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PHOTOGRAPHING FAIRIES
In the 1920s, a country policeman, Constable Michael Walsmear, punches his way into the London studio of Charles Castle, the world-famous American photographer, to show him some pictures. What Castle sees in Walsmear's pictures is incredible. When he goes to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle for verification of the faerie images found on the negatives, Doyle tries to bribe Castle to destroy the pictures. But Castle will not be bought; he is out to discover the truth. And truth he finds in the small village of Burkinwell, a village built upon secrets, strange sexual practices, beautiful gardens, and true human nature.
304 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1992
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
April 26, 2012
This is one of my all time favorite books. This unusual story (most likely based on the Cottington Hoax with Frances Wright and her sister) was a truly passionate story of romance, torment, adventure, sexual desire, and fantasy at its finest. The description and use of language as portrayed by the author set the perfect scene for the overall feeling of this book. I would definitely recommend a wonderful read like this one to anybody looking for something new and unusual to read.
May 3, 2012
Does this count as a Once Upon a Time read? There are hints of other-worldiness, with ‘evidence’ of fairies when policeman Walsmear brings photographer Charles Castle photographs of fairies. Castle becomes completely convinced that those smears around the photographs are indeed fairies and heads to the garden to photograph the fairies for himself. Arthur Conan Doyle makes an appearance.
And based on that alone, it sounds like a fantastic read, doesn’t it? I was all ooh, Doyle and fairies!
But bah. It wasn’t. It started out fine enough but once Castle heads to the little village of Burkinwell to find the fairies, things just get too bizarre. Not in the otherworld-ly sense, which would have made for at least an interesting sort of bizarre. But in the human sense, where Castle meets the vicar’s wife and falls in with some gypsies and just drinks far too much. I’m kind of surprised I stuck with it, but I guess since the book opens with Castle telling his tale from prison, I wanted to find out what he was incarcerated for. So Steve Szilagui got me there. And I wasn’t the only one, as Photographing Fairies was shortlisted for the 1993 World Fantasy Awards and was even turned into a film starring Ben Kingsley.
And based on that alone, it sounds like a fantastic read, doesn’t it? I was all ooh, Doyle and fairies!
But bah. It wasn’t. It started out fine enough but once Castle heads to the little village of Burkinwell to find the fairies, things just get too bizarre. Not in the otherworld-ly sense, which would have made for at least an interesting sort of bizarre. But in the human sense, where Castle meets the vicar’s wife and falls in with some gypsies and just drinks far too much. I’m kind of surprised I stuck with it, but I guess since the book opens with Castle telling his tale from prison, I wanted to find out what he was incarcerated for. So Steve Szilagui got me there. And I wasn’t the only one, as Photographing Fairies was shortlisted for the 1993 World Fantasy Awards and was even turned into a film starring Ben Kingsley.
August 16, 2011
This book just randomly caught my eye in the library and curiosity is what brought me to check it out.
An English photographer, Charles, is developing pictures in his dark room. The year is about 1920-30. A mysterious stranger (policeman) suddenly bursts into his dark room and hands Charles some pictures. He wants to know if the pictures are of fairies flying around the little girls in the pictures. Charles eventually becomes convinced that the blotches on the pictures surrounding the girls are, in fact, little fairies. He travels to the town with the police man. Eventually Charles finds the garden where the fairies reside, except that Charles is arrested for a murder that he did not commit. He's unable to finish his study of the fairies and cannot answer the obvious questions that one might have about these flitting beings.
I felt like I needed more info about these beings in order for the story to become believable. Overall, the story was interesting, an easy read, with a pretty solid plot.
An English photographer, Charles, is developing pictures in his dark room. The year is about 1920-30. A mysterious stranger (policeman) suddenly bursts into his dark room and hands Charles some pictures. He wants to know if the pictures are of fairies flying around the little girls in the pictures. Charles eventually becomes convinced that the blotches on the pictures surrounding the girls are, in fact, little fairies. He travels to the town with the police man. Eventually Charles finds the garden where the fairies reside, except that Charles is arrested for a murder that he did not commit. He's unable to finish his study of the fairies and cannot answer the obvious questions that one might have about these flitting beings.
