A Wind from Nowhere

by Nicholas Stuart Gray

Book by Gray, Nicholas Stuart

Genres: Fantasy, Short Stories, Childrens

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1978

About the author

Nicholas Stuart Gray (23 October 1922, Scotland - 17 March 1981) was a British actor and playwright, perhaps best known for his work in children's theatre in England. He was also an author of children's fantasy; he wrote a number of novels, a dozen plays, and many short stories. Neil Gaiman has written that Gray "is one of those authors I loved as a boy who holds up even better on rereading as an adult". Many other modern fantasy authors, such as Hilari Bell, Cecilia Dart-Thornton, Kate Forsyth, Cassandra Golds, Katherine Langrish, Sophie Masson, and Garth Nix, cite Gray's work as something they enjoyed as children.

Perhaps his best-known books are The Seventh Swan and Grimbold's Other World. Gray often produced adaptations or continuations of traditional fairy tales and fantasy works, as in his Further Adventures of Puss in Boots. His The Stone Cage is a re-telling of Rapunzel from a cat's point of view. Over The Hills to Fabylon is about a city whose king has the ability to make it fly off across the mountains if he feels it is in danger.

Gray maintained a long-term collaborative relationship with set designer and illustrator Joan Jefferson Farjeon (sister of Eleanor Farjeon and Harry Farjeon); she supplied the costume and scenic designs for many of the theatrical productions of his plays, as well as the illustrations of his books.

---from wikipedia

Reviews

[Sem · Rating 4 out of 5]

Why oh why are Gray's books out of print when there's so much drivel on the shelves?

[Mir · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ill-tempered supernatural fungus. Witches with two left feet. The saving power of the love. Lots of princes, princesses, witches, demons, and cats.

As always, Gray's prose manages to be almost-simultaneously humorous, touching, lovely, and frightening.

[CLM · Rating 3 out of 5]

My review for WitchWeek2023:

https://tinyurl.com/2spzbxye

[Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book because Garth Nix said Gray was one of his inspirations for Frogkisser!, and I was curious. I can see what Nix took from Gray: the idea that magic corrupts, and absolute magic corrupts absolutely. But in A Wind From Nowhere the analogy of magic to power is even more explicit. At its best magic is isolating and wearying; more typically it turns simple villagers into heartless monsters. In every case the happy ending involves giving it up. I also couldn't help but notice it's always girls who want magic, and while they're often portrayed sympathetically, the girls who don't want magic are portrayed even more so.

For a while I thought the first story might secretly be about a girl in thrall to an evil broom, but it turns out everything was as it seemed, and after the sentimental setting the die was cast. Each story had a similar theme to the one before it, and with no world-building or magical systems to speak of, they got repetitive quickly. My favorite was the story told from the point of view of a demon, where the humans acquire, over the course of the story, a bit of grace.

Nix said that Gray was one of his formative authors as a kid, but was silent whether he was one of his favorites. If he was, I suspect it was not on the strength of this book.

[robyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think this is the least of Gray's short story collections. Still, they do have his unmistakable stamp of silliness mixed with real darkness - "I'll put a bone in your tongue!" shrieks the nascent witch to her frightened companion.

The darkest little story of all, and the saddest, is the first of the collection; Gray took a story about witchcraft and turned it at an angle, telling it from the angle of a witch's broom, and a young girl - presenting real wickedness as both a drug that addicts, and a terrifying fate. He seems ambivalent about magic in many of these tales, advising against it, and always reckoning up the price to be paid.

Even if these aren't his best, I love his voice.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Plus a half star for the best stories, all at the beginning, and less a half star for the last two stories in the collection. My favourites are:
A Touch of Oddity
A Very Near Thing
Bright Silver Nothing
A Wind From Nowhere

The writing voice is a touch dated and slightly pompous but the stories are fun and the best ones have stayed with me. Some good parts for girls as well. And some great parts for cats.

[Kami · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Nicholas Stuart Gray so my 5 stars may be a bit generous but oh well. And while this book is just short stories, they're refreshing and fun and creative.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

A new to me book from a favorite childhood author. It's a short story collection with princes, wizards, talking cats and a lisping dragon. I do so wish it was still in print.

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I reread this as part of a challenge to reread a favorite book from childhood. I was nervous that I wouldn’t enjoy it as an adult, but I was concerned for nothing as each of the stories was a fun read.

[Ariel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful short stories of magic and fantasy by the British author of the unjustly neglected GRIMBOLD'S OTHER WORLD and THE SEVENTH SWAN (both out of print). Basically I'm happy to read anything by Gray and have been longing to get my hands on GARLAND OF FILIGREE which is very rare. I you find it, do think of me.

[Marjolein · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well written short stories, written for children but still good when you have passed the stage that you are considered a child. Perhaps even better when you're older because as a child I didn't care too much about style and now I do and I appreciate the writing as well as the stories. If you come across a copy of this book, don't hesitate: buy and read.

[GeraniumCat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short stories, often featuring magical creatures - cats, dragons and so on. Gray is very much in the Andrew Lang tradition, wonderfully original and lots of fun. It's very sad that his books are no longer in print.