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The Witch and Other Tales Re-Told
Great fairy tales are not always stories designed for children. The lurking wolf in Little Red Riding Hood, the gingerbread house that lures Hansel and Gretel, the beauty asleep in her castle—these fables represent some of our deepest, most primeval fears and satisfy our longing for good to win out over evil (preferably in the most gruesome way possible).
In this captivating new collection, critically acclaimed author Jean Thompson takes the classic fairy tale and brings it into the modern age with stories that capture the magic and horror in everyday life. The downtrodden prevail, appearances deceive, and humility and virtue triumph in The Witch, as lost children try to find their way home, adults cursed by past unspeakable acts are fated to experience their own horror in the present, and true love—or is it enchantment?—conquers all.
The Witch and Other Tales Re-Told is a haunting and deeply entertaining collection, showcasing the inimitable Thompson at the height of her storytelling prowess.
The witch --
Inamorata --
Candy --
Faith --
Three --
The curse --
Your secret's safe with me --
Prince
In this captivating new collection, critically acclaimed author Jean Thompson takes the classic fairy tale and brings it into the modern age with stories that capture the magic and horror in everyday life. The downtrodden prevail, appearances deceive, and humility and virtue triumph in The Witch, as lost children try to find their way home, adults cursed by past unspeakable acts are fated to experience their own horror in the present, and true love—or is it enchantment?—conquers all.
The Witch and Other Tales Re-Told is a haunting and deeply entertaining collection, showcasing the inimitable Thompson at the height of her storytelling prowess.
The witch --
Inamorata --
Candy --
Faith --
Three --
The curse --
Your secret's safe with me --
Prince
256 pages, Hardcover
First published September 25, 2014
41 people are currently reading
1797 people want to read
About the author
Jean Thompson
51 books286 followersJean Thompson is a New York Times bestselling author and her new novel,
The Humanity Project
will be published by Blue Rider Press on April 23, 2013.
Thompson is also the author of the novel The Year We Left Home, the acclaimed short fiction collections Do Not Deny Me, and Throw Like a Girl as well as the novel City Boy; the short story collection Who Do You Love, and she is a 1999 National Book Award finalist for fiction as well as and the novel Wide Blue Yonder, a New York Times Notable Book and Chicago Tribune Best Fiction selection for 2002.
Her short fiction has been published in many magazines and journals, including The New Yorker, and been anthologized in The Best American Short Stories and Pushcart Prize. Jean's work has been praised by Elle Magazine as "bracing and wildly intelligent writing that explores the nature of love in all its hidden and manifest dimensions."
Jean's other books include the short story collections The Gasoline Wars and Little Face, and the novels My Wisdom and The Woman Driver.
Jean has been the recipient of Guggenheim and National Endowment for the Arts fellowships, among other accolades, and taught creative writing at the University of Illinois--Champaign/ Urbana, Reed College, Northwestern University, and many other colleges and universities.
Thompson is also the author of the novel The Year We Left Home, the acclaimed short fiction collections Do Not Deny Me, and Throw Like a Girl as well as the novel City Boy; the short story collection Who Do You Love, and she is a 1999 National Book Award finalist for fiction as well as and the novel Wide Blue Yonder, a New York Times Notable Book and Chicago Tribune Best Fiction selection for 2002.
Her short fiction has been published in many magazines and journals, including The New Yorker, and been anthologized in The Best American Short Stories and Pushcart Prize. Jean's work has been praised by Elle Magazine as "bracing and wildly intelligent writing that explores the nature of love in all its hidden and manifest dimensions."
Jean's other books include the short story collections The Gasoline Wars and Little Face, and the novels My Wisdom and The Woman Driver.
Jean has been the recipient of Guggenheim and National Endowment for the Arts fellowships, among other accolades, and taught creative writing at the University of Illinois--Champaign/ Urbana, Reed College, Northwestern University, and many other colleges and universities.
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February 28, 2015
SPOILERS!!!
2/2 - This is a book of short stories, fairy tales retold into realistic (the first one was, at least) stories of modern life. As each story is individual I will review them individually.
The first story was The Witch and it was a retelling of Hansel and Gretel with the witch played by an old woman who takes in foster kids. The children are Jo and Kerry, whose father neglects them daily by leaving them in the car alone for hours while he spends his days in a bar. They try to find their way home but end up getting picked up by the DCFS (Department of Children/Family Services?) who place them with the 'witch' while they try to work things out with the children's father.
I thought this was a very intelligent way of telling the Hansel and Gretel story with a realistic spin on it. This kind of thing happens all the time (if you believe what SVU tells you) - children removed from their family home because the parents are deemed to be unfit, they're placed in a foster home but are mistreated by their new family even worse than before. To be continued...
The second story was Inamorata, a retelling of Cinderella from the guy's point of view. The original story of Cinderella is complicated here by the fact that the 'prince' has permanent brain damage from a car accident when he was a child that has left him with random memory blackouts. Every so often he will suddenly lose time and find himself in a different location or situation than where he was only 'moments' before. The story follows his attempts to find the girl who left her shoe behind and left him feeling inordinately happy, for reasons he can't remember. To be continued...
The third story was Candy and I believe it was Red Riding Hood. It didn't really bear that much similarity to the original tale except that in a couple of scenes she was on her way to Grandma's house and the final words of the story were that 'she was going to gobble him up alive'. So, she starts off the story as innocent Red Riding Hood, but by the time it was finished she had become the wolf. An interesting take on the story. To be continued...
The fourth story was Faith and was The Pied Piper. I didn't like it nearly as much the previous three because of the strong religious overtones. The story revolved around a priest and the church he was in charge of and his misgivings relating to a 'land agent' who was taking most of the town's children away to begin a new settlement. I don't really know the story of The Pied Piper, but this didn't end with the 'Piper' as the bad guy as I would have imagined it would. The children weren't killed by the 'Piper', it was a band of brigands who slaughtered them and took all the supplies they had been carrying with them to the new settlement. To be continued...
