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Innkeeper's World
Giant Bones
This collection of stories, set in the same universe as The Innkeeper's Song, deals with such themes as a fish who helps a maiden escape from an arranged marriage to the king, a boy who has unusually tall family members, and a magician who must teach a wicked queen all he knows. The stories range from adventurous to introspective, humorous to suspenseful, but all share Beagle's gift for language and his ability to bring his characters to life. Reprint.
288 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1997
9 people are currently reading
780 people want to read
About the author
Peter S. Beagle
222 books3,873 followersPeter Soyer Beagle (born April 20, 1939) is an American fantasist and author of novels, nonfiction, and screenplays. He is also a talented guitarist and folk singer. He wrote his first novel, A Fine and Private Place , when he was only 19 years old. Today he is best known as the author of The Last Unicorn, which routinely polls as one of the top ten fantasy novels of all time, and at least two of his other books (A Fine and Private Place and I See By My Outfit) are considered modern classics.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
November 15, 2025
”Songs and fame are vain endeavor —
only two things fail us never.
only two things last forever —
sorrow and love, sorrow and love…”
In Giant Bones Peter Beagle revisit the world of his most magnificent and complex novel, The Innkeeper’s Song. Though only one of these six tales directly references the heroes of that original book, each story adds further layers of brilliant world building to his already rich landscape. These stories of restless bards, wandering players, traditional storytellers (inbarati), and humble magicians weave a world so achingly, tragically compelling that you will be thoroughly enchanted.
The Last Song of Sirit Byar
4 ⭐️
A large, rough woman relates the poignant tale from her youth of her traveling companion, a wandering bard now nearly passed into legend, and his last song, because “a bard’s last song has power, a last song is always answered…but what becomes of the bard when the song is over?”
The Magician Of Karakosk
4 ⭐️
A cautionary tale of a powerful yet humble wizard (quite uncommon combination) and an amoral and power-hungry queen (all too common) and their confrontation.
The Tragical Historie of the Jiril’s Players
3 1/2 ⭐️
”The play’s the thing…”
~William Shakespeare, Hamlet
The leader of a traveling theatre troop regales a colleague with the story of how he and his troop lost their cushy position as private players to a regional ruler because of shenanigans his heirs attempted in manipulating a hoary production the players were performing. Clever, but a beat or two too long.
Lal and Soukyan
3 1/2 ⭐️
A direct call back to The Innkeeper’s Song, and will have greater impact on those who have read that fine book.
Lal and Soukyan, now aged and long parted from their adventures together, meet again for a final quest of atonement. Along the way their adventures include rescuing a brave young man unwilling to remain a slave, and dealing with the ghosts he can’t escape, and facing a final parting after forty years.
”All stories are lies, just because they are stories. But they are true even so, every one of them…it is so with stories.”
Choushi-Wai’s Story
3 ⭐️
This odd tale failed to grip me, but I appreciated the in world continuity where the teller of the tale, Choushi-wai, was the young girl who was old Lal’s student in the previous story, now all grown and relating a tale she learned from Lal.
Giant Bones
3 ⭐️
Yet another story framed by a storyteller, this time spinning a bedtime story to a boy about why his family is tall, and why he will grow up to be so.
only two things fail us never.
only two things last forever —
sorrow and love, sorrow and love…”
In Giant Bones Peter Beagle revisit the world of his most magnificent and complex novel, The Innkeeper’s Song. Though only one of these six tales directly references the heroes of that original book, each story adds further layers of brilliant world building to his already rich landscape. These stories of restless bards, wandering players, traditional storytellers (inbarati), and humble magicians weave a world so achingly, tragically compelling that you will be thoroughly enchanted.
The Last Song of Sirit Byar
4 ⭐️
A large, rough woman relates the poignant tale from her youth of her traveling companion, a wandering bard now nearly passed into legend, and his last song, because “a bard’s last song has power, a last song is always answered…but what becomes of the bard when the song is over?”
The Magician Of Karakosk
4 ⭐️
A cautionary tale of a powerful yet humble wizard (quite uncommon combination) and an amoral and power-hungry queen (all too common) and their confrontation.
The Tragical Historie of the Jiril’s Players
3 1/2 ⭐️
”The play’s the thing…”
~William Shakespeare, Hamlet
The leader of a traveling theatre troop regales a colleague with the story of how he and his troop lost their cushy position as private players to a regional ruler because of shenanigans his heirs attempted in manipulating a hoary production the players were performing. Clever, but a beat or two too long.
Lal and Soukyan
3 1/2 ⭐️
A direct call back to The Innkeeper’s Song, and will have greater impact on those who have read that fine book.
Lal and Soukyan, now aged and long parted from their adventures together, meet again for a final quest of atonement. Along the way their adventures include rescuing a brave young man unwilling to remain a slave, and dealing with the ghosts he can’t escape, and facing a final parting after forty years.
”All stories are lies, just because they are stories. But they are true even so, every one of them…it is so with stories.”
Choushi-Wai’s Story
3 ⭐️
This odd tale failed to grip me, but I appreciated the in world continuity where the teller of the tale, Choushi-wai, was the young girl who was old Lal’s student in the previous story, now all grown and relating a tale she learned from Lal.
Giant Bones
3 ⭐️
Yet another story framed by a storyteller, this time spinning a bedtime story to a boy about why his family is tall, and why he will grow up to be so.
November 5, 2024
I did it! I read the oldest book on my goodreads TBR from 2013 🥳 I had to find and read 'Innkeeper's Song' first but I don't think it was critical to understanding 5 out of 6 stories. The best story was the titled 'Giant Bones' and I'm glad it was saved for last. As always, I love all the different voices that Beagle can write from as showcased in his short stories.
June 29, 2023
Beagle's fiction always takes me a while to get into, which is problematic in his short short stories, because, by the time you find yourself caught up in the tale, it's almost over. Regardless, this is an excellent collection, although the title story is (in my opinion) the weakest of the five. My favorite was "Lal and Soukyan." I haven't actually read THE INNKEEPER'S SONG, which might be why I'm not giving this a higher rating. Solid 3 stars
December 29, 2023
Another set of classics from the Beagster
November 3, 2019
Hello once again! I actually finished this book about a week ago but I've been too busy to review it until now, so let me finally share my thoughts.
Most of my interest in reading comes from keeping up with Star Wars lore, so it's pretty rare for me to step out of those narrow genre boundaries. Anyways, I was attending the 2019 Port Townsend Film Festival and stumbled upon this book in the local antique store. I've been a fan of tabletop RPGs such Dungeons and Dragons for years, both playing and Dungeon Mastering. Because of that, I had the irresistible urge to pick this one up, shake up my reading flavor, and dive into some high fantasy.
