This is not a retelling of Charles Dickens’ actual experiences. This a fantasy based loosely on his life, a sort of sentimental yarn that didn’t reallThis is not a retelling of Charles Dickens’ actual experiences. This a fantasy based loosely on his life, a sort of sentimental yarn that didn’t really happen, but which makes a lovely tale. If you can get past that, and accept that the premise for this work of historical fiction is a sort of homage to Dickens, and not an account of history, then you’ll enjoy this charming story for what it is: a literary fantasia that pulls different elements from Dickens’ life and writings, adds a little magic, and blends them seamlessly together in a warm holiday novel. ...more
This beautiful collection of Nast’s drawings makes for a delightful holiday read. The lovely images complement each other perfectly, and if you are abThis beautiful collection of Nast’s drawings makes for a delightful holiday read. The lovely images complement each other perfectly, and if you are able to take the time to read this in a single sitting, please do: they are quite moving when taken all together. These are the pictures that helped shape our modern views of Santa Claus, and I was surprised to see the depth and breadth that they give to this larger-than-life figure. Nast develops Santa’s personality in a variety of subtle ways. He expands Santa’s world in images filled with magic and whimsy. He hints at a partnership between Santa and Mother Goose—another magical benevolent figure loved by children. He even includes other traditions, like Christkindl. Finally, the introduction was fantastic. It was very short, but it offered great historical context both for Santa Claus’ image through the years and for Nast’s life and work. It was a wonderful foundation for a wonderful book....more
This was an interesting story, and I enjoyed watching the events unfold. Can Lydia trust Edgar? Is he lying to her? Is he what he claims to be? The huThis was an interesting story, and I enjoyed watching the events unfold. Can Lydia trust Edgar? Is he lying to her? Is he what he claims to be? The human drama was interesting, and as various characters try to manipulate Lydia, she struggles to know whom to trust. However, this first book in the series functions mostly as a setup to later installments, and nothing about the main quest—finding the sword or connecting to the fairy realm—has been resolved. I enjoyed this as I read it, but I doubt I’ll continue with the rest of the series....more
I have always loved fairy tales, so I greatly enjoyed this collection. These are fairy tales of the Grishaverse; that is, these are the fairy tales thI have always loved fairy tales, so I greatly enjoyed this collection. These are fairy tales of the Grishaverse; that is, these are the fairy tales that the Grisha characters would have known and heard. I am impressed at the literary world-building, first of all, but even without that factor, these stories are powerful on their own. They are gripping, twisted, dark, and (sometimes) disturbing, but they're also inspiring, memorable, and (sometimes) hopeful.
I remember watching Disney's The Little Mermaid when I was in elementary school. I remember being irritated, even then, that Ariel could transform from mermaid to human with no physical pain and no ill effects; even then, it seemed like cheating. I remember being slightly resentful of Disney for trying to soften the Andersen tale that I knew so well, and I think a rebellious part of me has always been interested in parts of fairy tales that never made it to the mainstream. Imagine my delight to see that this collection of stories doesn't try for "soft"; it doesn't shrink at all from the darker side of folklore, or from the hard edge that characterizes so many tales. It even includes a take on the mermaid tale that puts Disney to shame. And just to be clear, these are not mere retellings of existing stories—these are all new stories, even if some of the elements are familiar.
Some final thoughts: •The illustrations are great, and really make this book beautiful in more ways than one. •One of the stories shows creative magic as happening through music. (Love that!) I've only ever seen that from one other fantasy author, the great J.R.R. Tolkien, and here, as there, it was masterfully done. Leigh Bardugo, if you're reading this, you rock! •Some of the tales are sad. Some aren't. They are all beautiful....more
Amazing! This book surprised me by being extraordinarily well thought out. It doesn't simply rest on its gimmick; the entire cast being made of cats wAmazing! This book surprised me by being extraordinarily well thought out. It doesn't simply rest on its gimmick; the entire cast being made of cats would be strange enough to fill a book, but Jenny Parks was meticulous in being true to the original series. She takes the time to find the right way to create each scene and each character. I could tell, even from the cover, which cat was Sulu—he looks like Sulu! The McCoy cat looks like McCoy. Spock is Spock. Kirk is Kirk. It's amazing how well everything fits together. If the stories were about cats, they would be about these cats. I looked at one of the pictures inside, and I could tell immediately which cat was a Klingon and which cat was a human.
