lordenglishssbm's review against another edition
3.0
This is a weird one.
Warner's idea of writing a series of short stories about the various fairy courts spread throughout historical Europe is fantastic. Her prose is similarly exceptional. I did detect a couple words that were out of place ("said feelingly," for instance), but these were only noticeable because she was batting 100 for each individual sentence. The way she twists the sentences back on each other, the confidence with which she deploys elegant descriptions, and the sheer control she has over her voice are all incredible. I liked the stories in the first half, which focus primarily on the culture and social mores within a few individual courts, while occasionally showing the effects of the fairy world interacting with the real world. I was fully on board, and I was looking forward to seeing Warner fully integrate her courts into European history, to watch the real world and the fantasy world collide.
The problem is that this never happened. The short stories are all just tone pieces. Tone pieces that are glimpses into a fictional universe that, yes, manage to feel genuinely magical, yes, achieve what they're trying to do. And under normal circumstances I can respect that. But this particular setup could have been so much more.
European history is a tapestry of countries that no longer exist. In the modern world, Prussia and the Holy Roman Empire are as real as the kingdoms in this book. The continent has seen hundreds of wars, revolutions and religious schisms, and has seen countries formed, conquered, reformed and Balkanized. I wanted to see Warner really deal with that. Show the perspectives of her characters on the Europe that actually exists, and watch as they come into contact with it, and how they influence and are influenced by that history. And I get that wasn't Warner's aim, but I guess my question is "why not?" Why have this idea and then just do it like this?
I understand that you're not supposed to judge books based on the thing you wish they'd aimed to be. If I'm being purely objective, it is very well-written and the stories are, for what they are, good. It's not the best example of what it's trying to do-Dunsany's The King of Elfland's Daughter is better, and shorter-but it certainly stands head and shoulders above most other attempts at something similar. On an purely aesthetic level, I understand that it's one of the better fantasy books. But my actual takeaway is that I've never seen such a skillful execution of an idea so far beneath the actual premise of the work.
I respect Lord of the Rings more than I like it. I think what Tolkien was trying to do is remarkable, even if it can be a slog to read because some of the choices made in its construction are bad. This book is the opposite: I admire the skill that went into it, but I just can't respect it. It's quaint and narrowly interested where it could have been deep and broad. It's a rocket engine and all the raw power that entails attached to a radio flyer.
I think I hate this book.
As a final note: There is a particular slur for the Romani people that is repeated throughout the book. I don't like it, but for what it's worth, the actual Romani characters aren't portrayed poorly.
Warner's idea of writing a series of short stories about the various fairy courts spread throughout historical Europe is fantastic. Her prose is similarly exceptional. I did detect a couple words that were out of place ("said feelingly," for instance), but these were only noticeable because she was batting 100 for each individual sentence. The way she twists the sentences back on each other, the confidence with which she deploys elegant descriptions, and the sheer control she has over her voice are all incredible. I liked the stories in the first half, which focus primarily on the culture and social mores within a few individual courts, while occasionally showing the effects of the fairy world interacting with the real world. I was fully on board, and I was looking forward to seeing Warner fully integrate her courts into European history, to watch the real world and the fantasy world collide.
The problem is that this never happened. The short stories are all just tone pieces. Tone pieces that are glimpses into a fictional universe that, yes, manage to feel genuinely magical, yes, achieve what they're trying to do. And under normal circumstances I can respect that. But this particular setup could have been so much more.
European history is a tapestry of countries that no longer exist. In the modern world, Prussia and the Holy Roman Empire are as real as the kingdoms in this book. The continent has seen hundreds of wars, revolutions and religious schisms, and has seen countries formed, conquered, reformed and Balkanized. I wanted to see Warner really deal with that. Show the perspectives of her characters on the Europe that actually exists, and watch as they come into contact with it, and how they influence and are influenced by that history. And I get that wasn't Warner's aim, but I guess my question is "why not?" Why have this idea and then just do it like this?
I understand that you're not supposed to judge books based on the thing you wish they'd aimed to be. If I'm being purely objective, it is very well-written and the stories are, for what they are, good. It's not the best example of what it's trying to do-Dunsany's The King of Elfland's Daughter is better, and shorter-but it certainly stands head and shoulders above most other attempts at something similar. On an purely aesthetic level, I understand that it's one of the better fantasy books. But my actual takeaway is that I've never seen such a skillful execution of an idea so far beneath the actual premise of the work.
I respect Lord of the Rings more than I like it. I think what Tolkien was trying to do is remarkable, even if it can be a slog to read because some of the choices made in its construction are bad. This book is the opposite: I admire the skill that went into it, but I just can't respect it. It's quaint and narrowly interested where it could have been deep and broad. It's a rocket engine and all the raw power that entails attached to a radio flyer.
I think I hate this book.
As a final note: There is a particular slur for the Romani people that is repeated throughout the book. I don't like it, but for what it's worth, the actual Romani characters aren't portrayed poorly.
foggy_rosamund's review against another edition
4.0
These stories were written towards the end of Warner's life, following the death of her partner. They are largely melancholy, and tend to have an air of ironic detachment from their subject matter. They are a departure from Warner's other work, because while supernatural elements do enter her novels, most notably Lolly Willowes, these are strictly fantasy stories. They are concerned with the different Kingdoms of Elfin, which exist alongside the human world, in Scotland, Brittany, Austria, Turkey, and almost any country imaginable. The elfin, who have wings and sometimes green skin, but are around the same size as humans, take little interest in humans, except to take human children and use them as companions or servants. They are concerned with the rituals of courtly life, and live long, unchanging lives, and have no immortal souls or sense of an afterlife. The stories are reminiscent of Susanna Clarke's work, particularly the short story collection, The Ladies of Grace Adieu, although Warner is more concerned with the internal workings of the elfin kingdoms, than with their interactions with the human world. At times, this is almost an academic history of imaginary kingdoms -- Warner said she wanted to include footnotes, and I wish she had done, as they would have added to the reader's sense of an immersive history. This collection is very enjoyable in the way Borges's stories, or the history of faerie parts of Clarke's work, are enjoyable. They are clever, chilling, and imaginative. It's definitely an esoteric work, and would not have broad appeal -- but I found it to be a lot of fun!
