Once Upon a Time There Was a Traveller

by Various

Here are tales of people who travel far and those who stay at home and dream; of strange things in suitcases; of roads that should not have been taken; of exotic cities and shabby towns. Some are running away, and some are travelling to come home. With new stories from well-known writers, including Helen Dunmore, and an Angela Carter fable, this is a book to tuck in your backpack, your valise or to enjoy, deep in your armchair, for no one can fail to be hooked by those beguiling words: once upon a time there was a traveller. (Large Print Edition)

Genres: Short Stories, Travel, Fiction

Paperback

First published November 1, 2013

About the author

Various is the correct author for any book with multiple unknown authors, and is acceptable for books with multiple known authors, especially if not all are known or the list is very long (over 50).

If an editor is known, however, Various is not necessary. List the name of the editor as the primary author (with role "editor"). Contributing authors' names follow it.

Note: WorldCat is an excellent resource for finding author information and contents of anthologies.

Reviews

[Kristina · Rating 3 out of 5]

This anthology felt like a collection of mediocre work from extremely talented writers. While the stories featured did transport the reader to various exotic locales, the quality of the writing was haphazard and murky. Even the four award-winning tales were good but not particularly memorable. The one story that was truly excellent was the opening tale, “Departure Time” by Tessa Green.

[Bloom · Rating 3 out of 5]

sooo... this wasn't as good as I expected. Maybe I was the one who looked for too much when I read the blurb behind (never trust blurbs, remember??) Anyway, there are a few ones that I find particularly interesting, namely stories by Penelope MacDonald(A Sense of Perspective), Emily Russell(Hywl), Dolores Pinto(Where Life Takes You) and Susie Boyt(Documentary at Clareville Lodge). And not to forget Angela Carter! After reading the short extract of The Magic Toyshop, I'm tempted to buy the original book(I've always wanted to read The Bloody Chambers anyway...) This book took me pretty long to get through but all in all, it was okay.

[Sydney More · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent collection of travel stories, although the theme of 'travel' was tenuous for some. There were a few I really enjoyed ('Journey to the Brother's Farm', by Pippa Gough; 'The Elephant in the Suitcase', by Deepa Anappara; 'Leaving Her', by Dianna Swennes Smith; 'Level and Nearly Unaffected', by Carol Rowntree Jones), but the rest didn't strike a strong chord with me. The final story, which was really an excerpt from Angela Carter's 'The Magic Toyshop', wasn't enough of an story on it's own for my tastes, and I was left feeling irritated by the cliffhanger.

[Debbie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Turns out I don't like short stories, enjoyed a couple but felt there was more to tell. Felt like reading excerpts of a longer story. Just not my cup of tea.