Chris's review
The Ladies of Grace Adieu and Other Stories
by Susanna Clarke
Chris's review
The Ladies of Grace Adieu and Other Stories by Susanna Clarke
Chris's review
rating:
This collection of stories expands upon the margins of the world of English magic Clarke creates in Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell. I don't think reading that book is a necessity to read this one, but it would probably help. The stories here tend to be less about plot (one is a thinly veiled retelling of Rumpelstiltskin) and more about savoring the atmosphere, voice, and, of course, lengthy footnotes that Clarke employs. Her powers of storytelling and wry sense of humor are still present, and her descriptions of Faerie capture both a glamorous beauty and lurid, cruel terror.
Whereas her novel tends to focus on the scholarly side of magic available only to gentlemen with vast arcane libraries at their disposal, the stories focus on a wilder sort of magic, that which comes directly from fairies, and can be made available to even untrained men and women. Thus, the heroes and heroines here are of a variety of classes, and many are indeed women. The last story also introduces re...more
Whereas her novel tends to focus on the scholarly side of magic available only to gentlemen with vast arcane libraries at their disposal, the stories focus on a wilder sort of magic, that which comes directly from fairies, and can be made available to even untrained men and women. Thus, the heroes and heroines here are of a variety of classes, and many are indeed women. The last story also introduces re...more
