Archives by Tag 'Fairy Tale'

Review: ‘Wildwood Dancing’ by Juliet Marillier

By oldenglishrose - Last updated: Wednesday, February 22, 2012

For the past few years, the Old English Thorn and I have spent New Year staying with some lovely friends of ours in Edinburgh.  We play lots of games, eat lots of food, drink lots of dubious concoctions and generally have a marvellous time.  Even so, there are always times when you just want to [...]

‘Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister’ by Gregory Maguire

By oldenglishrose - Last updated: Monday, May 9, 2011

Gregory Maguire is an author probably best known for his  adaptation of The Wizard of Oz, .  I’ve read the entire trilogy, with somewhat mixed results: Wicked itself I enjoyed and thought it was quite clever (although I imagine that musical is a bit less political and less bizarre than the novel, given how successful [...]

‘Fables: Legends in Exile’ by Bill Willingham

By oldenglishrose - Last updated: Wednesday, May 4, 2011

With the exception of the Asterix books which I’ve loved since I first borrowed them from the library as a child, my experience with graphic novels has been rather limited.  By limited, I mean nil.  Partly I think this is because I’ve always been a bit unsure of the concept: pictures are nice enough, but [...]

‘More English Fairy Tales’ by Joseph Jacobs

By oldenglishrose - Last updated: Wednesday, April 13, 2011

I’ve spoken before on this blog about how much I love folk tales and fairy stories and I think that what the Victorian collectors such as Andrew Lang, Jeremiah Curtin and Joseph Jacobs did is amazing.  Every time I visit Cecil Sharp House in Camden I silently give thanks for all the work that Sharp [...]

‘Tam Lin’ by Pamela Dean

By oldenglishrose - Last updated: Friday, March 25, 2011

O I forbid you, maidens a’, That wear gowd on your hair, To come or gae by Carterhaugh, For young Tam Lin is there. Fairy tales and folk stories were a huge part of my childhood and have continued to be so as I’ve become older.  I had them read to me by my parents; [...]

Review: ‘Stardust’ by Neil Gaiman

By oldenglishrose - Last updated: Saturday, November 13, 2010

Title: Author: Neil Gaiman Published: Headline Review, 2005, pp. 214.  Originally published 1999. Genre: Fantasy Blurb: In the sleepy English countryside at the dawn of the Victorian era, life moves at a leisurely pace in the tiny town of Wall.  Young Tristran Thorn has lost his heart to the beautiful Victoria Forester, but Victoria is [...]