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Jan 05, 2011

Courtney Leigh rated it:

I didn't know what to expect when I went into this. All I knew is that I loved Fairy Tales, and I loved the UK. This memoir involves both.

What Signe Pike manages to do is deftly intertwine her own personal story and loss into her journey through these inspiring lands. And it didn't seem too preachy. I flew through the pages, and even felt myself getting a little choked up every once and again. More than anything, though, this made me want to travel back to Skye and Oxford and London More...

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Jan 05, 2011

Alexis rated it:

Well now. This book came to me at exactly the time that I needed to read it ! What a fabulous, magical ride ! What is so amazing about it, is that it is all true. I truly could not put it down from start to end and it has changed my perspective. Do I believe in faeries now ? Perhaps. But more importantly, I agree with the author "But now I knew there were many kinds of magic in life." Take some time and get back to that magical place inside, with this read.

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Jan 04, 2012

Carolyn rated it:

I zipped through this memoir/travelogue of a young woman's search for faeries, which was fun and engaging. I wish I could have had a book contract to travel to Glastonbury, the Isle of Man, Ireland and Scotland in search of magic and enchantment - why didn't I think of that? The author tried to tread somewhere in the middle between a rationalist's look at world folklore (though giving only the briefest examination of a very extensive subject) and the psychic/intuitive exploration of a metaphys More...

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Oct 31, 2011

Stephanie rated it:

Original Review on www.fangswandsandfairydust.com

Faery Tale
One Woman's Search for Enchantment in a Modern World
by Signe Pike http://www.signepike.com/ includes a slide show from the trip and evidence
Penguin Group, Imprint Perigee
Nov 02, 2010
Hardcover 320 pages
18 - AND UP
Hardcover copy provided by Publisher with no expectation.
No remuneration was exchanged.
Non-fiction
In looking at this review, some months later, I think an apt title More...

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Aug 26, 2011

Sienna rated it:

I liked the idea of this book more than the book itself, though it was a quick, enjoyable read. The fact that faeries don't automagically (ha) turn up when sought pleased both my inner skeptic and the little girl who had to keep other books on top of Froud and Lee's Faeries lest Jenny Greenteeth and Peg Powler emerge from their swampy pages hoping to drag me back in with them.

There are a number of lovely anecdotes, particularly in the Isle of Man section, but Pike's writing is a mix More...

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Jul 28, 2011

Steve added it

Starting from her job in New York as an editor for a major publishing company, Signe Pike decide that there is no magic and life is suddenly dissatisfying. She decides to begin her search for fairies. Her search starts off right in New York. Her apartment neighbor Raven, A reiki specialist and pagan high priestess senses faeries in Signe’s room that she is unable to detect. Signe buys books on faeries to do her research and even does a few rituals to attract faeries into her apartment. The cat More...

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Jul 28, 2011

Caroline rated it:

I'm sure any criticism by ardent devotees of this book will be met with accusations of having lost the innocence of childhood or the sense of magic in nature or some other New Age shortcoming. And that may well be true. I don't believe in fairies, and I'm not going to start clapping my hands now either. And I have to admit that, yes, I would look askance at any grown-up adult claiming to believe in fairies, and particularly one who gave up her job, left her fiancee in New York and spent two and More...

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Dec 12, 2011

Mark rated it:

Following the death of her father, with whom her relationship had been tempestuous, Signe Pike set off on a journey to magical sites in Mexico, England, Scotland, Ireland and the Isle of Man. Her voyage of discovery proved to be as much an exorcism of inner demons as an open-minded immersion in the magic of the faery folk. Each country Pike visited has its own folklore involving 'little people'. This begs the question: how is it that - many thousands of years ago - tribes without common roots al More...

14 comments like (3 people liked it)

Apr 27, 2011

Kate rated it:

I really enjoyed reading this book a lot. The best part was easily the Isle of Man, but it's overall a fun read. I've been to a few of the place she mentions, and now I want to go to all of them.

There are some parts that don't deserve the four stars, but the bulk of the book IS about faeries and Signe Pike's strange experiences with their sites in the British Isles. She had some neat experiences and talked to interesting people, and her research is good. What I didn't like was when sh More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Aug 02, 2011

Ancestral rated it:

What's it about? According to the author, "It's an examination of the loss of myth in modern culture" (page 9). I would say it's a personal exploration into the current belief (or lack thereof) in fairies in the modern world, as experienced by one young woman by travelling through Mexico, England, the Isle of Man, Ireland and Scotland, all the while still grieving the loss of her father about whom she has mixed emotions.