3/2 - The fifth story was clearly Goldilocks and the Three Bears from the title, Three, onwards. I didn't find it particularly interesting. It read a bit like a 'family drama' in which nothing much happened. The mother leaves one night after having had enough of the father. We then spend some pages learning about each of the three bears, the children she left behind. It becomes clear over a slightly disastrous Thanksgiving dinner that the father wants the mother to come back, although he hadn't made any effort to reason with her prior to this disastrous dinner. Each of the children make an attempt to draw her back to the family, but only the youngest thinks of going to see her. She agrees that she has missed the family, even the father, and that it's time she came home, but the child decides that he will stay away, that it's his turn to have time away from the father. A bit slow and boring. To be continued...
The sixth story's origin was a mystery to me until the very end. Finally I realised it was a truly twisted version of Rumplestiltskin. It becomes obvious why an overprotective father is so worried about all the things that could happen to his teenage daughter, because he knows what drunk teenage boys are capable of, and now the savage acts of his past have come back to haunt him. A good story with a bit of a mystery working out where the fairy tale came into things, and what made the father so paranoid about what might happen to his daughter. It played on a number of my own fears and I completely side with the father, he had very good reasons for his paranoia. To be continued...
The seventh story's origin was even more of a mystery than the last one, I'm still not sure whether I guessed right - Cinderella. An 'ordinary' woman (Edie) is plucked out of her normal life by a rich, intellectual man (Milo) who treats like a queen compared to the deadbeat guys she's used. They marry and she's happy to begin with, but he is evasive about many parts of his past and tries to keep his numerous ex-wives secret. She becomes suspicious and manages to get into his locked study using the old credit card trick. While he's away on business she gets into his computer and finds evidence that show exactly how many women he's been hiding from her, and the fact that not all of them are in his past. When he gets back from his business trip and realises what she's done he becomes enraged and threatening, she escapes into his study and locks herself inside while she does further investigating, eventually Skypeing his first wife. He manages to break down the study door and she turns the computer around so his first wife can attempt to calm him down through Skype. Unfortunately he hasn't looked after himself and his cholesterol/blood pressure are dangerously high, add that to the conniption he's worked himself into and he dies of a heart attack with his ex-wife still watching through Skype. At the end, Edie realises that she would be far happier living the life she was born into - middle class. Clearly 'Cinderella' doesn't always want to be rescued, sometimes she's happy in her middle class situation. To be continued...
4/2 - The last story was definitely my favourite! A woman, Ellen, who has had some mental health issues that involved her hallucinating a sexual relationship between herself and the local reverend. One of her five sisters, Sheila, lives with her in order to keep a watch over her, make sure she's taking her meds and not having any relapses. One day a stray dog is found outside their house and despite Sheila's protests about the risk of fleas or rabies Ellen adopts him and names him Prince. Ellen and Prince get closer and closer over the next few days, Prince starts out sleeping on the porch, is then moved to the basement, then the kitchen and finally Ellen's bed. Prince defends Ellen from some mean neighbourhood kids and they promise retribution. One day, after a trip around the block in her father's car with Prince (her first attempt to drive in many years) Sheila confronts Ellen as she's getting out. This is the moment the neighbourhood kids decide to exact their revenge, shooting Sheila dead. All this time, since almost their first meeting Prince has been talking to Ellen. To start with Ellen thinks she's hallucinating again and tries to ignore what she's hearing. Eventually it becomes clear, and Prince admits, that Ellen isn't hallucinating, that there's some kind of magic going on. This is the only story that involves any kind of real magic, but it was the inclusion of a wonderful dog who needed help then going on to help his human that made this my favourite. I have no idea what fairy tale this originates from. Anyone got any ideas?
Looking at some of the other reviews/ratings I'm in the minority in that I really enjoyed these retellings of classic fairy tales. I'm giving this 3.5 stars, but I'm feeling generous so I've rounded up to four. If you like fairy tale retellings I recommend you give this a go.
PopSugar 2015 Reading Challenge: A Book of Short Stories
2/2 - This is a book of short stories, fairy tales retold into realistic (the first one was, at least) stories of modern life. As each story is individual I will review them individually.
The first story was The Witch and it was a retelling of Hansel and Gretel with the witch played by an old woman who takes in foster kids. The children are Jo and Kerry, whose father neglects them daily by leaving them in the car alone for hours while he spends his days in a bar. They try to find their way home but end up getting picked up by the DCFS (Department of Children/Family Services?) who place them with the 'witch' while they try to work things out with the children's father.
I thought this was a very intelligent way of telling the Hansel and Gretel story with a realistic spin on it. This kind of thing happens all the time (if you believe what SVU tells you) - children removed from their family home because the parents are deemed to be unfit, they're placed in a foster home but are mistreated by their new family even worse than before. To be continued...
The second story was Inamorata, a retelling of Cinderella from the guy's point of view. The original story of Cinderella is complicated here by the fact that the 'prince' has permanent brain damage from a car accident when he was a child that has left him with random memory blackouts. Every so often he will suddenly lose time and find himself in a different location or situation than where he was only 'moments' before. The story follows his attempts to find the girl who left her shoe behind and left him feeling inordinately happy, for reasons he can't remember. To be continued...
The third story was Candy and I believe it was Red Riding Hood. It didn't really bear that much similarity to the original tale except that in a couple of scenes she was on her way to Grandma's house and the final words of the story were that 'she was going to gobble him up alive'. So, she starts off the story as innocent Red Riding Hood, but by the time it was finished she had become the wolf. An interesting take on the story. To be continued...
The fourth story was Faith and was The Pied Piper. I didn't like it nearly as much the previous three because of the strong religious overtones. The story revolved around a priest and the church he was in charge of and his misgivings relating to a 'land agent' who was taking most of the town's children away to begin a new settlement. I don't really know the story of The Pied Piper, but this didn't end with the 'Piper' as the bad guy as I would have imagined it would. The children weren't killed by the 'Piper', it was a band of brigands who slaughtered them and took all the supplies they had been carrying with them to the new settlement. To be continued...