I felt like I needed more info about these beings in order for the story to become believable. Overall, the story was interesting, an easy read, with a pretty solid plot.
April 2, 2025
I’m not sure how much the film rose tinted my experience of this book. If it weren’t for my love of the film, I don’t think I ever would’ve finished reading this. It’s not bad by no means but it’s far from perfect either. This is probably the first and only time I’ll ever say the film is better than the book. I think from the book alone, it doesn’t particularly stand out and spends too much of the story on irrelevant (and frankly boring) scenes with characters that appear to have little thought out motivations.
(I also found the ending a little disappointing in my opinion)
(I also found the ending a little disappointing in my opinion)
November 24, 2015
The only reason I rated this two stars instead of one is that the author had the courtesy to kill off the obnoxious main character in the end.
Set in 1920s London, Photographing Fairies opens with photographer Charles Castle, locked in a jail cell on the night before his execution. He starts telling his story, which involves fairies, a murder, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Should have been a winner, but it really fell short due to a crappy writer and, like I said, a main character I wanted to whack over the head.
Basically, Castle is approached by a constable named Walsmear who has photographs taken by two little girls of fairies. After examining them closely, Castle believes them to be real. He approaches Sir Arthur Conan Doyle about the photographs, knowing of the author's love of the mystical. Doyle is convinced that he himself has real photos of fairies (which really happened--poor guy), and wants to purchase and destroy Walsmear's as competition. Castle thinks Doyle's photos are crap (they really were) and convinces Walsmear to introduce him to the girls. His basic plan is to take more photos, sell them and get rich. Walsmear feels bad for the girls (since, oops, he killed their mom), so he agrees because he wants to help them earn some money.
Castle goes to their little village, bangs the reverend's wife (oops) and all sorts of other terrible things. He's whiny, nazel-gazing and has too much testosterone. Walsmear I actually kind of liked, until the mommy-murdering was revealed, along with some other unsavory character traits.
The writing style is meant to imitate Doyle's, but it falls short. I was expecting some big Sherlock Holmes ending: a practical explanation for the mystical. Szilagyi kind of gets there, but you can see the ending a mile away, making it rather disappointing. Don't bother.
Set in 1920s London, Photographing Fairies opens with photographer Charles Castle, locked in a jail cell on the night before his execution. He starts telling his story, which involves fairies, a murder, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Should have been a winner, but it really fell short due to a crappy writer and, like I said, a main character I wanted to whack over the head.
Basically, Castle is approached by a constable named Walsmear who has photographs taken by two little girls of fairies. After examining them closely, Castle believes them to be real. He approaches Sir Arthur Conan Doyle about the photographs, knowing of the author's love of the mystical. Doyle is convinced that he himself has real photos of fairies (which really happened--poor guy), and wants to purchase and destroy Walsmear's as competition. Castle thinks Doyle's photos are crap (they really were) and convinces Walsmear to introduce him to the girls. His basic plan is to take more photos, sell them and get rich. Walsmear feels bad for the girls (since, oops, he killed their mom), so he agrees because he wants to help them earn some money.
Castle goes to their little village, bangs the reverend's wife (oops) and all sorts of other terrible things. He's whiny, nazel-gazing and has too much testosterone. Walsmear I actually kind of liked, until the mommy-murdering was revealed, along with some other unsavory character traits.
The writing style is meant to imitate Doyle's, but it falls short. I was expecting some big Sherlock Holmes ending: a practical explanation for the mystical. Szilagyi kind of gets there, but you can see the ending a mile away, making it rather disappointing. Don't bother.
