Fables: Volume 1 and 2

Fables 1: Legends in Exile 

by Bill Willingham 

★★★★ 

The premise of Fables is pretty well known at this point, not because of the graphic novels themselves, but because of the TV show Once Upon a Time. They are not the same thing, but Fables (which came first) shares the same basic story. Fairy tale characters have been transplanted from their home world into our world. They have no way of getting back and have to make it here without their fortunes and castles, etc. 

I've been hearing about this series for a while and I'm so glad I finally checked it out. The fable characters live in a secret society of sorts in New York City. The Big Bad Wolf runs the community's security. Old King Cole is the Mayor and Snow White serves as the Deputy Mayor. This volume deals with the disappearance of Snow's sister Rose Red. 


The characters are snarky and fun. I love the way they play with the assumed ideas about them, like Prince Charming, who is a womanizer in Fables instead of a hero. Yes, the art is definitely stereotypical comic book style. Maybe we can one day have good female characters who aren't ridiculous caricatures of what a woman actually looks like, but it's a small complaint when the story is this fun.  

BOTTOM LINE: So far I love the series and I can't wait to read more.  


Fables Vol. 2: Animal Farm 
Bill Willingham 
★★★★ 

Volume two picks up exactly where the last one let off. Rose Red and her accomplice/boyfriend are working off their community service hours for their antics in Vol. One. Red’s sister Snow White is about to make a trip to The Farm, where the non-human fables live, and she decides Red needs to come along for the ride. At the Farm, the sisters quickly realize something is wrong. A revolution is happening and they’ve arrived at the worst possible moments. In the midst of the chaos we meet Goldilocks, the three little pigs and a slew of characters from The Jungle Book.  

The second volume is less about introductions and more about developing the established relationships, especially between the two estranged sisters. Their history is a complicated one and makes more sense with each new revelation. I particularly love the fact that from these first volumes, the author doesn’t rely on romantic relationships to drive every story. The two strong women at the forefront of the story are interesting enough on their own and the author trusts the reader to appreciate that. 

BOTTOM LINE: I’m sold. I think the series is so well done. I love the variety of characters that are featured. It could rely completely on the novelty of such characters in each new volume, but instead it takes the assumptions that we have and tosses them out the window. Each character is given new life in the Fables series and I’m excited to see what happens next. 


Two other great reviews of the series at You've GottaRead This and Iris' blog. 

Also, Kailana wrote a great post about the order of the series. I'll definitely be referring back to this as I read more of the volumes. 

Last thing, I found a Wikipedia just for Fables! I won't be reading any spoilers on it, but it might come in handy for fans of the comics.  

Greek Week: The Song of Achilles

The Song of Achilles

by Madeline Miller

★★★★★

Greek mythology, character-driven narrative with an epic story, a heartbreaking love story, these are a few of my favorite things all piled into one beautiful book. I couldn’t put it down; I didn’t want it to end. I finally started reading Edith Hamilton’s Mythology to slow my reading of this one.

Between The Odyssey, The Iliad, Shakespeare’s Troilus and Cressida and a college course on classical mythology, my knowledge of the Trojan War and the Greek heroes has been shaped and reshaped with different versions. Building on that base is this book, telling the story of Achilles and Patroclus. Throughout those other sources the pair has been painted as friends, brothers, lovers, etc. but one thing never changes: they are inseparable. They are dearer to each other than their own lives.

The first half of the book is the story of how they meet and the beginning of their friendship. The second half is the well-known story of the Trojan War. It’s retold through Patroclus’ eyes, which gives the whole tale a very different spin. All the familiar faces are there: Agamemnon, Odyssey, Hector, Paris, Zeus, Athena, etc., but many of them feel slightly different in this version.

Patroclus himself is a thoughtful, sensitive boy. He’s so unlike the other Greek warriors when it comes to brute strength, but his strength comes in a very different form. He’s willing to love against all odds, even when he knows it will end in a broken heart.

The reason this retelling resonated with me in such a powerful way is because of the characters themselves. Miller makes them so relatable. You feel for them in a way that you usually don't when you read books on classical mythology.

