman and His Wife and Frog and Toad Are Friends
I'm a little bit tired of all these people-say-one-thing-but-mean-the-opposite type of characters. It was interesting for the first few stories, came to a raging peak in the Wind in the Willows tale, and now has gotten quite stale.
Favorite quotes:
"'Oil-modified urethane finish,' asked the flounder, 'or water-based polyurethane finish?'"
Overall Ratings:
Best Fairytale Retelling: The Six Boy-Coffins
Most Horrific: The Rabbit
Most Unsettling: Some of Us Had Been Threatening Our Friend Mr. Toad
Most Interesting Strange-Society: The Thankless Child
My Favorite: The Daughter Cells
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
Fairy tales and their ilk are some of our longest lasting stories, the origins of modern day literature. In Daniel Lavery’s collection of crossbred, retold fairy tales, The Merry Spinster, stories from ancient past meet those more modern while still preserving the encapsulated world of the fantastic. Lavery lists each story and its inspiration at the back of the book which helps in cases of more obscure or less recognizable tales, and your familiarity with the original stories will impact your reading/experience of Lavery’s. You can read them as their own unique creations or study the differences between them and their counterparts. The combinations of stories really highlight unnoticed or unexpected connections like humanity's fraught relationship to religion, specifically Christianity. Quite often, fairy tales involve trials in order for the hero or heroine to prove theirself, as though innocence isn’t enough, and suffering is the only way to become worthy. Agency is another common theme of fairy tales as characters gain and lose it and are rewarded and punished for both. Lavery's versions of The Velveteen Rabbit and the book of Genesis challenge the "logic" of these themes. His stories not only flip the basic tropes of fairy tales, they also imagine new, more fantastic worlds and magical conventions. When stories become so ingrained in our culture and memories, it’s easy to forget how weird they actually are.
dark
3.5 stars
I loved the writing of this, and it was an interesting take on some well known fairy tales with a haunting, and very queer spin on it. But either I'm too dumb for it, or it wasn't spelled out well enough, but fairy tales like this always have a "point" or a lesson learned, and not all of them were very clear.
I loved the writing of this, and it was an interesting take on some well known fairy tales with a haunting, and very queer spin on it. But either I'm too dumb for it, or it wasn't spelled out well enough, but fairy tales like this always have a "point" or a lesson learned, and not all of them were very clear.
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
The Velveteen Rabbit one was good. I'd skip the rest.
dark
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Enjoyed these stories and will definitely go back and read.