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Four Tales
A sumptuous edition of four tales gloriously illustrated by Peter Bailey. Combining elements of fairy tale, humour, and spookiness, this is the perfect book for a cold winter's night. The stories are "The Firework-Maker's Daughter, I Was A Rat!, Clockwork" and "The Scarecrow & His Servant" and this is the first time they have been published together in one volume.
631 pages, Hardcover
First published October 28, 2010
19 people are currently reading
1313 people want to read
About the author
Philip Pullman
260 books25.7k followersSir Philip Nicholas Outram Pullman is an English writer. His books include the fantasy trilogy His Dark Materials and The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ, a fictionalised biography of Jesus. In 2008, The Times named Pullman one of the "50 greatest British writers since 1945". In a 2004 BBC poll, he was named the eleventh most influential person in British culture. He was knighted in the 2019 New Year Honours for services to literature.
Northern Lights, the first volume in His Dark Materials, won the 1995 Carnegie Medal of the Library Association as the year's outstanding English-language children's book. For the Carnegie's 70th anniversary, it was named in the top ten by a panel tasked with compiling a shortlist for a public vote for an all-time favourite. It won that public vote and was named all-time "Carnegie of Carnegies" in June 2007. It was filmed under the book's US title, The Golden Compass. In 2003, His Dark Materials trilogy ranked third in the BBC's The Big Read, a poll of 200 top novels voted by the British public.
Northern Lights, the first volume in His Dark Materials, won the 1995 Carnegie Medal of the Library Association as the year's outstanding English-language children's book. For the Carnegie's 70th anniversary, it was named in the top ten by a panel tasked with compiling a shortlist for a public vote for an all-time favourite. It won that public vote and was named all-time "Carnegie of Carnegies" in June 2007. It was filmed under the book's US title, The Golden Compass. In 2003, His Dark Materials trilogy ranked third in the BBC's The Big Read, a poll of 200 top novels voted by the British public.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
October 23, 2013
Philip Pullman is a powerful storyteller. He leaves subtle fingerprints of magic on everything he touches. A little hint of shimmer and glitter spills in between the words that he forms and the stories that he writes. I will always consider him and his writing as a childhood-treasure.
I was delighted to find out, that these four tales in fact are fairy-tales. Simple traditional tales, with a hint of the unexpected and the untraditional elements that are so essential to Pullman's writing.
"The Firework-Maker's Daughter" is the first tale in the collection, and it also happens to be my favorite. It is constructed as a very typical fairy tale and clearly aimed towards the slightly younger audience. It is filled with growing wonder, and a timeless morale of standing up for what you believe in, being yourself and trusting your instincts. Endearing and sweetly old-fashioned, it was a delight to read.
The next tale, "I Was a Rat!", puzzled me. While I liked the premise of the story, I perhaps found it a bit too long in certain places. However this tale truly shows how brilliant a storyteller Pullman is. "I Was a Rat!" is a fairy-tale about another fairy-tale, an intricate glimpse of a story that has never been told before. I didn't fully realize this until I reached the end of the story and everything came so gracefully together. What a pleasant surprise.
"Clockword" was something else entirely. A disturbing fairy-tale hiding within a beautiful framework, as a story-within-a-story. It almost felt gothic - and I adored it, even though it sent shivers down my spine. Pullman has clearly been inspired by Pinocchio, but he has taken the well-known tale and turned it into something entirely different and entirely his own.
I didn't particularly like "The Scarecrow and His Servant". It felt too long, too repetitive and a bit too silly at times. With an almost Quixotic storyline, this is a tale of a living Scarecrow and his actual human servant. The Scarecrow is not too clever, and the servant is a frightful, yet sensible, young thing. Together they go on many adventures and solve a deceiving mystery in their small-town village.
While I read this last story, I seemed to keep losing my focus and my concentration. It is not that it is a badly written story - it is just one I have heard too many times before.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It reminded me of Pullman's inarguable talent, his beautiful way with word and his careful attention to detail. I adore his way of giving old tales a new twist, and softly weaving hidden references of well-known childhood stories into every aspect of his writing.
