A lovely paean to a wilderness many of us have become disconnected from. Told in gorgeous images and lyrical poetry, this book is both the sort of heiA lovely paean to a wilderness many of us have become disconnected from. Told in gorgeous images and lyrical poetry, this book is both the sort of heirloom book children can enjoy for ears, and also a book to be kept and perused by adults, as well. Best read outdoors....more
So, on first glance, this book seemed tailor-made for me. A beautiful book of fairy tales retold from a perspective of feminine power? That is one of So, on first glance, this book seemed tailor-made for me. A beautiful book of fairy tales retold from a perspective of feminine power? That is one of my many jams. However, the execution was rather so-so. While there are some moments of beauty and originality here, the author brings precious little that's new to this well-trod ground, even as the poems present themselves as shocking truth-bombs. Also, I was a little disappointed that some of the poems seemed to be responding to/deconstructing not so much the original fairy tales, but the Disney movie versions. So some of the poems and short prose pieces feel less like fairy tale retellings and more like dark Disney AU fanfic or headcanons trying too hard to be "edgy."
Writers have been pulling from this well for decades and many of them have done it more deftly. I don't know how old Gill is, but the impression I got was that this was a young writer who has not yet mastered the full alchemical power of her word-smithing; and who is not so much building on the works of her predecessors so much as unaware that she has predecessors. But I do think that Gill can improve her skill with time & practice. And I think many younger women and girls may find these poems insightful, resonant, and valuable to them.
As a side note, I don't often mention this in reviews, but this particular book is lovely as a physical artifact. The cover art is excellent, the interior art (drawn by Gill herself) shows a lot of skill, and it's just a nice thing to hold in my hands....more
After hearing/reading a couple of poems by Mary Oliver, I decided to pick up this collection. It's lovely poetry, conversational in tone and accessiblAfter hearing/reading a couple of poems by Mary Oliver, I decided to pick up this collection. It's lovely poetry, conversational in tone and accessible. The poet's deep love of the natural world shines through in every line....more
I studied a few of Neruda's odes to common things back in High School, but this was my first time actually sitting down and making a point of reading I studied a few of Neruda's odes to common things back in High School, but this was my first time actually sitting down and making a point of reading a collection of his. It was quite lovely, and I enjoyed it! I have a rudimentary understanding of Spanish (again, a holdover from high school) so it was interesting trying to compare the Spanish and English versions. There was only one point at which I feel that the translator's choice was not what I would've gone with, but otherwise it seemed like a good job....more
So I got a copy of this book at Confluence when Mary Soon Lee was doing a signing. It was an enjoyable read, in large part because it told me the storSo I got a copy of this book at Confluence when Mary Soon Lee was doing a signing. It was an enjoyable read, in large part because it told me the story of this world and this king in a deftly condensed manner. Lee captures moments, brief flashes of character, and all those moments and flashes are strung together like beads on a necklace to form the larger picture.
It reminds me of a technique I sometimes see in anime or indie films, and which I enjoy when it's done well: the camera shows a series of separate static images, and lets the viewer fill in the blanks that connect those images. The full scene is put together in the viewer's mind, like pieces of a puzzle fit together to create a whole. That's what this book reminds me of, and I can't think of any other book I've read that has done something similar.
Lee admits that King Xau is often criticized for being too perfect, and I admit that was the one downside I found to this book. Xau's continued insistence on being openly treated like everyone else around him, on removing the walls of privilege that separate him from his servants, strikes me as too modern a philosophy, and almost implausible after a while. Part of the tragedy of kingship is that wall of separation: one stops being a person and becomes a symbol, and that symbol must show strength even when the world is crumbling. I like seeing Xau struggle with that wall, and maintain his humble humanity among his closest servants and guards. But there is a scene where Xau is sitting in rough work clothes among a group of commoners, recovering from an injury and obviously looking the part of a pained convalescent. And all I could think was how his choice of humility would terrify me if I were a commoner in that crowd. Here was my hero, my divinely-ordained king, looking broken and mortal and awfully human. Such a sight might very well devastate me.
In a world such as the one in this book, the wall is there for a reason. But Xau tries to tear it down at every chance he can, and the masses react only with amazement and respect. He said to the dragon that he would give up his freedom to be king, and in some ways, he has. But in other ways, he never gave it up at all.
Still...that is really my only complaint in an otherwise solid read. If you are a fantasy reader looking for something different, or a writer who wants to see how simple human moments can be captured and crystallized, I recommend this book....more
A lovely little collection of haiku--some thoughtful and profound, others witty and clever and almost Jack Handy-ish in their humorously blunt turnaroA lovely little collection of haiku--some thoughtful and profound, others witty and clever and almost Jack Handy-ish in their humorously blunt turnarounds....more
An excellent collection of poetry. Some of the pieces were a little too obtuse for me to wrap my head around, but overall I really enjoyed it. DefinitAn excellent collection of poetry. Some of the pieces were a little too obtuse for me to wrap my head around, but overall I really enjoyed it. Definitely worth going back, rereading, and lingering over my favorites....more
This was a wonderful little anthology that I stumbled across in Rickert & Beagle Books. Picking it up after finishing the "Stories" anthology edited bThis was a wonderful little anthology that I stumbled across in Rickert & Beagle Books. Picking it up after finishing the "Stories" anthology edited by Neil Gaiman & Al Sarrantonio, I was struck by how much comparative breadth this collection had. Whereas "Stories" stuck mostly to a particular tone and type of story, "Elsewheres" is a mix of all types of fantasy! Short fables, humorous pieces, richly-textured sword & sorcery, early urban fantasy, dreamlike magical realism, pieces from Latin American and African writers, even poems. Some of them were contemporary pieces from when the anthology came out (in 1984), but a few of them were older works. It really captured the sheer variety and scope of the fantasy genre as a whole.
Particular favorites were Angela Carter's "The Lady of the House of Love" and Patricia McKillip's "A Matter of Music" novella, which finished off the collection. As I've said in other reviews, McKillip's style is usually a hit or miss with me, but this one was definitely a hit....more
This was an interesting read. There were moments of beauty and of deep, elegantly written pathos. And there were also really overwrought metaphors thaThis was an interesting read. There were moments of beauty and of deep, elegantly written pathos. And there were also really overwrought metaphors that became so tangled in on themselves that I had no idea what image Tennyson was attempting to draw. There were times I lingered over a stanza just because the wording was so convoluted that I had trouble parsing all the clauses and sub-clauses--and this is coming from someone who's read a lot of literature from this era! Plus, of course it has the peculiar Victorian sensibilities re: ladyfolk, so there's that.
Still, it's an interesting bit of Arthuria, and it has some excellent parts to it. Worth reading aloud, if you have the opportunity! The natural rhythm of the poetry really helps with the flow of meaning....more
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