Short Story Monday - The Very Best of Charles de Lint Part 4

At turns whimsical, dark, and mystical, this extraordinary collection of retold fairy tales and new, modern myths redefine the boundaries of magic. Compiling favored stories suggested by the author and his fans, this delightful treasury contains the most esteemed and beloved selections that de Lint has to offer. Innovative characters in unexpected places are the key to each plot: playful Crow Girls who sneak into the homes of their sleeping neighbors; a graffiti artist who risks everything to expose a long-standing conspiracy; a half-human girl who must choose between her village and her strange birthright; and an unrepentant trickster who throws one last party to reveal a folkloric tradition. Showcasing some of the finest offerings within the realms of urban fantasy and magical realism, this essential compendium of timeless tales will charm and inspire.

Today is Part 4 of the discussion of The Very Best of Charles de Lint with Carl from Stainless Steel Droppings. Carl's life got busy, so we are a couple days late, but at least we are still reading and enjoying this collection. Unless something changes, we will resume posting on Monday next week.

Stories Read This Week:

'A Wish Named Arnold'

'Into the Green'

'The Graceless Child'

1. Did you see the end coming in "A Wish Named Arnold", and, perhaps more importantly, if you saw it did it in any way effect your interaction with the story?

Yes, I had a funny feeling that the story would turn out the way that it did. It could be because I feel like I have read this story before, but then it could just be because de Lint uses common elements to tell this story. It didn't really ruin things for me, though. I still thought this was a charming story and am glad that I got to read it. He does change a few things, so it is not exactly like other stories of the same nature, so in a way it was still refreshing.

2. One of the ideas explored in "Into the Green" is the idea of stepping over into another world. Although this wasn't necessarily an option presented to the protagonist, if the door opened, would you step into the green?

Sometimes I think this would be tempting. When the 'real' world gets to be too much, it is nice to be able to step away. I am not sure, though, that I would want it to be a permanent thing. I believe that is why I read fantasy. You can step away long enough to read the story and when you stop reading, you are back in the real world.

3. I felt myself surrounded by a lot of different images from other stories, films, etc. when reading "The Graceless Child". How about you, did you see other influences there, and if so, what?

This is an example of why you should read stories just before you are going to answer questions on them. I can remember what the story was about, but details may be a bit harder. Let's see... Well, the main characters father was turned to stone. That reminded me of Chronicles of Narnia in the beginning, but the method in which they were changed was different. That reminded me more of a vampire story, but only the connection to sunlight. There were probably more, but I read this story a while ago.

Previous Weeks:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3