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259th out of 507 books
—
45 voters
A Guide to Folktales in Fragile Dialects
by
Catherynne M. Valente (Goodreads Author),
Midori Snyder
A GUIDE TO FOLKTALES IN FRAGILE DIALECTS by award-winning author and poet Catherynne M. Valente is a delightful collection of poetry, short fables, and fairy tales that explore myth and wonder, ancient and modern, with an introduction by Midori Snyder. "Structured around a series of folktale motifs, Valente's eloquent second full-length poetry collection dissects the perce...more
Paperback, 168 pages
Published
May 1st 2008
by Curiosities
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Nov 27, 2008
Kim
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
fans of mythic poetry and fairy tale retellings
Shelves:
fairy-tale-retellings,
poetry
I bought this ebook on a whim from Valente's website. I mention this because I don't necessarily read books of poetry straight through---unless they are written as a cycle of narrative poems---but rather flip through them, alighting upon those which catch my eye. I'm kind of glad I did read this one straight through, partly because it made me notice poems that I might not otherwise have, and partly because, whether intended as such or not, the prose sections, written like descriptions from an ac...more
While I love Valente's language (which is beautiful and awe-inspiring), I often felt like I was running just to keep up with her references to more obscure stories classic mythology. The poems where I understood her references or which didn't reference specific stories at all were my favorites, but often I felt like I was very close but couldn't quite get what she was trying to achieve because I didn't know the background she was referencing.
My only complaint, which was fairly minor but did make...more
My only complaint, which was fairly minor but did make...more
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Catherynne M. Valente, A Guide to Folktales in Fragile Dialects (Norilana, 2008)
Few things are as worth waiting for as a new book by Catherynne Valente. As these things usually go, few things fill me with imaptientce at the waiting for them as a new book by Catherynne Valente. My current monetary situation (and the book's current, as I write this, availability situation where libraries are concerned—a most grievous oversight indeed) had me waiting far too long to pick up A Guide to Folktales in...more
Few things are as worth waiting for as a new book by Catherynne Valente. As these things usually go, few things fill me with imaptientce at the waiting for them as a new book by Catherynne Valente. My current monetary situation (and the book's current, as I write this, availability situation where libraries are concerned—a most grievous oversight indeed) had me waiting far too long to pick up A Guide to Folktales in...more
The first fiction I've read for a while, I think. I'm very much in the mood for Catherynne M. Valente's rich, poetic language, and this ebook was just the perfect type. It's full of poetry and very short stories, fragments and retellings of myths and fairytales. The prose is poetic and the poetry tells stories, as you might expect from Valente. There's some absolutely gorgeous imagery, though in a way it is very, very typical of her style, and unsurprising, in that sense.
Probably not the best in...more
Probably not the best in...more
An instant comparison to Anne Sexton's Transformations comes to mind when reading this, but where Sexton had no problems going for the jugular, and even relished it, Valente seems too intoxicated by the beauty of language make anything but surface cuts.
"Gringa" and "Anatomy of a Yes" are the notable exceptions, and I wish she would have used the same incisiveness throughout the collection. Her use of language is, of course, exquisite; there are few fantasists writing today whose works have the...more
"Gringa" and "Anatomy of a Yes" are the notable exceptions, and I wish she would have used the same incisiveness throughout the collection. Her use of language is, of course, exquisite; there are few fantasists writing today whose works have the...more
Lovely and rich. I had never read any of Valente's poetry collections before, but I'm not surprised to discover how much I enjoyed this collection. The retellings are original, quirky at times, and resonate with emotion and meaning. Some of the retellings I recognized, a lot I didn't, but I still enjoyed all of the pieces. I feel like this is a collection I will reread as I learn and read more folk and fairy tales. I will also pick up more of Valente's poetry collections.
I got about 30 pages in before stopping this. I didn't really like any of the poems. Decided just to read the small stories inbetween them instea.d
Just took this out of the library along with other books of hers. It looks fascinating.
In the middle of this now. I like her fiction better but this is excellent.
Excellent book. WHen I read the poems that are NOT specifically mythic, I expected to be disappointed, but they're also excellent. It comes as no suprise that this she is an excellent poet, becuase, as I learned from both "Orphan's Tales" books, Catherynne M Valente has full acess to her own personal muse. And a strange and dark use it...more
In the middle of this now. I like her fiction better but this is excellent.
Excellent book. WHen I read the poems that are NOT specifically mythic, I expected to be disappointed, but they're also excellent. It comes as no suprise that this she is an excellent poet, becuase, as I learned from both "Orphan's Tales" books, Catherynne M Valente has full acess to her own personal muse. And a strange and dark use it...more
Oct 09, 2012
Ms. Library
added it
I'm unsure of how to rate this. I think I'll come back to it.
As usual---beautiful words everywhere from CMV.
Jul 29, 2012
Mortalform
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Shelves:
buy-me,
deserves-re-read,
favorites,
mythic,
unfinished,
present-ideas,
my-authors,
more-like-litt,
fantasy-classics
Blow my mind good. And thats just the author, add in her poetic re tellings of fairytales and you have an incredably powerful combination.
Dark and decadent; rich and nauseating.
Wonderfully crafted and makes you feel as if you've transcended space and landed in the hollows of the past. It's filled with fragile words, timeless stories, and strong heroines. It leaves you with a sense of affinity for those in the tales.
The poetry was difficult to understand and I know I'm missing a lot, but I enjoyed what I read. Some of the parts were very harsh and violent, but a lot of the way mythology was used seemed creative.
Beautiful and sensual in the usual CMV fashion, if a bit heady due to the form.
I wouldn't expect anything less than awesome by CMV now.
Jun 19, 2013
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Catherynne M. Valente was born on Cinco de Mayo, 1979 in Seattle, WA, but grew up in in the wheatgrass paradise of Northern California. She graduated from high school at age 15, going on to UC San Diego and Edinburgh University, receiving her B.A. in Classics with an emphasis in Ancient Greek Linguistics. She then drifted away from her M.A. program and into a long residence in the concrete and cam...more
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