3/2 - The fifth story was clearly Goldilocks and the Three Bears from the title, Three, onwards. I didn't find it particularly interesting. It read a bit like a 'family drama' in which nothing much happened. The mother leaves one night after having had enough of the father. We then spend some pages learning about each of the three bears, the children she left behind. It becomes clear over a slightly disastrous Thanksgiving dinner that the father wants the mother to come back, although he hadn't made any effort to reason with her prior to this disastrous dinner. Each of the children make an attempt to draw her back to the family, but only the youngest thinks of going to see her. She agrees that she has missed the family, even the father, and that it's time she came home, but the child decides that he will stay away, that it's his turn to have time away from the father. A bit slow and boring. To be continued...
The sixth story's origin was a mystery to me until the very end. Finally I realised it was a truly twisted version of Rumplestiltskin. It becomes obvious why an overprotective father is so worried about all the things that could happen to his teenage daughter, because he knows what drunk teenage boys are capable of, and now the savage acts of his past have come back to haunt him. A good story with a bit of a mystery working out where the fairy tale came into things, and what made the father so paranoid about what might happen to his daughter. It played on a number of my own fears and I completely side with the father, he had very good reasons for his paranoia. To be continued...
The seventh story's origin was even more of a mystery than the last one, I'm still not sure whether I guessed right - Cinderella. An 'ordinary' woman (Edie) is plucked out of her normal life by a rich, intellectual man (Milo) who treats like a queen compared to the deadbeat guys she's used. They marry and she's happy to begin with, but he is evasive about many parts of his past and tries to keep his numerous ex-wives secret. She becomes suspicious and manages to get into his locked study using the old credit card trick. While he's away on business she gets into his computer and finds evidence that show exactly how many women he's been hiding from her, and the fact that not all of them are in his past. When he gets back from his business trip and realises what she's done he becomes enraged and threatening, she escapes into his study and locks herself inside while she does further investigating, eventually Skypeing his first wife. He manages to break down the study door and she turns the computer around so his first wife can attempt to calm him down through Skype. Unfortunately he hasn't looked after himself and his cholesterol/blood pressure are dangerously high, add that to the conniption he's worked himself into and he dies of a heart attack with his ex-wife still watching through Skype. At the end, Edie realises that she would be far happier living the life she was born into - middle class. Clearly 'Cinderella' doesn't always want to be rescued, sometimes she's happy in her middle class situation. To be continued...
4/2 - The last story was definitely my favourite! A woman, Ellen, who has had some mental health issues that involved her hallucinating a sexual relationship between herself and the local reverend. One of her five sisters, Sheila, lives with her in order to keep a watch over her, make sure she's taking her meds and not having any relapses. One day a stray dog is found outside their house and despite Sheila's protests about the risk of fleas or rabies Ellen adopts him and names him Prince. Ellen and Prince get closer and closer over the next few days, Prince starts out sleeping on the porch, is then moved to the basement, then the kitchen and finally Ellen's bed. Prince defends Ellen from some mean neighbourhood kids and they promise retribution. One day, after a trip around the block in her father's car with Prince (her first attempt to drive in many years) Sheila confronts Ellen as she's getting out. This is the moment the neighbourhood kids decide to exact their revenge, shooting Sheila dead. All this time, since almost their first meeting Prince has been talking to Ellen. To start with Ellen thinks she's hallucinating again and tries to ignore what she's hearing. Eventually it becomes clear, and Prince admits, that Ellen isn't hallucinating, that there's some kind of magic going on. This is the only story that involves any kind of real magic, but it was the inclusion of a wonderful dog who needed help then going on to help his human that made this my favourite. I have no idea what fairy tale this originates from. Anyone got any ideas?
Looking at some of the other reviews/ratings I'm in the minority in that I really enjoyed these retellings of classic fairy tales. I'm giving this 3.5 stars, but I'm feeling generous so I've rounded up to four. If you like fairy tale retellings I recommend you give this a go.
PopSugar 2015 Reading Challenge: A Book of Short Stories
August 10, 2016
I received an advance copy of this book from Netgalley.com
I love Fairy Tales, and re-telling of fairy tales too. These 8 stories were so different in writing, I had to check that it was not a compilation by different authors.
Too many of the following stories I was surprised when all of a sudden I had to look to see that was the ending? ... Was that IT?
I liked the Hansel and Gretel DCFS angle in the first story.
Then I was a bit confused at times just what tale some of the stories was a re-telling of.
The last story the best of them all. It did leave me with a better feeling about the whole book.
The Author's note was a very good one, and I was all set for a book that I was going to enjoy more than I ultimately did.
If I had 3 wishes...
The stories would have had a more clear link to the fairy tale it was referring to.
The stories would have had more of an ending - the old fairy tale, or fable moral of the story.
The last story would have been longer, I was really enjoying it.
I love Fairy Tales, and re-telling of fairy tales too. These 8 stories were so different in writing, I had to check that it was not a compilation by different authors.
Too many of the following stories I was surprised when all of a sudden I had to look to see that was the ending? ... Was that IT?
I liked the Hansel and Gretel DCFS angle in the first story.
Then I was a bit confused at times just what tale some of the stories was a re-telling of.
The last story the best of them all. It did leave me with a better feeling about the whole book.
The Author's note was a very good one, and I was all set for a book that I was going to enjoy more than I ultimately did.
If I had 3 wishes...
The stories would have had a more clear link to the fairy tale it was referring to.
The stories would have had more of an ending - the old fairy tale, or fable moral of the story.
The last story would have been longer, I was really enjoying it.
June 13, 2014
This book is composed of eight short stories, which were inspired by fairy tales. Some of the stories I was able to recognize the fairy tale and others I’m still not sure about. I was very excited to read this since I love fairytale retellings, and I thought that it would be an easy read since, it was split up into short stories. However, I never really fell in love with any of these stories.
I thought that the stories were very well written, and were original. I could tell the author truly enjoyed fairy tales, and tried to stay true to the dark, and eeriness of the original tales, but also gave them a modern twist. All of the tales are set in modern day settings, which made them more relatable, which made it more fun. My favorite story was actually the last one of the book called Prince. It’s about a girl whole is mentally ill who meets a dog, and they quickly become friends, the dog even talks to her. I liked this one the best because I felt it was the most happy of the stories. It gave the book some closure and left it on a more positive note.