I actually never heard of author Peter S. Beagle until I found his name on the cover of Giant Bones. Goes to show how lacking I am in literary knowledge, because Beagle is more well known than I thought. He is best known for his fantasy novel The Last Unicorn, but he also cowrote the screenplay for Ralph Bakshi's 1978 animated Lord of the Rings film with Chris Conkling.
Anyways, lets get to the actual book. Giant Bones is a compilation of six novellas taking place in the same world, which also happens to be the same world as that of fellow Peter S. Beagle novel The Innkeeper's Song. I'll give ratings and quick mini-reviews for each novella from this book.
THE LAST SONG OF SIRIT BYAR: 3.5 Stars
This story follows a young woman named Mircha Del, who finds herself accompanying the legendary bard known as Sirit Byar on his adventures. While the story took more time than I would have liked to establish itself and get moving, I really enjoyed it once it actually did. Both Mircha and Sirit were interesting characters with an interesting dynamic. I liked all the places that they visit as well, as they all felt lively and distinct. The story, and by extension the relationship between the two protagonists takes some unexpected turns. While not perfect, this was a solid start to the book.
THE MAGICIAN OF KARAKOSK: 5 stars
The second story in this volume follows Lanak, a talented but humble wizard who has taken on the responsibility of protecting a village called Karakosk and ensuring its prosperity. His abilities get him noticed by an ambitious Queen, who wants Lanak to teach her his magical talents so she can use them to expand her dominion. As you can tell by the rating, I loved this one. Magician of Karakosk was the high point of this book quite easily. Lanak was a wonderful protagonist who was endlessly relateable. On top of that, the queen was a compelling antagonist. Much like Sirit Byar, this story took some interesting turns that make it a gripping read, and plays like a classic children's fairy tale. I was hooked from start to finish and could definitely see myself going back to reread this story many times again.
THE TRAGICAL HISTORIE OF THE JIRIL'S PLAYERS: 3 stars
The Jiril's Players are a band of traveling performers who perform plays on stages across the land. This story follows the group as they are caught up in a mire of political intrigue between competing members of a noble family who want to see different tweaks and changes to the scheduled performance of "King Vilnanash" that suit the differing tastes of the members of the noble family.
This one was ok. The story was interesting but unlike the previous entries so far, I didn't get attached to the characters. Each of the nobles have their perks but are stereotypical and cliche, without any other personality traits to distinguish each one. The twist at the end caught me off guard though and I liked the amount of effort Beagle puts in to namedropping plays and verses, so this one gets a pass from me.
LAL AND SOUKYAN: 4.5 stars
This story is unique in that the two titular characters it follows appear in The Inkeeper's Song. Lal and Soukyan are a pair of mercenaries with a long history together. I don't know how their story in Giant Bones connects with their story in Inkeeper's, but here they are old and at the end of their career. Lal is settling down in a remote desert when Soukyan approaches her and requests to go on an adventure to tie up some regretful loose ends.
Based on some other reviews I've seen for this book on this site, "Lal and Soukyan" seems to be the favorite of many because of its connection to another of Beagle's novels. Even if it may be for different reasons, I agree that this is one of the better stories in the book. I may not be familiar with any other Beagle novel, but this story was just great on its own. Lal and Soukyan are a joy to read about as they banter like an old married couple. Their friendship and their history together comes out so strongly and so compellingly through their exchanges. There's also an action scene or two in this book and Peter S. Beagle proves that he can write good action sequences as well as interesting characters and settings. I enjoyed following these characters all the way through and I was rewarded for my efforts with an interesting turn at the end.
If I had any problems, I can pick out two, even if they're nitpicky. The first is that there's a moment with the young boy that the pick up on their travels that was kind of confusing as to what was happening. Maybe the moment will work better for me if I read this story again but even when I went back to read the passage again I was still confused. My second nitpick is that it was kind of silly how much ass these two people kicked despite how old they were. Maybe I need The Inkeeper's Song to understand how that works and it is a fantasy world, but that's why this is more of a nitpick than a dealbreaker.
Overall though, this was a very good story that increased by desire to read Inkeeper's song.
CHOUSHI-WAI'S STORY: 3.5 Stars
Choushi-Wai appears in the opening to "Lal and Soukyan", but now she takes center stage as the narrator for our next story. Here, we follow a poor peasant girl named Tai-Sharm who is taken away to be married off to a king who is desperate for an heir. Tai-Sharm's mother recruits a thief to rescue her daughter from the clutches of the king.
It shares a similar setup to "The Magician of Karakosk" where a village dweller is forced to move to a castle in order to serve the selfish desires of a more powerful figure, but I didn't think this story was quite as good. Tai-sharm is a serviceable protagonist and the king had a compelling motive, but their dynamic wasn't quite as memorable is the one between Lanak and the queen. The thief was a decent character too, but not as good as some of the other characters featured in the other stories of this book.
It also has the exact opposite problem of "The Last Song of Sirit Byar"- Choushi-Wai's story starts out strong and keeps things going through the middle, but the ending was the weakest part- mostly by how confusing it was. I feel like it would make more sense on a repeat read, but for now it wasn't my favorite.
Still though, I enjoyed the story for its twists and surprises, and the characters were good enough that I was invested almost the entire time.
GIANT BONES: 2.5 stars
This was easily the weakest story in the book. Honestly, I don't remember much because I found it pretty bland. From what I remember, it follows the grandfather of the child who the story is being narrated too as he befriends a giant. It has a setup similar to the first How to Train Your Dragon movie where two races are at odds with each other but a pair of characters, each from one of the different opposing races, form a friendship. The difference is that the human in this case is an old man instead of a teenage boy and the "antagonistic" race is giants instead of dragons. I'm willing to give this one another try because I like these kinds of stories and Peter S. Beagle has proven great at writing immersive settings, but the final novella "Giant Bones" didn't give a good first impression.
THE CONCLUSION: Final Rating is 3.5 stars, rounded up to a 4. I did this because despite the book's imperfections, it was successful in making me want to read more from author Peter S. Beagle. I especially am excited to experience more of this world in The Innkeeper's Song.
Even in the book's weaker stories, Beagle did one thing consistently well: WORLDBUILDING. He took every chance he could to explore different corners of this fantasy world, and as a result I fell in love with it. From the song lyrics from Sirit Byar, the play verses from Jiril's players, and all the different locations both recurring and new this world felt like a living, breathing place filled with cool creatures and interesting people, and it gave me an insatiable hunger to see more of it. I am very exited to read The Inkeeper's Song, and I will definitely give Giant Bones another go.
