What's the Name of That Book??? discussion

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Query abandoned by poster > ABANDONED. A guy has a wife created but can never ask her to speak?

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message 1: by Cassandra (last edited Jul 27, 2012 10:33PM) (new)

Cassandra | 6 comments It's likely a short-story, not a book. I can't remember the genre, it could be anything from mythology to a story in a fantasy anthology. I really appreciate any help.

I think the wife is created from from something like a doll or flowers. For some reason he can never ask her to say anything. To spoil the obvious ending (view spoiler)

I tried looking up versions of Pygmalion and Galatea since it sounds similar, but they're all mixed up with versions of Shaw's play and I can't find anything.

Edit- The more I think about it, the more sketchy I feel about the details. For some reason remember one of the characters being male and the other female, so I assumed one was a wife. I suppose it could be a daughter or the genders could be swapped. The important part is the not speaking.


message 2: by Phoebe (new)

Phoebe (phoebecja) | 11 comments It might be E. T. A. Hoffmann's 'Automomata' or 'The Sandman'.


message 3: by Mir (new)

Mir | 805 comments There is also something in the Mabinogion about a woman created from flowers, I think. As a reward for some hero, maybe?


message 4: by Kris (new)

Kris | 215 comments Rappacini's Daughter by Nathaniel Hawthorne?


message 5: by Cassandra (new)

Cassandra | 6 comments It isn't any of those stories. The important part is that it's like the story of Pandora's box. That he can never ask her to speak, but he's very tempted. None of those have that aspect, or the ending. Thank you both very much though!

The woman from the Mabinogion is Blodeuwedd, and it isn't her either. Thank you!


message 6: by Kerry (new)

Kerry (rocalisa) Total shot in the dark, because I don't remember very much about the details of the book, but it's not The Owl Service, is it?


message 7: by Natalie (new)

Natalie | 149 comments Sounds a lot like a fairytale called "Dorani" I once read in a book of them, but I can't find the specific one on Goodreads.


message 8: by Cassandra (last edited Aug 25, 2012 10:40PM) (new)

Cassandra | 6 comments It isn't The Owl Service or "Dorani" either. "Dorani" is one of Andrew Lang's fairy tales. Thank you both very much for your help. Sorry about being so vague, but the more I think about it the more details I loose.


message 9: by Lobstergirl, au gratin (new)

Lobstergirl | 44923 comments Mod
Cassandra, are you still looking for this book or short story?


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