Japanese Ghost Stories is an anthology of thirty-four short stories written by Lafcadio Hearn and edited and a written introduction by Paul A. Murray.Japanese Ghost Stories is an anthology of thirty-four short stories written by Lafcadio Hearn and edited and a written introduction by Paul A. Murray. It is a collection of classical ghost stories from Japan that has influenced Hearn.
For the most part, this collection of short stories was written rather well. Murry had selected thirty-four wonderfully spooky ghost tales from eleven of Herne's books and presents them in order of publication and chooses to include images of yūrei, tengu, and rokurokubi to give readers a visual representation of what they are reading. Hearn drew on traditional Japanese folklore, infused with memories of his own haunted childhood in Ireland, to create these chilling tales. Hearn's tales span a variety of genres, but there is a common theme of death, reincarnation, and not trusting one's perceptions.
Like most anthologies there are weaker contributions and Japanese Ghost Stories is not an exception. Comparatively speaking, there were a couple of stories that was a tad difficult to connect to and wasn't written as well as the others, but nicely written nevertheless.
This particular edition features a wonderful introduction by Paul A. Murray, which discusses the life of Lafcadio Hearn and how his nomadic lifestyle made him receptive to different cultures. Murry also provides a wonderful chronology, extensive footnotes, and a list of further readings.
All in all, Japanese Ghost Stories is a wonderful collection of spooky short stories with an East-Asian influence....more
Brush of the Gods is a children's picture book written by Lenore Look and illustrated by Meilo So. The life of the classical Chinese painter Wu Daozi Brush of the Gods is a children's picture book written by Lenore Look and illustrated by Meilo So. The life of the classical Chinese painter Wu Daozi is imagined as a magical artistic adventure.
Wu Daozi, also known as Daoxuan, was a Chinese painter of the Tang dynasty.
Look's text is rather simplistic, straightforward, and informative. Look blends mystical realism and biography to create a magical portrait of one of ancient China's famous artists, Wu Daozi. Backmatter includes an author’s note, which gives Wu Daozi's dates and explains his importance to Chinese art, including the fact that none of his 300 frescoes have survived. So's breezy ink-and-watercolor illustrations evoke Daozi's flowing style.
The premise of the book is rather straightforward. As a boy during the Tang Dynasty in the seventh century, Daozi is unable to conform in calligraphy class as lines become pictures. Later known for his dynamic murals, Daozi paints subjects so realistically they seem to come alive.
All in all, Brush of the Gods is a jovial and inspirational introduction to one of China's best artist of the seventh century – Wu Daozi....more
The People Could Fly: American Black Folktales is a collection of twenty-four folktales retold by Virginia Hamilton and illustrated by Leo and Diane DThe People Could Fly: American Black Folktales is a collection of twenty-four folktales retold by Virginia Hamilton and illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon. They encompass animal tales – including tricksters, fairy tales, supernatural tales, and tales of the enslaved Africans – including slave narratives.
For the most part, this collection of short stories was written rather well. The People Could Fly: American Black Folktales is a widely lauded anthology that boasts stunning black-and-white artwork and stirringly told stories. Hamilton has prepared a sampling of carefully and respectfully retold tales – not a living work of art. The Dillons have lent handsome black-and-white paintings to the work, but seems poised and static.
Like most anthologies there are weaker contributions and The People Could Fly: American Black Folktales is not an exception. Comparatively speaking, there were a couple of entries are weaker than others or which did not connect to me well. The book is organized into four sections: animal tales, fantasy, supernatural and tales of freedom. The final one is by far the most effective for the contemporary reader with the first three sections slightly less so.
All in all, The People Could Fly: American Black Folktales brings a good sampling of lore from the past to a new generation of readers....more
Love in Colour: Mythical Tales from Around the World, Retold is an anthology of thirteen short stories written by Bolu Babalola. Babalola revives the Love in Colour: Mythical Tales from Around the World, Retold is an anthology of thirteen short stories written by Bolu Babalola. Babalola revives the romance of folktales and myths, drafting figures largely drawn from African legends and romance tropes into thirteen Black-centered love stories.
