The Green Man : Tales from the Mythic Forest (Hardcover)

~ (Author), (Editor), Charles Vess (Illustrator), Neil Gaiman (Collaborator), Charles de Lint (Collaborator), Midori Snyder (Collaborator), Emma Bull (Collaborator), Nina Kiriki Hoffman (Collaborator), Kathe Koja M. Shayne Bell (Collaborator), Bill Lewis Jeffrey Ford (Collaborator) "WHEN WE PEER into the shadows of the Mythic Forest, a startling face stares back at us: the Green Man, masked with leaves or disgorging..." (more)
Key Phrases: painting box, green word, green girl, General's Wife, Jack the Greater, Jack the Lesser (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Michael Cadnum, Jane Yolen, Patricia A. McKillip and 15 others interpret an enduring legend through short stories and poetry in The Green Man: Tales From the Mythic Forest, ed. by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling, illus. by Charles Vess. Brief biographies accompany the work of each author.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 8-Up The image of the "Green Man" is an ancient one as the introduction to this collection makes clear. From the old tales to Tolkien to Susan Cooper's Green Boy (McElderry, 2002), the awakening of nature has fueled many a gripping tale. The 15 stories and 3 poems were written for this book by such diverse authors as Patricia McKillip, Michael Cadnum, and Midori Snyder. Mature themes and an often sophisticated view of the world and how one survives in it characterize many of these selections. The mood is sometimes playful, as in Gregory Maguire's "Fee, Fie, Foe, et Cetera," or mystical as in the Native American story by Carolyn Dunn. No matter what the ambience or the plot underlying each selection, there is a real sense of how powerful nature can be in its various guises. Most readers will skip the introduction and head straight for the stories, but will be rewarded by reading it afterward. Each selection includes a biographical sketch and comments from the author. -Amy Kellman, The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, PA
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Hardcover: 400 pages
• Publisher: Viking Juvenile (May 27, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0670035262
• ISBN-13: 978-0670035267
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.7 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #150,179 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #1 in	Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Authors, A-Z > ( S ) > Snyder, Midori
  #2 in	Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Authors, A-Z > ( W ) > Windling, Terri
  #4 in	Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Authors, A-Z > ( D ) > Datlow, Ellen

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Mythic Bang for your Buck, September 2, 2002

By	Daniel Barer (Los Angeles, CA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Here's why I recommend this anthology:

-- It's a terrific bargain. For around the price of a nonillustrated trade paperback [$$$], you get a hardbound book with illustrated dust jacket and chapter headings by master fantasy illustrator Charles Vess.

-- I read the stories in it in order, instead of picking and choosing the authors I liked. I probably haven't done that in a multi-author anthology since I was a teenager (back when giant lizards roamed the Earth).

-- Vess is an Illustrator, in the best sense of the word. He doesn't just draw pretty pictures; he helps tell the stories.

-- Even though this is a theme anthology, and (as others note) there's lots of stories of teens coming of age while lost in the wilderness, the authors have diverse voices. You get different stories, with different teens (some likeable, others detestable), going through a variety of life-changing experiences.

-- Although the stories vary in quality, they're all readable -- even Midori Snyder's story, which left a bad taste in my mouth by tying things up in too neat a bow and giving the hero's girlfriend a highly-annoying speech at the end.

Give it a try!

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Read it and be refreshed by green., July 7, 2003

By	Tom Knapp "Rambles.NET editor" (Lancaster, PA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling have paid true homage to the spirit of the Green Man in this anthology. Not only do the short stories collected in this hefty volume evoke a true sense of mystery in the wild, but artist Charles Vess -- who publishes much of his work via his own, well-respected Green Man Press -- has provided cover art and incidental illustrations to bring the concept alive.
From top to bottom, front to back, Tales from the Mythic Forest is an excellent collection of stories unearthing the heart of the woodlands, the spirit of the trees and the face of nature.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars In praise of The Green Man., December 23, 2002

By	Cynthia M. Caton "minion" (Ireland) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

At first, I did not realize that 'The Green Man' is a book for young adults. The give-away was when I realized that there was no sex or violence! The book is a fast read and I enjoyed the stories. Some are better than others as is true in most anthologies and a couple are truly inspired. The stories are a nice way to connect with the natural world.