Sunday, November 28, 2010

The Ladies of Grace Adieu and Other Stories

The Ladies of Grace Adieu and Other Stories by Susanna Clarke
Bloomsbury, 2006
235 pages
Short stories; fairy tale
4.5/5 stars

Source: Library

Summary: A collection of short stories with magical elements and fairy tale aspects.

Thoughts: I put this on my list after reading Irena's review at This Miss Loves to Read and after remembering how much I enjoyed reading Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell (pre-blog with delightful footnotes!) I found the writing lovely, at some points reminiscent of Jane Austen (high praise from me!)  I enjoyed the variety of style, tone, theme, and length in the stories. Now for a closer but brief look at each.

The  Ladies of Grace Adieu: Set in the universe of Jonathan Strange and apparently referenced in the book itself; this is about ladies using magic which was frowned on by Mr Norrell. I liked the ladies but not fantastic. 4/5

On Lickerish Hill: Retelling of Rumpelstiltskin with archaic spelling that made it difficult to read thus only 3.5/5

Mrs Mabb: A lady returns from nursing her friend to find that her beloved has fallen under the sway of Mrs. Mabb.  She attempts to fight for him, despite the magical confusion around.  I really felt for Venetia as she bravely fought for Captain Fox who she was certain had not abandoned her.  4.5/5

The Duke of Wellington Misplaces His Horse: Very short, set in the same world as Stardust. The Duke of Wellington plays with the thread of time and fate. 4/5

Mr Simonelli or The Fairy Widower: Mr Simonelli is the new rector who ends up matching wits with a fairy lord and ensnaring himself in romantic entanglements; told through his journal entries, a format I really love. 5/5

Tom Brightwind or How the Fairy Bridge Was Built at Thoresby: A Jew and a fairy king travel to Lincoln and end up constructing a bridge. 4.5/5

Antickes and Frets: This is about Mary, Queen of Scots and her imprisonment by Elizabeth I.  While she attempted to leave, she couldn't and used embroidery as a coping mechanism. 4/5

John Uskglass and the Cumbrian Charcoal Burner: Possibly my favorite. A charcoal burner lives in isolation and gets revenge on Fairy King John Uskglass multiple times; quite funny and very quick. 5/5

Overall: Very enjoyable even without having read Jonathan Strange (I can barely remember anything about it) and highly recommended!

2 comments:

  1. Oh, I'm glad my review convinced you to read this collection and I'm even more glad that you liked it! This really is a lovely collection. I personally believe that it's a bit of a treat for those who likes magical elements and fairy-tales. I liked Mrs Mabb best.

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  2. I have such a tendency towards fairy-tale like short stories, plus I've heard wonderful things about Susanna Clarke. Also: story about Mary, Queen of Scots? That I must read.

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