Customer Reviews

Ladies of Grace Adieu

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(1)

 

 

Susanna Clarke made a dazzling debut with "Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell," which was the sort of fantasy story that Jane Austen would have written, had she lived around magic and fey.

Still fresh from her first bestseller, she presents a new array of captivating stories in "The Ladies of Grace Adieu." But expect it to be more whimsical and varied, rather than a sprawling fantasy-historical epic -- these are more like nuggets.

The title story takes place in the magical Regency period of her debut: dull Mr. Field remarries after his wife died, and his pretty second wife, his niece, and a friend soon become good friends. When Mr. Strange passes by on a family errand, he discovers that there is more -- these ladies are all magicians, and have quietly escaped the boundaries placed by society.

From there on, Clarke trips through a series of strange, fantastical stories: when a young newlywed finds that her rich hubby expects her to spin flax, she asks for help from a nasty little fairy, who will kidnap her if she doesn't guess his name. Think a Regency "Rumplestiltskin."

Then a young lady tries to regain her boyfriend from the mysterious "Mrs. Mabb"; a Duke changes his destiny with a pair of scissors and a needle; a Jewish doctor and a fairy nobleman travel through England; the Queen of Scots becomes fascinated by an embroidered figure; and a young pastor finds himself enmeshed with a cruel fairy lord. One of the stories is even set in the world of Neil Gaiman's "Stardust."

"The Ladies of Grace Adieu and Other Stories" is more fantasy and less history than the full-length novel, although it leans more heavily on history. But then, most of these short stories may not be in the same universe, and they range from whimsical little fluff pieces to almost-horror.

Clarke still writes with the solid nineteenth-century style, flavoured with shimmering descriptions of "Pharisees" and odd creatures, although Clarke occasionally skimps on the more exotic descriptions -- just what do "goblin babies" look like? The second story is also amusingly written in much-mispelled English ("...lookes at me with his bewtiful Eyes..."), and Clarke peppers the other stories with older words like "shewed."

There are also some deeper moments, where Clarke approaches the lack of freedom given to women (magical or not) where they only have marriage to a well-off dullard to look forward to. And though the shorter stories are not much more than fables, the longer ones have intriguing characters who are likable in an understated way -- including some very familiar, quirky ones.

"The Ladies of Grace Adieu and Other Stories" is a solid little collection, more whimsical than Clarke's first book. Very pleasant Regency "Pharisee" tales, from a modern master.

Do not buy this book for Kindle, the editing is so poor that it becomes effectively unreadable. I have found this to be a slight problem with other ebooks but never so bad as this. I will try to obtain a refund.

My first introduction to Susanna Clark and I must say I thoroughly enjoyed her book. Some clever wit likened the prose to 'Jane Austen meets the Grimm brothers' and I have to agree.

This is a collection of eight good old-fashioned English fairy tales, written in a style and language that many Austen fans would recognise. Lovers of faerie and fantasy would appreciate the almost historical manner of their telling. Clark gives a new twist to the Rumpelstiltskin tale and Shakespeare's Queen Mab. She even sets one in a Neil Gaiman universe.

Not everything is sunshine and rainbows; like Grimm's tales, there's a darker undercurrent afoot. Fairies are not the 'little people', or 'fair folk' we remember from childhood tales. They are lustful, mean-spirited and cunning. Their interactions with humans nearly always spell disaster for ordinary folk. But this book is far from that. It's a quick easy read, done in one long afternoon.

The Ladies of Grace Adieu is a collection of short stories that Susanna Clarke released as a follow-up to her first novel, Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell. Clarke delivers a variety of tales in this collection, some based on previous tales (such as Rumpelstiltskin) and some of her own creation, all based on the land of Faerie. In this collection, she revisits Johnathan Strange, the Duke of Wellington, and even has a story that takes place in the world of Neil Gaiman's Wall.

I recommend reading each story separately, as opposed to reading the book in one sitting. I give the book 5 stars, but only based on reading my copy in this same fashion, through a recommendation from someone else. I feel that the stories may loose something of their value if all read at the same time, as each of the stories basically deals with the same subject: the creatures of Faerie versus the people of the "real" world. While each story is unique of itself, since each story does in fact deal with something of the same subject each time, reading them altogether may be somewhat tedious.

