This was beautiful from start to finish. Neil Gaiman thanked in his afterword Lord Dunsany, Hope Mirlees, James Branch Caball and C. S. Lewis. I rereaThis was beautiful from start to finish. Neil Gaiman thanked in his afterword Lord Dunsany, Hope Mirlees, James Branch Caball and C. S. Lewis. I reread the Chronicles of Narnia a couple of years ago but I have old copies of The Charwoman’s Shadow and The King of Elfland’s Daughter. I remember those books made me feel the way this one has. I think I need to reread them. ...more
Couldn’t finish this one even though I loved it as a teenager. Sigh. Mellonia is so fucking boring and tragic I can’t take it. I’m leaving this as reaCouldn’t finish this one even though I loved it as a teenager. Sigh. Mellonia is so fucking boring and tragic I can’t take it. I’m leaving this as read though, I did finish it a long time ago. I just can’t now....more
Sweet wispy little story. I though I had read this previously but now I’m not sure. Very pretty descriptive writing and likable characters. Sad, sad eSweet wispy little story. I though I had read this previously but now I’m not sure. Very pretty descriptive writing and likable characters. Sad, sad ending. ...more
Another blast from the past. Lovely and sad in its own late seventies way. Three and a half stars.
September 16, 2022
Today I’ve been thinking about ThoAnother blast from the past. Lovely and sad in its own late seventies way. Three and a half stars.
September 16, 2022
Today I’ve been thinking about Thomas Burnett Swann and why I don’t really love his books anymore. When I was in my late teens and early twenties I loved these books a lot. I collected all of them and I still have them. But I’m in a purging process and these books don’t spark joy so they will be going to the used book store.
I think the reasons why are best summed up with this book because it contains his only female character who has any personality or agency. I’m speaking of Zoe, the dryad. She is (ahem) mature, struggles with aging and her weight, has had many lovers(all male but it was the seventies). She is sex positive, clever and funny and is the one who rescues Silver Bells. I kind of love her still. The problem is all of Swann’s other females are boring as fuck. Even Zoe’s bright light is dimmed substantially in the next two books and she becomes an afterthought. I’ve been trying to finish The Lady of the Bees but I can’t. I think it’s because Mellonia is such a bland character. Everything just happens to her and in the end she is murdered by Romulus because she won’t fuck him because she’s in love with his twin Remus. At least that is my distant memory of that book. Swann has a tendency to murder or suicide his female characters so his male characters can grow (I think the term is refrigerating) Fuck that. At least at the end of The Day of the Minotaur Zoe is still alive and all of the forest folk are leaving Crete for somewhere safe. All of the Swann books will no longer be in my house soon. I think I’m ok with that now....more
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