Customer Reviews

The Ogre's Wife - Fairy Tales for Grownups

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a fantastic book, in every sense of that word. I've seen Parks' stories in a lot of magazines, and while I always remembered the story, I didn't always realize that the guy who wrote it was the same guy who wrote that =other= story I liked--and that other one, and that other one... "Oh, wow, that was him too?" Finally, here's a collection of his works all in one place, side by side. This is like buffet night at your favorite restaurant. Yum!

Anyone who's enjoyed the Datlow/Windling fairytale-retellings series should pick up this book. But there's a lot more going on here than just the Grimms reimagined. Fairy tales can take many forms. There are ghost stories here and science fiction stories and stories that defy genrification. Parks draws from a variety of world cultures and mythologies ... all the diverse manifestations of the collective unconscious. Looking back over the collection after I read it, I was surprised that the individual stories weren't longer--each one packs a lot of punch into an economical space. They're completely readable--and rereadable. And the sense of wonder ... I don't know how Parks manages to be so profound and down-to-earth at the same time. It's quite a gift.

For some reason I'm reminded of Andy Duncan and Michael Bishop. Maybe that's not so strange; all three of them are writers with unique sensibilities and styles, difficult to categorize, wide-ranging in subject matter, and generally brilliant. Or maybe it's a geographical association in my mind. Still, it might be useful information, so I recommend Parks to any other Bishop and Duncan fans out there, too.

I finished this easily one afternoon and evening, taking time out between each story to do small chores and odd jobs. The stories are so readable that one is tempted to gobble them like popcorn, and they're too good to be treated that way. You have to let each one sink in before going on to the next. Also, they're all so different in style and content that it's best to come to each one after a short intermission, ready for a different experience. A really fine collection. I'd like to read more by him.

If you thrilled to The Brothers Grimm when you were twelve this collection is for you. This short story collection is exceptional and I am sure you will enjoy it. The stories range from fairy tales - not for children - to science fiction to supernatural and all retain a nice distictive style that should leave you with a "Oh Yeah" feeling.

Judgement Day is God's monolog and you just have to read it to see where the author takes you. Doing Time In the Wild Hunt says a lot about husbands and wives in a small space and might make you think about picking up some flowers on the way home. Then sit down and read aloud to her, or him, The Orges Wife; the best read-aloud story I have read in a long time. Doppels touches on the same husband/wife theme but in a science fiction setting. All the other stories are great. A fine collection. If you are a short story fan pick it up, you''ll be pleased.

Richard Parks is one of the best current fantasists at work today. But there's more to his stories than sense of wonder and mind-blowing extrapolation. His work is often of the highest literary quality one can -- and should -- expect from a writer of his caliber and standing within the fantasy field. Parks never bothers with re-hashed themes and concepts in his literature. He takes you by the hand, yes, as the story unfolds, but one is always aware of the slight grin of madness on his lips as he gives the story a delicious twist or imbues it with his own inestimable wry humor. A good, broad collection of his work. Fantasy lovers should jump on this book.

--Kenneth Mark Hoover

A short book of adult fairy tales that make you think about relationships and the human condition. well worth it. but all too soon over with you wanting more. so saviour each story to make it last.

This is an obscure but delightfully written collection of fantasy and fairy tales geared mainly toward adult readers although older teens with advanced reading skills may also enjoy it. The stories settings are as varied as the charactors and range from the middle ages to the future but all have a core grounded in the commonality of human behavior and relationship dynamics. In one story a young woman is married off to a less than desirable husband but finds a way into a solid relationship and understanding with her spouse using a bit of magic and a bit of common sense. In another a media personality is finally able to shed the burden of fame via something similar to a clone only to find that fleeting fame leaves a void that must be filled.
If you enjoy the short fiction of Neil Gaiman; you will enjoy this.

I own all the amazing books written by Richard Parks and was fortunate enough to meet him at a dinner where he kindly autographed them all. Can't wait to read the latest! I feel certain this book will be as good as the others, so I've pre-ordered two copies; one to keep nice on the shelf and one to "read the words off of."

I read a lot of fantasy and science fiction ... have for done so for 50 years. This is one of the absolute best collections of single-author stories I've ever read. I'd rate it as high as Wellman's Who Fears the Devil, but it's possibly even more approachable because it doesn't deal with a single theme as Wellman's excellent collection does. Straight fantasy, oriental fantasy, urban fantasy, and science fiction ... every story is a gem.

Jack Vance, John Brunner, Lord Dunsany, Spider Robinson ... they all are great story tellers, and "The Ogre's Wife" has small reflections of them as well.

I suggest skipping Parke Godwin's introduction until after you've read the stories ... it's a tiny bit too revealing for my taste.

The book's not perfect ... I have a small complaint about the design of the book. Unlike "Worshipping Small Gods", which nicely places each story's name at the top of the right-hand page, "The Ogre's Wife" makes you flip back and see what story you're reading, which is needlessly annoying.

I can't determine how the editor/author/publisher arranged the stories ... they're not grouped chronologically, alphabetically, or by theme (although all three Eli Mothersbaugh stories are grouped together), which is always an opportunity lost.

If you buy only one book this year, this one should be in the top three you consider.
The other two? Worshipping Small Gods and The Long Look ... both by Richard Parks!

This is one of the best books I've read this year. After each story, I found myself smiling and murmuring a little "hmmm" to myself. I'd let one story settle properly before moving on to the next. Some are serious, some are witty, but all are unusual and original and there's not a bad story in the bunch. I hesitated to buy an unfamiliar author at this price, but this book is worth every penny. A volume that's a keeper and one to be shared.