spaceodditee 's review for:

The Merry Spinster: Tales of Everyday Horror by Daniel M. Lavery

4.0

---

I've long had a soft spot for disturbing fairy tale adaptations, and Daniel Ortberg delivers. Here's not kidding about "everyday" horrors, either; under the fanatical trappings, the stories here (much like many of the originals) are about family, roles and subversion, communication, society, abuse ... (definite content warnings for the latter in particular). I found many of them cathartic or fascinating, though there were a couple (the Wind in the Willows and Frog and Toad adaptations in particular) that really did not sit well with me. The first story, on the other hand--adapting The Little Mermaid--was just what I wanted, a more successful version of my attempts in college. There was also a lot of playing with gender throughout, which I enjoyed very much.