megea's review against another edition
3.0
It's difficult for me to rate this. Perhaps it's very good at being what it is. I just don't happen to like that much. What is it? Essentially it's a reference work, an encyclopedia of imaginary beings. (And surely, it must be a very incomplete one...) I had a very difficult time concentrating on the short entries for each species. Longer, more fully fleshed, anecdotal descriptions of each of them would have been much more engrossing. But of course, what I would really wish for is a plot. The reference format is not incompatible with incorporating a plot. The Dictionary of the Khazars and Pale Fire brilliantly carry plots despite the extremely nonlinear and disjointed structures they adopt (of an encyclopedia and end notes to a poem, respectively).
emilija_kava's review against another edition
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
ladislara's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
3.25
nhcfriedman's review against another edition
informative
mysterious
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.5
saralynnburnett's review against another edition
3.0
This fun book is a collection of descriptions, musings, exerts, etc of imaginary beings the world over. Some of the 'tales' are just a blip, no more than a paragraph, while others run through several pages. There are also fantastic illustrations to accompany most of them. While I did throughly enjoy this book, it is the kind of book you can lay down for several days, and pick up something else to read that is more involved (which is exactly what I ended up doing...). Some of Borges snippets are a little dry, and not dry as in his sense of humor, but dry as in they were just a brief description of the being without any of his witty commentary thrown in. But others were laugh out loud funny. He's a master at slipping in just a sentence or two and cutting the culture or creature he's commenting on to the core. His gentle mocking is what kept me reading and I'm really glad I did! Consider it a 'high brow monster manual' and definitely a window into other works that will be of interest to you if you enjoy the mythical and imaginary.
fourfootedbeasts's review against another edition
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.5
dayface's review against another edition
4.0
My favourite imaginary beings include:
Abtu and Anet, the fish,
the imagined animal of Kafka, kangaroo-like, and,
creatures in the form of Spheres,
Bahamut and Behemoth,
the five headed hellhound, Cerberus,
the mystical, wise, Chinese Dragon,
Chronos/Hercules,
my beloved Crossbreed,
the Double,
the incredible variety of the Eastern Dragon,
the Eater of the Dead and the
Eight-Forked Serpent,
Fauna of Mirrors,
of course, the Golem, (particularly the parts I never knew before!),
Kafziel,
the Hundred-Heads, and karma, therein,
the Kujata,
the Mandrake and the Manticore,
my presshussss Minotaur,
the Odradek (whom I feel a lot of attachment for),
the Peryton,
the Remora,
Scylla, and
the Simurgh,
Thermal Beings,
Two Metaphysical Beings!!!!!,
the Western Dragon (I LOVE his Beowulf notes).