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A review by kikiandarrowsfishshelf
Troll's-Eye View: A Book of Villainous Tales by Ellen Datlow, Terri Windling
4.0
I've been slightly p.oed even since Datlow and Windling stopped editiing thier adult collections and focused on YA collections. Now, I understand YA is hot (though most of it seems slightly silly), but still. Anyway, with this collection I think I understand why they did it or perhaps I figured out a plus side to this.
This collection has stories told from the villian's point of view. Most of the stories are very good; in particular Peter S. Beagle's story stands out as does the ending of Ellen Kushner's.
The stories, here, however, in particular, those stories at the end, are far darker then the stories in the earlier YA collections. They are closer to adult. They are closer, in many ways, to some of the original tales before Cinderella got singing rodents.
I like this. I really do. Like Pratchett, Datlow and Windling seem to want to get children to think and this collection crosses the bounds between adult and YA quite well. Because of the theme, the stories also get readers to question the whys of things, like - why does the black guy always die first in Hollywood? Why is blonde better? Why princes? Why so much female nudity?
Okay, not that last one, but you get the point. Enjoyable read.
This collection has stories told from the villian's point of view. Most of the stories are very good; in particular Peter S. Beagle's story stands out as does the ending of Ellen Kushner's.
The stories, here, however, in particular, those stories at the end, are far darker then the stories in the earlier YA collections. They are closer to adult. They are closer, in many ways, to some of the original tales before Cinderella got singing rodents.
I like this. I really do. Like Pratchett, Datlow and Windling seem to want to get children to think and this collection crosses the bounds between adult and YA quite well. Because of the theme, the stories also get readers to question the whys of things, like - why does the black guy always die first in Hollywood? Why is blonde better? Why princes? Why so much female nudity?
Okay, not that last one, but you get the point. Enjoyable read.