However, for the most part I didn’t enjoy this book. It was too dark and brutally honest for me. I know that may seem like a stupid reason not to like a book, but it left me in a bad mood every time I put it down. I understand that these were meant to be dark on purpose, but sometimes it just crossed a personal line of what I feel comfortable reading, such as rape. I also felt like some of the stories just dropped off and didn’t have an actual ending, which was a little frustrating. The stories themselves are already pretty vague on details, so to not have a definitive ending just added to vagueness.
Overall, while I didn’t enjoy these stories myself, I did think it was fun trying to figure out which fairy tale was which. And I think that there are people who will enjoy this book, it was very well written and already has some positive reviews on Goodreads. I just feel like this book was not for me personally, and it’s not for those who are sensitive to dark, depressing tales. I gave it 2 out out 5 stars because while I didn’t enjoy it, it was very well written and was a creative take on the tales.
If you liked this check out my blog for more book reviews.
I thought that the stories were very well written, and were original. I could tell the author truly enjoyed fairy tales, and tried to stay true to the dark, and eeriness of the original tales, but also gave them a modern twist. All of the tales are set in modern day settings, which made them more relatable, which made it more fun. My favorite story was actually the last one of the book called Prince. It’s about a girl whole is mentally ill who meets a dog, and they quickly become friends, the dog even talks to her. I liked this one the best because I felt it was the most happy of the stories. It gave the book some closure and left it on a more positive note.
However, for the most part I didn’t enjoy this book. It was too dark and brutally honest for me. I know that may seem like a stupid reason not to like a book, but it left me in a bad mood every time I put it down. I understand that these were meant to be dark on purpose, but sometimes it just crossed a personal line of what I feel comfortable reading, such as rape. I also felt like some of the stories just dropped off and didn’t have an actual ending, which was a little frustrating. The stories themselves are already pretty vague on details, so to not have a definitive ending just added to vagueness.
Overall, while I didn’t enjoy these stories myself, I did think it was fun trying to figure out which fairy tale was which. And I think that there are people who will enjoy this book, it was very well written and already has some positive reviews on Goodreads. I just feel like this book was not for me personally, and it’s not for those who are sensitive to dark, depressing tales. I gave it 2 out out 5 stars because while I didn’t enjoy it, it was very well written and was a creative take on the tales.
If you liked this check out my blog for more book reviews.
July 10, 2014
An imaginative and entertaining re-telling of fairy tales, giving them a modern day setting while staying true to the outline of the tale itself. A few I did not recognize but the first s a re-telling of Hansel and Greta using a sited and brother in foster care. Interesting and different.
ARC from NetGalley.
ARC from NetGalley.
July 14, 2014
I am a complete and total sucker for a re-told fairy tale, so it's probably not surprising that I enjoyed this collection. Even without the fairy tale connection, the stories stand on their own--I would usually start a story asking myself what it was based on, then get so immersed in the writing that I forgot to wonder about it until the end.
March 4, 2015
These were great short stories that most of them, I had heard of before. Some had a different spin to them and others were brand new to me. I enjoyed these some better than others, obviously. But all in all still a great book of shorts.
August 28, 2019
This review and others posted over at
my blog.
I’m just going to give a few random thoughts on each story.
The Witch – A take on Hansel and Gretel. Absentee parents, but sort of by accident and a foster “mother.” I enjoyed this a lot and I liked the daughter’s POV and the open-ended ending.
Inamorata – I looked up the definition and it means a person’s female lover. This is a Cinderella story where the prince has a mental disorder/disability and Cinderella is deaf. It’s oddly cute.
Candy – Hmmm. This one was open-ended too and didn’t work for me. I wasn’t sure what message I was supposed to get. It’s a tale of reputation and cybersex and making your own terms.
Faith – A Pied Piper tale from ye olde times; dark.
Three – Mehh. This didn’t pan out for me. I don’t even know if I can sum it up. A son’s thoughts on his mother’s abandoning the family?
The Curse – This one was rough and could be triggering to some (not overly graphic but does reference rape). The horrifying part of this story is how set in reality it is. It’s a curse you can certainly understand someone making. What goes around may come around to more than just yourself.
Your Secret’s Safe With Me – A man’s latest wife gets the best of him. This one was long and the end was frantic and dream-like. I enjoyed it.
Prince – This story was unexpectedly touching and the last few lines punched me right in the feels. Not going to lie, I totally cried. A great end to the story, a touch melancholy, but still hopeful.
If Thompson wants to write more collections with the same feel (slightly magical, somewhat morbid, contemporary, magical realismy), I’ll be more than happy to buy and read them. This was just what I needed when I was in a slump.
I highly recommend this if you’re looking for:
+ A contemporary shorts collection with just a touch of magic
+ Some female-driven fiction
+ Stories that will creep you out, make you mad, and maybe even make you cry
I’m just going to give a few random thoughts on each story.
The Witch – A take on Hansel and Gretel. Absentee parents, but sort of by accident and a foster “mother.” I enjoyed this a lot and I liked the daughter’s POV and the open-ended ending.
Inamorata – I looked up the definition and it means a person’s female lover. This is a Cinderella story where the prince has a mental disorder/disability and Cinderella is deaf. It’s oddly cute.
Candy – Hmmm. This one was open-ended too and didn’t work for me. I wasn’t sure what message I was supposed to get. It’s a tale of reputation and cybersex and making your own terms.
Faith – A Pied Piper tale from ye olde times; dark.
Three – Mehh. This didn’t pan out for me. I don’t even know if I can sum it up. A son’s thoughts on his mother’s abandoning the family?
The Curse – This one was rough and could be triggering to some (not overly graphic but does reference rape). The horrifying part of this story is how set in reality it is. It’s a curse you can certainly understand someone making. What goes around may come around to more than just yourself.
Your Secret’s Safe With Me – A man’s latest wife gets the best of him. This one was long and the end was frantic and dream-like. I enjoyed it.
Prince – This story was unexpectedly touching and the last few lines punched me right in the feels. Not going to lie, I totally cried. A great end to the story, a touch melancholy, but still hopeful.