Although this book is more an homage than a comedy, it nevertheless has its funny moments. Many of the illustrations recall specific moments in favorite episodes, and some of these moments are very cute indeed. (I did laugh out loud at one of the Tribbles pictures.) A handy chart at the end of the book lists the episodes reenacted.
If I could give it more than five stars, I would. Parks put a lot of work into this, and it shows....more
This collection of diverse Cinderella variations, which includes transcripts of oral tellings, offers a peek into the massive depth and breadth of thiThis collection of diverse Cinderella variations, which includes transcripts of oral tellings, offers a peek into the massive depth and breadth of this centuries-old, worldwide story. If you are tired of the same old story, then this is the book for you. Cinderellas of different races, different ethnicities, and even different genders star in this tale's multiple tellings, some of which are more than a thousand years old. Gypsies, fairies, princes, kings, magical animals, magical trees, incest, cannibalism, adultery, murder, transmogrification, happy endings, and even sad endings--it can all be found here. Lovers of folklore or fairy tales will delight in this volume, which offers a brief introduction and context for each story without bogging readers down with tedious detail. Informative and entertaining--a delicate balance, but Philip manages beautifully....more
This collection is okay, mildly interesting, but not all that great. I'd say the first part is a solid 2 stars, while The Christmas Carol parody is a This collection is okay, mildly interesting, but not all that great. I'd say the first part is a solid 2 stars, while The Christmas Carol parody is a probably a 3. That part was easily the best, even if the collection as a whole is a bit of a disappointment. It just seems like most of the stories here are one-trick ponies, without much substance, although their extreme brevity may account for that s well. The idea of being satirical isn't the foundation; it's the whole product. Scrooge's transformation in the last story was much more interesting than the characters in the other stories, perhaps because it was a longer tale with a more complete plot. I'm not sorry I read it, but I could probably take it or leave it....more
I was torn between 4 and 5 stars for this, but I'm giving it 5 because of the way it offers a new version of old tales. It's a nice mix of European anI was torn between 4 and 5 stars for this, but I'm giving it 5 because of the way it offers a new version of old tales. It's a nice mix of European and nonEuropean stories, and it mixes male and female protagonists. These aren't parodies or "fractured" tales; they are simply adaptations to a visual format. Many of these stories stem from oral traditions, and some of these fluid tales have stagnated in a fixed printed form. Now, this collection breathes new life into centuries-old characters by giving readers a chance to experience them anew. An oral storyteller might put his or her own spin on a story, and that's exactly the same power that these artists have reclaimed. Highly recommended....more
This rhyming version of Cinderella is unlike any other version I have read. It is based on the Perrault version, but it takes more than a few libertieThis rhyming version of Cinderella is unlike any other version I have read. It is based on the Perrault version, but it takes more than a few liberties filling in details about the characters. I'm a little disappointed that this Cinderella is more passive that Perrault's—no teasing the stepsisters here—but on the whole, the changes are interesting improvements. I like that in this version, the prince has a very emotional scene where he's looking for Cinderella in a panic. I like that this Cinderella gets angry on behalf of someone else's unfair treatment. I like the fairy godmother has a bit of fiery personality, complaining to Cinderella about all the things she wants to do to the stepsisters. There are also a few genuinely cute moments, such as the prince waiting for Cinderella and jumping up every time someone comes in, hoping to see her. There are also several comedic moments, mostly with the stepsisters, and this humor comes out in the illustrations as well. The narrator even refers to finding a husband for the stepsister as finding a "victim." Perhaps my favorite change is (view spoiler)[the realistic ending. There is no supernatural retribution maiming the stepsisters, but neither is there the sappy sweet ending where the stepsisters instantly become good and Cinderella instantly forgives them and helps them marry up. Here, it seems that Cinderella and her stepsisters avoid each other. The stepsisters are still their same rotten selves, and they are free to marry—or not—as they can. (hide spoiler)]...more
This is an interesting collection of teen horror stories; it feels a little bit dated (teens listen to cassette tapes and view home computers as novelThis is an interesting collection of teen horror stories; it feels a little bit dated (teens listen to cassette tapes and view home computers as novelties) but it's still very readable. Some of the stories are better than others. Some are subtle and understated, while others involve unnatural elements right from the beginning. Some build slowly, keeping the readers guessing until the very end. There is a mix of happy and sad stories, and a mix of the supernatural and the realistic.
