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55 ratings, 3.95 average rating, 21 reviews
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published
August 1st 2008
by McSweeney's
binding
Hardcover, 300 pages
isbn
193478107X
(isbn13: 9781934781074)
description
McSweeney's has grown to be one of the country's best and largest-circulation literary journals. It's committed to finding new voices, publishing work...more
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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 90)
My review of Created in Darkness by Troubled Americans would probably suffice here, as well. Wow this is pretty. Wow this cleverly designed. Not to mention perfect design for this issue's theme, fables. But the stories, i don't know. Maybe I just don't like fables. There are a few good ones in here, don't get me wrong. But they are still just good. And the others... Isn't McSweeney's in a position to pick what they will? Don't they have better options? I mean, the Believer kicks ass. ...more
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Read in December, 2008
McSweeney's is meant to be a literary org, but what drew them to me in the first place was the design, and that still what keeps me loyal. This set of eight little books, cleverly packaged almost like a puzzle, was a Xmas gift from Heather (thank you, Heather!). They were such a joy to read because they were pretty. And there were a couple perfect little tales in the lot of eight. Several, though, just left me empty. A fable should be neat; beginning, middle, end, all tied up with all the an...more
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Read in September, 2008
recommends it for:
McSweeney's devotees, suckers for packaging
Eight modern takes on fables, packaged as a series of diminutive hardcovers kept in their box by a ribbon. Like anthologies in general and McSweeney's in particular, the stories vary wildly in quality, though which are good and which suck are likely to differ depending on your sensibilities. I was fond of Sheila Heti's "Two Free Men" and Arthur Bradford's "Virgil Walker," while many of the remaining stories were either middling (Brian Evensen's Shel Silverstein riff "T...more
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I like McSweeney's, and I love the packaging of this issue, and in theory the idea of it is terrific—that is to "resurrect and reinvent the art of the fable."
I think the reality is that the eight stories are moderately entertaining, but I feel slightly unsatisfied. As if I were only just getting started yet had already reached the end. I feel like the issue is missing having at least one slightly more substantial story in the mix.
I think the reality is that the eight stories are moderately entertaining, but I feel slightly unsatisfied. As if I were only just getting started yet had already reached the end. I feel like the issue is missing having at least one slightly more substantial story in the mix.
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Read in September, 2008
This isn't one of the issues of McSweeney's that you buy for a substantial read - if it takes anyone more than an hour to read it all I'd be surprised. It's been a while since I finished a book on the same day it was delivered.
But it's a book of fables, and the power of a fable isn't in the reading, it's in the retelling, and I could see a few of these fables having a life beyond the pages of these perfectly produced little books. It's easy to imagine a headmaster using one as the basis for ...more
But it's a book of fables, and the power of a fable isn't in the reading, it's in the retelling, and I could see a few of these fables having a life beyond the pages of these perfectly produced little books. It's easy to imagine a headmaster using one as the basis for ...more
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Read in December, 2008
Perfectly designed for its purpose--to package eight individual fables. This took me less than an hour to read, but I found the whole process of pulling apart the set and reading each story really satisfying. My favorite fables were "The Book and the Girl" and "The Guy Who Kept Meeting Himself."
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Read in August, 2008
Some favorite writers here: Brian Evenson, Ryan Boudinot, who wrote the excellent collection The Littlest Hitler and Sarah Manguso who wrote one part of the 145 Stories in a Small Box set. And of course Daniel Alarcon. Still, it's pretty slight. But it is the first volume of McSwy's I've read entirely in quite a w
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Read in August, 2008
If you could judge books by their covers, McSweeney's Quarterlies would always get 5 stars. Unfortunately, this newest installment offers very little in terms of an exploration and revision of the fable, which is the theme. There are a couple of contributors that I may check on in the future; however, there was only one story - out of eight - that I thought was memorable (and that's just because I love octopi).
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Read in November, 2008
It's nice to look at, a good idea, and took about forty minutes to read in its entirety. This probably means I'm missing the point of returning to the idea of the fable or something, but guys like me, who order McSwy's because they like to read stuff, generally hope for more than an hour's use out of a book they paid $20 for, or whatever a quarter of the annual subscription rate is.
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recommends it for:
Everyone who likes Pretty.
I should probably read this before I review it, huh? Oh well. I'm already in love with this issue of McSweeneys, in which 8 original short fables are packaged in little books arranged as puzzle pieces in a sturdy black tray. Literature or not, it's a gorgeous conversation piece, and reasonably priced for what it is. An emphatic MUST for book design/packaging geeks.
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The design on this thing is beautiful. Eight tiny books that fit into a box in two layers--they make a sort of book-puzzle. But the fables themselves didn't wow me (aside from a chilling one by Brian Evenson), the interior illustrations are hit-or-miss, and I read the whole thing in about 20 minutes. Not enough fictional bang for the actual buck.
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Read in August, 2008
recommends it for:
summer
great artwork.
packaging is perfect.
this one is definitely for summer to read. bringing back the fable (I'm putting it in my car for the next time i see you). enjoy. the moment you put on booklet down, you pick the next up and you're through eight stories in no time.
packaging is perfect.
this one is definitely for summer to read. bringing back the fable (I'm putting it in my car for the next time i see you). enjoy. the moment you put on booklet down, you pick the next up and you're through eight stories in no time.
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Read in August, 2008
The design of this issue of worth five stars, while the content is worth maybe two. Most of the fables aren't especially moving or even interesting, though two of them, "Virgil Walker" by Arthur Bradford and "Two Free Men" by Sheila Heti really stand out.
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Read in October, 2008
After being such a huge fan of #27, this issue was a big disappointment. Maybe if I liked Children's Lit more, I would have enjoyed this, but the "fable" genre just strikes me as almost stupid. The covers were great.
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Read in September, 2008
I'm a bit of a McSweeney's fanatic, but this one disappointed a little. The packaging/art is great, but I wasn't wowed by the fables.
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I'm so excited to read these eight fables! The packaging is gorgeous on this one - it might be my favorite issue yet.
Read in August, 2008
8 little short stories whose covers fit together to make paintings. lovely.
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Read in September, 2008
Pretty, pretty package. But the fables themselves leave much to be desired.
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Read in August, 2008
Beautiful design. Delightful and often thought-provoking fables.
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Read in October, 2008
Fables. Interesting concept. Not really my thing.
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