As for my recommendation, it's a must for Peter S. Beagle fans, especially those who liked The Inkeeper's Song. If you never read anything from this author, I'd probably go with The Last Unicorn just because it's Beagle's most popular novel, but Giant Bones is a fine place to start as well. While it didn't knock my socks off, Giant Bones was a worthwhile read for me and has given me an urge to pick up some more fantasy novels from Peter S. Beagle. Check this one out and I'm sure you'll like some of it, if not all of it.
Most of my interest in reading comes from keeping up with Star Wars lore, so it's pretty rare for me to step out of those narrow genre boundaries. Anyways, I was attending the 2019 Port Townsend Film Festival and stumbled upon this book in the local antique store. I've been a fan of tabletop RPGs such Dungeons and Dragons for years, both playing and Dungeon Mastering. Because of that, I had the irresistible urge to pick this one up, shake up my reading flavor, and dive into some high fantasy.
I actually never heard of author Peter S. Beagle until I found his name on the cover of Giant Bones. Goes to show how lacking I am in literary knowledge, because Beagle is more well known than I thought. He is best known for his fantasy novel The Last Unicorn, but he also cowrote the screenplay for Ralph Bakshi's 1978 animated Lord of the Rings film with Chris Conkling.
Anyways, lets get to the actual book. Giant Bones is a compilation of six novellas taking place in the same world, which also happens to be the same world as that of fellow Peter S. Beagle novel The Innkeeper's Song. I'll give ratings and quick mini-reviews for each novella from this book.
THE LAST SONG OF SIRIT BYAR: 3.5 Stars
This story follows a young woman named Mircha Del, who finds herself accompanying the legendary bard known as Sirit Byar on his adventures. While the story took more time than I would have liked to establish itself and get moving, I really enjoyed it once it actually did. Both Mircha and Sirit were interesting characters with an interesting dynamic. I liked all the places that they visit as well, as they all felt lively and distinct. The story, and by extension the relationship between the two protagonists takes some unexpected turns. While not perfect, this was a solid start to the book.
THE MAGICIAN OF KARAKOSK: 5 stars
The second story in this volume follows Lanak, a talented but humble wizard who has taken on the responsibility of protecting a village called Karakosk and ensuring its prosperity. His abilities get him noticed by an ambitious Queen, who wants Lanak to teach her his magical talents so she can use them to expand her dominion. As you can tell by the rating, I loved this one. Magician of Karakosk was the high point of this book quite easily. Lanak was a wonderful protagonist who was endlessly relateable. On top of that, the queen was a compelling antagonist. Much like Sirit Byar, this story took some interesting turns that make it a gripping read, and plays like a classic children's fairy tale. I was hooked from start to finish and could definitely see myself going back to reread this story many times again.
THE TRAGICAL HISTORIE OF THE JIRIL'S PLAYERS: 3 stars
The Jiril's Players are a band of traveling performers who perform plays on stages across the land. This story follows the group as they are caught up in a mire of political intrigue between competing members of a noble family who want to see different tweaks and changes to the scheduled performance of "King Vilnanash" that suit the differing tastes of the members of the noble family.
This one was ok. The story was interesting but unlike the previous entries so far, I didn't get attached to the characters. Each of the nobles have their perks but are stereotypical and cliche, without any other personality traits to distinguish each one. The twist at the end caught me off guard though and I liked the amount of effort Beagle puts in to namedropping plays and verses, so this one gets a pass from me.
LAL AND SOUKYAN: 4.5 stars
This story is unique in that the two titular characters it follows appear in The Inkeeper's Song. Lal and Soukyan are a pair of mercenaries with a long history together. I don't know how their story in Giant Bones connects with their story in Inkeeper's, but here they are old and at the end of their career. Lal is settling down in a remote desert when Soukyan approaches her and requests to go on an adventure to tie up some regretful loose ends.
Based on some other reviews I've seen for this book on this site, "Lal and Soukyan" seems to be the favorite of many because of its connection to another of Beagle's novels. Even if it may be for different reasons, I agree that this is one of the better stories in the book. I may not be familiar with any other Beagle novel, but this story was just great on its own. Lal and Soukyan are a joy to read about as they banter like an old married couple. Their friendship and their history together comes out so strongly and so compellingly through their exchanges. There's also an action scene or two in this book and Peter S. Beagle proves that he can write good action sequences as well as interesting characters and settings. I enjoyed following these characters all the way through and I was rewarded for my efforts with an interesting turn at the end.
If I had any problems, I can pick out two, even if they're nitpicky. The first is that there's a moment with the young boy that the pick up on their travels that was kind of confusing as to what was happening. Maybe the moment will work better for me if I read this story again but even when I went back to read the passage again I was still confused. My second nitpick is that it was kind of silly how much ass these two people kicked despite how old they were. Maybe I need The Inkeeper's Song to understand how that works and it is a fantasy world, but that's why this is more of a nitpick than a dealbreaker.
Overall though, this was a very good story that increased by desire to read Inkeeper's song.
CHOUSHI-WAI'S STORY: 3.5 Stars
Choushi-Wai appears in the opening to "Lal and Soukyan", but now she takes center stage as the narrator for our next story. Here, we follow a poor peasant girl named Tai-Sharm who is taken away to be married off to a king who is desperate for an heir. Tai-Sharm's mother recruits a thief to rescue her daughter from the clutches of the king.
It shares a similar setup to "The Magician of Karakosk" where a village dweller is forced to move to a castle in order to serve the selfish desires of a more powerful figure, but I didn't think this story was quite as good. Tai-sharm is a serviceable protagonist and the king had a compelling motive, but their dynamic wasn't quite as memorable is the one between Lanak and the queen. The thief was a decent character too, but not as good as some of the other characters featured in the other stories of this book.
It also has the exact opposite problem of "The Last Song of Sirit Byar"- Choushi-Wai's story starts out strong and keeps things going through the middle, but the ending was the weakest part- mostly by how confusing it was. I feel like it would make more sense on a repeat read, but for now it wasn't my favorite.
Still though, I enjoyed the story for its twists and surprises, and the characters were good enough that I was invested almost the entire time.
GIANT BONES: 2.5 stars
This was easily the weakest story in the book. Honestly, I don't remember much because I found it pretty bland. From what I remember, it follows the grandfather of the child who the story is being narrated too as he befriends a giant. It has a setup similar to the first How to Train Your Dragon movie where two races are at odds with each other but a pair of characters, each from one of the different opposing races, form a friendship. The difference is that the human in this case is an old man instead of a teenage boy and the "antagonistic" race is giants instead of dragons. I'm willing to give this one another try because I like these kinds of stories and Peter S. Beagle has proven great at writing immersive settings, but the final novella "Giant Bones" didn't give a good first impression.
THE CONCLUSION: Final Rating is 3.5 stars, rounded up to a 4. I did this because despite the book's imperfections, it was successful in making me want to read more from author Peter S. Beagle. I especially am excited to experience more of this world in The Innkeeper's Song.