sarvikaskas's review against another edition
funny
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.0
ayushinayak's review
4.0
I am always intrigued with women authors who chose the fantasy genre to write in. The sheer volume of imagination is complementary to best storytelling. Sylvia Townsend is a pure literature genius and is in the first generation of fantasy authors in the league. It shows. While every Gaiman draws pure inspiration from her, his work often comes out to be polished and has tended to many readers. Sylvia's work is further as it is rich in raw content. While we are on this subject, the humour in this book ranges from murky to dark and probably why I AM RATING THIS BOOK 4/5.
Now there's also the discontinuation among the stories. Suddenly, a character is seen amid a different setting while the talk was somewhere else just a paragraph ago. While I love the whimsical nature that the book tends to be, it has lost all relevance in today's reading experience. Glamour has more merit now. Despite the last two arguments, this book has aged well, especially its value as a magical realism masterpiece.
More on magical realism. It has a Lord of the Rings vibe but is quite different. The adventures have an abstract narration throughout the book. All pieces in the book are edgy, and they paint a picture that could transfer you to a courtyard, then a royal court hearing, the palace gardens and the highroads within flashes of seconds. As a modern fantasy reader, I would point out that there's more to explore, and I also want to point out that parallelism to Biblical fantasies has limited the book's potential. I am tending towards 3.5/5 stars with this realisation.
This book commands your attention. So, be ready to focus plenty and don't forget to let me know how you found this book to be!
Now there's also the discontinuation among the stories. Suddenly, a character is seen amid a different setting while the talk was somewhere else just a paragraph ago. While I love the whimsical nature that the book tends to be, it has lost all relevance in today's reading experience. Glamour has more merit now. Despite the last two arguments, this book has aged well, especially its value as a magical realism masterpiece.
More on magical realism. It has a Lord of the Rings vibe but is quite different. The adventures have an abstract narration throughout the book. All pieces in the book are edgy, and they paint a picture that could transfer you to a courtyard, then a royal court hearing, the palace gardens and the highroads within flashes of seconds. As a modern fantasy reader, I would point out that there's more to explore, and I also want to point out that parallelism to Biblical fantasies has limited the book's potential. I am tending towards 3.5/5 stars with this realisation.
This book commands your attention. So, be ready to focus plenty and don't forget to let me know how you found this book to be!
thespiritoftheage's review
3.0
Very interesting idea (fairyland, a matriarchal monarchy, extends throughout the mortal world), complete with insightful witticisms. I am sad to report, however, that I was bored half the time. But it's really nice! Check it out.
k0ks3nw4i's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
bookwomble's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
A collection of wickedly witty stories about an imagined world of Elfin kingdoms (though they are all ruled by rather fickle queens, and their kings tend to be in rather precarious positions).
Although mainly about the Elfin aristocracy, there is also a rag-tag collection of common elfins, changelings, werewolves and humans to add a little breadth and depth. The locales are mainly northern Europe, with the occasional excursion to eastern Europe and the Near East. The time is vaguely 13th to 17th century - it doesn't really matter to the elfins as they live for hundreds, possibly thousands, of years.
These aren't jolly gnomes and fairies, nor noble elves battling evil goblins: the elfins are selfish, untrustworthy, cruel and unpredictable, all beneath a veneer of courtly manners and tradition.
The stories read like folktales, and like such they often end suddenly leaving you wanting more. The endings are rarely good ones for the protagonists, few coming away unscathed, though you can never be quite sure. I like this, as nothing is guaranteed and you usually can't predict (at least I couldn't) which way the stories will run.
Fantasy and folklore, murder and the macabre, wonder and wit: brilliant!
Although mainly about the Elfin aristocracy, there is also a rag-tag collection of common elfins, changelings, werewolves and humans to add a little breadth and depth. The locales are mainly northern Europe, with the occasional excursion to eastern Europe and the Near East. The time is vaguely 13th to 17th century - it doesn't really matter to the elfins as they live for hundreds, possibly thousands, of years.
These aren't jolly gnomes and fairies, nor noble elves battling evil goblins: the elfins are selfish, untrustworthy, cruel and unpredictable, all beneath a veneer of courtly manners and tradition.
The stories read like folktales, and like such they often end suddenly leaving you wanting more. The endings are rarely good ones for the protagonists, few coming away unscathed, though you can never be quite sure. I like this, as nothing is guaranteed and you usually can't predict (at least I couldn't) which way the stories will run.
Fantasy and folklore, murder and the macabre, wonder and wit: brilliant!
pahhs's review against another edition
4.0
C'est un livre étrange et attachant, comme les fées dont il parle. C'est un recueil de nouvelles qui mettent toutes en scène les fées/elfes du folklore anglais: sans âmes, imprévisibles, ni bonnes ni mauvaises, simplement à la recherche d'un nouveau plaisir, et forcément incompréhensibles pour les humains. Après avoir lu pas mal de choses qui montrent les fées comme maléfiques, retorses, des êtres qui tiennent toujours parole mais de la pire façon possible... J'ai beaucoup aimé lire à propos de ces fées inconséquentes, presque enfantines, qui attrapent quelque chose, s'amusent avec et le jettent quand elles de' lassent, même quand c'est un humain mais sans méchanceté.