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Troll Stew: A Strange Brew of Dark Fairy Tales and Poems for Adults
While most writers of fairy tales cater to children, some offer up darker and slightly more twisted fare, such as this curious concoction intended for adults. Chock full of deliciously dark and often grimly humorous tales and poems, this singular literary feast is sure to satisfy the cravings of any reader with an appetite for the unusual. Containing three original works of short fiction, four original works of flash fiction, and six original works of poetry, the collection gets off to a playfully mischievous start with a spicy combo of gruesome terror and wry humor in "Troll Stew", a rather macabre nursery rhyme which lends its title to this delightfully strange and eclectic brew.
105 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 22, 2012
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About the author
Christopher Courtley
9 books8 followersChristopher Courtley was born and raised in the big city but now dwells gratefully in the country, spinning his tales from a tumbledown cottage on the edge of the woods. These days he keeps to himself most of the time, only venturing forth now and then to feed the fairies.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
April 11, 2013
There were some very interesting, very thinky poems and stories in this collection.
There were also some very odd poems and stories that were interesting, but seemed rather to . . . wander. There doesn't have to be a 'point' to every story, of course, like a moral or lesson, but there does have to seem to be some reason for it, and several of these felt pointless in that sense.
I really liked exploring the new views on some familiar stories, legends, and myths that Christopher Courtley showed in these stories, however, they were by turns amusing, worrying, and simply fascinating.
In many cases that was what the entirety of the stories felt like, though - exploring newly-built or interpreted worlds, rather than really following a tale or even a character.
In a few cases, sadly, I felt no connection to the main character, sympathetic or non, and continued to read the story only because of my desire to know more about the world. Of course, the connection to a character is a big part of what makes the world real to a reader - at least in my book - so it was a little bit disappointing, in those cases where there was none.
I'll probably pick this up again at some point, and it really was an interesting read.
There were also some very odd poems and stories that were interesting, but seemed rather to . . . wander. There doesn't have to be a 'point' to every story, of course, like a moral or lesson, but there does have to seem to be some reason for it, and several of these felt pointless in that sense.
I really liked exploring the new views on some familiar stories, legends, and myths that Christopher Courtley showed in these stories, however, they were by turns amusing, worrying, and simply fascinating.
In many cases that was what the entirety of the stories felt like, though - exploring newly-built or interpreted worlds, rather than really following a tale or even a character.
In a few cases, sadly, I felt no connection to the main character, sympathetic or non, and continued to read the story only because of my desire to know more about the world. Of course, the connection to a character is a big part of what makes the world real to a reader - at least in my book - so it was a little bit disappointing, in those cases where there was none.
I'll probably pick this up again at some point, and it really was an interesting read.
Displaying 1 of 1 review