Short Story Monday - The Very Best of Charles de Lint Part 6 & 7

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 technically the 6th and 7th edition of my buddy read of The Very Best of Charles de Lint with Carl.

Stories Read This Week:

"Mr. Truepenny's Book Emporium and Gallery"
"In the House of My Enemy"
"The Moon is Drowning While I Sleep"
"Crow Girls"
"Birds"
"Held Safe by Moonlight and Vines"

Part 6: Questions that Carl Asked

1. If you could visit a place like the store in "Mr. Truepenny's Book Emporium and Gallery", which books/authors would you hope to find and read?

I just wanted to start by saying that this story is one of my favourite stories ever that I have read by de Lint. I was so happy to see it included in this collection. I think if I had the imaginary books that she had, I would be thinking about authors that I wish had written more books and series/trilogies that I really want to know how they conclude. Instead of waiting for the author, I would just do it myself. I do it myself now when I think of possible endings and such.

2. "In the House of My Enemy" is a pretty heavy, though well-told story. No question that I can come up with feels adequate in the face of the tale other than to simply ask what your reaction to this story was.

I had also read this story before, so I expected the outcome. It doesn't mean that the story still didn't bother me knowing what was going to happen, though. I truly believe that Charles de Lint captures the 'difficult' parts of life very well. He might add in some fantasy here and there, but sometimes it is all about the people and their stories. It gives depths to his characters that you cannot help but feel for even if you only meet them for a short time. This story will stick with you, but it is also a story about a problem that many young women face.

3. This is kind of the "Inception" question. As you read "The Moon is Drowning While I Sleep", do you fall on the side of it being real or being just Sophie working out some of her issues, or do you not really find yourself choosing a side, so to speak?

I am with Jilly, this is a true story. I believe that Sophie really is the daughter of the moon. It is written so well you don't sound crazy when you think like that. I thought it was a touching story, too, and that it gave closure to Sophie. I still think it is true, though.

Part 7: Questions that I Asked

1. In the story 'Crow Girls', there is an exploration of the effect the girls have on everyone that they meet. How did they make you feel reading about them?

The Crow Girls are believed to make people happy when they are around them. It is true when you read about them, too. You cannot help but smile at their antics! I look forward to them in every book because their enthusiasm jumps off the page.

2. The story 'Birds' has a young woman wanting to block out all of the painful memories from her past by hearing the sound of birds constantly (a very dulled down description of what the story is about). Do you ever wish when something bad happens you could use magic to block it all out, or do you think it is better to remember?

There are some things I wouldn't mind forgetting, but I just thought that this story sounded like it would be annoying. Listening to birds in your head constantly doesn't sound like it would be wonderful for all that long... I enjoyed the overall story, but this just seemed bizarre to me.

3. If you had a 'safe' place when you were a child, what would that be? (Even if you cannot actually relate to the experiences in 'Held Safe by Moonlight and Vines')

Since I am not really an outdoorsy person, my safe place would probably be similar to Sophie's bookstore. I know that when I have a bad day, a bookstore often makes me feel calmer, so an imaginary bookstore I can visit in my dreams sounds about right.

Previous Weeks:

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Short Story Monday - The Very Best of Charles de Lint Part 5

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 the 5th edition of my buddy read of The Very Best of Charles de Lint with Carl from Stainless Steel Droppings.

Stories Read This Week:

'Winter was Hard'

'The Conjure Man'

'We Are Dead Together'

1. What did you think of the supernatural species, the Gemmin, in 'Winter was Hard'? How do they compare to other species?

I really liked this story. The Gemmin were fun characters. They played off of Jilly nicely. She obviously felt a connection to them and was sad when they had to go away, like they are always meant to eventually do. I actually read this story back in Dreams Underfoot and it has stuck with me so well I didn't feel the need to skim through the story to write about it. I think they are also very comparable to de Lint's characters. It seems when they are not evil and are a species related to fairies, they are always a lot of fun. The details have been tweaked a bit, but it is still essentially the same.

