Tales of Wonder

by Jane Yolen

This is Jane Yolen’s seventieth book and the first compiled expressly for adults. For years her award-winning stories have been published in children’s collections, although many of these volumes have appeared on lists of “best” books for adult reading. She has chosen for inclusion in Tales of Wonder those stories that epitomize her talent for writing magical tales of universal appeal. And she has written several stories especially for this volume as well.

These stories embrace deep-rooted and universal themes—love and separation, obedience and loyalty, the true nature of happiness—which are taken from ancient mythology, medieval romance, nineteenth-century fairytales and modern science fiction.

Genres: Fantasy, Short Stories, Fiction, Fairy Tales, Mythology, Ebooks, Young Adult

275 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1987

About the author

Jane Yolen is a novelist, poet, fantasist, journalist, songwriter, storyteller, folklorist, and children’s book author who has written more than three hundred books. Her accolades include the Caldecott Medal, two Nebula Awards, the World Fantasy Award, three Mythopoeic Awards, the Kerlan Award, two Christopher Awards, and six honorary doctorate degrees from colleges and universities in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Born and raised in New York City, the mother of three and the grandmother of six, Yolen lives in Massachusetts and St. Andrews, Scotland.

Reviews

[Pam Baddeley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having not particularly enjooyed any of Yolen's work previously, I picked up this volume with some doubt, but in fact found her short fiction works a lot better than her novels.

In this collection there are a large number of stories, some inspired by traditional tales, folktales or fairy tales, such as Cinderella or Pinnocchio, and others perhaps based on less well known international tales but a lot with beginnings like 'Not so very long ago, a sow, a mare and a cow were friends' or 'In a time when the rivers ran crystal clear all the way down to the sea ....' Others are extracts from what became her novels 'Cards of Grief' or the second in the White Jenna series - that story is recognisably a sequence from near the end of the second book but has changes (even without going back to the novel to check) such as the chief villain being present in the dungeon scene instead of one of his henchmen. Still others are longer stories which could be material for a novel, such as the one about the boy who steals and rears a baby dragon on a planet where dragons are used to fight in an arena and can win freedom for their owners.

With such a varied collection there should be some which please the reader - some were dark, some I wasn't so keen on, but the collection as a whole balanced out into a solid 3 star read.

[Shalini Gunnasan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, I enjoyed this volume. Jane Yolen's prose is very pleasant.

The Pot Child - 4/5 - Pinocchio reinterpretation. So sad.
Sun/ Flight - 3/5. Icarus! Not surprising.
The Moon Ribbon - 3/5. Ashputtel/ Cinderella. A fresher take, though a bit more mysterious.
The Gwynhfar - 2/5. There is nothing wrong with this. Structurally well-done and it is a new interpretation of a well-known Camelot tale. But repellent to me personally.
The Sleep of Trees - 3/5. Very sensual."
Boris Chernevsky's Hands - 3/5.
In the Hall of Grief - 4/5. Liked this, unique to me. Grief as an art.
Cards of Grief - 4/5. A sort of sequel to In the Hall of Grief.
Old Herald - 2/5.
Sule Skerry - 2/5. Weird.
The White Seal Maid - 4/5.
The Bird of Time - 3/5. I'd have given one more star, but the bird was left to suffer. Ingrate!
The Weaver of Tomorrow - 3/5.
The Boy Who Sang for Death - 4/5.
The Lady and the Merman - 2/5. Lady, come on.
Wild Goose and Gander - 4/5. Very nice!!
The Boy Who Had Wings - 3/5
The Girl who Loved the Wind - 3/5.
Brothers of the Wind - 4/5. Poor things.
The Golden Balls - 1/5. YECH!
Johanna - 4/5.
The Sow, the Mare and the Cow - 4/5.
Cockfight - 4/5.
Brother Kenan's Bell - 3/5.
Sans Soleil - 2/5.
The Seventh Mandarin - 3/5
The Soul Fisher - 4/5.
One Old Man, with Seals - 4/5.
Names - 1/5. Repugnant.
Sister Light, Sister Dark - an excerpt from the longer book. 3/5.

[sil · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jane Yolen's first collection of fairy tales for adults was one of my favorite books as a child. Being a semi-distant relative of the Schockens (the original publishers of this book), I had a uncorrected galley copy that I read many times over. I believe I lost in high school, when I lent it to my ceramics teacher so that she could read 'The Pot Child'. Eventually, I purchased a copy, but I'm pretty sure that the final published version does not include all of the stories that were in the galley - I'm pretty sure, for instance, that 'Sister Light, Sister Dark,' which eventually became the first book in her Great Alta series, is absent from the published copy.

