scottjraney's review against another edition
3.0
I came to read cathedral of the mist, but enjoyed his essays on reading and writing the best. Some of the other short pieces were a miss for me, but I sense there is wisdom to unlock with repeat readings.
softblackstars's review against another edition
dark
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
beepbeepbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
magnificent and fantastic. Recalls Calvino a bit, but also maybe a bit darker. Love the essays on reading and writing at the end.
rainyreadss's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
lukemosher's review against another edition
I loved the title of this and blind bought it. Sometimes I'll read something just because of the title, or cover, or because it has some element that I want to experience - walking in a forest, or something set in a hamlet. These stories are wonderful fantasies, in the old, fairy-tale sense of the fantastic. Surreal and metaphysical, and written in crystalline and beautiful prose, and very economical, not a wasted word. It's short, so I read the whole thing in a day, in a beautiful trance. Sometimes I read really terrific prose like this and I'm like, why do I even bother reading anything else? I am craving more like this, but don't know exactly where to go to next. There are some NYRB titles that look like they might fit the bill, maybe some early weird fiction, but what I'm really looking for are short fantastical stories by prose stylists from Europe, before the "high fantasy" of Tolkien or the Disney-ification of fairy tales. Willems has almost nothing else translated; when interlibrary loan opens up I am going to get his only other translated work I could find, The Drowned Land. In the meantime, I'm going to read some other stuff I've found to tide me over--Wakefield Press titles, Calvino, and Bruno Schulz. If anyone else has any recommendations, let me know.
theartolater's review against another edition
2.0
A short story collection translated from the original French, it's a handful of shorts that are in the New Weird vein while being a little more quiet. I don't know if it was the tone or the translation, but this largely failed to connect with me, and it just didn't work on a whole.
Your mileage may vary.
Your mileage may vary.
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