2. Another story with a tree connection, what did you think of the use of the tree in 'The Conjure Man'?

This story really got to me. I mentioned in a previous installment how I am big on trees and how we have one in our back yard that the guy wants to cut down, but I hate to see it go. There are reasons to cut down trees, but they have lasting effects. I would miss the tree, but the connection goes a lot deeper in this story. I feel like if I get into any details I am ruining the magic of the story, because in the beginning it seems like something else entirely. I think this is one of my favourite de Lint stories.

3. Do you think the character in 'We are Dead Together' was doing the right thing?

This story was actually a bit typical. It's not that I didn't like it, but I found that it wasn't as good as other stories by de Lint. It is representative to another style of writing and I am more a fan of his Newford stories. This one didn't exactly click with me and I actually had a hard time coming up with a question. It was the first time I actually wondered why a story was in the collection. Anyway, the best I can say for my lame question is she thought she was doing the right thing and I can see how she thought it was. It was a very predictable story, though, and was missing de Lint's magic.

Previous Weeks:

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

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

Short Story Monday - The Very Best of Charles de Lint Part 3

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 3 of the discussion of The Very Best of Charles de Lint with Carl from Stainless Steel Droppings. I am a bit late in the day with it, but at least it is up. Those that pay attention know that my books are technically in storage because of space restraints. Well, we finally found a place for a big bookcase and I have been rearranging. I am so excited! There will probably be pictures tomorrow. Now, on to the questions.

Stories Read This Week:

'The Stone Drum'

'Timeskip'

'Freewheeling'

All three of these stories were from Dreams Underfoot, which I recently read and reviewed with Meghan from Medieval Bookworm. You can read our review of the whole collection here.

1. What did you think of the mythical creatures included in 'The Stone Drum'?

When I read this story earlier this year, I was really excited because it was a Jilly Coppercorn story. She is my favourite Newford character. One thing you know about Jilly is that she is a pretty easy-going person, but as you learn from stories like this she wasn't always like that. This story is one of the launching points for her seeing the world in an entirely different way. It also includes Meran, who is becoming another one of my favourite Newford characters. Anyway, I always think that the creatures, for lack of a better word, that de Lint includes in his books and stories are well-written. This story was no exception. There is a whole underground city and these beings live down there away from prying eyes. It would be close-minded to think that there is not unknown beings in relatively unexplored or visited parts of the world, so this story just played off that idea.

2. 'Timeskip' was about time travel. Did you find the story believable?

I really enjoyed this story, too. A sequel, of sorts, is included in Dreams Underfoot, so I was happy to see how things play out after the events in this one. I have always enjoyed time travel in books, so this was no exception. I actually hate to say too much about this story because I don't want to ruin it for anyone. I just found I enjoyed it not knowing what to expect, so I am going to be brief and just say that I found the story believable. You should read it!

3. Could you picture the images mentioned in the story 'Freewheeling'?

Another enjoyable story, but not without its hardships. This is the story of a young man that believes he has the power to set bicycles free. The imagery in the opening of the story has always got to me. I can close my eyes and picture the bicycles fleeing. It is a nice imagery. Mind you, I wouldn't want my bicycle to escape, but it is interesting to think of what we consider inanimate objects wishing for their freedom.

Previous Weeks:

Part 1

Part 2

Short Story Monday - The Very Best of Charles de Lint Part 2

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 two of my discussion of The Best of Charles de Lint with Carl from Stainless Steel Droppings. This week he came up with the questions about the tree stories. Enjoy!

Stories Read This Week:

'The Badger in the Bag'

'And the Rafters were Ringing'

'Merlin Dreams in the Moondream'

1. Naming and the power of naming is a really big aspect of "The Badger in the Bag". Did you ever name an inanimate object, like a musical instrument, bicycle, vehicle?
No. I have lots of friends that name their cars and things, but it has never been something I have done. I always think about it, but then never actually do so. Even with my eReader. Apparently one of the companies has a slot where you can name it, so I thought maybe I would name mine. Never done so... I think my computer has a name, but that's only because they make you and I have no idea what it even is. I guess I am like Meran in the early part of the story with this idea.