For the most part, this collection of thirteen short stories was written rather well. Love in Colour: Mythical Tales from Around the World, Retold is a wonderful collection of thirteen short stories about love – ten retellings ranging from Ghana's "The Princess' Wedding" to Greece's "Psyche and Eros", as well as three new tales. The thread woven through the stories is the power – the necessity of being seen, acknowledged, and loved.
Like most anthologies there are weaker contributions and Love in Colour: Mythical Tales from Around the World, Retold is not an exception. Though none of these tales is quite a standout, there aren't any letdowns, either. The result is effortlessly readable set of stories. The chemistry between characters and the focus on Black female empowerment will surely draw many readers in.
All in all, Love in Colour: Mythical Tales from Around the World, Retold is a collection of love stories with strong Black women as the focus....more
Saint George and the Dragon is a children's picture book retold by Margaret Hodges and illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman. The text is adapted from EdmSaint George and the Dragon is a children's picture book retold by Margaret Hodges and illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman. The text is adapted from Edmund Spenser's epic poem The Faerie Queene. Since today is St. George's Day (23 April 2021), I thought it would be apropos to read this book today.
Hodges' text is rather simplistic, straightforward, and informative. Hodges' telling is fluent and dramatic, with just a suggestion of archaicism. Hyman's renderings are done wonderfully well and have a highly finished appearance to the illustrations.
The premise of the book is rather straightforward. This story begins with a nameless knight riding around the plain who has never been to battle. Despite this the Queene of Faeries sends him to fight a dragon who has been terrorizing their land. He travels with Una the princess of the land. On his way to the dragon the knight meets an old hermit on top of a hill who explains to him his English heritage and tells him his name is George.
George meets the dragon laying down as if it was a hill itself. The dragon sees his sword and prepares for battle. The Dragon fells our hero twice, but each time he rises up stronger. After a hard-fought third battle George eventually emerges triumphant and slays the dragon. The king, promising Una to whomever slays the dragon, fulfills his promise and marries George and Una.
All in all, Saint George and the Dragon is a strong retelling of one of the stories found in Spenser's The Faerie Queene....more
The One Hundred Nights of Hero is a graphic novel written and illustrated by Isabel Greenberg. Framed from The Thousand and One Nights, two women holdThe One Hundred Nights of Hero is a graphic novel written and illustrated by Isabel Greenberg. Framed from The Thousand and One Nights, two women hold off a rapacious man by telling stories within stories, usually about other women getting themselves in and out of danger. It is a sequel to The Encyclopedia of Early Earth.
Greenberg returns to Early Earth – a three-mooned world of myth and magical realism, for a collection of feminist stories about bad husbands and murderous wives and mad gods and brave women.
The One Hundred Nights of Hero is written and constructed rather well. Greenberg combines elements from fairy tales, children's books, and folklore from around the world to create an original but teasingly familiar mythos. Above all, it's a book about the power of storytelling, populating Early Earth with a secret society of storytellers, a grove of memory trees, and women treasuring literacy in defiance of a stern bird god. Greenberg's primitive woodcut-style illustrations suggest folk art from another planet.
All in all, The One Hundred Nights of Hero is a beautifully illustrated book of the power of storytellers and of myths, fairy tales, and folklore....more
Lost in the Never Woods is a young adult retelling of Peter Pan written by Aiden Thomas. It copes with tragedy and growing up too fast, which takes ceLost in the Never Woods is a young adult retelling of Peter Pan written by Aiden Thomas. It copes with tragedy and growing up too fast, which takes center stage in this compassionate rural Oregon reimagining.
Five years ago, Wendy Darling and her brothers vanished in the dangerous woods outside town and six months later, on her thirteenth birthday, she alone was found, amnesiac, with her brothers’ blood under her fingernails.
Now eighteen and ready for nursing school, Wendy compulsively sketches a sinister, twisted tree as well as Peter Pan, the imaginary protagonist from her mother's bedtime stories. When children start disappearing again, the real Peter appears, fearful of growing up and begging Wendy to help find his rogue shadow, to locate the children that his shadow is stealing, and perhaps save her still-missing brothers. However, as Wendy’s memories begin to resurface, she realizes that Peter's been keeping secrets and that she’ll need to face her own painful truth.