By reacquainting herself with the belief in faery, Signe Pike More...

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Jul 28, 2011

Jo rated it:

I really enjoyed this book but did have to constantly struggle against my inner sceptic saying 'yes but' and being rational all the time. Signe Pike, disillusioned by city life in America, goes in search of fairies, first in Mexico and then to the great Celtic heartlands of fairy lore in England, the Isle of Man, Ireland and Scotland. But it's less simple than a deluded new age hippie searching for magical beings. Pike is desperately trying to come to terms with the death of her beloved, bril More...

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Sep 25, 2011

Marta rated it:

I enjoyed this book very much and in a way find it a brave thing for someone to not only pursue and risk such a journey, but also to write a book that most probably will be loved by many readers, but also really disliked by others. Faeries are always a theme that can get you ridiculed by people.
So... go Signe Pike for taking this journey!
A journey like this most likely calls for you to set your intuition free and to let go of the natural scepticism we're used to (nothing wrong with th More...

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Jun 06, 2011

Erin rated it:

I've only ever read one other memoir and I didn't enjoy it; horrible writing, and the story was just too sad for me. I was really glad that I found Faery Tale to be so different. It read like a novel, which was great, and I really felt like I was able to connect to the author, Signe, as a character of her story. Of course, a faery believer myself (though I have no proof), I loved Signe's skeptic search for proof of faery existence and though, in the end of the book, she still had no hard proof, More...

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Oct 02, 2011

Julie rated it:

After spending 91 pages invested in a novel I couldn't finish (so sorry Lloyd Jones), I picked this one up with some trepidation. I had read the review on S.Krishna's Books, my favorite book bloggers site and thought I would give it a go.

Signe Pike works in Manhattan in the book industry when she begins to question the magic in her life and wonders if faeries actually exist. Wanting to explore more she travels to Mexico, England, Ireland, the Isle of Man and Scotland to try and fin More...

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Jan 05, 2011

Judy rated it:

This enchanting memoir is sort of Eat Pray Love for faery lovers. Signe Pike is a young woman who quit her job as a book editor for a New York publisher and went on a quest to find out if faeries are real. I was maddened, delighted and inspired many times over during my reading of this truly modern faery tale.

Because that is what it is, a faery tale in the voice of a modern young woman who wanted to believe in magic, in things that cannot be seen and in happy endings. Sign More...

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Nov 17, 2011

Terry rated it:

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here

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Jan 05, 2011

Dani rated it:

I LOVED this book. It was such a great way to end 2010 and begin 2011. I found enchantment, magic and my childhood again. I only wish that I had attended the author signing when I had the opportunity. This memoir is wonderfully written with vivid imagery, beautiful details and just enough sarcasm and skepticism to keep the reader enthralled. Everyone asks me if this is a fictional memoir, I mean who goes in search of faeries? But if you ever think back to the time in your life when the magical More...

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Feb 22, 2011

F. rated it:

After the loss of her father, Signe Pike travels to different parts of the world to search for enchantment in a modern world. Signe travels to parts of Mexico, England, Ireland, Scotland and Man of Isle. As she discovers the world of faeries and other enchanted creatures, Signe is able to bring closure of her father's death.

This could be classified as a travel or personal memoir. The reader is able to read about beautiful descriptions on Signe's travels. Readers are also able to see More...

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Feb 26, 2011

Erica Leigh rated it:

“Maybe, I mused, it’s not us who are helping the faeries by believing in them. Perhaps it’s the humans who stand to benefit, if only we could make the faeries believe in us once more.”

The whimsical title and lovely book jacket caught my eye, but it was the dedication and poem at the beginning for the author's loss of her father that led me to purchase this book. I found myself thinking “suspend disbelief” when I started it, and had to smile when the author echoed those exact wor More...

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Mar 24, 2011

Tara rated it:

This was a memoir/travelogue that I didn't want to end - I wish I was still reading it!

You don't have to believe in faeries to be drawn into the spell of Signe Pike's frolicking memoir. Stifled by the concrete jungle of Manhattan, Pike embarks on a journey to England, Ireland, the Isle of Man (in the middle of the Irish Sea) and Scotland, in search of magical faery realms. With equal parts skepticism and childlike wonder, Pike welcomes the unknown and allows her "faery journalis More...