If Thompson wants to write more collections with the same feel (slightly magical, somewhat morbid, contemporary, magical realismy), I’ll be more than happy to buy and read them. This was just what I needed when I was in a slump.
I highly recommend this if you’re looking for:
+ A contemporary shorts collection with just a touch of magic
+ Some female-driven fiction
+ Stories that will creep you out, make you mad, and maybe even make you cry
August 22, 2014
Who doesn't love fairytale retellings? It amazes me how many times the human mind can come up with different sides of the same story and retell it differently.
Maybe this was my problem with The Witch & Other Tales Re-Told... Having my mind set on fairytale retellings, I was expected to see some sort of resemblance but after I finished, yet another disappointing story, I wanted to break my Kindle.
How many stories, you say? I heard there were eight. I barely finished the first three. Yup, I physically could not make myself read anymore. After every ending, all my face said was: "wtf".
Hope this helps to some people. I'm still trying to figure out what "Candy" was based on and what was the point of the story... :/
Maybe this was my problem with The Witch & Other Tales Re-Told... Having my mind set on fairytale retellings, I was expected to see some sort of resemblance but after I finished, yet another disappointing story, I wanted to break my Kindle.
How many stories, you say? I heard there were eight. I barely finished the first three. Yup, I physically could not make myself read anymore. After every ending, all my face said was: "wtf".
Hope this helps to some people. I'm still trying to figure out what "Candy" was based on and what was the point of the story... :/
April 22, 2017
2.5/5 STARS
A collection with intrigue but holds a title that is its ultimate downfall.
Jean Thompson is an amazing author. Her stories leap off of the page which make them a fast read. They hold all the darkness and moral weight of fairy tales but also delve into the darkness of human nature. The author's note is an important key to really enjoying this work. It is an enlightening explanation of why it is written the way it is. Although fasted paced, it lacks some of the magic that makes it memorable.
Thompson describes her work as a loosely based fairy tale retelling. There should definitely be an emphasis on loosely based. It's so loose the story falls off the page. Although I was in rapture at the plot, I realized about halfway through that I had no clue what fairy tales these were based off of. Only two made it clear. The rest were a mystery to me. Granted, I'm a little shabby in my fairy tale knowledge. I felt excluded not knowing, embarrassed almost. Thompson is a part of a deeper fairy tale club that I wasn't invited to. It created a rift between the knowledge of the reader and that of the writer.
Keep in mind also that there absolutely no magical elements in this collection. I half expected this to be a magical realism collection, but the majority of stories are contemporary. All excluding The Prince which has a talking dog. I feel like that's really what was missing from the story. Perhaps more magic elements would have given it the oomph it needed, a twist to make it a bit more alluring.
The stories were very immersive and interesting, but I honestly feel like the blurb is very misleading. It's not necessarily the author's fault, but I found that it did take away most of my enjoyment as a whole. This collection is mainly character focused. If that appeals to you then definitely give this collection a try. If it's the fantasy element you're searching for, it's best to look elsewhere.
A collection with intrigue but holds a title that is its ultimate downfall.
Jean Thompson is an amazing author. Her stories leap off of the page which make them a fast read. They hold all the darkness and moral weight of fairy tales but also delve into the darkness of human nature. The author's note is an important key to really enjoying this work. It is an enlightening explanation of why it is written the way it is. Although fasted paced, it lacks some of the magic that makes it memorable.
Thompson describes her work as a loosely based fairy tale retelling. There should definitely be an emphasis on loosely based. It's so loose the story falls off the page. Although I was in rapture at the plot, I realized about halfway through that I had no clue what fairy tales these were based off of. Only two made it clear. The rest were a mystery to me. Granted, I'm a little shabby in my fairy tale knowledge. I felt excluded not knowing, embarrassed almost. Thompson is a part of a deeper fairy tale club that I wasn't invited to. It created a rift between the knowledge of the reader and that of the writer.
Keep in mind also that there absolutely no magical elements in this collection. I half expected this to be a magical realism collection, but the majority of stories are contemporary. All excluding The Prince which has a talking dog. I feel like that's really what was missing from the story. Perhaps more magic elements would have given it the oomph it needed, a twist to make it a bit more alluring.
The stories were very immersive and interesting, but I honestly feel like the blurb is very misleading. It's not necessarily the author's fault, but I found that it did take away most of my enjoyment as a whole. This collection is mainly character focused. If that appeals to you then definitely give this collection a try. If it's the fantasy element you're searching for, it's best to look elsewhere.
September 28, 2017
This is pretty bonkers creative... I'm loving all the stories...
nope-dnf
April 24, 2024DNF. I keep trying to pick this up to read another short story out of this book and I just keep putting it down and not wanting to read further. I really liked the first title story "The Witch", but for some reason I have no desire to continue reading any of the other short stories. I really struggle reading Anthologies.
I just read a great comprehensive review of this one (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...) and I feel satisfied in dnf-ing as the remaining stories don't deeply interest me in wanting to continue.
I still ADORE this cover imagery.
Thoughts on the stories I got through:
Story 1: the witch. WOW....excellent.
Really interesting. Sad. Scary. Punchy. That ending! I felt it.
5 🌟
Story 2: Inamorata. This story felt really boring and pointless.
2 🌟
I just read a great comprehensive review of this one (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...) and I feel satisfied in dnf-ing as the remaining stories don't deeply interest me in wanting to continue.
I still ADORE this cover imagery.
Thoughts on the stories I got through:
Story 1: the witch. WOW....excellent.
Really interesting. Sad. Scary. Punchy. That ending! I felt it.
5 🌟
Story 2: Inamorata. This story felt really boring and pointless.
2 🌟
February 25, 2020
It would have been interesting to read, I'm sure. The first story had an engaging plot, but I didn't feel the urgency and resonance that I usually feel when I read fairy tales. Maybe it's too hard to put something that is an existential fable into a contemporary world without any style in the view of it? Thompson writes well but harshly and I think that's what is throwing me.
I didn't dislike it, and it might be good for fans of true crime looking for something just to the left of that. Instead of giving it to readers who like tales imbued with their own moral compass, I think I'd give it to folks who like reading what the world is like when that compass is turned upside down and on it's way out the window.