I enjoyed Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell and felt that this was a suitable follow-up. After reading The Ladies of Grace Adieu, I anxiously await Clarke to whisk me away again to land of Faerie with her next novel.

Having been disappointed with most of what I'd been reading lately, I decided to read this book even though I'm not a short story fan, because I thought Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell was an absolutely brilliant book. And I was in the mood for something I knew would be good.

And it was good. These eight short stories, set in the same imagined England as Clarke's novel, share much of its atmosphere and wit. As is to be expected, they're also very well-written, in the same sort of nineteenth-century language as the novel. I enjoyed them--particularly the title story, "Mrs Mabb," "Mr Simonelli" and "Tom Brightwind," all longer stories dealing with the relationships between people and the magical world.

But I can't say this collection has converted me into a fan of short stories--I find I have little to say about it. They're certainly well-done, but it's Clarke's next novel that I'm really waiting for.

from the very first paragraph we were enchanted...
dear lovers of faery lore and magic,
... by these stories written by the author of Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell: A Novel. If you loved that book, which these elves did, you will surely enjoy these charming stories, written in the same period and of the same cloth, so to speak. The first and title story involves Jonathan Strange and the Ladies of Grace Adieu and the last the Raven King, and between them the book is filled with magic, the sidhe (faery folk) and beautiful writing, which is a great magic in itself. We hope she writes more, much, much more.
kyela,
the silver elves

In this first collection of short stories, Susanna Clarke returns to the world she created in her first novel, the excellent "Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell", with more stories about the world of Faerie and England. Jonathan Strange visits his wife's brother in the town of Grace Adieu and discovers there three women who secretly practice magic and deal with any menaces that come to their town with strict severity. A re-telling of the folk tale "Tom Tit Tot" is the basis for "On Lickerish Hill" where Clarke employs rural dialect in the telling of a young woman who, in return for a favour from a faerie, must guess his name within one month or else she will become his.

My favourite was probably "Mr Simonelli, or The Faerie Widower" which is about a priest called Mr Simonelli who goes to the town of Allhope to be the new rector there and finds that the town is ruled by a mysterious fellow who lives outside the town in a ramshackle house, whose name is John Hollyshoes. The setting and the air of desolation within an isolated countryside town brought to mind the work of the Bronte sisters, especially Emily, and adds to the atmosphere of blasted heaths and doomed country folk. Who will help them? Mr Simonelli to the rescue! I thought this story was most effective as even though it's set within Clarke's world of faeries and magic and England in the regency period, it stands apart from her novel and could be read by somone unfamiliar with her work and still enjoy it.

"Tom Brightwind, or How the Fairy Bridge was Built at Thoresbury" is another cracking read as is "Mrs Mabb" both of which feel like they had been cut from Clarke's novel and resurrected here but are still pleasures to read nonetheless. The shorter stories, "The Duke of Wellington Misplaces his Horse" and "Antickes and Frets", are both about embroidery and are the less energised of the tales but fit in well between the longer tales as breathers. Both stories are about real people as well, the Duke of Wellington and Mary, Queen of Scots.

There are eight stories in this collection (more! more!) and the first seven have been published before, though I'm glad they were reprinted in this volume as I had no idea that she had had published short stories. The eighth is an unpublished story called "John Uskglass and the Charcoal Burner" which is about a charcoal burner and his pig Blakemore who thwart John Uskglass, The King of the North, and shows Clarke's comedic side in putting down probably the coolest character in her world.

As for the illustrations, they are a wonder, I am going to see about getting some books by Charles Vess, so wonderfully does he draw. And the cover of this book! So eye catching, so classy, so understated yet outstanding! In design and spirit they recall Aubrey Beardley's iconic work. One of the best designed covers I've seen this year.

Clarke writes about magic but she needs none to enchant the reader, using only her skill as a writer and her unique imagination to burn the story into your mind and float into your dreams. A highly recommended read and I'm not the only one who hopes that the sequel to "Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell" won't take her nearly as long as her first book (which I think was around ten years). Meanwhile, books like this are designed to stop the hunger but I for one am only made hungrier for more. Keep it up and keep them coming, Ms Clarke!