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Dec 25, 2011

Brietta rated it:

A disarming blend of personal and ancient history, "Faery Tale" is sweet, genuine and full of wonder. In her memoir, author Signe Pike struggles to come to terms with her father's life and death while mounting a quest to find enchantment in a modern world (as per the title).
And I WAS enchanted by her determination to keep an open mind throughout her travels and by her retelling of ancient faery lore. It makes me want to believe that magic is still out there... just beyond our More...

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May 07, 2011

Jessica rated it:

Like many people, I love the idea of faeries and of magic, but am extremely skeptical about them. The author claims to be as well, and whether or not it's true skepticism or just a clever way to draw you into her world, this book is no utterly enchanting. In the end, I think the book is less about believing in magic than about the amazing things that can happen when you learn to be open, follow your intuition, and truly connect to the world around you--both the physical earth and with other bein More...

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Jan 27, 2011

Cheska rated it:

Picked this book up randomly on a featured shelf from the library. Read it in its entirety in less than 24 hours! I simply couldn't put the book down. Pike has a very engaging way of writing and connecting with readers; FT has just the right amount of vulnerability and an endearing childish optimism. It made me think about my grandmother's superstitions regarding elves, fairies, and ghosts. It made me want to believe again. What a lovely read.

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Jun 26, 2011

Jeni rated it:

I'm not sure what I was actually expecting when I went into this book, but I came out of it content and sprinkled with a little fairy dust.

After hearing about Signe's journey and the book on NPR i quickly ordered the book, but it sat unread on my shelf while i passed it up for fiction books. When i did settle down to read it i was taking a break from the fiction world. Faery Tale offered me a break from fiction by reminding me of the magical world of magic all around us. It reawakened More...

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Jan 05, 2011

Avril rated it:

This is the story of a woman's search for the existence of magic in the world. The book opens with young editor Signe Pike in New York City. She's mourning the death of her father .... how can she recover? Her inner compass sets her on a journey to heal herself under the guise of searching for fairies. She looks for trolls in Mexico and fairies in Ireland. She interviews Brian and Wendy Froud in Devon, England and Ireland's most famous folklorist Eddie Lenihan. She visits sites of archaeolo More...

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Nov 15, 2011

Rebecca rated it:

Although I instantly mistrusted this book when I came across a glaring typo on p. 4 ("taught" for "taut"), I came to like the narrator for her honesty and fearless devotion to her wacky cause: faery-hunting. Her prose is a bit clumsy--hardly anyone "says" anything, they all "chuckle" and "grumble" and "whisper"--but she goes to some amazing places, describes them well, and practices a contagious open-mindedness. Not bad at all.

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Jan 05, 2011

Caitlin rated it:

Ran out of reading material while out of town after Christmas, so picked this up at Black Cat Books in Manitou Springs, CO. Better yet, it turned out to be a signed copy, as the author had recently visited the store!

LOVED it, and read it in a day. Set in all my favorite places (NY, Ireland, England, Scotland) and I could really relate to the author's need to still find traces of magic and whimsy in our modern world.

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Nov 28, 2011

Thebruce1314 rated it:

I kept returning to this book in the store, and eventually gave in and bought it. Pike has a very clear and compelling style of writing that made this book feel like I was curling up with a friend to discuss her journey to find not only magic and fairies, but a sense of personal connection with the earth. While the things that she discovers are meaningful in a personal way, Pike's sense of wonder and enchantment are pervasive and contagious. I really enjoyed this book - I feel like Signe and More...

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Nov 11, 2011

Amy rated it:

Straight up diary or journal travel writing. 3 1/2 stars. I love that she captured and communicated the essence of the Frouds' home, how lucky she met and interviewed Brian and Wendy Froud. Ireland, Scotland, England, yep, she hit all the great faery spots. Rich in nature and magic. Her closing chapters - reviewing evidence and wrap-up research- best part of the book writing-wise. I appreciate a good unsolved 1800s murder and trial - reference to Betsey Crowe, the Manx Murders book, and the myst More...

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Jan 30, 2012

Lisa rated it:

Finding "enchantment in the modern world" is a pretty compelling idea. Searching for evidence of fairies in modern Mexico, Britain, Ireland and Scotland, Pike is at her most persuasive drawing comparisons between ancient mythologies, folk and fairy lore. Her little epiphanies along the way are not always convincing (she often records what she imagines as some sort of eerie evidence), but I like the way she wraps up her "search for enchantment" as a deeper, more profound affin More...

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