Even in the book's weaker stories, Beagle did one thing consistently well: WORLDBUILDING. He took every chance he could to explore different corners of this fantasy world, and as a result I fell in love with it. From the song lyrics from Sirit Byar, the play verses from Jiril's players, and all the different locations both recurring and new this world felt like a living, breathing place filled with cool creatures and interesting people, and it gave me an insatiable hunger to see more of it. I am very exited to read The Inkeeper's Song, and I will definitely give Giant Bones another go.
As for my recommendation, it's a must for Peter S. Beagle fans, especially those who liked The Inkeeper's Song. If you never read anything from this author, I'd probably go with The Last Unicorn just because it's Beagle's most popular novel, but Giant Bones is a fine place to start as well. While it didn't knock my socks off, Giant Bones was a worthwhile read for me and has given me an urge to pick up some more fantasy novels from Peter S. Beagle. Check this one out and I'm sure you'll like some of it, if not all of it.
January 8, 2010
A fascinating little gem of a book, much underrated in the Beagle cannon, I liked this book enough to adapt it to the stage. Each of the six novellas are good, with the one centered on the Players of Derridow and the story of Tai-Sharm and the Singing Fish being my favorites and the most emotionally satisfying. The tale of Sirit Byar has a lot of classic Beagle bits: haunting images of beauty and insanity, light and darkness, jealousy and generosity all meshed together. The title story reads like a creation myth of Grecian grandeur, but charmingly spun through the eyes of a simple, work-a-day peasant, which in no way depletes its mystery and power (in classic Peter S. Beagle). The tale of Lal and Soukyan is a one of the weaker stories as a stand alone piece, but as a bone thrown to fans of the INKEEPER'S SONG it will have more power as the reason you really are reading it (to spend more time with Lal and Soukyan) is extremely well rendered, their relationship as bitter and sweet as ever. The Magician of Karakosk story, rounding out the collection, is probably the most proto-typical fantasy story Beagle has ever written but since it's him its both very good and somehow still "new". All around a worthy edition to the library, especially if you're like me and your a fan of this incredible and prolific writer.
March 28, 2016
I hovered between three and four, but enough of the stories are four stars to make me rate the entire book that way. The ending of "Giant Bones" itself makes me want to rate the whole book four stars. My favorite story was, of course, "Lal and Soukyan" because the title characters are from The Innkeeper's Song, one of my newest favorite books. But the other stories have their own mystery and charm as well. I'm glad Beagle decided to revisit this world, and I enjoyed revisiting it myself.
November 6, 2013
I love Peter S. Beagle. I've loved him ever since The Last Unicorn. I found the book by accident, in the good old public library in Klang (yeah, bet you don't know where that is). And I loved it so much I even photocopied pages from it (sorry!) - a young girl (I must have been, what, 13? 14? at the time), growing up in South East Asia and not really even knowing that fantasy was a genre all on its own. I love the way he writes, I love what he writes, and I can definitely say that I would read everything he writes over and over and over again. If you want your fantasy to read like music, with a liberal sprinkling of poetry, philosophy and magic, you could do worse than read his books. He plays language like a violin!
August 11, 2014
Κλείνοντας το βιβλίο, έμεινα για λίγα λεπτά να ατενίζω το άπειρο κι ύστερα έβαλα τα κλάματα. Τα είχα βάλει κι άλλες φορές, καθώς τελείωνα ένα ένα τα διηγήματα. Είχα πάρα πολύ καιρό να κλάψω με κάποιο βιβλίο κι αυτός ο τύπος τα κατάφερε. Το συνιστώ ανεπιφύλακτα, σε όποιο ψάχνει για φάνταζυ παραμύθια, αν και οι ιστορίες του είναι δοσμένες από την οπτική γωνία όχι του βασιλιά ή του μάγου, αλλά του καθημερινού ανθρώπου με τα προβλήματα και τις ανησυχίες του. Πληροφοριακά τα Γιγάντια Οστά διαδραματίζονται στον ίδιο κόσμο με την Μπαλάντα του Πανδοχέα, που θα τσακιστώ να το αγοράσω, ακόμη κι αν είναι το τελευταίο βιβλίο που θα αγοράσω στη ζωή μου.
January 31, 2010
This book is a set of six short stories set in the same frame as another book of his, The Innkeepers Song. As I began reading I was reminded of Beagle's skill with "voices"--each story is told by a different storyteller, and each is charming and engrossing. I love Beagle's prose and this book did not disappoint.
June 6, 2007
I re-read this one pretty regularly...
August 12, 2009
one of my all time favorite Peater S. Beagle books. a collection of short stories all with messages. ranging from heartwarming to heart wrenching. an all together great set of stories.
June 14, 2017
Lyricism, disparate voices, a tapestry world, and more, Peter S. Beagle weaves magic into each of his stories, whether or not magic itself plays into the story. As the cover says, all of these stories are set in the universe of The Innkeeper’s Song, but each is very distinct from the next. Places may overlap, but very few people do – most notably, Lal and Choushi-wai are at least name-dropped across two stories (“Lal and Soukyan”, and “Choushi-wai’s Story”). Yet, there is still a sense of interconnectedness between them all: the world may be the same, but the voices are so different (For much of the story, I was convinced that “Giant Bones” was a grandmother narrating to her grandson, but turns out it was the father!!), and the stories each have something different to pass on to the reader. Getting the chance to visit so many different corners of this world made me hunger for a map, yet a map is not necessary. Directions are everywhere, and it is up to the reader to draw them out if he/she wishes to – but half of the fun is just letting the different town names wash over you, and realizing that even though little might be said about it, you can be sure that there is a completeness to it. This world is a playground, just waiting to be explored, and these six stories give us a glimpse into the myriad possibilities. Not to mention all the cleverness, especially for “The Magician of Karakosk”, the political intrigue in “The Tragical Historie of the Jiril’s Players”, the emotions of “The Last Song of Sirit Byar”, the nearing of journey’s end in “Lal and Soukyan”, the magic in “Choushi-wai’s Story” (which is possibly my favorite story, but that’s because I’m biased for fishy business ;) You’ll just have to read it to find out what I mean by that!), and the deep thoughs of “Giant Bones”.
Below are some of my favorite quotes, and testimony to Peter S. Beagle’s magical way with words and wisdom. None really spoil a story, but I’m putting them in spoilers just in case you want to discover them on your own as you meander through this realm.
Below are some of my favorite quotes, and testimony to Peter S. Beagle’s magical way with words and wisdom. None really spoil a story, but I’m putting them in spoilers just in case you want to discover them on your own as you meander through this realm.