The Ladies of Grace Adieu and Other Stories is a ravishing collection of eight short stories full of charm, magic and wit. These fascinating stories are set in the same England as Susanna Clarke's bestselling novel Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell and the talented author skillfully portrays once again a nineteenth century England where faeries live among humans and where magic is present everywhere. In these spellbinding stories, Susanna Clarke explores the relationship between humans and faeries, showing the reader how the presence of faeries influences humans in different ways.

Here's more about the eight stories:

The Ladies of Grace Adieu tells the story of three ladies who live in Grace Adieu and who deal with Jonathan Strange and his brother-in-law in their own way, using their magical powers to achieve what they want.

On Lickerish Hill is narrated in Suffolk dialect and is a wonderful retelling of the Rumpelstiltskin story where a young wife seeks the help of a faerie creature so she can fulfill her husband's demands.

Mrs Mabb deals with a young woman whose financé has been enchanted by the Faerie Queen. The young woman is determined to find her finacé who is being held prisoner in Mrs Mabb's house, but there are many obstacles standing in her way.

The Duke of Wellington Misplaces His Horse was inspired by Neil Gaiman's Stardust and it's one of my favorite stories. It is set in a village called Wall, which happens to be situated near the wall that separates the human world from Faerie. This funny story shows the reader how the Duke of Wellington accidentally enters the world of Faerie, nearly not surviving his visit.

Mr Simonelli or the Fairy Widower is a story about a clergyman who finds out that he is related to a powerful fairy lord. In order to rescue the community from his fairy cousin, the clergyman has to match his fairy wits against his relation.

Tom Brightwind or How the Fairy Bridge Was Built at Thoresby gives an account of the adventures of Tom (the fairy prince) and David (the Jewish doctor). This story particularly explores the relationship between humans and faeries.

Antickes and Frets is one of my favorite stories as it deals with the vengeful Mary, Queen of Scots, who tries to harm Queen Elizabeth by using magical embroidery.

John Uskglass and the Cumbrian Charcoal Burner tells the story of John Uskglass (also known as the Raven King) who is harassed by a charcoal burner. This simple man seeks revenge against the Raven King by calling upon various saints.

The Ladies of Grace Adieu and Other Stories has all the right ingredients of great fairy tales - vengeful owls, dark woods, houses that never appear the same way twice and ladies who embroider terrible destinies. Our heroes and heroines have to overcome many obstacles and they have to be careful, as Faerie is a dangerous and wild place!

This wonderful collection is packed with vivid character portraits, wit and intelligence. In addition to that, the author's original and beautiful writing style will enchant readers and will make them long for more. The Ladies of Grace Adieu and Other Stories is certainly a remarkable collection of stories that will sweep you away and astound you. Be prepared to be taken on an unforgettable journey into the magical world of faeries where nothing is quite as it seems.

What I really liked about these stories was the fact that Susanna Clarke has managed to capture so many different relationships - the relationship between sisters, parents, friends, but also the relationship between humans and faeries. The characters are very charming and you can't help but feel sympathetic to them. But what is probably the most attractive thing when it comes to this collection of stories is the author's writing style. It's so unique and masterful and it will remind you of Jane Austen's prose as both are highly formal and witty. Furthermore, Susanna Clarke offers the reader a number of different viewpoints, thus, achieving a various number of effects that will most certainly appeal to readers who appreciate an eminent storytelling.

Nonetheless, The Ladies of Grace Adieu and Other Stories will not appeal to everyone, as not everyone will delight in this sort of genre. However, this collection of magical stories will certainly make Neil Gaiman fans and fantasy lovers happy, as they will adore Susanna Clarke's distinctive and bewitching voice! As for my part, I must say that I just loved The Ladies of Grace Adieu and Other Stories and I can't wait to read Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell in the near future. Susanna Clarke is now one of my favorite authors and I am looking forward to reading more works by this marvelous author! I have never read anything like this before and I think that's why I found The Ladies of Grace Adieu and Other Stories so special and captivating!

The ladies of Grace Adieu and other Stories introduces readers to a world where charm is always tempered by eeriness and picaresque comedy is always darkened by the disturbing shadow of magic. I had a wonderful time reading this book and I believe that others will too. ***** 5 Bright Stars