July 1, 2016
I was expecting a similar tale to the movie I remember watching a lot as a kid, Fairytale: A True Story, and this book was actually quite different. It was much darker than I expected and was told from the adult, male, photographers persepctive, rather than the two little girls. At first I enjoyed this difference in perspective, but like I mentioned above, the story became rather dark in parts and had a bit more sexual encounters than I was expecting (I was expecting none, and got at least 3). Honestly I think my expectations for the book to be similar to the movie influenced my judgement for this book a great deal, but a part of me did enjoy that the tale wasn't just sweet and full of fantastical creatures.
decided-not-to-read
October 10, 2011I should have loved this book based on the premise - old school photography, Arthur Conan Doyle, fairies, spiritualism and skepticism - but it just wasn't working for me.
April 23, 2012
Enjoyed the book except for the very weak ending.
July 17, 2018
Best work of fiction I have ever read. Hands down.
August 12, 2023
A very interesting and fascinating read with some elements of mystery, but the book mostly focuses on death, innocence, the decision to believe, the beauty of nature, and of course the beauty of fairies and what they would mean to humans. Fairies go beyond just a pretty little lady, and become something much more interesting. Many people make mistakes all throughout this book, but I did not find myself fully disliking them. The writing-style is lovely and really builds the atmosphere of the book. There is a calmness to the story because of the way the narrator talks, but the book is not slow because many exciting and intense things happen, and many discoveries are made. Surprisingly, this book also became somewhat philosophical. There are strange things, insightful ideas, and some truly wonderful and beautiful things. The book addresses both immorality and purity, and how they weirdly mix together based on cultural and societal views on sex and beauty which are at times prudishly separated or brought together. A very strange but cool story.
April 15, 2018
A good beginning and a intriguing ending, but the middle was all over the place. I don’t know if you’d call it fantasy or mystery or a mix of both. I think the author may have been trying to create an unreliable narrator but I don’t know if he managed it.
June 2, 2022
One of the problems with reading e-books over paperbacks is that, when you find a real stinker, you can't repurpose it to hold up a table with uneven legs, patch holes in a window, or start a campfire.
This book would make a fine table-leveling thing.
This book would make a fine table-leveling thing.
December 9, 2018
Fast, entertaining read. I thought I knew the premise of the story but it ended up being darker than I expected and had an unusual ending.
April 27, 2022
One of the more tedious and turgid pieces of fiction I've encountered, without a single character whose fate I cared about.
July 24, 2024
An all time favorite read of mine.
January 30, 2025
Very entertaining. Great storytelling! Enjoyed every minute of it!
May 12, 2015
Photographing Fairies, a first from Mr. Szilagyi has won my heart and thirst for a different take on writing a drama fantasy novel. Forget about the simplicity of the book cover, which features the classic Midsummer Eve fine art by the artist Edward Robert Hughes, for it partnered enough with the smooth story flow between the pages.
The way the story just flows through a usual day of the protagonist, Charles Castle, up until the night he experienced something magical, was naturally written without any hint of exaggeration. It’s a mature novel, created with a mature mind of Mr. Szilagyi.
The author knows how to keep the best for the last, letting the reader experience the excitement and wonder until the very last word of the very last page of the book. And the last chapter was a relief, Mr. Szilagyi never disappoint.
The characters were all well structured, they don’t move along with the protagonist’s life, but they just move along with the whole story freely, doing their own business. The lines thrown are all very clever, every chapter reflects the life of a man, so the reader can surely relate. There’s this one joke which appeared in the book a lot of times but never failed to make me smile, for it’s the same joke over again but was still different from the first time it was mentioned.
The whole book was cleverly structured, i consider it a masterpiece, and it’s a first from Mr. Szilagyi. I think it’s fun living inside his brains. Haha.
The way the story just flows through a usual day of the protagonist, Charles Castle, up until the night he experienced something magical, was naturally written without any hint of exaggeration. It’s a mature novel, created with a mature mind of Mr. Szilagyi.