January 31, 2023
Peter S. Beagle’s Giant Bones is a collection of six short stories set within the same universe as his novel, The Innkeeper’s Song. I must admit, right now, that I’ve only read The Innkeeper’s Song once, many years ago (although now I definitely plan to re-read it someday soon). The great thing about these selections, however, is that even though they share common elements, such as referencing certain landmark and types of animals, each one can stand on its own as a short fantasy story.
As such, readers unfamiliar with The Innkeeper’s Song can still enjoy and become enveloped in the unique tales Beagle has to share here, which he does with all the lyrical grace that is also evident in his renowned story, The Last Unicorn, alongside its novelette sequel, Two Hearts. They can gain a deep understanding of the characters, whether or not those characters happen to appear in Beagle’s larger novel. But they still get to enjoy some continuity, since there are characters who appear in one story, but are then referenced in another one.
Each story moves like a skillful dancer from thoughtful, somewhat melancholy adventures, such as that of “The Last Song of Sirit Byar” (where the narrator, Mircha Del, tells of her childhood journey following a celebrated bard with a complicated past) and more comedic shenanigans like those found in “The Tragical Historie of the Jiril’s Players” (where the children of a ruler, known as the “Jiril,” force a theater troupe to help further their own political objectives through one of their performances). And Beagle is able to balance such elements skillfully.
Additionally, the worldbuilding and strong sense of voice are impressive factors as well, and it is easy to sympathize with Beagle’s characters as they overcome any number of difficulties. There is this intimate feel to each one, as if the narrator is making an intimate confession, that only serves to draw in readers even deeper into all the events and circumstances.
So for anyone who would love to check out some great examples of Peter S. Beagle’s short stories, I would definitely recommend Giant Bones right away.
As such, readers unfamiliar with The Innkeeper’s Song can still enjoy and become enveloped in the unique tales Beagle has to share here, which he does with all the lyrical grace that is also evident in his renowned story, The Last Unicorn, alongside its novelette sequel, Two Hearts. They can gain a deep understanding of the characters, whether or not those characters happen to appear in Beagle’s larger novel. But they still get to enjoy some continuity, since there are characters who appear in one story, but are then referenced in another one.
Each story moves like a skillful dancer from thoughtful, somewhat melancholy adventures, such as that of “The Last Song of Sirit Byar” (where the narrator, Mircha Del, tells of her childhood journey following a celebrated bard with a complicated past) and more comedic shenanigans like those found in “The Tragical Historie of the Jiril’s Players” (where the children of a ruler, known as the “Jiril,” force a theater troupe to help further their own political objectives through one of their performances). And Beagle is able to balance such elements skillfully.
Additionally, the worldbuilding and strong sense of voice are impressive factors as well, and it is easy to sympathize with Beagle’s characters as they overcome any number of difficulties. There is this intimate feel to each one, as if the narrator is making an intimate confession, that only serves to draw in readers even deeper into all the events and circumstances.
So for anyone who would love to check out some great examples of Peter S. Beagle’s short stories, I would definitely recommend Giant Bones right away.
July 22, 2021
The world of
The Innkeeper's Song
has taken up the dreams of Peter S. Beagle, and it has filled his head with so many stories and histories that he's given us
Giant Bones
in an attempt to clear some out. Lucky us. They're all presented using storytellers except for one: the most direct follow-up of his bestselling book (the main character is still a storyteller, but it's not told as a story).
A woman tells the story of her travels with a famous bard, right up to the day of his death in The Last Song of Sirit Byar. There’s a lot of great details in this one. Mostly around the girl as she grows into a woman both mentally and physically (but to hear her tell it, she might say she developed physically into a woman-shaped plough horse). The bard is more reserved and she admits that, though she knew more about him than anyone else, it still wasn’t very much. His conversation is vague or riddlish or, in one memorable confrontation, guilty and worried and wanting to help but not knowing how. There’s music in his rhymes and magic too, and it’s the magic that he uses at the end of his wandering. It’s a wonderful story with a sad ending that was never really the end of anything. I’m going to like this book, I can tell.
Lanak is a country wizard with the unfortunate and unique problem of being too damn good in The Magician of Karakosk. This one’s a funny, clever tale of a wizard who’s magic is powerful but can’t do anything by halves (tries to lessen a heavy snowfall, accidently brings spring two months early). He ends up being swept away by a Queen to serve as her court magician, and while he does manage to trick her up and prevent her from doing others harm, he ends up between a rock and a hard place when the Queen orders him to teach her his magic. He can’t refuse, he has a wife and child being threatened, but he also knows perfectly well what she plans to use her magic for. And she’s a fast learner, and time is running out. You read it and you know there’s a twist coming, the narrator has told us Lanak goes on to live a long life, but you won’t be expecting something so sad and horrific. I’d be surprised if this twist didn’t haunt Lanak’s dreams.
The Tragical Historie of the Jiril's Players is about the last performance of the royal troupe for their monarch, marred as it was by the interference of the royal brats. It’s quite an unassuming narrative for all it manages to suggest of itself. The story-teller is the troupe’s leader and he presents his walk down memory lane as the story of the play that got the troupe kicked out of the kingdom, but it actually ends up being the play that resulted in a royal coup and the banning of all entertainers from the kingdom for ever after on penalty of death. The Jiril’s back-stabbing children all keep popping up to bully the troupe leader into inserting hidden messages to their followers into the script. It’s one of those great stories that build and build in tension only to end with one hell of a twist.
When I got to Lal and Soukyan, I got worried. I know these characters. I hate stories that show you the future of beloved characters because it never end up being the way you'd hoped things would go for them. But their story was beautiful and crackled with the energy they brought to The Innkeeper's Song . Lal was still a sharp-tongued hard-ass, and Soukyan was patient with her and her presence and understood her need to take up space in the world, and slid into the quiet spots she left for him as though he'd never been away from her side. They meet up once more to go haring off after an old regret of Soukyan's so he could try and set things right. Things don't really turn out they way he'd hoped, and they end up having an adventure that was almost more than their old bones could take. It hurt all over again to let them go, because as Lal knew it to be, this would be their last time crossing stories, though the blow is softened knowing they still have some years left in them. But as the author wrote in his introduction:
...well, I was very glad to see these two, that's all. I'd missed them especially, and wondered about them, and I was happy to be on the road with them once more, and to savor their prickly partnership, their irritable tenderness for each other. And I miss them more acutely now, because this time I know I'll never see them again.