I didn't dislike it, and it might be good for fans of true crime looking for something just to the left of that. Instead of giving it to readers who like tales imbued with their own moral compass, I think I'd give it to folks who like reading what the world is like when that compass is turned upside down and on it's way out the window.
December 13, 2018
I loved, loved, loved these stories, especially the titular tale, "The Witch," which is a modern retelling of the Grimm's Hansel and Gretel and "Your Secret’s Safe With Me," a Bluebeard-esque story about an arrogant and controlling new husband.
Reminiscent of Karen Russell and, to an extent, Angela Carter. I would read The Witch and Other Stories again in a heartbeat!
Reminiscent of Karen Russell and, to an extent, Angela Carter. I would read The Witch and Other Stories again in a heartbeat!
January 31, 2022
One of the best anthologies that I’ve ever read! I enjoyed every story ❤️
August 22, 2014
www.shelfnotes.com review
Dear Reader,
I reached out to the publisher to get this book early because it caught my eye as being "my thing". And it was but I've been reading so many short stories lately which had me craving a good novel. Without that trouble, I really did like this book. This is a compilation of revamped fairy tales and folklore, each one brought to the modern day (or almost all of them). Most of the stories don't have that "happy ending" and are steeped in actual tragedy within the world we live in. I really liked that realistic take on those magical stories we've grown up on. The introduction to the stories talks a little about the strong connection the Author has to these tales and how she wanted to do something a little different with them. She also introduces her "kid" self sitting in the dentists chair gobbling up a fairy tale painting with her eyes. Thompson explains that this beautiful print was called "The Land of Make Believe", it beheld a map of all the magical creatures and places any kid would want to visit or befriend. The original painting was done by Jaro Hess and can still be found to this day. I think it would make a wonderful "deluxe" edition to this book of stories and can only hope the Author and publisher think so too. Here is the map:
How magical is that map? I wish I had it in my own house growing up. Talking about pictures, I LOVED the cover of this book and I can't really pinpoint why. Maybe because these "real" girls have a haunted look to them and they also exude fantasy too?! Whatever it is, the cover most definitely caught my eye. The stories had a great quality to them and stuck to those same lessons learned from the earlier tales. My only gripe would be the length of them, some of the stories I thought could have been better written as their own book (they ended so abruptly). For example, in "The Witch", just as things start to get dramatic, the story ends so abruptly. I could have seen this turned into a novella or something. Despite that, I did like what she did with the stories, modernizing them and giving them relatability. Overall, this story collection is worth a read.
Happy Reading,
AmberBug
Dear Reader,
I reached out to the publisher to get this book early because it caught my eye as being "my thing". And it was but I've been reading so many short stories lately which had me craving a good novel. Without that trouble, I really did like this book. This is a compilation of revamped fairy tales and folklore, each one brought to the modern day (or almost all of them). Most of the stories don't have that "happy ending" and are steeped in actual tragedy within the world we live in. I really liked that realistic take on those magical stories we've grown up on. The introduction to the stories talks a little about the strong connection the Author has to these tales and how she wanted to do something a little different with them. She also introduces her "kid" self sitting in the dentists chair gobbling up a fairy tale painting with her eyes. Thompson explains that this beautiful print was called "The Land of Make Believe", it beheld a map of all the magical creatures and places any kid would want to visit or befriend. The original painting was done by Jaro Hess and can still be found to this day. I think it would make a wonderful "deluxe" edition to this book of stories and can only hope the Author and publisher think so too. Here is the map:
How magical is that map? I wish I had it in my own house growing up. Talking about pictures, I LOVED the cover of this book and I can't really pinpoint why. Maybe because these "real" girls have a haunted look to them and they also exude fantasy too?! Whatever it is, the cover most definitely caught my eye. The stories had a great quality to them and stuck to those same lessons learned from the earlier tales. My only gripe would be the length of them, some of the stories I thought could have been better written as their own book (they ended so abruptly). For example, in "The Witch", just as things start to get dramatic, the story ends so abruptly. I could have seen this turned into a novella or something. Despite that, I did like what she did with the stories, modernizing them and giving them relatability. Overall, this story collection is worth a read.
Happy Reading,
AmberBug
March 5, 2021
DNF'd @ p. 36
The Witch And Other Tales Re-Told by Jean Thompson wasn't what I was expecting or what I was interested in as it turned out. I usually enjoy a good fairytale retelling, but this just didn't agree with me. I barely made it through the first of eight stories.
The Witch And Other Tales Re-Told by Jean Thompson wasn't what I was expecting or what I was interested in as it turned out. I usually enjoy a good fairytale retelling, but this just didn't agree with me. I barely made it through the first of eight stories.
May 12, 2014
I really enjoyed these tales. The story that humored me the most is about the young naive woman that marries the devious creepy older man. I think what captivated me about it was how ridiculous he becomes as his true self was exposed. My favorite is the first tale,in the vein of Hansel/Gretel , as it was creepy and a much too real version of the original. Children are at the whim of adults and corrupt systems, they have such little power or say in anything, and that is frightening. Is it such a stretch, with the foster system as it stands today? I don't want to dissect each tale before the book is released so, here are some of my favorite tidbits...
"At least I think that's how it was. I was five, and it was a whole world ago."
"New and wonderful ideas were swooping through my head like birds, like my head was a room with wide-open windows."
"You sure there wasn't a foot in it? You know, the coyote date where you chew your foot off so you can get away clean."
"But maybe it's different for him," Mikey said. "Maybe the Boy imprinted on her. Like when birds hatch and think the first thing they see is their mother."
"The hospital was the kind of place that made you wonder if anybody got out alive."
"Her brother never had to do anything. If you were a boy you could run wild and people thought it was only natural."
"Their mother had chosen to leave, fine. She should stick with it, not keep circling back around, apologizing."
Those are just a few excerpts that stood out. The stories are short but enjoyable. I always loved the darker side of fairy tales, which stuck with me much longer than any happy ever after did.This convinced me I need to put Jean Thompson's other titles on my to read list.
"At least I think that's how it was. I was five, and it was a whole world ago."
