Newford's citizens--fey folk, magicians, hustlers, painters, fiddlers, and ordinary people--stumble headfirst into enchanting adventures. By the author of Spirit Walk, The Little Country, and Moonheart.
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Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
This collection of conceptually innovative, thematically simple stories proves again that de Lint ( Spiritwalk ) is a leading talent in the urban fantasy subgenre, which seeks to unite the escapist whimsy of fantasy with the hard edge of cyberpunk SF. The stories are all set in Newford, a New York/Chicago-style urban jungle where citizens often encounter strange beings--worldly monsters, as well as unearthly ghosts--who coexist in what one character calls "a consensual reality where things exist because we want them to exist." In what may be his cleverest stylistic twist, de Lint links the stories through overlapping characters, all of whom have some familiarity with the fictional writer Christy Riddell, who (like de Lint) writes "mythistories," the "odd little stories that lie just under the skin of any large city." De Lint is at his best when his sense of wonder at the possibilities of imagination is rooted in an unsentimental view of harsh human realities: "Freewheeling" includes a sad view of urban street kids, and "In the House of My Enemy" takes a tough look at child abuse. However, De Lint's obviously sincere feeling that "if we learned to care again about the wild places from which we'd driven the magic away, then maybe it would return" leads him to spell out his moral messages, to the detriment of his fiction.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
YA-A collection of urban fantasies, interconnected in unexpected ways as characters slip between past and present. Most of the selections are akin to fairy tales, but not all have direct antecedents. The result is a delighfully naturalistic fairy tour of the city of Newford, where events are at times shocking, involved, or dreamlike. Jilly Coppercorn, Geordie Riddell, and his brother provide some of the links, and the city creates others. Ghosts, spirits of place, goblins, and conjure men all make appearances and remind readers that it's their ability to see magic that allows it to exist. Jilly and her friends' relationship with the otherworld is attractive, but so is their deep commitment to this one. deLint's unassuming prose is always in the service of his vision, never in its way. A thoroughly engaging book, sometimes funny, sometimes tragic, full of ideas and characters that won't let go...but then, YAs won't want them to.
Cathy Chauvette, Fairfax County Public Library, VA
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Cathy Chauvette, Fairfax County Public Library, VA
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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More About the Author
Charles de Lint and his wife, the artist MaryAnn Harris, live in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. His evocative novels, including Moonheart, Forests of the Heart, and The Onion Girl, have earned him a devoted following and critical acclaim as a master of contemporary magical fiction
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Urban Fantasy at its absolute grandest!!!,
By swinn@mail.utexas.edu (Austin, Texas) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Dreams Underfoot: The Newford Collection (Hardcover)
Dreams Underfoot is the first book I ever read by Charles De Lint, and he became my favorite author half way through the text. Although I have read every other De Lint book or story I can find, and they are all simply breathtaking, (check out Memory and Dream!!) Dreams Underfoot has remained my favorite. Sentimentality, no doubt. Dreams Underfoot is a tapestry novel, with characters and events that weave themselves together to give you a fabulous picture of the city of Newford and all its strange and wonderful aspects. De Lint's writing style is brilliant, both lyrical and funny, both sad and strange. If you like Fantasy novels, in particular Urban Fantasy, then do not, under any circumstances, miss this book. De Lint is considered one of the seminal authors of the Urban Fantasy genre, and there is no doubt in my mind that he is a master of his craft.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Exquisite and poignant urban fantasy,
By Puzzled in Portland (Portland, OR) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Dreams Underfoot: The Newford Collection (Hardcover)
Skillfully interweaving magic, music, art, compassion, and contemporary issues such as child abuse and homelessness, Charles DeLint is hardly an escapist. However, in this anthology he offers glimpses of a well-realized world much like our own, just different enough to allow faerie to wander city streets barefoot in winter, or for a practical joke involving a gorilla suit to lead to a fleeting encounter with a genuine yeti. My favorite story in the collection is a gorgeous, heartbreaking retelling of 'The Little Mermaid'.
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