(Peter S. Beagle, Giant Bones, xi)
But the tale goes on in Choushi-wai's Story as we hear the tale Lal's apprentice was working on while they waited on Soukyan to reach their door. It's a tale of a mighty lord, his wicked minister, a peasant and her daughter, a clever thief, and a singing fish. Choushi-wai's story is very different, and though its fashion of interrupting is copied in Giant Bones, Choushi-wai interrupts with the kind of talk you would hear from buskers. She goads you into paying attention, gloats over how much she knows, and bribes you with the promise of a good tale. And at the very end we get the impression that she is an adult now and has taken up Lal's mantle.
Giant Bones is the weakest story of the batch. A father is telling his son a bedtime story to calm some night-time bogyman fears (ok, technically he’s telling it to him to get the kid to shut up) and he’s a very entertaining storyteller for the first while but the interruptions grate nearly as badly as the ones in The Princess Bride by William Goldman. The topic turns to the story of how their family line all got to growing so tall. Seems their ancestor was held hostage by giants for 18 years and lived with them right up until the last of them died off. The story itself isn’t that interesting. There’s no plot, and the climax is more an inevitability. It’s really just the story of this guy living with giants and learning about their culture.
The verdict? Giant Bones is another wonderful book from a wonderful author filled with adventures within his wonderful, wonderful world. If you've read The Innkeeper's Song you'll want to pick this up to get a little more traction out of your fondness for Lal and Soukyan, or pick this one up first to test the waters with Peter S. Beagle's flair with turning words into worlds.
A woman tells the story of her travels with a famous bard, right up to the day of his death in The Last Song of Sirit Byar. There’s a lot of great details in this one. Mostly around the girl as she grows into a woman both mentally and physically (but to hear her tell it, she might say she developed physically into a woman-shaped plough horse). The bard is more reserved and she admits that, though she knew more about him than anyone else, it still wasn’t very much. His conversation is vague or riddlish or, in one memorable confrontation, guilty and worried and wanting to help but not knowing how. There’s music in his rhymes and magic too, and it’s the magic that he uses at the end of his wandering. It’s a wonderful story with a sad ending that was never really the end of anything. I’m going to like this book, I can tell.
Lanak is a country wizard with the unfortunate and unique problem of being too damn good in The Magician of Karakosk. This one’s a funny, clever tale of a wizard who’s magic is powerful but can’t do anything by halves (tries to lessen a heavy snowfall, accidently brings spring two months early). He ends up being swept away by a Queen to serve as her court magician, and while he does manage to trick her up and prevent her from doing others harm, he ends up between a rock and a hard place when the Queen orders him to teach her his magic. He can’t refuse, he has a wife and child being threatened, but he also knows perfectly well what she plans to use her magic for. And she’s a fast learner, and time is running out. You read it and you know there’s a twist coming, the narrator has told us Lanak goes on to live a long life, but you won’t be expecting something so sad and horrific. I’d be surprised if this twist didn’t haunt Lanak’s dreams.
The Tragical Historie of the Jiril's Players is about the last performance of the royal troupe for their monarch, marred as it was by the interference of the royal brats. It’s quite an unassuming narrative for all it manages to suggest of itself. The story-teller is the troupe’s leader and he presents his walk down memory lane as the story of the play that got the troupe kicked out of the kingdom, but it actually ends up being the play that resulted in a royal coup and the banning of all entertainers from the kingdom for ever after on penalty of death. The Jiril’s back-stabbing children all keep popping up to bully the troupe leader into inserting hidden messages to their followers into the script. It’s one of those great stories that build and build in tension only to end with one hell of a twist.
When I got to Lal and Soukyan, I got worried. I know these characters. I hate stories that show you the future of beloved characters because it never end up being the way you'd hoped things would go for them. But their story was beautiful and crackled with the energy they brought to The Innkeeper's Song . Lal was still a sharp-tongued hard-ass, and Soukyan was patient with her and her presence and understood her need to take up space in the world, and slid into the quiet spots she left for him as though he'd never been away from her side. They meet up once more to go haring off after an old regret of Soukyan's so he could try and set things right. Things don't really turn out they way he'd hoped, and they end up having an adventure that was almost more than their old bones could take. It hurt all over again to let them go, because as Lal knew it to be, this would be their last time crossing stories, though the blow is softened knowing they still have some years left in them. But as the author wrote in his introduction:
...well, I was very glad to see these two, that's all. I'd missed them especially, and wondered about them, and I was happy to be on the road with them once more, and to savor their prickly partnership, their irritable tenderness for each other. And I miss them more acutely now, because this time I know I'll never see them again.
(Peter S. Beagle, Giant Bones, xi)
But the tale goes on in Choushi-wai's Story as we hear the tale Lal's apprentice was working on while they waited on Soukyan to reach their door. It's a tale of a mighty lord, his wicked minister, a peasant and her daughter, a clever thief, and a singing fish. Choushi-wai's story is very different, and though its fashion of interrupting is copied in Giant Bones, Choushi-wai interrupts with the kind of talk you would hear from buskers. She goads you into paying attention, gloats over how much she knows, and bribes you with the promise of a good tale. And at the very end we get the impression that she is an adult now and has taken up Lal's mantle.
Giant Bones is the weakest story of the batch. A father is telling his son a bedtime story to calm some night-time bogyman fears (ok, technically he’s telling it to him to get the kid to shut up) and he’s a very entertaining storyteller for the first while but the interruptions grate nearly as badly as the ones in The Princess Bride by William Goldman. The topic turns to the story of how their family line all got to growing so tall. Seems their ancestor was held hostage by giants for 18 years and lived with them right up until the last of them died off. The story itself isn’t that interesting. There’s no plot, and the climax is more an inevitability. It’s really just the story of this guy living with giants and learning about their culture.
The verdict? Giant Bones is another wonderful book from a wonderful author filled with adventures within his wonderful, wonderful world. If you've read The Innkeeper's Song you'll want to pick this up to get a little more traction out of your fondness for Lal and Soukyan, or pick this one up first to test the waters with Peter S. Beagle's flair with turning words into worlds.
December 19, 2019
I have had this on my to-read list for a very long time, years. I don't know why I was so reluctant to read it, I think I have read many of the stories partway through, but never finished them. Part of the hesitation was the way women are portrayed in some of the stories. I am always skittish when male writers write female characters, because they generally over-sexualize them and make them less intelligent and enterprising. And some of the female characters are like this. But the author redeems himself with Tai Sharm, a wonderfully drawn female character if I ever saw one. The ending could have gone differently, but it is a lovely story all the same.
What I really love about fiction is the ability to wrap yourself in a different world. The descriptions are exquisite and extensive, the words are like decorations and ornaments and are not used sparingly. These are the kinds of stories that allow the reader to get lost in a different place, and to start imagining themselves in the stories. The stories are all very good, but my favorite was Choushi Wai's story, followed by Lal and Soukyan. What a wonderful book, I wasn't ready to read it until now.
What I really love about fiction is the ability to wrap yourself in a different world. The descriptions are exquisite and extensive, the words are like decorations and ornaments and are not used sparingly. These are the kinds of stories that allow the reader to get lost in a different place, and to start imagining themselves in the stories. The stories are all very good, but my favorite was Choushi Wai's story, followed by Lal and Soukyan. What a wonderful book, I wasn't ready to read it until now.
June 16, 2021
Peter S. Beagle is someone I turn to time and again when I just need comfort. This collection of short stories (set in the world of the Innkeeper's Song but with only 1 story involving its characters) is no exception. It's a showcase for the voice that made Beagle the legend that he is. The stories feel older than they are probably because they are mostly framed as stories being told to you by some character who has need of passing the information on. Much of the collection is about aging, and it's a stories that I think is more valuable to me now than ten years ago and will be more valuable still ten, twenty years in my future. My one issue with this collection is the same as my issue with IS, and that is some weirdly phrased elements around race that just make it very obvious that this is written by a white male. Not necessarily offensive (at least not to this very white girl), but definitely doesn't feel contemporary. Here though, it only crops up in Lal and Soukyan's story. If you like Innkeeper's Song, you should read this to get a little more into the adventures of Lal and Soukyan, and if you didn't read IS, you can definitely enjoy this collection with no problem.
November 1, 2018
A strong collection. Each story was good on its own (and I'd never read The Inkeeper's Song). The framing device of a story being told was interesting. I feared it'd get old, but it did not—possibly because I read the book over a large period of time. As with The Last Unicorn, Beagle's prose is beautiful and evocative.
October 22, 2022
This was my own fault for reading this before realizing that it's stories set in his Innkeepers song world, which I have not read yet. Overall it was great quality, as all of Beagle's writing is, but I was a little lost with the references. I just want to read IS and then I'll probably come back and finish these.
May 22, 2017
A lovely book with fantastic writing. I loved the conceit of (almost) each story being a first-person narrative with a very different voice/style. I think my favorite story, though, is the first in the collection: "The Last Song of Sirit-Byar."
June 13, 2017
So many feels. It's not perfect, but the Lal and Soukyan story was what my soul needed. The others all have a wonderful spark to them in their own ways. Definitely suggest to fans of Beagles "Inkeeper's Song".
February 15, 2019
So good!
April 1, 2020
It is like being in a tavern listening to fabulous stories from all the realm.
November 23, 2022
Fantastic! I found all the stories quite enjoyable.
November 7, 2011
Giant Bones by Peter S. Beagle. ROC Books, 1997
Giant Bones is a collection of six stories set in the world of The Innkeeper’s Song , which was apparently quite a surprise to the author, as he explained in his Foreward “I don’t do sequels.” Here is an author who prides himself on doing something different in every book, and yet here he was, writing, if not necessarily sequels, a group of stories set in the same universe, a universe that Beagle thought he was done with. The universe itself clearly had other ideas.
“The Last Song of Sirit Byar” is the story of a legendary bard, as told by his rather unusual assistant, and the power of a bard’s final song. “Lal and Soukyan” is the only thing approaching a sequel and concerns the two title characters, very important players in The Innkeeper’s Song, and how and why they met again for one last adventure many years later. “The Magician of Karakosk” concerns an untutored wizard named Lanak and the true nature of magic. While it has no characters in common with Beagle’s novel, readers of that novel should recognize the sort of wizard that Lanak is, and why there is a vast and profound distinction between a wizard in Beagle’s universe and someone who simply throws spells around, as one scheming queen soon learns. “The Tragical Historie of Jiril’s Players” should resonate with anyone who has ever been involved in theatre. The author doesn’t even consider it a fantasy, but I do. Despite the fact that, in the context of his universe--and most others--it could have happened. “Choushi-Wai’s Story” follows from “Lal and Soukyan” in the character of Choushi-Wai herself, a young girl who appears in that previous story to learn the ways of the inbarati, the storytellers of Lal’s homeland, and then applies them as the framing device for her own story that might, just might, be my favorite piece in the whole book. The book finishes with the title story, “Giant Bones,” a sort of demented bedtime story about an obscure piece of family history, for some chosen values of family that reach beyond blood.
Besides all being set in the universe of The Innkeeper’s Song, some of the stories interconnect through common characters, like Choushi-Wai in both “Choushi-Wai’s Story” and “Lal and Soukyan.” Some connect with common references, but for anyone who has read The Innkeeper’s Song (and if not, why?), there’s never any doubt as so where you are and who these people are, even the ones you’ve never met outside of this particular book. That connection is usually a strength, but one of the few quibbles I have about this book is the same one I had about the novel—Beagle’s tendency to make up creatures, give them a function, but seldom describes them adequately, or sometimes at all. We do finally get to know rock-targs and churfas a good deal better, but most of the rest you have to draw from context and function. It’s almost on a par with the old science-fiction writing advice “never call a rabbit a smerp.” Beagle seems a little guilty of that in this universe, but once you get to know the creatures a little better, it works. It just doesn’t work right away, and can throw you out of the story if you’re not expecting it. If you get your baptism of the new flora and fauna in the novel, it helps a great deal in appreciating Giant Bones, where Beagle has even less room for explanations. Except for the churfas. Those bad-tempered, flatulent, odorous, but ultimately lovable not-horses. And the far less than lovable rock-targs. These two are almost worth the price of admission all by themselves.
All that aside, these are Peter Beagle stories. If you already know what that means, I don’t need to tell you. If you don’t know, well, a few pages of reading beats an encyclopedia of explanation.
Mirrored to: Richard-Parks.com
Giant Bones is a collection of six stories set in the world of The Innkeeper’s Song , which was apparently quite a surprise to the author, as he explained in his Foreward “I don’t do sequels.” Here is an author who prides himself on doing something different in every book, and yet here he was, writing, if not necessarily sequels, a group of stories set in the same universe, a universe that Beagle thought he was done with. The universe itself clearly had other ideas.
“The Last Song of Sirit Byar” is the story of a legendary bard, as told by his rather unusual assistant, and the power of a bard’s final song. “Lal and Soukyan” is the only thing approaching a sequel and concerns the two title characters, very important players in The Innkeeper’s Song, and how and why they met again for one last adventure many years later. “The Magician of Karakosk” concerns an untutored wizard named Lanak and the true nature of magic. While it has no characters in common with Beagle’s novel, readers of that novel should recognize the sort of wizard that Lanak is, and why there is a vast and profound distinction between a wizard in Beagle’s universe and someone who simply throws spells around, as one scheming queen soon learns. “The Tragical Historie of Jiril’s Players” should resonate with anyone who has ever been involved in theatre. The author doesn’t even consider it a fantasy, but I do. Despite the fact that, in the context of his universe--and most others--it could have happened. “Choushi-Wai’s Story” follows from “Lal and Soukyan” in the character of Choushi-Wai herself, a young girl who appears in that previous story to learn the ways of the inbarati, the storytellers of Lal’s homeland, and then applies them as the framing device for her own story that might, just might, be my favorite piece in the whole book. The book finishes with the title story, “Giant Bones,” a sort of demented bedtime story about an obscure piece of family history, for some chosen values of family that reach beyond blood.