Lost in the Never Woods is written rather well. Despite a somewhat simplistic antagonist, Thomas' immersive prose and nuanced, trauma-informed perspective add real depth to Barrie's classic characters. In addition to the characters and larger themes, there are fun little nods to details from Barrie's novel, though readers certainly don’t need to have any familiarity with it to appreciate Thomas' work.
All in all, Lost in the Never Woods is a powerful and darker reimagining of the classical tale of Peter Pan....more
Through the Woods is a collection of five mysterious, spine-tingling stories written and illustrated by Emily Carroll.
Carroll uses familiar horror motThrough the Woods is a collection of five mysterious, spine-tingling stories written and illustrated by Emily Carroll.
Carroll uses familiar horror motifs to create fresh and disturbing tales. Sure in her handling of line, color, and sequential art techniques, she revels in period settings, placing her five stories in identifiable historical eras that include colonial North America and the Roaring Twenties. Carefully drawn clothing and furnishings provide ironic backdrops for Lovecraftian revelations of parasitical possession and hideous evil. Instead of the gratifying defeat of evil, the gothic stories often leave off unsettlingly with a twist of the knife, just at the moment some fresh horror beckons.
Through the Woods is written and constructed extremely well – it is far from perfect, but comes horrifically close. Well-placed lines of terse, hand-lettered commentary and dialogue reinforce narrative connections but are also as much visual elements as are the impenetrable shadows, grim figures, and stark, crimson highlights in Carroll’s inky pictures. Carroll makes expert use of silent sequences, sudden close-ups and other cinematic techniques to crank up the terror.
All in all, Through the Woods is a brilliant collection of horrific stories that stays with the reader long after finishing the book....more
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon is a middle grade fantasy book inspired by Chinese folklore and written by Grace Lin. To change her family's fortuneWhere the Mountain Meets the Moon is a middle grade fantasy book inspired by Chinese folklore and written by Grace Lin. To change her family's fortunes, a poor Chinese girl embarks on a fantastical quest to discover she already has everything she needs to be happy.
This book serves as an entry (Watch out for Dragons!) in The 52 Book Challenge 2021. It is the first book I found during a Google search that I was interested in reading that fit the criterion.
Minli and her parents live in the shadow of Fruitless Mountain, where they toil endlessly. Bitter and resentful, Minli's mother complains when her husband fills Minli's imagination with enchanting tales of Never-Ending Mountain and the Old Man of the Moon.
Eager for adventure, Minli sets out alone seeking advice from the Old Man of the Moon. En route she befriends a dragon who joins her quest. Together they encounter a talking goldfish, a boy with a buffalo, a king, a fierce green tiger, and laughing twins before scaling Never-Ending Mountain.
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon is written extremely well – it is far from perfect, but comes rather close. Lin deftly incorporates elements from Chinese folk and fairy tales to create stories within the main story and provide context for Minli's quest.
All in all, Where the Mountain Meets the Moon is a wonderful book that covers the importance of family, friendship and faith during an amazing journey....more
The Wickeds is the fifth and final short story in Faraway series written by Gayle Forman. It gives the chance for the evil stepmothers to tell their sThe Wickeds is the fifth and final short story in Faraway series written by Gayle Forman. It gives the chance for the evil stepmothers to tell their side of things.
It is a story about evil stepmothers and their relationship towards the stepdaughters. As there is goodness and badness in everyone, and everyone feels misunderstood. The mother/daughter interactions and how history has a way of repeating itself until the cycle is broken.
The Wickeds is written rather well. Forman has written a wonderful narrative with the underlying story of mothers and daughters giving a solid foundation. However, the prose doesn't entirely suit the narrative, trying a little too hard for humor but also cramming in a good many serious issues. Mothers and daughters, and the things they do not tell each other, gradually come into the spotlight. It takes a sharper and darker turn as Forman discards the lighthearted angle and digs into real-world horrors and motives.
Overall, the Faraway series is a mixed bag of short stories. Amazon has published a collection of five short stories centered roughly on the theme of fairy tales. The five authors chosen to create it are very different, and they set off in very different directions at once, their works running the gamut from very literal to very abstract. It is worth the read or listen, since they are rather quick in both instances.