I was surprised by how much I enjoyed some of the stories by authors I'd never read before, and I was also disappointed by offerings of such big-name writers as R. L. Stine and Carolyn B. Cooney. Cooney's was my least favorite in the anthology: silly premise, empty characters, too much heavy-handed didacticism. I don't want to tell you about my favorite because I don't want to deprive anyone of the pleasure of enjoying it fresh.
The stories range from about 2 stars to about 4. I'm giving it four stars instead of three because I found the work to be compelling; when I wasn't reading it, I was thinking about it, and that's something.
Full disclosure: I skipped one of the stories. (view spoiler)[It opened with a teenager running over a cat, who died slowly and painfully, and I couldn't make myself read to the end, even though it seems like one of the happier endings in the book. (hide spoiler)]...more
This might be the best one of the series. Perhaps the broader scope left more room for creativity, but whatever the reason, this book is a lovely blenThis might be the best one of the series. Perhaps the broader scope left more room for creativity, but whatever the reason, this book is a lovely blend of charm and humor. It follows (loosely) the events of the movies in (loosely) chronological order. Very sweet....more
This audio was delightfully read by Audrey Hepburn, and Ravel's background music added to the experience.
Unfortunately, this story collection was far This audio was delightfully read by Audrey Hepburn, and Ravel's background music added to the experience.
Unfortunately, this story collection was far from perfect. For one thing, the framing of the stories—told by an old lady (Hepburn) recalling her childhood friendship with Ravel and the fairy stories he'd tell—seems forced and stilted. Instead of being cozy and warm, it comes off as flat and, at the end, slightly morbid. As for the character Ravel, there isn't really a reason in the story to include so much of a character who has so little, well, character. For such a major portion of the framing sections, he didn't really do much. I can understand why they'd want to include him, since they feature his music during the performance and would want to introduce that to the kids, but I think a lot of this would go over kids' heads.
As for the stories themselves, I was a little disappointed there, too. There were only four tales, and when I reached the end I felt like there should be more. It felt like a collection that was missing one or two disks. The stories themselves were okay, but I felt like they weren't chosen well. For example, one story was Sleeping Beauty, where a wicked fairy who wasn't invited to a little girl's christening curses her to die. A good fairy who hadn't yet blessed the child softens the curse to an enchanted sleep. This is all dandy, as fairy tales go, but two stories later is another tale about another wicked fairy who wasn't invited to another little girl's christening. So she, too, curses the girl to (wait for it) be UGLY!! As in the sleeping beauty tale, another fairy tries to soften this by saying that even though she's ugly, she'll be really happy. Somehow, positioning this story after Sleeping Beauty robs it of any kind of dramatic tension. ...more
This book is amazing. The characters are well-developed, the plot is intricate, and this seamless blend of two completely different mythological figurThis book is amazing. The characters are well-developed, the plot is intricate, and this seamless blend of two completely different mythological figures from two different cultures kept me turning pages until the very end. Powerful and beautiful, and completely unlike anything I've ever read before....more
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