Besides all being set in the universe of The Innkeeper’s Song, some of the stories interconnect through common characters, like Choushi-Wai in both “Choushi-Wai’s Story” and “Lal and Soukyan.” Some connect with common references, but for anyone who has read The Innkeeper’s Song (and if not, why?), there’s never any doubt as so where you are and who these people are, even the ones you’ve never met outside of this particular book. That connection is usually a strength, but one of the few quibbles I have about this book is the same one I had about the novel—Beagle’s tendency to make up creatures, give them a function, but seldom describes them adequately, or sometimes at all. We do finally get to know rock-targs and churfas a good deal better, but most of the rest you have to draw from context and function. It’s almost on a par with the old science-fiction writing advice “never call a rabbit a smerp.” Beagle seems a little guilty of that in this universe, but once you get to know the creatures a little better, it works. It just doesn’t work right away, and can throw you out of the story if you’re not expecting it. If you get your baptism of the new flora and fauna in the novel, it helps a great deal in appreciating Giant Bones, where Beagle has even less room for explanations. Except for the churfas. Those bad-tempered, flatulent, odorous, but ultimately lovable not-horses. And the far less than lovable rock-targs. These two are almost worth the price of admission all by themselves.
All that aside, these are Peter Beagle stories. If you already know what that means, I don’t need to tell you. If you don’t know, well, a few pages of reading beats an encyclopedia of explanation.
Mirrored to: Richard-Parks.com
Read
March 7, 2017Beagle'i "The innkeeper's song" meeldis mulle osalt nii väga sellepärast, et lugu jutustavad eri tegelased - mitte eri vaatepunktid, vaid et tegelased räägivadki tagantjärele kordamööda seda lugu eri kuulajatele (mu teine selle aasta lemmik, "The last days of Jack Sparks", kasutab ka erinevat loojutustamist - folkloristi rõõm) ja see jutukogumik on ka täis eri olukordades jutustatud lugusid, mis on suuremal või vähemal määral väga head. Ainult yks lugu, kus seiklevad "Innkeeper's" tegelased vanuripõlves ja mis pani ette "hohohoo!" ytlema, oli autori jutustatud, ja seega hoopis tavalisem.
December 12, 2013
This was a lovely collection of stories. They were nearly all written as though they were being told to someone and there was a lovely feeling of oral folk tale about them. The stories managed to be both otherworldly and very human. There was tragic love and despair and comedy and cannibalism.
Of the six stories Lal and Soukyan was probably my favourite. A story of two old adventurers who were much more interesting because of their age and it seemed still had plenty of things left to do. It was such a nice change on an "adventures" story. The Last Song of Sirit Byar was also lovely, of magic and madness. A woman who'd been lost and the bard who loved her hopelessly. The Magician of Karakosk was quite disturbing as well as being funny. It was a traditional tale about a magician turned on its head. The Tragical Historie of the Jiril's Players was the only one I didn't care much for. It was more of a comedy but the humour just didn't sit right with me. Choushi-wai's Story was a wonderful fairy tale about a peasant woman who was taken to be the bride of the king and how she escaped. It was a wonderful twist on a standard fairy tale, and much more satisfying. Giant bones itself started a little slowly, a man abducted by giants in the mountains. But the ending was just wonderful and it turned into a lovely tragic tale of loss.
The writing in these stories was very good. The styles were all so well done that you got familiar with the personality of the person telling each story just from the way they told it and the words they used.
This is definitely one I'd recommend.
Of the six stories Lal and Soukyan was probably my favourite. A story of two old adventurers who were much more interesting because of their age and it seemed still had plenty of things left to do. It was such a nice change on an "adventures" story. The Last Song of Sirit Byar was also lovely, of magic and madness. A woman who'd been lost and the bard who loved her hopelessly. The Magician of Karakosk was quite disturbing as well as being funny. It was a traditional tale about a magician turned on its head. The Tragical Historie of the Jiril's Players was the only one I didn't care much for. It was more of a comedy but the humour just didn't sit right with me. Choushi-wai's Story was a wonderful fairy tale about a peasant woman who was taken to be the bride of the king and how she escaped. It was a wonderful twist on a standard fairy tale, and much more satisfying. Giant bones itself started a little slowly, a man abducted by giants in the mountains. But the ending was just wonderful and it turned into a lovely tragic tale of loss.
The writing in these stories was very good. The styles were all so well done that you got familiar with the personality of the person telling each story just from the way they told it and the words they used.
This is definitely one I'd recommend.
Want to read
June 2, 2015I gave this book to my nephew, who was heartbroken to have to leave the stage adaptation (I did the puppets/props) at intermission when his younger sister threw a fit. I liked what I read, but I only read the stories that were in the play before I gave it away. Peter S. Beagle is a skillful writer, and he writes with whimsy. Sometimes, he goes on tangents, and I find them enjoyable, but be prepared.
Previously:
My next big puppet project is a play adapted from this book. I'm doing puppets and props, and yes, I even get to make a huge giant. Mr. Beagle's going to be in the audience, rumor has it, so I feel I really need to study up on this fantasy world before I get down to creating.
Previously:
My next big puppet project is a play adapted from this book. I'm doing puppets and props, and yes, I even get to make a huge giant. Mr. Beagle's going to be in the audience, rumor has it, so I feel I really need to study up on this fantasy world before I get down to creating.
August 17, 2018
Peter S. Beagle redefined for me how fantasy genre should be written and how it should be read. Here, you wont encounter fancy worlds, stress-free people and happy endings; depending of how you define a happy end. You will feel pain and stress for the heroes and sympathize with their agonies and daily struggle with their life. Funny at some points, sad in others, written in simple, daily, street language but given in such a wonderful way to keep you hooked until the end.
Thanks Mr. Beagle, now I gotta rush and finish all your other books.
Thanks Mr. Beagle, now I gotta rush and finish all your other books.
October 21, 2013
It lacked the familiar nostalgia it would've had had I read The Innkeeper's Song...but I could still sense the allusions to an already-fleshed-out world in a way that was almost comforting, even without being familiar with that world. The skaz-like oral storytelling affectation vacillated between being interesting and tiresomely overwrought. But Beagle is pretty great at what he does, so I guess I can forgive him for making me roll my eyes a few times.
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