sonham's review against another edition
3.0
Ich bin kein Fan von Kurzgeschichten, aber diese hier sind sehr gut geschrieben und ich konnte in einige schnell eintauchen. Aber viele fand ich etwas schräg und unverständlich und habe mich nicht darin wohlgefühlt, daher nur 3 Sterne.
agmaynard's review
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.5
I enjoyed the collection of varied stories, in audio, with several narrators. Several had fairy tale influence, one a definite reworking.
rouge_red's review against another edition
I can kind of understand the comparisons to Kelly Link and Karen Russell- the imagination is there, but the prose itself and the execution feels lackluster. I was a page away from finishing one of the stories and felt entirely unmotivated to continue. I liked the first story, "The Janitor in Space," but things went downhill after that. As intriguing as the Sparks ideas can be, I find them too grounded in a way to be compelling.
oohsarracuda's review against another edition
4.0
Absolutely marvelous. Amber Sparks is a formidable talent. These stories span an impressive range of inspirations and moods - spooky, sad, scary, dreamy, macabre, ethereal, beautiful. Her prose is absolutely gorgeous, too. The comparisons to Kelly Link (my favorite author) are apt. I can't wait to read more from this author!
katepowellshine's review against another edition
5.0
Amber Sparks is always so different. I love it, especially when she plays with form.
missberlyreads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
aclamadoautor's review against another edition
2.0
I was looking for new authors and this book just seemed right because of its bizarre and dark tone. However, it just didn’t work for me.
It has some cool ideas and is well written, however I found that most of the stories just went nowhere and left me unsatisfied when they ended. I can perfectly see many people enjoying the book, but from the type of stories to the writing, it’s just not my cup of tea.
I enjoyed the longest story, The Unfinished World, because it had some good character development, and also the beautiful Thirteen Ways of Destroying a Painting.
Recommended to those who enjoy otherworldly and mythical writing.
It has some cool ideas and is well written, however I found that most of the stories just went nowhere and left me unsatisfied when they ended. I can perfectly see many people enjoying the book, but from the type of stories to the writing, it’s just not my cup of tea.
I enjoyed the longest story, The Unfinished World, because it had some good character development, and also the beautiful Thirteen Ways of Destroying a Painting.
Recommended to those who enjoy otherworldly and mythical writing.
tiffyboomboom's review against another edition
4.0
Not the best writing but I liked how dark and unique most of the stories were
southern_sea's review
4.0
This collection was part of a personal project where I read The 50 Best Fantasy Books of All Time according to Esquire.
First, I’d like to point out that I don’t think this book should be classified as fantasy. A few of the stories fall in the genre, others are sci-fi, but most don't belong to either. Speculative fiction might work better as a categorization.
With that out the way, after some perplexity, I started to really enjoy the collection. Amber Sparks’ writing has a musical quality that kept you reading even when I had no idea what was going on the page. It’s a very introspective, melancholic, and strange book. The stories differ in genre and storytelling styles but explore common themes, such as family, time, and what it means to be human.
My opinions about the stories differ greatly. Some were more confusing than others, and I didn't figure out what the author was trying to achieve even after listening twice (listening to the audiobook turned out to be not ideal). Others really impressed me in a positive way, and will probably stay with me for a while. Individual ratings for the stories are as follows.
1. The Janitor in Space (sci-fi) ***
2. The Lizzie Borden Jazz Babies (gen fiction) **
3. The Cemetery for Lost Faces (gen fiction) *****
4. The Logic of the Loaded Heart (gen fiction) *
5. Thirteen Ways of Destroying a Painting (sci-fi) *****
6. Lancelot in the Lost Places of the World (fantasy) ***
7. And the World Was Crowded with Things That Meant Love (gen fiction) *****
8. Birds with Teeth (gen fiction) ***
9. For These Humans Who Cannot Fly (gen fiction) ***
10. Take Your Daughter to the Slaughter (horror) ****
11. We Were Holy Once (gen fiction) *****
12. La Belle de Nuit, La Belle de Jour (fairytale retelling) *****
13. The Men and Women Like Him (sci-fi) *****
14. Things You Should Know About Cassandra Dee (magical realism) ***
15. The Fires of Western Heaven (gen fiction) ***
16. The Process of Human Decay (gen fiction) ***
17. The Fever Librarian (sci-fi) **
18. The Unfinished World (gen fiction) ****
19. The Sleepers (gen fiction) *
First, I’d like to point out that I don’t think this book should be classified as fantasy. A few of the stories fall in the genre, others are sci-fi, but most don't belong to either. Speculative fiction might work better as a categorization.
With that out the way, after some perplexity, I started to really enjoy the collection. Amber Sparks’ writing has a musical quality that kept you reading even when I had no idea what was going on the page. It’s a very introspective, melancholic, and strange book. The stories differ in genre and storytelling styles but explore common themes, such as family, time, and what it means to be human.
My opinions about the stories differ greatly. Some were more confusing than others, and I didn't figure out what the author was trying to achieve even after listening twice (listening to the audiobook turned out to be not ideal). Others really impressed me in a positive way, and will probably stay with me for a while. Individual ratings for the stories are as follows.