2. Like the previous Meran stories in this collection, "And the Rafters were Ringing" is set in a time of belief in spirits, both good and evil, (and mischievous). In many ways we are better off living a less superstitious (for lack of a better word) life. What, if anything, do you feel we have lost as a people in not being as open to "magical" things?
Imagination. I have a big imagination and hope to always. It's why I read fantasy and other types of fiction. The other day, though, I was watching a childhood movie and there was a 12-year-old there. By the end of the movie I was shocked because he is still really young, and all he did was criticize the magic of the movie. I have to admit that the movie was sort of ruined because I can see messages that I didn't really see when I was a child, but I still enjoyed the fairies and other magical creatures. And, I could not imagine being 12 and not wanting to believe in those things at all. I think it comes from having ideas and then having them be shot down, so you start to think so logically that you can't see the magic in the world.

3. "Merlin Dreams in the Moondream" wood has a big emphasis on trees. Or one tree in particular. Actually these past 4 stories (with Meran's life tree) have acknowledged an important bond to trees. In what ways have trees played a significant part in your life, imagination, etc.?

I loved this story! I always enjoy Arthurian retellings, though, and I thought that this one was really well written! I have always been a tree person. To this day I constantly look at trees and see more than just the tree. I think that is why I enjoy the Ents in Tolkien's work so much. And, the trees in C.S. Lewis. The trees are alive in a way that is magical and I have always wished that was true. I think that trees have spirit and personality. I refuse to allow the cc to cut down our weeping willow because of the tree in Disney's Pocahontas. It was also one of the aspects of Avatar that I actually enjoyed. The idea that trees are all connected, that they are more than just trees, that they have personalities and feelings of their own... The use of trees in de Lint's stories are one of my favourite things. I believe that is why Meran is growing on me so much!

Previous Weeks:

Part One

Short Story Monday - The Very Best of Charles de Lint

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 starts weekly Short Story Monday's with Carl from Stainless Steel Droppings. We are reading The Very Best of Charles de Lint together, but we are only reading about 3 stories a week. Then, we will answer questions that sort of give you a glimpse of either what the story was about or some other important aspect that we feel is worth mentioning. We are rotating weeks, too. This week I came up with three questions and we both answered them. Next week is Carl's turn. It should be a lot of fun!

Stories read this week:

'In Which We Meet Jilly Coppercorn'

'Coyote Stories'

'Laughter in the Leaves'

Questions and Answers:

1. What did you think of de Lint's choice to have 'In Which We Meet Jilly Coppercorn' as the first story in the collection?

- Jilly Coppercorn is pretty much my favourite character in de Lint's books so far. I have read novels and other short stories that include her, so it was a bit late to be introduced to her. I have to say, though, when I saw the title for the story I got a bit excited regardless of how many times I have seen her before. It turns out that this is an edited version of one of the stories included in Dreams Underfoot, but I still enjoyed reading it.

2. The story, 'Coyote Stories', is a good example of a story with a moral message. Would you agree?

- I had a clear idea in my head for this question, but I wasn't sure how to write it so it made any sort of sense. There are common themes during de Lint's stories, and as he says in the introduction to this collection he tried to include representations of all his different types of stories. This story includes the idea of Coyote, who is a character that is included in many of de Lint's stories. There is also the moral messages included in the story. de Lint's stories may be shadowed in fantasy stories, but he successfully touches on things that are very important to the world as a whole. They are also timeless issues for the most part. This one talks about the troubles that people face, particularly drinking alcohol, and how they deal with the situation.

3. What did you think of the story 'Laughter in the Leaves'?

- Then, we return to a bit more straight fantasy story. This is a story that centres around Meran. I just recently read another short story about her and this one is set later in her life. She is not a de Lint character I am overly familiar with so far, but what I have read about her has been interesting. This is the story of a struggle between one slightly magical woman and a bodach. Fun story!

So, head over to Carl's blog to see his answers! Then, tune in next week for the next three stories.