All in all, The Wickeds is written rather well and is a good conclusion to an uneven series....more
The Princess Game is the third short story in Faraway series written by Soman Chainani. In this dark high-school twist on both murder and fairytales, The Princess Game is the third short story in Faraway series written by Soman Chainani. In this dark high-school twist on both murder and fairytales, this story takes familiar aspects of princesses and princes and turns them on their head.
This book serves as an entry (A book in another format (eBook/audiobook) in The Indigo Reading Challenge 2021. This series have been on my TBR list for a while and this challenge gave a perfect excuse to start reading it.
It is a murder mystery at Chaminade High, rookie detective Callum Pederson goes undercover to discover the reasoning behind the deaths of Princesses there and his first place to begin his investigation is at the Prince's court – it is Princess vs. Prince in this fairy tale retelling.
The Princess Game is written moderately well. Written as a police transcript, Chainani has written a story that is compelling with a very dark narrative, focusing on toxic masculinity, assault, authoritative power, and gruesome murders. The narrative is an evident commentary on toxicity of cliques – male or female, but not executed that well as it is riddled with head-scratching choices on the part of the protagonists, antagonists, and everyone in between.
All in all, The Princess Game is written moderately well and is a good continuation to what would hopefully be a wonderful series, which I plan to continue in the very near future....more
Hazel and Gray is the second short story in Faraway series written by Nic Stone. It's a retelling of Hansel and Gretel modernized.
This book serves as Hazel and Gray is the second short story in Faraway series written by Nic Stone. It's a retelling of Hansel and Gretel modernized.
This book serves as an entry (A book you could read in a day) in The Indigo Reading Challenge 2021. This series have been on my TBR list for a while and this challenge gave a perfect excuse to start reading it.
Hansel and Gretel are no longer children or siblings in this retelling, but a recently reunited couple who become lost in the woods. They happen upon the teenage equivalent of a candy house: a house party with free-flowing drinks, hot partygoers, and a dance floor. However, the forces that devour young people are updated here too, abusive and sinister, and it will take all their cleverness to make it out.
Hazel and Gray is written rather well. Stone's modern retelling of Hansel and Gretel is rather interesting and made choices that were unexpected. By sticking rather close to the structure of a recognizable fairy tale was a wise decision – especially in a short story as readers could easily fill into the story without much setup. However, the latter third of the story reads more like a filled-in outline, giving the play-by-play but not much by way of emotions or descriptions. However, the story is still effective and its ending filled with insight and strength.
All in all, Hazel and Gray is written rather well and is a good continuation to what would hopefully be a wonderful series, which I plan to continue in the very near future....more
The Story of Hong Gildong is a classical Korean novel of unknown authorship and translated by Minsoo Kang. It is the famed saga of Korea's bandit prinThe Story of Hong Gildong is a classical Korean novel of unknown authorship and translated by Minsoo Kang. It is the famed saga of Korea's bandit prince – if one that is not quite idiomatic.
This book serves as an entry (A book considered to be a great classic) in The Indigo Reading Challenge 2021. While not classical in the Western or English Literature sense, it is a classic in Korean literature.
Hong Gildong is the illegitimate son of a government minister or nobleman with a low-born concubine, barred from civil and military service, becomes the leader of a group of righteous bandits and later king of his own lands. The fast-paced, sometimes fantastical story of the underdog who becomes a hero is arguably the single most important work of classic prose fiction in Korea.
Gifted with supreme intelligence and supernatural abilities, Hong Gildong steals from rich and corrupt aristocrats, which has drawn him comparisons to famous bandits like the English folk hero Robin Hood and Australia's Ned Kelly.
The Story of Hong Gildong is translated rather well. In his helpful introduction, Kang challenges modern understandings of the story's origins and intent, asserting that the work most likely comes from the 19th century instead of the traditional 17th century. Kang also explains the social context of Hong Gildong's dilemma during the Joseon dynasty of the 16th century and discusses the story's significance to modern Koreans. Furthermore, Kang has translated the longest and perhaps oldest version of the tale and provided detailed endnotes provide further information for curious readers.
All in all, The Story of Hong Gildong is a wonderfully translated story of a classic Korean of an illegitimate child born between a nobleman and concubine who would one day become king....more
Tales from the Hinterland is an anthology of collected fairy tales by Melissa Albert and illustrated by Jim Tierney. It is a collection of twelve pitcTales from the Hinterland is an anthology of collected fairy tales by Melissa Albert and illustrated by Jim Tierney. It is a collection of twelve pitch-black original fairy tales, which forms the backbone to an acclaimed fantasy series – The Hazel Wood.
This book serves as an entry (A book mentioned in another book) in The 52 Book Challenge 2021, this collection of twelve dark fairy tales is the fictional work written by the protagonists' grandmother and serves as the spine of for the series – The Hazel Wood series.
For the most part, I rather like most of these contributions. Tales from the Hinterland collects a dozen finely wrought but gruesome stories of captive wives, abused women, and their bloody revenge. Framed by Tierney's intricately inked woodcut-style illustrations, the fictional Hinterlands and their fairy tale logic shine when illuminating aspects of troubled family dynamics.
Like most anthologies there are weaker contributions and Tales from the Hinterland is not an exception. The weaker entries collapse into repetitive revenges or horror genre despair, and Albert's allegories lose power as the dynamics and relationships they stand for fail to grow, broaden, or change.
All in all, Tales from the Hinterland is a dark and demanding collection of fairy tales that forms the spine of The Hazel Wood series – enriching the universe a tad more....more
The Night Country is the second book in The Hazel Wood series written by Melissa Albert. It centered on a ferocious young woman who is drawn into her The Night Country is the second book in The Hazel Wood series written by Melissa Albert. It centered on a ferocious young woman who is drawn into her grandmother's sinister fairy-tale realm in this pitch-black fantasy debut.
Once upon a time she was just Alice-Three-Times, a vengeful princess in a grim fairy-tale world. Now she’s just Alice Proserpine, trying to be human in New York City even as her escape triggers a mass exodus from the Hinterland. Ellery Finch, the schoolmate who helped free her, is growing weary of his travels through alternate dimensions, finding his thoughts turning back to home and Alice.
Meanwhile, someone is murdering ex-Stories in a similar manner to Alice, putting her in the center of the investigation.
The Night Country is written rather well. Albert displays the same lush prose, dizzying imagination, and macabre sensibilities with the grisly body count in her narrative. Evocative details limn exotic fairylands and gritty New York as equally magical. Personalities are more approachable this time around as the two protagonists grown and evolve. Alternating between Alice's first-person narration and Finch's third-person perspective, the twin plots don't intersect until the surreal, shattering climax and make a formable team.
All in all, The Night Country is written rather well and is a good continuation to what would hopefully be a wonderful series, which I plan to continue in the very near future....more
The Boy Who Didn't Come Home is a promotional short story written by Melissa Albert. It centers on Ellery Finch, the boy who believed in the HinterlanThe Boy Who Didn't Come Home is a promotional short story written by Melissa Albert. It centers on Ellery Finch, the boy who believed in the Hinterland and the tales that came from there. It is essentially Finch's shortened version of the story as seen from his perspective. It should be read after The Hazel Woods – the first book in the series.
Finch sees a lot of crazy things in this world. Yet when he realizes something has happened to Alice Proserpine, that she's in fact, Alice-Three-Times, a being of the Hinterland. Finch is determined to bring her back to the home she knows.
The Boy Who Didn't Come Home is written moderately well. The narrative is essentially what Finch was up to when he wasn't on the page with Alice. It was somewhat interesting to see what Finch was up to and prove popular enough to earn a short story from his perspective.
All in all, The Boy Who Didn't Come Home is an interesting, albeit moderate written, addition to The Hazel Wood series and enhances the wild world that Albert has created....more
The Prince and the Troll is the first short story in Faraway series written by Rainbow Rowell. It's a short story about a man who lives life on a roadThe Prince and the Troll is the first short story in Faraway series written by Rainbow Rowell. It's a short story about a man who lives life on a road and the troll under the bridge.
This book serves as an entry (The first book in a series) in The Indigo Reading Challenge 2021. This series have been on my TBR list for a while and this challenge gave a perfect excuse to start reading it.
It is a modern retelling about a troll that lives under a bridge that appears in some fairytales, but only tangentially so. A unique and unlikely friendship between a man and a female troll forms when he accidently dropped his mobile phone over a bridge and is returned by the troll. This meet-cute situation turns into an odd relationship as they have coffee every morning.