1. The Janitor in Space (sci-fi) ***
2. The Lizzie Borden Jazz Babies (gen fiction) **
3. The Cemetery for Lost Faces (gen fiction) *****
4. The Logic of the Loaded Heart (gen fiction) *
5. Thirteen Ways of Destroying a Painting (sci-fi) *****
6. Lancelot in the Lost Places of the World (fantasy) ***
7. And the World Was Crowded with Things That Meant Love (gen fiction) *****
8. Birds with Teeth (gen fiction) ***
9. For These Humans Who Cannot Fly (gen fiction) ***
10. Take Your Daughter to the Slaughter (horror) ****
11. We Were Holy Once (gen fiction) *****
12. La Belle de Nuit, La Belle de Jour (fairytale retelling) *****
13. The Men and Women Like Him (sci-fi) *****
14. Things You Should Know About Cassandra Dee (magical realism) ***
15. The Fires of Western Heaven (gen fiction) ***
16. The Process of Human Decay (gen fiction) ***
17. The Fever Librarian (sci-fi) **
18. The Unfinished World (gen fiction) ****
19. The Sleepers (gen fiction) *
joaniemaloney's review against another edition
4.0
A lush, vivid, haunting collection of short stories tinged with the magical and otherworldly, yet anchored by love and regret and loss. It's a bit of an irresistible combination for me because I can't seem to gravitate towards any book these days without a promise of my heart aching afterward. Amber Sparks has a knack for handling cruelty with grace in one instant, then turning a situation on its head with a fierceness that makes you question what story you were reading. It's difficult to sum up the worlds and cast of characters she's got here, so I won't. It's best to go into this surrendering yourself to the whims and fancies of this creator.
The standout for me, personally, was 'Thirteen Ways of Destroying a Painting,' which I ended up re-reading bits and pieces of even before finishing it, then went back and re-read it a few more times. I wouldn't say it's the most creative or the most haunting or the most magical, even, but everything about it worked for me. I think that one in particular can stand on its own, like the painting itself, in a gallery. 'La Belle de Nuit, La Belle de Jour' was a fantastic fairy tale that blends all these strengths of Sparks together in one dark telling of despair and hope. I was particularly disturbed in one way or another by 'For These Humans Who Cannot Fly' (this one of loss that stuck with me), 'We Were Holy Once,' and 'The Lizzie Borden Jazz Babies.' For the shortest pieces ('And The World Was Crowded with Things That Meant Love,' 'The Logic of the Loaded Heart' and 'The Process of Human Decay'), they were at times bittersweet and sharp, even amusing.
I was drawn to the longest two stories ('The Cemetery for Lost Faces' and 'The Unfinished World'), but I found myself drifting here and there when the path parted from the siblings. I didn't care nearly as much when other people came into the stories. Maybe it's because a brother of my own, or maybe that has nothing to do with anything, but I liked best all the scenes with the siblings (not just in these two stories, but they were the pillars holding them up for me) and how intertwined their fates were to each other. I loved the co-dependency and how fate would play with that, whether it led to self-destruction or glimmering hopes at the end of a dark tunnel, for both seemed equally possible in all these stories. That awareness of knowing anything could come to an end, any one of them could be hurtling off a cliff, had me clinging to these characters.
I think I have a hard time recommending this to people only because I don't read many short story collections and can't judge them knowledgeably, and also I don't know many people who read short story collections. I do think that this is a definite 'yes' if you already read collections, but if you don't, unless you have no desire in the slightest for any hint of the fantastical in stories, a 'yes' for you too.
The standout for me, personally, was 'Thirteen Ways of Destroying a Painting,' which I ended up re-reading bits and pieces of even before finishing it, then went back and re-read it a few more times. I wouldn't say it's the most creative or the most haunting or the most magical, even, but everything about it worked for me. I think that one in particular can stand on its own, like the painting itself, in a gallery. 'La Belle de Nuit, La Belle de Jour' was a fantastic fairy tale that blends all these strengths of Sparks together in one dark telling of despair and hope. I was particularly disturbed in one way or another by 'For These Humans Who Cannot Fly' (this one of loss that stuck with me), 'We Were Holy Once,' and 'The Lizzie Borden Jazz Babies.' For the shortest pieces ('And The World Was Crowded with Things That Meant Love,' 'The Logic of the Loaded Heart' and 'The Process of Human Decay'), they were at times bittersweet and sharp, even amusing.
I was drawn to the longest two stories ('The Cemetery for Lost Faces' and 'The Unfinished World'), but I found myself drifting here and there when the path parted from the siblings. I didn't care nearly as much when other people came into the stories. Maybe it's because a brother of my own, or maybe that has nothing to do with anything, but I liked best all the scenes with the siblings (not just in these two stories, but they were the pillars holding them up for me) and how intertwined their fates were to each other. I loved the co-dependency and how fate would play with that, whether it led to self-destruction or glimmering hopes at the end of a dark tunnel, for both seemed equally possible in all these stories. That awareness of knowing anything could come to an end, any one of them could be hurtling off a cliff, had me clinging to these characters.
I think I have a hard time recommending this to people only because I don't read many short story collections and can't judge them knowledgeably, and also I don't know many people who read short story collections. I do think that this is a definite 'yes' if you already read collections, but if you don't, unless you have no desire in the slightest for any hint of the fantastical in stories, a 'yes' for you too.