The author knows how to keep the best for the last, letting the reader experience the excitement and wonder until the very last word of the very last page of the book. And the last chapter was a relief, Mr. Szilagyi never disappoint.
The characters were all well structured, they don’t move along with the protagonist’s life, but they just move along with the whole story freely, doing their own business. The lines thrown are all very clever, every chapter reflects the life of a man, so the reader can surely relate. There’s this one joke which appeared in the book a lot of times but never failed to make me smile, for it’s the same joke over again but was still different from the first time it was mentioned.
The whole book was cleverly structured, i consider it a masterpiece, and it’s a first from Mr. Szilagyi. I think it’s fun living inside his brains. Haha.
November 5, 2012
I found this at the thrift store, wondering if it was the original book the 1998 Movie staring Ben Kinglsey was made from and was happy to find it was. The book was written in a matter of fact way, told from the perspective of one narrator as he thinks about past events in a death sentenced prison cell in England. As is common with most book to Movie adaptations, the film script writers changed many facts to make the movie more watchable, but they didn't have to. The Movie I had enjoyed, so of course was a bit irritated when I read the book and found the movie lacked a few aspects that should have stayed true to the book. But None the less I enjoyed the book, although a times it was too over done in areas of the narrators point of view, and the getting to the fairies. I would have liked to have seen some of the other character's give some narration as well.
December 14, 2014
This was an interesting little book. Another "first" novel. This book was very different and imaginative. I had heard it was a moving that I might enjoy but I couldn't get a hold of the movie. It was about a photographer who went searching for and found fairies. He had questionably (he wasn't sure) identified the creatures in a picture for a policeman. The plot thickens and twists and turns-including two extramarital affairs, gypsies, and murderous robbing ruffians. It is an amazing book, in 321 pages. I wasn't sure I liked it: The main character a photographer, Charles Castle has an affair with Linda Drain the ministers wife.
February 16, 2015
The premise is promising -- a novel based on Arthur Conan Doyle's real obsession with a handful of photos purporting to show young girls frolicking with fairies -- but it quickly goes sideways, with a photographer who goes in search of the fairies, but seems only to sleep with anyone with anyone he can, get beat up a lot, and drink too much. Eventually, he's arrested for the one thing he didn't do, and then he dies. Yeah...
August 11, 2011
This was marvelous. I am finding books here that I'd read many many years ago, and so unfortunately I can't review this with the fresh confidence of having just put it down, but I do remember liking this humorous and slightly tragic fairy story, and the ending is still clear in my memory. A lovely book in a fitting, miniature size ;).
March 2, 2008
This was a very fun read. A young, rather buffoonish photographer goes off in search of fairies that may or may not be residing in a small English garden. There are gypsies, possible hallucinatory flower-eating, and oiled up negative processing. Good times, my friends, good times.
June 10, 2012
I read this book 5 or 6 years ago and it made such an impression that I spent an hour searching for it online (I couldn't remember the exact name) just so I could read it again. It's totally bizarre yet enchanting.
September 10, 2013
This book was surprising and wonderful, the imagery was captivating. The characters are well formed and interesting. The best part about this book is the dialogue so quick, witty and fast paced. Brilliant!
September 1, 2007
I have to give this guy credit for originality, because I don't know too many writers who could have come up with the fairy hand job scene.
August 6, 2008
the topic of looking for little winged creatures intrigues me so I picked this up. So far fairies aren't really mentioned much and all the characters seem awkward and clumsy. oye, the english.
January 25, 2009
If you have seen the movie and want more details, then reading this book will fill in the blanks. Overall, a fairly good read -- easy read, entertaining.
August 8, 2011
Another read my wife recommended and quite whimsical! Enjoyed it!
September 2, 2013
An intriguing book, bearing only a passing resemblance to the film. The second half of the book is infinitely better than the first.
July 21, 2014
Weird and wonderful! I loved it!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews