Customer Reviews

Troll's-Eye View: A Book of Villainous Tales

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Troll's Eye View: A Book of Villainous Tales edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling is the third in a series of short story collections of fairy tale retellings, following A Wolf at the Door and Swan Sister.

I know I always care more about the contents of a short story collection like this than an actual review since I'm certain to find the book worthwhile for at least a few stories--although more than a few make this one worthshile--so I'm kindly sharing the list with my gentle readers, too. Most of the authors are the usual suspects for a collection edited by Datlow and Windling, so fans should be thrilled and newcomers have a treat in store.

Wizard's Apprentice by Delia Sherman
An Unwelcome Guest by Garth Nix
Faery Tales by Wendy Froud
Rags and Riches by Nina Kiriki Hoffman
Up the Down Beanstalk: A W Remembers by Peter S. Beagle
The Shoes That Were Danced to Pieces by Ellen Kushner
Puss in Boots, the Sequel by Joseph Stanton
The Boy Who Cried Wolf by Holly Black
Troll by Jane Yolen
Castle Othello by Nancy Farmer
`Skin by Michael Cadnum
A Delicate Architecture by Catherynne M. Valente
Molly by Midori Snyder
Observing the Formalities by Neil Gaiman
The Cinderella Game by Kelly Link

There is a mixture of fun and trauma in the stories, ending with Link's chilling "The Cinderella Game." Don't read it at bedtime if you are subject to nightmares.

Troll's Eye View edited by Datlow & Windling will delight children. Every kid loves a villain and the dozen stories and three poems in this beautifully designed little book have a hilarious, chilling assortment.

But there's plenty here for anyone of any age. Some of the finest fantasy writers currently working contribute and reading this book I found myself thinking of Saki and Thurber and Mrs. Lovett from Sondheim's Sweeney Todd.

There's not a dud in the bunch but my favorites were Peter S. Beagle speaking as a Giant's Wife, Catherynne M. Valente finding terror and pathos in pastry and Kelly Link playing a very old game in a very modern family.

You may buy this as a gift but you'll read it and you'll keep it so buy at least two copies.

This is a collection of fairy tales all written from the traditional villain's point of view. The stories are short tales, each followed by a brief explanation by the author of the inspiration for the tale. Some of the tales are taken into a modern setting while some remain in a more traditional setting. In addition to the short stories there are a few poems as well. The tellings range from humor to light horror. Garth Nix does a humorous take on Rapunzel, Peter Beagle tells Jack and the Beanstalk from the Giant's wife's point of view and Catherynne Valente has a beautifully written and creative retelling of Hansel and Gretel. For some of the stories you will guess right away what the inspiration was, and others may take some time. I enjoyed all of the tales and as the book is fairly short with large print, it was a quick read.

Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling's two previous collections, A Wolf at the Door, and Swan Sister, retell familiar fairy tales in new ways. Trolls'-Eye View is different in that the diverse group of talented authors expertly weave compelling new tales that examine the often misunderstood villains. These tales range from comic rantings, (Peter S. Beagle's "A Giant's Wife Remembers"), to complex tales of empathy and unique perspectives, ("Rags to Riches," Deana Karike Hoffman), Was the maid in "The Goose Girl" truly evil, or was she simply grasping for her own chance at autonomy?
There is not a dull story in the collection. My favorites are as follows:

1. "The Wizard's Apprentice," Delia Sherman: A humorous story about a person's reputation and how things are not always what they seem. Is Zachariah Smallbones truly an evil wizard?
2. "Skin," by Michael Kadnum: Haunting and poetic, this story is a retelling of Rumpelstiltzskin from the elf's perspective. Spinning straw into gold is not his only talent.
3. "Molly," by Madori Schneider: Who is the true villain? The giant, or the impish girl who comes to visit him in his home? This story will make you think.
4. "A Delicate Archetecture," by Catherine M. Valentee. I've saved this story to the last because it is my absolute favorite. I implore you to get this book simply for this story alone. Bittersweet, cutting, and extremely creative, this tale is told from the witch's perspective in "Hansel and Gretel." Why is the witch so obsessed with sweets? Why does she live in a beautiful house of gingerbread? Valentee explores the heartrending themes of obsession, betrayal, and the universal craving within us all to be accepted. We are fragile creatures, yet we deserve respect and love. As a blind individual, I truly found this story to be very relevant. The story moved me to tears.

Fairy tale villains have much to tell us. Now, thanks to this marvelous collection, their voices can finally be heard. Please give this book a chance. God bless and happy reading.

What a wonderful read. The villains, the evil-doers, the baddies get their moment in the spotlight. This collection from some of the world's renown fantasy writers is endlessly inventive and entertaining, and I dare say it will change the way you think about those nasty characters. A new take on such famous folks as the witch from Hansel & Gretel, Bluebeard (I quite liked him in the end), Mrs. Giant from Jack and. . . and a number of others. The tales are well written -- some are downright creepy and others thought-provoking. Certainly not just for the kids. Enjoy!

This is a children's book of 15 short stories by various fantasy writers. Overall it was a decent collection. The stories are very short and there are some poems thrown in between stories. My favorite story of the bunch was Catherynne Valente's "A Delicate Architecture." I also really enjoyed "Skin" by Michael Cadnum and "Troll" by Jane Yolen. My least favorite was "Up the Down Beanstalk" by Peter Beagle. Overall though it was a great group of stories. See below for brief comments on each story.

- "Wizards Apprentice" by Delia Sherman
About an evil wizard's apprentice. Where all is not what it seems to be. This was a pretty funny story. 4/5

- "An Unwelcome Guest" by Garth Nix
In this story Rapunzel is the one harassing the witch. Very cleverly written. 4/5

- "Faery Tales" by Wendy Froud
A short poem about what happens to the princesses when they get older. 4/5

- "Rags and Riches" by Nina Kiriki Hoffman
This was a retelling of the goose girl. The story was very detailed and a good read. 4/5

- "Up the Down Beanstalk: A Wife Remembers" by Peter S. Beagle
In this story we get a retelling of Jack and the Beanstalk from the Giant's Wife's perspective. My least favorite of the bunch. 3/5

- "Shoes That Were Danced To Pieces" by Ellen Kushner
A retelling of the twelve dancing princesses. Loved the story. 4/5

- "Puss in Boots, the Sequel" by Joseph Stanton
What if Puss in Boots didn't stay captured? This poem explores that. 4/5

- "The Boy Who Cried Wolf" by Holly Black
How did the wolf in "Little Red Riding Hood" end up at grandma's house? Very clever ending. 4/5

- "Troll" by Jane Yolen
Talks about the troll under the bridge; only this on is scared of goats. Very funny little story, I liked it a lot. 5/5

- "Castle Othello" by Nancy Farmer
Maybe Bluebeard wasn't the evil one afterall. Interesting take on the tale. 4/5

- "'Skin" by Michael Cadnum
A very beautifully and clever retelling of Rumplestilskin. Loved this story. 5/5

- "A Delicate Architecture" by Catherynne M. Valente
How did the witch from Hansel and Gretle end up in that house made of candy in the woods? This story answers all and is writen beautifully. The story had wonderful imagery and was very creative. My favorite of the bunch. 5/5

- "Molly" by Midori Snyder
Tells about how Molly tricked the Giant. Maybe the giant wasn't so bad after all? 4/5

- "Observing the Formalities" by Neil Gaiman
A poem about sleeping beauty. Well-written. 4/5

- "The Cinderella Game" by Kelly Link
When two siblings start playing Cinderella, things get violent. This was an odd story and I wasn't quite sure what had happened when I got to the end. It was well-written. 4/5

I love fairy tales and new twists on them but this collection of stories doesn't really have that special thing that gives you that fairy tale tingle. Not a bad read for fairy tale buffs, but if you aren't familiar with the genre, it may come off as a little boring.