"New and wonderful ideas were swooping through my head like birds, like my head was a room with wide-open windows."
"You sure there wasn't a foot in it? You know, the coyote date where you chew your foot off so you can get away clean."
"But maybe it's different for him," Mikey said. "Maybe the Boy imprinted on her. Like when birds hatch and think the first thing they see is their mother."
"The hospital was the kind of place that made you wonder if anybody got out alive."
"Her brother never had to do anything. If you were a boy you could run wild and people thought it was only natural."
"Their mother had chosen to leave, fine. She should stick with it, not keep circling back around, apologizing."
Those are just a few excerpts that stood out. The stories are short but enjoyable. I always loved the darker side of fairy tales, which stuck with me much longer than any happy ever after did.This convinced me I need to put Jean Thompson's other titles on my to read list.
August 18, 2015
Goodreads! You do exist! I have been stressed which, for me, leads to distraction via internets which means no reading of things like BOOKS when there are stupid message boards where I can lurk, doing nothing, ruining nothing, thinking about nothing.
I figured a collection of reworked fairy tales would be a good way to transition out of ghosting around true crime boards, back into real fancy spine-having literature.
I'm usually a sucker for retold fairy tales, so despite the fact that I picked The Witch up on a whim, I was excited to read it. Unfortunately, I found that I couldn't get into Thompson's versions. They read like real, depressing stories you'd find in the paper (for example, in the first story, Hansel and Gretel are ) and I guess I just don't want that much of the everyday-horror kind of reality in my fairy tales. Delicate flower syndrome strikes again.
So I didn't finish this book: I made it to somewhere around page 70, ran up against Gross Internet Pedophile -- granted, this is an assumption on my part since I stopped reading before finishing the story, but I think it's a fair assumption -- and that was it. Let's mark it unfinished.
To be fair, I know this collection has to be someone's bag -- someone whose ears perk up at the word "gritty" maybe -- and in a better frame of mind it might be alright for me, too, but it's not what I need or want right now.
I figured a collection of reworked fairy tales would be a good way to transition out of ghosting around true crime boards, back into real fancy spine-having literature.
I'm usually a sucker for retold fairy tales, so despite the fact that I picked The Witch up on a whim, I was excited to read it. Unfortunately, I found that I couldn't get into Thompson's versions. They read like real, depressing stories you'd find in the paper (for example, in the first story, Hansel and Gretel are ) and I guess I just don't want that much of the everyday-horror kind of reality in my fairy tales. Delicate flower syndrome strikes again.
So I didn't finish this book: I made it to somewhere around page 70, ran up against Gross Internet Pedophile -- granted, this is an assumption on my part since I stopped reading before finishing the story, but I think it's a fair assumption -- and that was it. Let's mark it unfinished.
To be fair, I know this collection has to be someone's bag -- someone whose ears perk up at the word "gritty" maybe -- and in a better frame of mind it might be alright for me, too, but it's not what I need or want right now.
January 25, 2015
I received an advance copy of this book from Netgalley.com
This is an excellent book, sometimes frightening and sometimes very funny. Jean Thompson has put a modern day spin on some well known fairy tales, which was very enjoyable, thought provoking, and at times surprising. Not all of the stories are immediately recognizable and some of them took me to the very end before I realized which fairy tales were being re-told. That was definitely part of the fun of reading the tales. The book includes Hansel & Gretel, Cinderella, Red Riding Hood, The Pied Piper, and Bluebeard, among others.
Of all of the tales, my two favorites would have to be The Curse and Prince. The Curse was so full of foreboding almost all the way through, I felt the dread of what seemed destined to happen. Prince was very sad and there was a bit of suspicion about what really happened to Ellen that caused her to snap some years back, but had also had great humor intertwined and some laugh out loud lines.
I am a big fan of short stories and this book does not disappoint. This was the first book I've ever read by Jean Thompson and I think the choice to re-tell fairy tales was a fresh and intriguing idea and she did a fabulous job in modernizing the characters, making them realistic, average type people, and then giving them situations and motivations that make sense. I highly recommend this book and plan to read Jean Thompson's earlier works.
This is an excellent book, sometimes frightening and sometimes very funny. Jean Thompson has put a modern day spin on some well known fairy tales, which was very enjoyable, thought provoking, and at times surprising. Not all of the stories are immediately recognizable and some of them took me to the very end before I realized which fairy tales were being re-told. That was definitely part of the fun of reading the tales. The book includes Hansel & Gretel, Cinderella, Red Riding Hood, The Pied Piper, and Bluebeard, among others.
Of all of the tales, my two favorites would have to be The Curse and Prince. The Curse was so full of foreboding almost all the way through, I felt the dread of what seemed destined to happen. Prince was very sad and there was a bit of suspicion about what really happened to Ellen that caused her to snap some years back, but had also had great humor intertwined and some laugh out loud lines.
I am a big fan of short stories and this book does not disappoint. This was the first book I've ever read by Jean Thompson and I think the choice to re-tell fairy tales was a fresh and intriguing idea and she did a fabulous job in modernizing the characters, making them realistic, average type people, and then giving them situations and motivations that make sense. I highly recommend this book and plan to read Jean Thompson's earlier works.
March 15, 2016
If you want to tell today some famous fairy tales, what would emerge? As if it would pick the two brothers of Hansel and Gretel, for example, or who could be a modern Sleeping Beauty? The answer is provided by Jean Thompson with these hilarious stories, set in the middle of the twenty-first century and certainly not politically correct.
Writing eye-catching, very well defined characters, and perfect environments make this collection of "tales" a book to be read at all.
Thank you Blue Rider Press and Netgalley for giving me a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
Volendo raccontare oggi alcune fiabe famose, che cosa ne verrebbe fuori? Come se la caverebbero i due fratellini di Hansel e Gretel, per esempio, o chi potrebbe essere una moderna Bella Addormentata? La risposta ce la fornisce Jean Thompson con queste sue divertentissime storie, ambientate in pieno XXI secolo e di sicuro non politicamente corrette.
Scrittura accattivante, personaggi molto ben delineati, e ambientazioni perfette rendono questa raccolta di "favole" un libro da leggere assolutamente.
