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| The Ladies of Grace Adieu and Other Stories by Susanna Clarke. Published by Bloomsbury Publishing, 2007. |
Even though I bought Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke ages ago, I still haven't gotten around to reading it. Probably because it's quite a big book. Not that I mind that, I actually love it, but for some reason it always takes me a bit longer to start in a big book. So when I came across The Ladies of Grace Adieu and Other Stories by Clarke, I decided this would be an easier way to start reading Clarke's work, of which I've only heard positive things. And it most certainly did not disappoint.
As the title already gives away, The Ladies of Grace Adieu and Other Stories is a short story collection, consisting of eight stories. Besides these stories, there is also an introduction by 'Professor James Sutherland, Director of Sidhe Studies, University of Aberdeen'. With this introduction, Clarke creates the illusion that these eight stories are actually eight historical folk tales. I personally always like it when authors pretend it's not their work, but that they merely found the manuscripts. It adds an extra dimension to the magic of storytelling, as you can imagine where the stories actually came from. To complement the stories, the book contains beautiful illustrations by Charles Vess, which capture the tone and atmosphere of the stories perfectly. (You might recognize his name from his illustration for Neil Gaiman's Stardust.)
I loved the stories. They are well-written, witty and the magic often adds something darks to them. I love that some things are merely suggested and not said out loud, giving the stories a sinister atmosphere. Even though the book consists of the short stories, Clarke hasn't written flat characters. All the characters are rounded, as Clarke provides plenty of insight into the minds of her characters. All of the stories are set in the past, and Clarke has adjusted her writing style to the period they are set in. In the story "On Lickerish Hill", she has incorporated many elements from Middle English, whereas in the title story "The Ladies of Grace Adieu", the language mirrors the English used in the nineteenth century. As an English graduate, this was an extra bonus and made me enjoy the stories more. However, I can imagine that if you're not used to reading older English, it might distract a bit from the pleasure of reading.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading these stories, which suit each other very well in tone and style. I completely agree with the reviews on the back of the book; 'An unholy alliance of Austen and Angela Carter' (Daily Mail) and 'These tales read as if Jane Austen had rewritten the Brothers Grimm... wonderful' (Spectator). I also got a strong sense of Austen and would therefore really recommend this book to Austen-lovers. But if you're interested in fairy tales and folk stories, this is definitely the book for you! I don't know whether the stories in The Ladies of Grace Adieu and Other Stories resemble Clarke's writing in Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, but if it does, I'm in for a treat!
Ratings: 4.5 out of 5
As the title already gives away, The Ladies of Grace Adieu and Other Stories is a short story collection, consisting of eight stories. Besides these stories, there is also an introduction by 'Professor James Sutherland, Director of Sidhe Studies, University of Aberdeen'. With this introduction, Clarke creates the illusion that these eight stories are actually eight historical folk tales. I personally always like it when authors pretend it's not their work, but that they merely found the manuscripts. It adds an extra dimension to the magic of storytelling, as you can imagine where the stories actually came from. To complement the stories, the book contains beautiful illustrations by Charles Vess, which capture the tone and atmosphere of the stories perfectly. (You might recognize his name from his illustration for Neil Gaiman's Stardust.)
I thoroughly enjoyed reading these stories, which suit each other very well in tone and style. I completely agree with the reviews on the back of the book; 'An unholy alliance of Austen and Angela Carter' (Daily Mail) and 'These tales read as if Jane Austen had rewritten the Brothers Grimm... wonderful' (Spectator). I also got a strong sense of Austen and would therefore really recommend this book to Austen-lovers. But if you're interested in fairy tales and folk stories, this is definitely the book for you! I don't know whether the stories in The Ladies of Grace Adieu and Other Stories resemble Clarke's writing in Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, but if it does, I'm in for a treat!
Ratings: 4.5 out of 5
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