A review by margaret_j_c
Instead of Three Wishes: Magical Short Stories by Megan Whalen Turner
3.0
finally got my mitts on this one, thanks to faith (you are my rock faith) and the event of my birthday.
it was good. not incredible, but good. an overwhelming sense of potential pervades the book, a potential which came to fruition in the thief but especially in the queen of attolia. a few of the stories were nearly in the very good range, especially the one from which the title was taken and the baker king. what i thought most interesting was that each story had, in itself, the potential to become something longer if given the opportunity. it makes me wonder if the thief began as another attempt at a short story before shrugging off the restrictions and becoming a newbery-award-winning novel.
there are a few similarities to eugenides' world in these stories. there are traces of megan's famous pull-the-rug-out-from-under-you plot-twists (which she has now honed to a fine art), the youth-centricity of her stories, and her almost deadpan sense of humor. the last story even takes place in a grecian setting.
overall, it was kind of like reading a concept draft for her novels, or like the earliest of ideas pitched to a publisher. being the fan of mwt that i am, it was a fascinating glimpse into what pre-thief megan was writing. this was her first attempt at fiction, and all things considered it's not half-bad.
.....did i just write an actual review? i rather think i did.
reread: 4/17
even more delightful this go round. i found a greater appreciation for the structure and execution of each story individually. this is not just a precursor to her novel-length fiction, they are worthy stories all on their own.
it was good. not incredible, but good. an overwhelming sense of potential pervades the book, a potential which came to fruition in the thief but especially in the queen of attolia. a few of the stories were nearly in the very good range, especially the one from which the title was taken and the baker king. what i thought most interesting was that each story had, in itself, the potential to become something longer if given the opportunity. it makes me wonder if the thief began as another attempt at a short story before shrugging off the restrictions and becoming a newbery-award-winning novel.
there are a few similarities to eugenides' world in these stories. there are traces of megan's famous pull-the-rug-out-from-under-you plot-twists (which she has now honed to a fine art), the youth-centricity of her stories, and her almost deadpan sense of humor. the last story even takes place in a grecian setting.
overall, it was kind of like reading a concept draft for her novels, or like the earliest of ideas pitched to a publisher. being the fan of mwt that i am, it was a fascinating glimpse into what pre-thief megan was writing. this was her first attempt at fiction, and all things considered it's not half-bad.
.....did i just write an actual review? i rather think i did.
reread: 4/17
even more delightful this go round. i found a greater appreciation for the structure and execution of each story individually. this is not just a precursor to her novel-length fiction, they are worthy stories all on their own.