Ringrazio Blue Rider Press e Netgalley per avermi concesso una copia gratuita in cambio di una recensione onesta.
Writing eye-catching, very well defined characters, and perfect environments make this collection of "tales" a book to be read at all.
Thank you Blue Rider Press and Netgalley for giving me a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
Volendo raccontare oggi alcune fiabe famose, che cosa ne verrebbe fuori? Come se la caverebbero i due fratellini di Hansel e Gretel, per esempio, o chi potrebbe essere una moderna Bella Addormentata? La risposta ce la fornisce Jean Thompson con queste sue divertentissime storie, ambientate in pieno XXI secolo e di sicuro non politicamente corrette.
Scrittura accattivante, personaggi molto ben delineati, e ambientazioni perfette rendono questa raccolta di "favole" un libro da leggere assolutamente.
Ringrazio Blue Rider Press e Netgalley per avermi concesso una copia gratuita in cambio di una recensione onesta.
December 17, 2014
I received this book from Penguin First to Read.
I was intrigued in this book because of the modern day spin to well-known fairy tales. And the three stories I read certainly succeed in that area. I did really like trying to guess what fairy tale I was reading, although the first one was very easy to guess. The next two took me a couple of pages to figure it out. But as I was reading, I couldn't help but feel like I was being talked to like a child, that the book wasn't anything more than stories meant for little children. Which I guess makes sense, being that these stories are supposed to be fairy tales. But the content was certainly not for children.
It was very difficult for me to read "The Witch" and "Candy", but "Inamorata" was actually interesting to me. I think that's the only reason I continued to "Candy". But after that, I decided not to continue reading the stories because it really felt like a chore. Perhaps I'll return to the rest of the stories later because I've heard that the first three stories are the worst. For now, I'm going to put it in my DNF pile.
I was intrigued in this book because of the modern day spin to well-known fairy tales. And the three stories I read certainly succeed in that area. I did really like trying to guess what fairy tale I was reading, although the first one was very easy to guess. The next two took me a couple of pages to figure it out. But as I was reading, I couldn't help but feel like I was being talked to like a child, that the book wasn't anything more than stories meant for little children. Which I guess makes sense, being that these stories are supposed to be fairy tales. But the content was certainly not for children.
It was very difficult for me to read "The Witch" and "Candy", but "Inamorata" was actually interesting to me. I think that's the only reason I continued to "Candy". But after that, I decided not to continue reading the stories because it really felt like a chore. Perhaps I'll return to the rest of the stories later because I've heard that the first three stories are the worst. For now, I'm going to put it in my DNF pile.
December 27, 2014
The Introduction takes us back in time to the author's memories of her childhood dentist's clinic and a woman dentist who specialised in treating children. It's a wonderfull start to this collection, lyrical and beautifully written. Here the author first encounters the world of make believe.
I enjoyed the stories in this work. Many of them are set in modern urban and suburban environs, with people who we easily identify in our world. The magic is in the characters and the telling and the day to day details of our modern existence. Some stories work better than others. Some are darker than others, but for me, Thompson saves the best for last, a touching tale of the best kind of friendship.
I enjoyed the stories in this work. Many of them are set in modern urban and suburban environs, with people who we easily identify in our world. The magic is in the characters and the telling and the day to day details of our modern existence. Some stories work better than others. Some are darker than others, but for me, Thompson saves the best for last, a touching tale of the best kind of friendship.
December 3, 2014
Goodreads wants me to recommend this to my friends who like fantasy, and there's a problem with that: these stories aren't fantasy. Yes, they are re-told fairy tales, but here's the thing: they are retold as stories, not as fairy tales. Mostly sset in the present day, with nothing magical about them. They are, as many of the originals were, very dark; definitely not disnified or cute. Ambiguous endings, not happy-ever-after. Sometimes, "Well, at least you're still alive" is as happy as life gets.
December 28, 2015
Five stars. More stars. ALL THE STARS.
I love the idea fairytale/folktale retellings, but I'm picky about them when they're actually in front of me. They can't just be a simple rehashing of the exact same thing. They can't just have a gender-swap, or just be set in outer space, or "just" anything. They have to add a layer of complexity, relate the old stories to a new place or time, make them relevant in a new way. The stories in this book do that with spectacular success.
I love the idea fairytale/folktale retellings, but I'm picky about them when they're actually in front of me. They can't just be a simple rehashing of the exact same thing. They can't just have a gender-swap, or just be set in outer space, or "just" anything. They have to add a layer of complexity, relate the old stories to a new place or time, make them relevant in a new way. The stories in this book do that with spectacular success.
June 11, 2014
The Witch and Other Tales Re-Told is exactly that, tales re-told in a very unexpected and surprising way. Some of them read like a punch to the gut, and some I still have not figured out which "tale" is being retold, simply because the ideas are presented in such an original way that the story feels new and untarnished. I really enjoyed this collection.
May 10, 2017
Penguin First to Read ARC.
I love fairy tales and I love fairy tale retellings. But this really missed the mark. After finishing it, I barely remember any if the stories. The one I remember most is the first one! Half the time I couldn't even tell what fairy tale was being retold. Not what I was expecting.
I love fairy tales and I love fairy tale retellings. But this really missed the mark. After finishing it, I barely remember any if the stories. The one I remember most is the first one! Half the time I couldn't even tell what fairy tale was being retold. Not what I was expecting.
August 28, 2014
By turns funny, poignant, dark, and beautiful - like faerie tales and like life - the stories in this book will pull you along and leave you wanting more. It is worth reading for the delicious twist in "Candy" alone.
January 14, 2015
Fractured fairy tales,
reset with modern casts.
The final (dog) story, "Prince,"
rescued it for me.
reset with modern casts.
The final (dog) story, "Prince,"
rescued it for me.
November 14, 2014
The Witch is a re-telling of fairy tales in a modern sense. Her stories are subtle. The fairy tale element is there in fine woven threads. A real craft, done quite well by the author.
December 4, 2014
I love fairy tales and retold ones. Thompson gave an even fresher retelling by setting the stories in the new millenium.
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