Susanna Clarke's short story collection draws on the same alternate nineteenth-century England as her novel Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell. The title story follows a trio of women in a Yorkshire village who dabble in magic, and other tales feature faerie courts, the Duke of Wellington, the Raven King, and a mysterious village called Grace Adieu. Clarke writes in a formal, antique style with footnotes, dry humor, and an undercurrent of menace in the way magic touches ordinary life.
Fans of her novel will welcome more of that world. It also suits readers who like fairy tales for adults, quiet unease, and English folk traditions, and who prefer short stories to long fantasy sagas.
Balanced in tone; a moderate read.
Best for readers like The Story Seeker. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 2006
- Language
- EN