I'm simply just saddened by the fact, that the two longest tales were the ones I liked the least; I desperately wanted to love every word of every page. But as it happens, I still got to spent some time in the imaginative fairy-tale world of one of my favorite writers of all-time. And that in itself is delightful enough.
I was delighted to find out, that these four tales in fact are fairy-tales. Simple traditional tales, with a hint of the unexpected and the untraditional elements that are so essential to Pullman's writing.
"The Firework-Maker's Daughter" is the first tale in the collection, and it also happens to be my favorite. It is constructed as a very typical fairy tale and clearly aimed towards the slightly younger audience. It is filled with growing wonder, and a timeless morale of standing up for what you believe in, being yourself and trusting your instincts. Endearing and sweetly old-fashioned, it was a delight to read.
The next tale, "I Was a Rat!", puzzled me. While I liked the premise of the story, I perhaps found it a bit too long in certain places. However this tale truly shows how brilliant a storyteller Pullman is. "I Was a Rat!" is a fairy-tale about another fairy-tale, an intricate glimpse of a story that has never been told before. I didn't fully realize this until I reached the end of the story and everything came so gracefully together. What a pleasant surprise.
"Clockword" was something else entirely. A disturbing fairy-tale hiding within a beautiful framework, as a story-within-a-story. It almost felt gothic - and I adored it, even though it sent shivers down my spine. Pullman has clearly been inspired by Pinocchio, but he has taken the well-known tale and turned it into something entirely different and entirely his own.
I didn't particularly like "The Scarecrow and His Servant". It felt too long, too repetitive and a bit too silly at times. With an almost Quixotic storyline, this is a tale of a living Scarecrow and his actual human servant. The Scarecrow is not too clever, and the servant is a frightful, yet sensible, young thing. Together they go on many adventures and solve a deceiving mystery in their small-town village.
While I read this last story, I seemed to keep losing my focus and my concentration. It is not that it is a badly written story - it is just one I have heard too many times before.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It reminded me of Pullman's inarguable talent, his beautiful way with word and his careful attention to detail. I adore his way of giving old tales a new twist, and softly weaving hidden references of well-known childhood stories into every aspect of his writing.
I'm simply just saddened by the fact, that the two longest tales were the ones I liked the least; I desperately wanted to love every word of every page. But as it happens, I still got to spent some time in the imaginative fairy-tale world of one of my favorite writers of all-time. And that in itself is delightful enough.
January 31, 2022
3.5
I was tempted to give this 4 stars because Pullman seems like a really nice person, but this wasn't exactly to my taste.
I really like fairy tale retellings when they have a twist, or something a bit darker - but this book was just confusing. It had some really mature themes (murder, gaslighting, manipulation, etc.) And I'm pretty sure some of the characters were doing drugs haha. But was also quite child-like, and all the stories had happy endings and were simplistic. So who was the audience?
"'Your ignorance is legendary,' said the bird.
'Well, thank you. But dont think you can get me around with your flattery.''
That said, I did enjoy the stories. There were hilarious parts that made me laugh, and some really nice quotes. The messages were also consistent, and sometimes it's nice to have a morally simplistic book that's just about the value of being kind and honest.
Another thing I loved - the stories are so, so diverse. They draw on fairytales from India, China, Germany and Europe, and I loved that they weren't all confined to the Western world's lore. It's a small thing, but it was really cool, especially considering some of these were written in the 90s.
"Here's the truth: if you want something, you can have it, but only if you want everything that goes with it, including all the hard work and the despair, and only if you're willing to risk failure."
This would definitely be a wonderful book for a younger audience, so perhaps a more objective rating is 4 stars. I personally didn't find it quite interesting enough.
I was tempted to give this 4 stars because Pullman seems like a really nice person, but this wasn't exactly to my taste.
I really like fairy tale retellings when they have a twist, or something a bit darker - but this book was just confusing. It had some really mature themes (murder, gaslighting, manipulation, etc.) And I'm pretty sure some of the characters were doing drugs haha. But was also quite child-like, and all the stories had happy endings and were simplistic. So who was the audience?
"'Your ignorance is legendary,' said the bird.
'Well, thank you. But dont think you can get me around with your flattery.''
That said, I did enjoy the stories. There were hilarious parts that made me laugh, and some really nice quotes. The messages were also consistent, and sometimes it's nice to have a morally simplistic book that's just about the value of being kind and honest.
Another thing I loved - the stories are so, so diverse. They draw on fairytales from India, China, Germany and Europe, and I loved that they weren't all confined to the Western world's lore. It's a small thing, but it was really cool, especially considering some of these were written in the 90s.
"Here's the truth: if you want something, you can have it, but only if you want everything that goes with it, including all the hard work and the despair, and only if you're willing to risk failure."
This would definitely be a wonderful book for a younger audience, so perhaps a more objective rating is 4 stars. I personally didn't find it quite interesting enough.
December 19, 2017
Four stories written in a traditional style to emulate the Grimm brothers/Hans Christian Andersen. In this sense they were well done. However, in terms of holding my interest the stories were rather hit and miss. I enjoyed "I was a Rat!" and "Clockwork" but the other two seemed to lack substance. Philip Pullman is obviously talented and knows literary tradition, but like all writers, he writes better at some times than others.
January 30, 2019
I had high expectations of Philip Pullman but unfortunately I found this a pretty disappointing read. I like a good fairy tale as much as the next person but these really didn’t do it for me.
The first and third stories - The Firework Maker’s Daughter and Clockwork - were my favourites, and also, not by coincidence, the two shorter ones. I enjoyed the relationship between Lila and Lalchand in TFMD, and while I thought the actual plot of Clockwork was a little weak I liked the slightly creepy atmosphere.
I Was A Rat really didn’t hold up for me at all, and neither did The Scarecrow and His Servant. Both of them seemed less like stories and more just a sequence of things that happened. Even the twist, if that’s the right word for it, in I Was A Rat was fairly predictable. I found it hard to get invested in the characters, especially in The Scarecrow and His Servant. I actually wondered if I was meant to like the the scarecrow at all, given his ignorance and the the way he treated Jack. I found it difficult to root for a character that drags a half-starving kid around the country with him and doesn’t seem to understand or care that the boy might die, but instead only compliments him on how well he’s done serving his master. The ending was also a let down, as I thought it was a bit hypocritical that they save Spring Valley from being poisoned but then turn it into a bottled water factory. All in all I was hoping for more.
The first and third stories - The Firework Maker’s Daughter and Clockwork - were my favourites, and also, not by coincidence, the two shorter ones. I enjoyed the relationship between Lila and Lalchand in TFMD, and while I thought the actual plot of Clockwork was a little weak I liked the slightly creepy atmosphere.
I Was A Rat really didn’t hold up for me at all, and neither did The Scarecrow and His Servant. Both of them seemed less like stories and more just a sequence of things that happened. Even the twist, if that’s the right word for it, in I Was A Rat was fairly predictable. I found it hard to get invested in the characters, especially in The Scarecrow and His Servant. I actually wondered if I was meant to like the the scarecrow at all, given his ignorance and the the way he treated Jack. I found it difficult to root for a character that drags a half-starving kid around the country with him and doesn’t seem to understand or care that the boy might die, but instead only compliments him on how well he’s done serving his master. The ending was also a let down, as I thought it was a bit hypocritical that they save Spring Valley from being poisoned but then turn it into a bottled water factory. All in all I was hoping for more.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 30, 2019
The Firework Maker's Daughter ★★★☆☆
The tale is more simple than I had expected, very straight forward plot (maybe because it came into existence as a play?) but with some unique elements such as a talking white elephant and the art of creating fireworks.
I Was A Rat! ★★★☆☆
Rather simple plot as well but with a nice explanation about Roger's past at the end that I hadn't seen coming.
Clockwork ★★★★★
I had listened to this on audio before but decided to reread because it's such a fantastic tale. It is so much cleverer than the previous 2 stories, working with metafictional elements and intertwining timelines. Absolutely loved it.
The Scarecrow & His Servant ★★★☆☆
The longest tale in the collection and my least favorite. Probably because I just found the Scarecrow so unbearably silly. It made all the worst decisions and I know it's supposed to be funny but I just found it annoying. Also, most chapters were just random, not very thrilling adventures. Things came together nicely in the end though and I liked Granny Raven.
The tale is more simple than I had expected, very straight forward plot (maybe because it came into existence as a play?) but with some unique elements such as a talking white elephant and the art of creating fireworks.
I Was A Rat! ★★★☆☆
Rather simple plot as well but with a nice explanation about Roger's past at the end that I hadn't seen coming.
Clockwork ★★★★★
I had listened to this on audio before but decided to reread because it's such a fantastic tale. It is so much cleverer than the previous 2 stories, working with metafictional elements and intertwining timelines. Absolutely loved it.
The Scarecrow & His Servant ★★★☆☆
The longest tale in the collection and my least favorite. Probably because I just found the Scarecrow so unbearably silly. It made all the worst decisions and I know it's supposed to be funny but I just found it annoying. Also, most chapters were just random, not very thrilling adventures. Things came together nicely in the end though and I liked Granny Raven.
March 4, 2018
An excellent collection of original fairy tales, all beautifully illustrated!
December 18, 2021
Blooming excellent - sometimes fairy tales go where novels can't.
Had this signed copy for years but never got round to reading it until being in quarantine now.
A lovely antidote.
Had this signed copy for years but never got round to reading it until being in quarantine now.
A lovely antidote.
June 9, 2022
The Four Tales to which the title refers are here collected into a single, handsome volume, with a prologue and epilogue written by the author reflecting on the stories themselves and what makes them fairy tales, and accompanying illustrations by Peter Bailey. Whilst aimed at a younger audience than others of Philip Pullman's I've read, this collection nevertheless feels both insightful and principled.
The Firework-Maker's Daughter ☆☆☆
The Firework-Maker's Daughter is a light-hearted novella with Indo-Chinese influences and familiar fairy-tale themes (talking animals, wishes, sets of three, hero-gets-tested...). For me it felt a little overly episodic, with encounters too neatly resolved with the close of each chapter, though as the story progressed earlier threads were revisited, and the ending was suitably enchanting and empowering.
I Was a Rat! ☆☆☆☆½
A loose Cinderella reimagining, and also a play on the childless-couple-blessed-with-magical-infant fairy-tale trope, I'd seen a TV adaptation of I Was a Rat! years back, but couldn't recall much, and certainly don't remember it being as funny as I found the short novel, so perhaps the wry humour did not translate so easily. Roger's perspective on "normal" things is refreshing and often amusing; sometimes it highlights the absurdity of outdated institutions, like the cane, which was legal up until the year I was born. The short (barely two-paragraph!) chapter in which Bob and Joan get as far as the outside of an orphanage before turning around, is incredibly powerful. Indeed, Pullman's scathing social commentary is what makes this story so exceptional. As a work of satire, the evolution of the tabloid excerpts and their fallout for example, are brilliant, and uncomfortably evergreen even 23 years after publication:
"Everyone had an opinion, and the less they knew, the more strongly they expressed themselves."
Oof! I was reminded of Terry Pratchett's The Truth.
Clockwork, or All Wound Up ☆☆☆☆
Content Warning
A dark and intricate tale with echoes of Adventures of Pinnochio, Faust, and even Frankenstein: The 1818 Text Clockwork utilises the story-within-a-story device, and additionally boxed reflections that act as a parallel authorial commentary. One such reflection ends with a social critique that reveals Pullman's disdain for the economic status quo, rather similar to the method he employs in I Was a Rat!:
"If you want to buy things cheap, it helps to be rich, strange as it seems. Poor people always have to pay the full price."
I was immediately drawn into this carefully-crafted, creepy story, with its examination of the mechanics of time reminding me a little of Terry Pratchett's Thief of Time.
The Scarecrow and His Servant ☆☆☆☆
Essentially a straw-golem story, The Scarecrow and His Servant is a highly-enjoyable romp with a lot of humour and heart. As with the previous tales, wit and whimsy are combined with sharp social commentary to great effect - the Congress of Birds, with Jack acting as "translator" between the common enemies, being a perfect example of this. There is a shrewdness to the narrative that became more apparent as it progressed. Pullman also cleverly plays with the ship of Theseus idea. Once again some Terry Pratchett vibes at times, in this case Monstrous Regiment - Lord Scarecrow bring almost as likeable an officer as Lieutenant Blouse!
Overall, a moving and thought-provoking collection in which the author uses the "masks" of the fairy tale (as he puts it) as lenses through which to examine society and its participants.
The Firework-Maker's Daughter ☆☆☆
The Firework-Maker's Daughter is a light-hearted novella with Indo-Chinese influences and familiar fairy-tale themes (talking animals, wishes, sets of three, hero-gets-tested...). For me it felt a little overly episodic, with encounters too neatly resolved with the close of each chapter, though as the story progressed earlier threads were revisited, and the ending was suitably enchanting and empowering.
I Was a Rat! ☆☆☆☆½
A loose Cinderella reimagining, and also a play on the childless-couple-blessed-with-magical-infant fairy-tale trope, I'd seen a TV adaptation of I Was a Rat! years back, but couldn't recall much, and certainly don't remember it being as funny as I found the short novel, so perhaps the wry humour did not translate so easily. Roger's perspective on "normal" things is refreshing and often amusing; sometimes it highlights the absurdity of outdated institutions, like the cane, which was legal up until the year I was born. The short (barely two-paragraph!) chapter in which Bob and Joan get as far as the outside of an orphanage before turning around, is incredibly powerful. Indeed, Pullman's scathing social commentary is what makes this story so exceptional. As a work of satire, the evolution of the tabloid excerpts and their fallout for example, are brilliant, and uncomfortably evergreen even 23 years after publication:
"Everyone had an opinion, and the less they knew, the more strongly they expressed themselves."
Oof! I was reminded of Terry Pratchett's The Truth.
Clockwork, or All Wound Up ☆☆☆☆
Content Warning
A dark and intricate tale with echoes of Adventures of Pinnochio, Faust, and even Frankenstein: The 1818 Text Clockwork utilises the story-within-a-story device, and additionally boxed reflections that act as a parallel authorial commentary. One such reflection ends with a social critique that reveals Pullman's disdain for the economic status quo, rather similar to the method he employs in I Was a Rat!:
"If you want to buy things cheap, it helps to be rich, strange as it seems. Poor people always have to pay the full price."
I was immediately drawn into this carefully-crafted, creepy story, with its examination of the mechanics of time reminding me a little of Terry Pratchett's Thief of Time.
The Scarecrow and His Servant ☆☆☆☆
Essentially a straw-golem story, The Scarecrow and His Servant is a highly-enjoyable romp with a lot of humour and heart. As with the previous tales, wit and whimsy are combined with sharp social commentary to great effect - the Congress of Birds, with Jack acting as "translator" between the common enemies, being a perfect example of this. There is a shrewdness to the narrative that became more apparent as it progressed. Pullman also cleverly plays with the ship of Theseus idea. Once again some Terry Pratchett vibes at times, in this case Monstrous Regiment - Lord Scarecrow bring almost as likeable an officer as Lieutenant Blouse!
Overall, a moving and thought-provoking collection in which the author uses the "masks" of the fairy tale (as he puts it) as lenses through which to examine society and its participants.
July 6, 2019
A delightful collection of stories from one of the best writers of our time. This collection is probably the closest to the Brothers Grimm style I have read in how it tells its tales. That being said, although the style is obviously alluding to their work, all of the stories are almost entirely original. I only picked up on one of the tales being based around a familiar fairytale, but Phillip Pullman puts enough of his unique spin on it that it feels completely new. My favorite story was definitely 'I Was A Rat!' which I found particularly funny. I loved the inclusion of comic newspapers illustrated by Peter Bailey throughout that story; they were so unique. Bailey also illustrated the other three stories, which were fantastic. He is exceptionally talented and the best fit for this collection. The only reason I'm not giving this book five stars is that even though all of the stories were good, none were particularly exceptional or noteworthy. This is a fun book for adults and children alike, and I definitely would not give it a miss if you are a fan of Pullman or fairytales.
July 1, 2017
Author Philip Pullman serves up four delicious fairy tales about competition, transformation, invention, and friendship. His writing is fluidly amusing, with a child-like humour in a gentle mix of subtlety and obstreperousness. The charming line drawings by illustrator Peter Bailey add to the old-fashioned atmosphere and remind me of many of the books I used to read when I was growing up. I got to know Pullman's art through his astounding His Dark Materials trilogy, so I had high expectations; and for the most part, he didn't let me down with this collection. The only criticisms I would level at this volume is that the empathy essential for readers to effectively engage with the characters waxes and wanes, and some of the pictures would be a bit scary for younger readers. But on the whole, I enjoyed it a lot. Children's writers the world over have a lot to learn from the skilled storytelling of Mr Pullman.
January 23, 2023
I'd bought His Dark Materials for my son, then 16, but is was my daughter, then 11, who devoured it cover to cover voraciously (several times now). As such, I sought out something by Pullman for her and found this. I am surprised that it is reviewed as low as it is, for to my mind (unlike some other Pullman), this is another masterpiece. My daughter loved it, and I was absolutely fascinated by the way he reworked this stories with a real masterly touch, each one seemingly better than the last, and the first was really very good. My son, I must say, seemingly influenced by some friends has yet to read His Dark Materials (claiming his IB work made him too busy to read - it is a lot of work). But I'm sure that once he reads Pullman too, he'll see the draw of this marvellous storyteller. This will appeal to adults and children. (BTW, my daughter has always read above her age level, and I wouldn't necessarily recommend HDM for 11 year olds unless they're really keen readers.)
May 14, 2017
A compilation of four of Pullman's original almost-fairytales. As a collection it was very impressive (and beautiful, which a book really ought to be if possible); the stories are great, and fit together very well thematically... My favourite was probably Clockwork - something that surprised me, as I was definitely expecting it to be I Was a Rat! (if only for nostalgia's sake) - but they're all good fun, and excellently written.
Individual ratings:
The Firework-Maker's Daughter - 3/5
I Was a Rat! - 4/5 [review]
Clockwork - 5/5
The Scarecrow & His Servant - 3/5 [review]
December 17, 2023
I was very pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed these tales. They were engrossing, fun, and interesting reads. I also thought they were ordered really well.
The Firework Maker's Daughter - 5 stars
A nice little heartwarming story. Just what I needed.
I Was a Rat! or The Scarlet Slippers - 5 stars
A great satire of so many aspects of humanity, especially media and political spin, along with a lovely storyline of found family love.
Clockwork or All Wound Up - 4 stars
I really enjoyed the asides in this one, and had a good little chuckle at a few of them. The story actually got pretty scary at times too. The ending/culmination was pretty predictable, but still another nice little story.
The Scarecrow and His Servant - 5 stars
A really great story, I devoured it in one sitting. Great way to end the collection.
The Firework Maker's Daughter - 5 stars
A nice little heartwarming story. Just what I needed.
I Was a Rat! or The Scarlet Slippers - 5 stars
A great satire of so many aspects of humanity, especially media and political spin, along with a lovely storyline of found family love.
Clockwork or All Wound Up - 4 stars
I really enjoyed the asides in this one, and had a good little chuckle at a few of them. The story actually got pretty scary at times too. The ending/culmination was pretty predictable, but still another nice little story.
The Scarecrow and His Servant - 5 stars
A really great story, I devoured it in one sitting. Great way to end the collection.
January 15, 2018
Une série de quatre contes modernes qui m'ont séduit par leur humour, leur originalité et la critique mordante de notre société. À lire: la préface de Pullman et sa conception du conte est aussi tout à fait intéressante.
Mon conte préféré est le premier: une héroïne qui veut devenir artificière comme son père et qui apprend que pour atteindre ses objectifs il faut de la passion, de la détermination... mais aussi beaucoup de chance! On y croise également l'oncle de son meilleur ami qui a changé dix fois de profession avant de se reconvertir et de trouver sa voix comme chanteur a capella!
Mon conte préféré est le premier: une héroïne qui veut devenir artificière comme son père et qui apprend que pour atteindre ses objectifs il faut de la passion, de la détermination... mais aussi beaucoup de chance! On y croise également l'oncle de son meilleur ami qui a changé dix fois de profession avant de se reconvertir et de trouver sa voix comme chanteur a capella!
August 1, 2019
It has been a while since I have enjoyed a children’s novel with such unalloyed impulsion. I had thought I have become adept at putting a book down. I thought he might but I was not sure. Bought the book for my kids but finished reading it myself. Philip Pullman does it again. ❤️
February 22, 2019
Although some of the details of the stories were forgettable, "The Firework Maker's Daughter" really stood out to me. Was overall an enjoyable read.
May 7, 2019
I loved how he depicted girls.
January 20, 2020
I’m a huge fan of Pullman’s narrative voice, and I think it comes across very nicely in these stories. Clockwork and I Was a Rat! were my two favorites.
March 14, 2020
I didn't realise how much I missed reading fairy tales until I read these.
December 28, 2020
Witty and funny, a subtle satyr of modern society
October 19, 2021
Review for The Firework Makers Daughter only.
I really enjoy Philip Pullmans books and I thoroughly enjoyed this short story too I just wish it had been longer.
I really enjoy Philip Pullmans books and I thoroughly enjoyed this short story too I just wish it had been longer.
January 5, 2022
Four nice relatively short fairy tales. Favorite was "I was a rat"
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May 1, 2024
Full review to follow.
July 25, 2017
Pullman's twist on some undeniable classic tales makes them accessible to a younger audience. The language is updated without losing any of the richness of the original stories.
February 20, 2013
I worked my way through this omnibus volume and reviewed each part separately as I came to it.
1.The Firework-Maker's Daughter(Read from Jan 26 to 27, 2013)****
An utterly charming children's book, it's clearly aimed at under tens but still has more than enough not to bore an adult. Set in an utterly fictional, sort of China-like place this is a fairy tale in the best sense (no fairies in it) lots of unexpected moments, lots of comedy and just the right sort of moral. It's as if this story story has always existed it just took Pullman to discover it.
2.I Was A Rat! (Read from Feb 3 to 4, 2013)****
A really delightful if rather sad (with a happy ending of course) children's story, based on the events in a well known fairy tale, part of the fun is realising which one, so I won't say, but I got it in the first chapter. Pullman has much fun satirizing various institutions that an adult should find much to enjoy even though the story is very much aimed at a primary school audience.
3. Clockwork (Read Feb 10 2013) *****
A superb little story, Pullman at his best, a story about story, as disturbing as the best of traditional fairy-tales. The book in it's different forms has been illustrated by different people, the version I read in the omnibus Four Tales was illustrated by Peter Bailey, Pullman's captions for these illustrations are brilliant giving a sideways look at the plot.
