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claudiadcd's reviews
159 reviews
Poems Bewitched and Haunted by John Hollander
3.0
Some truly set the mood, some are not even about the holiday but just spooky and others seem off the mark. But it's worth it for the gems. Reading level is high and challenging, and I'm the one who enjoyed Homer and mucked through most of the Aenied in college. I read Edgar Allen Poe for fun. Think academic and old-school. Most of these poems needed two reads to just get a base comprehension. You should read each twice or even thrice, in order to first get the words and movement of the scene, then to visualize it all, then to set yourself in the space with all your senses alive in order to really spook yourself out. I can forgive the many poems that missed for the poems that got me ready for Halloween and ensconced in the mood.
Grimm's Grimmest by Jacob Grimm, Wilhelm Grimm
3.0
Not comprehensive collection but a great intro that gives a very comprehensive background of Grimm and how they're stories morphed. It's more than just Disney at work here. The Grimm brothers themselves started censoring themselves within the 2nd edition! If you want to all the original stories, go grab the original first edition. I found this book a great taste of a variety of imaginative and colorful tales. Nicely illustrated for further attention grabbing and visualization. Given the sparse language used, the illustrations are necessary. Many of Grimm's stories are very similar to each other, so Maria picks one of each kind. If you looking for your princesses or the stories you are familiar with, look elsewhere. Very few stories here that are familiar to mainstream audiences. The treasure here are the stories that were lost in full. A great picture of Germany folk culture in the 19th century.
Chocolat by Joanne Harris
5.0
Lyrical prose, so much more than the movie. Romance of budding love put on hold for the romance of travel and creating a unique life unlike all the rest. A personal favorite, and no not because of Johnny Depp. Fine, I did get introduced to this book through the movie but now I have two things I can love. They are like two stories from the same universe. Words of wisdom to live by, cultural nuances and provocative writing. No, not steamy. You'll have to write a fanfiction starring Johnny for that. Lyrical romanticism similar to Alice Hoffman, just quainter. Weirdness comes out in content more than prose. A true gem filled with beautiful little scenes. No wonder people wanted to see this as a movie.
Bones of Faerie by Janni Lee Simner
4.0
A unique fairy tale, or should I say, faerie tale. Poetry at times, imagery and metaphors are beyond a first reading. It is impossibly unique for children's lit at this time. I found it at the Harvard bookstore and on a whim bought it. What a great find! Haunting, magical, metaphoric, but also simply an imaginative fairy tale adventure the likes of Neil Gaiman and the trek of Frodo, but perfectly suited for children. I still enjoyed it immensely and going in for a second read soon afterward, to gain further depth from Janni's metaphoric, emotive images. If it was longer or a series, it could be our new Harry Potter. Not joking. The universe created was one I wanted to jump right in and live alongside.
Dinotopia: A Land Apart from Time by James Gurney
4.0
A beautiful, peaceful, inquiring world I wish I could enter. Beautiful illustrations that could tell the story on their own but also be hung up on a gallery wall. But the beauty isn't the important part. It's the universe that provokes you to interact with it. To ask yourself how you would fit in with this peaceful land, this cooperative society. Great for the scientific mind that wants the details of a newly created universe and the practicalities of living with dinosaurs. If your child likes dinosaurs and you want them to, first let them visit the top floor of the Museum of Natural History, then get them this book and let them pour over it for days. Let them build their own diagrams, they're own houses and equipment for their favorite dinosaur, let them learn by exploring and using their imagination, as learning should be. And do it yourself so you can remember how much fun it is to learn. We should never stop anyway.