Chiron and Briseis particularly stood out for me. Chiron is a centaur who trains both Achilles and Patroclus for years in his rose-colored cave on a mountain-side. He is wise and kind and his home is a peaceful one, a complete change from the battle driven world they had become accustomed to. Briseis on the other hand is brought into Patroclus’ world in the midst of a bloody war. She is a prize from battle, but their friendship blossoms despite the circumstances and we see the best of Patroclus because of her.

BOTTOM LINE: I loved it. Sometimes a book lives up to the hype and this one did for me. I can’t say that you’d feel the same if you don’t already like Greek Mythology, but it was an absolute treat for me.

“Did he know, or only guess at Achilles’ destiny? Perhaps he simply assumed: a bitterness of habit, of boy after boy trained for music and medicine, and unleashed for murder.”

**One quick note about the kindle version. There was one incredibly helpful feature that really enhanced my reading experience. The character’s name were highlighted and when you clicked on them it took you to a screen with a drawing (see above) and a summary of the character’s part in Greek mythology.

Other Thoughts:

Iris on Books

Fizzy Thoughts 

The Sleepless Reader 

What She Read

Booklust
Book Pairing 
Necromancy Never Pays

Jane Austen Made Me Do It

Jane Austen Made Me Do It
Original Stories Inspired by Literature’s Most Astute Observer of the Human Heart
Edited by Laurel Ann Nattress
★★★

This collection contains more than 20 original short stories by many well-known authors. Some are set in modern day; others pick up the threads where they left off in one of Austen’s beloved classics. The book was edited by Austen fan Laurel Ann Nattress, creator of Austenprose.com.

The subject matter covers almost everything Austen wrote. We see what happens to Emma and Mr. Knightly after they marry and have to take care of her father. We learn about Mr. Bennet’s youth, before he married Lizzy’s exasperating mother. Persuasion’s Anne and Captain Wentworth retell the story of their romance to friends in “Waiting.”

Even though I did enjoy some of the pieces, I never found myself reaching for the book. Instead it sat, untouched, until I reminded myself that I really needed to finish it. I’d pick it up, read a few stories and by the next day I had all but forgotten them.

My problem with the collection is the same one I have with most Austen fan fiction. The stories either return to one of Austen’s original characters or the main character is obsessed with Austen’s work. They try to add a new element to the story or make some reader fantasy come to life. Either way, the stories tend to make me want to re-read the original books instead of the new one. They always feel a little weak or empty compared to Austen’s work and when you write fan fiction you can’t help but set yourself up for that comparison.

I did enjoy Syrie James’ story, which provides a nightmare scenario where all of Austen’s characters confront her with their complaints about how their stories unfolded. “Jane Austen and the Mistletoe Kiss," by Jo Beverley, was another one that worked well for me.

Interestingly, the book closes with Laurie Viera Rigler’s story "Intolerable Stupidity." The premise is that Darcy is suing authors of Pride and Prejudice spin-offs and films because their stories are affecting his everyday life. In other words, he’ll grow vampire fangs in the middle of dinner with his wife or walk down the street and realize his shirt is soaking wet. The reason this story was ironic, in my opinion, is because it’s criticizing the very category of fiction that it falls into. Obviously, by the end it justifies these stories and shows their importance, but I can’t say I was convinced.

I agree that fan fiction has made Austen more popular, but is that really a good thing if the people who are introduced to it never read the original books? I know many people who have read Pride and Prejudice and Zombies but don’t intend to ever read the original. In fact, they now think they already know the story, so they don’t need to and that’s truly a shame. I know many others read the fan fiction because they already love the originals, which is great, but it has never worked that way for me.

If you adore Austen fan fiction, you’ll probably love this. If you love Austen and have read all of her major novels, you might enjoy this one. If you have dabbled with a few books, but aren’t sold on her, this probably isn’t for you.

Other reviews:
Devourer of Books
Iris on Books

Also, here’s an interview with the editor done by Write Meg

I received my review copy from Laurel Ann Nattress.