4. The_Scarecrow_and_his_Servant (Read From Feb 17 to 19, 2013)***
A pleasant episodic story, not quite Pullman at his best. Pullman seems to be channelling amongst other things "Don Quixote" and especially "The wizard of Oz" not only with the scarecrow, but we also has an idea (the replacement parts) borrowed from the Tin Woodman.
Looking at each part separately I gave one 5 star, two four stars and a three star so my over all rating should be four stars, but I've given it five as I consider that taken together the whole is greater than the sum of it's parts. The hardback book is a beautiful object, for all modern technology may throw at us in the form of e-book readers, while books like this exist the traditional printed book will not die.
1.The Firework-Maker's Daughter(Read from Jan 26 to 27, 2013)****
An utterly charming children's book, it's clearly aimed at under tens but still has more than enough not to bore an adult. Set in an utterly fictional, sort of China-like place this is a fairy tale in the best sense (no fairies in it) lots of unexpected moments, lots of comedy and just the right sort of moral. It's as if this story story has always existed it just took Pullman to discover it.
2.I Was A Rat! (Read from Feb 3 to 4, 2013)****
A really delightful if rather sad (with a happy ending of course) children's story, based on the events in a well known fairy tale, part of the fun is realising which one, so I won't say, but I got it in the first chapter. Pullman has much fun satirizing various institutions that an adult should find much to enjoy even though the story is very much aimed at a primary school audience.
3. Clockwork (Read Feb 10 2013) *****
A superb little story, Pullman at his best, a story about story, as disturbing as the best of traditional fairy-tales. The book in it's different forms has been illustrated by different people, the version I read in the omnibus Four Tales was illustrated by Peter Bailey, Pullman's captions for these illustrations are brilliant giving a sideways look at the plot.
4. The_Scarecrow_and_his_Servant (Read From Feb 17 to 19, 2013)***
A pleasant episodic story, not quite Pullman at his best. Pullman seems to be channelling amongst other things "Don Quixote" and especially "The wizard of Oz" not only with the scarecrow, but we also has an idea (the replacement parts) borrowed from the Tin Woodman.
Looking at each part separately I gave one 5 star, two four stars and a three star so my over all rating should be four stars, but I've given it five as I consider that taken together the whole is greater than the sum of it's parts. The hardback book is a beautiful object, for all modern technology may throw at us in the form of e-book readers, while books like this exist the traditional printed book will not die.
January 8, 2011
Summary: a collection of four different fairy tales published together in one handsome volume.
What I Liked: 'The Fireworks-Maker's Daughter'. Really, really liked the story entitled 'Clockwork, or All Wound Up.'
What I didn't like: Found 'I Was a Rat!' and 'The Scarecrow and His Servant' considerably less satisfying.
What I Liked: 'The Fireworks-Maker's Daughter'. Really, really liked the story entitled 'Clockwork, or All Wound Up.'
What I didn't like: Found 'I Was a Rat!' and 'The Scarecrow and His Servant' considerably less satisfying.
April 29, 2015
This was really nice! I think my favourite of the four tales in this book was I Was A Rat! but I also really enjoyed the other ones. However, The Scarecrow and His Servant was my least favourite, even though I still quite liked it. Philip Pullman is just a very multifaceted author and so far I have enjoyed everything I have read by him.
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January 2, 2011This foil-stamped, illustrated, 600+ page beauty of four collected, previously published Pullman tales just arrived from England. Cannot wait for this evening next to the fire.
Loved this. "I Was a Rat!", so tender and true, is now one of my favorite stories ever.
Loved this. "I Was a Rat!", so tender and true, is now one of my favorite stories ever.
December 10, 2012
The best tale is 'I Was A Rat!' I shall recommend everyone to read it for pure joy.The other tales vary in excellence, but nonetheless the workmanship of the author keeps the reader glued.
January 9, 2013
Would definitely read the 2nd and 4th stories again but wasn't as impressed with the 1st and 3rd stories.
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