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A review by theaurochs
The Ladies of Grace Adieu and Other Stories by Susanna Clarke
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.