Scan barcode
small_margin's review against another edition
4.0
A collection of short stories that makes me wish a lot of them are longer. Is that a success or a disappointment? I go back and forth..
annecrisp's review against another edition
3.0
I would probably have liked this better if I had read it myself rather than listened to it as an audiobook.
yodaddy's review against another edition
5.0
Loved it. A collection of delightfully weird short stories detailing small interacrions with the Faerie world. Book was described as a feminist counterpart to Jonathan Strange, but felt more like a feminine look at the world, if that makes sense
mollyxroses's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
mattbowes's review against another edition
4.0
The Ladies of Grace Adieu is a short story collection released shortly after Susanna Clarke’s stellar first novel, Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell. The nine stories collected here mostly take place in and around the world Clarke laid out in Norrell, a Regency-era England in which magic and faerie are very real (and dangerous) concepts, well-known if not outright feared by most people. Strange and Norrell are the two great magicians of their age, protecting Britain from Napoleon’s Grande Armée with ingenious spellcraft while feuding with each other in various journals and newspaper op-eds.
Check out the rest of my review at This Nerding Life: http://thisnerdinglife.com/2013/11/16/late-to-the-party-the-ladies-of-grace-adieu-by-susanna-clarke/
Check out the rest of my review at This Nerding Life: http://thisnerdinglife.com/2013/11/16/late-to-the-party-the-ladies-of-grace-adieu-by-susanna-clarke/
cimorene1558's review against another edition
3.0
Short stories from the world of [b: Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell|14201|Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell|Susanna Clarke|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1357027589s/14201.jpg|3921305] but not nearly as compelling as that book. Some of these are very good, some are rather dull, it's worth reading if you loved Jonathan Strange..., but not otherwise.
rachael_ellis's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.25
theaurochs's review against another edition
3.0
Susanna Clarke's famous elephant-squasher/debut novel Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell seemed, to me, as much literary exercise as actual storytelling. "What", it seemed to ask, "would it be like if an 18th century novelist wrote a fantasy novel about magicians?" What would that look like? The result was pretty much what any who's read Austen would have guess- a novel of sensibility and high society where the magic is very much a distraction for the bored gentry. The magic there was kept frustratingly out of reach; hints of a much richer past were woven into the narrative but it was very much focused on the two titular characters and their relationships rather than the world around.
In this short story collection Clarke returns to the world of Strange & Norrell and uses it as a framework to retell some classic fairy tales, once again in that patented "what if a sentimentalist wrote this?"
I honestly found that it worked a lot better in these short doses than in JS&MN, which to me massively overstayed its welcome. Clarke is a clever writer and her prowess shows, but as mentioned the longer novel had the feel of being an exercise rather than actually creative expression. Here we are treated to some varying styles (still within the same overall mode) and are allowed to really run free with the stories. There are some interesting retellings and fun ideas here, but nothing spectacular.
An interesting collection that I'd recommend ahead of JS&MN, examining a different period of history than most fantasy, and dedicates itself to its styling for better or for worse.
In this short story collection Clarke returns to the world of Strange & Norrell and uses it as a framework to retell some classic fairy tales, once again in that patented "what if a sentimentalist wrote this?"
I honestly found that it worked a lot better in these short doses than in JS&MN, which to me massively overstayed its welcome. Clarke is a clever writer and her prowess shows, but as mentioned the longer novel had the feel of being an exercise rather than actually creative expression. Here we are treated to some varying styles (still within the same overall mode) and are allowed to really run free with the stories. There are some interesting retellings and fun ideas here, but nothing spectacular.
An interesting collection that I'd recommend ahead of JS&MN, examining a different period of history than most fantasy, and dedicates itself to its styling for better or for worse.