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341st out of 926 books
—
5,296 voters
The Nightingale (Fairy Tale)
by
Kara Dalkey
In this deft and enchanting retelling of the classic Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale. Kara Dalkey has mixed history and legend, weaving the Andersen fable into a fascinating novel about court life in ancient Japan -- a life of pageantry and poetry, of great beauty and casual cruelty, of life and courtly intrigue as the men and women of the royal household vie for the Em...more
Paperback, 215 pages
Published
April 1st 1991
by Ace
(first published May 1988)
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I didn't plan on liking this book, actually. Tam Lin was the first of the Fairy Tale Series that I'd read, and after reading a couple others, I thought I'd happened upon the best of them and half-decided not to bother with any others. But I'd put The Nightingale on hold a while ago, so when it showed up I decided to read it.
The prose was lovely, sweet, and delicate. The setting was well-drawn and understandable, even to those of us who don't know much Japanese history. The characters weren't te...more
The prose was lovely, sweet, and delicate. The setting was well-drawn and understandable, even to those of us who don't know much Japanese history. The characters weren't te...more
This is a quiet book. It is a very quiet book. Yet it is a very lovely book.
One of the things that draws people to Denmark is the fact that Hans Christan ( 1805 - 1875 ) Andersen was born and lived there. In fact, Odenese most make a fortune out of tourists. It's a lovely town. Very quiet, yet very busy like this book. I've been to Shakespeare's Birthplace and other houses, I've been to various castles, I've been to various museums. Yet the Andersen birthplace was quiet, peaceful. It's true that...more
One of the things that draws people to Denmark is the fact that Hans Christan ( 1805 - 1875 ) Andersen was born and lived there. In fact, Odenese most make a fortune out of tourists. It's a lovely town. Very quiet, yet very busy like this book. I've been to Shakespeare's Birthplace and other houses, I've been to various castles, I've been to various museums. Yet the Andersen birthplace was quiet, peaceful. It's true that...more
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Over the course of the last year and a half, I have been reading Terri Windling’s fairy tales series. Each book was written by a different author and retold a different fairy tale, often changing the original tale to form something unique. Some of the books, (like Jane Yolen’s Broar Rose), were brilliant, some were enjoyable and some fell very flat for me. And so, I never know what to expect when I pick up one of these books.
The Nightingale is a retelling of a classic Hans Christian Anderson st...more
The Nightingale is a retelling of a classic Hans Christian Anderson st...more
Once upon a time I would read any fantasy that was based on a fairy tale. I'm a little more selective now, and when I was recently culling my bookshelves, The Nightingale didn't make the cut. It is only lightly fantasy, it's more about life at court in super feudal Japan with a few supernatural elements thrown in. I know more about court manners than I care to know. The Bridge of Birds, set in feudal China, is much more entertaining.
I have been looking for this book for ages and I finally got my hands on a copy. It's a retelling of the story by Hans Christian Andersen, set in Heian Kyo instead of China. The change in setting works well.
Kara Dalkey, The Nightingale (Ace, 1988)
During the late eighties, Ace Book released a series based on fairytales, of which this is one. Dalkey retells the Hans Christian Andersen fairytale of the nightingale, changing the setting to Japan (because, she says, she knows more about Japan than she does China) and extending it to novel length.
A fine little work it is. Dalkey has taken the cast of characters form the tale, expanded on it, and fleshed out the existing bunch to give us a fine little tal...more
During the late eighties, Ace Book released a series based on fairytales, of which this is one. Dalkey retells the Hans Christian Andersen fairytale of the nightingale, changing the setting to Japan (because, she says, she knows more about Japan than she does China) and extending it to novel length.
A fine little work it is. Dalkey has taken the cast of characters form the tale, expanded on it, and fleshed out the existing bunch to give us a fine little tal...more
This story is fun, but was ruined by bawdy humor and one inappropriate scene. I hate it when authors ruin books like that. Totally unneccesary.
a fractured fairytale explains much of the japanese culture and the ideals of the buddist and shinto religions, a very nice story.
A retelling of Andersen's fairy tale moved to Japan and with both the Nightingale and her false copy recast as human beings. Both the depiction of the Japanese court and the unfolding of the intricate plot which features war, intrigue, ghosts and several twined romances are masterly. Charming and beautiful, despite a lingering sadness the ending leaves a smile on your face...
Jun 12, 2012
Snail in Danger (Sid) Nicolaides
marked it as maybe-read-sometime
Shelves:
fantasy-fiction,
fairy-tales-myths-legends
I wanted to read this. And I tried. It's a cool concept and some aspects are well-handled. But ... I've read The Tale of Genji and it was impossible not to be making comparisons in the back of my head.
Retelling of The Nightingale.
Jun 19, 2013
Cecilia
marked it as to-read
Jun 18, 2013
Lisa H.
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Sarahf Vines
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May 30, 2013
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goombabowling
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May 29, 2013
Wendy Cui
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Kara Mia Dalkey is an American author of young adult fiction and historical fantasy. She was born in Los Angeles and has lived in Minneapolis, Pittsburgh, Colorado, and Seattle. Much of her fiction is set in the Heian period of Japan.
She was married to author John Barnes; they divorced in 2001. She is a member of the Pre-Joycean Fellowship and of the Scribblies. She is a graduate of the Fashion In...more
More about Kara Dalkey...
She was married to author John Barnes; they divorced in 2001. She is a member of the Pre-Joycean Fellowship and of the Scribblies. She is a graduate of the Fashion In...more
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