The Prince and the Troll is written moderately well – surprisingly. Rowell's signature understated and compelling romance is on display here, but her worldbuilding unexpected, and has never been stronger. This unusual glimpse at a maybe-fairytale, maybe-apocalyptic land of dangerous rules and deadly consequences makes readers ravenous for more. However, the narrative and the world is extremely odd, which makes the point of the story is rather difficult to find.
All in all, The Prince and the Troll is written moderately well and is a pedestrian beginning to what would hopefully be a wonderful series, which I plan to continue in the very near future....more
The Original Folk and Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm is an anthology of over one hundred and fifty folk and fairytales written by the Grimm BrotherThe Original Folk and Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm is an anthology of over one hundred and fifty folk and fairytales written by the Grimm Brothers, translated by Jack D. Zipes and illustrated by Andrea Dezso. This anthology collects all 156 folk and fairy tales that Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm wrote into one volume newly translated and illustrated from the original texts.
For the most part, I rather like most if not all of these contributions. The Original Folk and Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm is a wonderful collection of folk and fairy tales written by the Grimm Brothers over the span of three years (1812–1815). Every one hundred and fifty-six tales are translated rather well and separated into the two volumes these stories came in.
Like most anthologies there are weaker contributions and The Original Folk and Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm is not an exception. There were several that were quite disturbing and rather dark – especially for children – or rather children of this time. The reason for such a high ranking is not of the quality of the stories, but for the historical significance of them. It is interesting to see which stories thrive and change with the times and how different they become from the source material and those stories that fade away from public consciousness.
All in all, The Original Folk and Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm is a wonderful, if not, the definitive collection of folk and fairy tales written by Jacob and Wihelm Grimm – the Grimm Brothers....more
Rags & Bones: New Twists on Timeless Tales is an anthology of short stories collected and edited by Melissa Marr. It is a collection of a dozen short Rags & Bones: New Twists on Timeless Tales is an anthology of short stories collected and edited by Melissa Marr. It is a collection of a dozen short stories from popular speculative fiction authors' riff on classic literature.
For the most part, I rather like most if not all of these contributions. Rags & Bones: New Twists on Timeless Tales brings together a dozen authors as well as illustrator Charles Vess, to reinterpret and re-imagine a dozen classic stories, novels, and fairy tales. The tales tend toward the dark and Gothic, with happy or comforting endings in short supply, but the range of tones and approaches offers plenty for readers to savor.
Like most anthologies there are weaker contributions and Rags & Bones: New Twists on Timeless Tales is not an exception. There were one or two short stories that weren't written as well as the other – comparatively speaking, but it didn't quell my enjoyment of the anthology.
All in all, Rags & Bones: New Twists on Timeless Tales is a thoughtful selection of exquisite re-imagining of classical tales....more
Grim is an anthology of short stories collected and edited by Christine Johnson. It is a collection of seventeen short stories, which are retelling ofGrim is an anthology of short stories collected and edited by Christine Johnson. It is a collection of seventeen short stories, which are retelling of classical fairy tales told in a darker and grimmer twist.
For the most part, I rather like most if not all of these contributions. Grim is an anthology which brings together seventeen authors in a collection of re-imagined fairy tales that hark back to their dark, edgy roots. In this case, it leads to a preponderance of stories with downbeat, nebulous, or twist endings. Romantic elements are prominent, as are queer characters and themes, giving rise to unexpected, even radical interpretations.
Like most anthologies there are weaker contributions and Grim is not an exception. There were one or two short stories that weren't written as well as the other – comparatively speaking, but it didn't quell my enjoyment of the anthology, which brought me back to that awkward age.
Standouts include Malinda Lo's "The Twelfth Girl," which sees "The Twelve Dancing Princesses" set at a boarding school; Jon Skovron's "The Raven Princess," which puts a charming twist on the story of a princess cursed to live as a bird; Tessa Gratton's "Beast/Beast," and Sarah Rees Brennan's "Beauty and the Chad" are both retelling of "Beauty and the Beast".
All in all, Grim is a wonderful collection of retelling of fairy tales, which are memorable, but not for those who enjoy happily ever afters....more
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