Anyhow, these stories are gorgeous and dark and above all, well-spun - if you can get your hands on a copy of this out-of-print treasure, do it!

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very solid collection with some real gems. Jane Yolen sets out in the introduction that her aim is to riff on the iconography of fairytales but without going down the route of retellings or interpretations of existing stories. Single author short story collections can run the risk of feeling tonally a bit samey and this selection is varied enough to avoid that.

I didn't particularly enjoy the two stories that I recognised as later being expanded into novels of their own. One because I'd read the novel (Dragon's Blood) recently and the other because it's really great in its longer format and I didn't feel it worked as well as an excerpt (Sister Light, Sister Dark).

[Lisa Rathbun]

I loved this collection of strange, magical, often compelling short stories. It's definitely not for children despite its misleading cover. Many of these stories have stuck with me, resonating with timeless themes, and every so often, I go back and reread these. I thought "The Gwynhfar" amazing and creepy and such a strange, strange take on the Arthur legend.

[Marilyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a Jane Yolen fan, and this collection of short stories was a very welcome addition to my Kindle library. Some of the tales I've read before, but others were new to me. I enjoyed both. These are not tales for children. They are filled with mystery, violence, darkness and complicated plots and characters. Often they begin with the familiar, but Jane Yolen never delivers the tired and expected. The twists and turns are dazzling, if sometimes disturbing. They force readers to take another look, reexamine what we thought we knew and what we predicted. Definitely recommended.

[Vickie Woodard · Rating 5 out of 5]

QUITE A VARIETY

I checked this book out not knowing a thing about it or the author.
It was very enjoyable: a large collection of mostly very short stories. Makes me wish I had children to read to once again.

[Sara Gabai · Rating 4 out of 5]

collection of fairy tales. some very short . including "Names", a short, wonderess Holocaust tale.

[Kevin Futers · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a re-read of this collection of tales from the pen of a much ignored writer. Jane Yolen draws on many traditions for these tales; Greek myth, Gaelic folk-tales, European marchen and her own writings to bring together a delightful assortment of stories to which she gives her own dark twists and joyful touches.

I stormed through this at a single sitting, which was a delight after having weighed through another book for several months. Granted I am familiar with the tales but I found that I read some of them at a different level to my memory of them.

I think I may have to give Cards of Grief another read - this was the first of her books that I ever read and it is the only one I have never returned to. Having re-read two tales drawn from that world, my curiosity is piqued.

I notice that some of the tales are included as a taster for her other books and I would have to say that "Sister Light, Sister Dark" is just baffling without having read the book of the same name.

My personal favourite here is "The Boy who sang for Death" although I would have to add that "The White Seal Maid" is perhaps the best take on the old "Seal Wife" story that I have ever read. On the flip side, I didn't enjoy "Old Herald" much.

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy short stories, fairy tales, and Jane Yolen, so I thought I would probably like these, and I do. The tales range in feeling from fairy tales reminiscent of Oscar Wilde's, to anthropological sci-fi that reminds me somewhat of Ursula Le Guin. Yet the tales interconnect with themes of love and dying no matter their style, and the collection moves from tale to tale seamlessly. While some of the stories would probably be appreciated more by adults, I can imagine many YA readers enjoying them as well.

[Carol Fillmore · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautifully written stories. Some stories I liked, others I did not and there were a few I just did not finish because they did not resonate for some reason. These are 'fairytales for adults', definitely not child friendly. There are dark and violent tales, some more so than others. Perhaps it is those not finished which were the darkest and most violent of all? I don't know this for sure but could be the reason. While a happily ever ending is not needed necessarily, a very dark and violent story does put me off.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is amazing.

It was a revelation for me when I read it for the first time around 20 years ago. I had no idea you could there were magical stories like that, written for adults.

It is now out of print, but its worth tracking down a copy.

[JackieB · Rating 5 out of 5]

Normally I don't like short stories but these are fantastic. They're based around myths legends and fairy tales and can be quite dark. Jane Yolen's atmospheric writing is incredibly powerful with not a word wasted. I've re-read these countless times and I don't think I'll ever tire of them.

[Suzanne Vegter · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Nice collection of fairy tales

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting collection of fairy tales, some original and some made up.