The Merry Spinster: Tales of Everyday Horror by Mallory OrtbergMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
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This author has a sense of humour that meshes quite well with mine. I may not have audibly laughed while reading Texts from Jane Eyre: And Other Conversations with Your Favorite Literary Characters, but I know that I snorted! So I expected to enjoy this collection of fractured fairy tales and I was not disappointed.
Having just read H.G. Wells' reinterpretation of The Little Mermaid (his The Sea Lady), I was pleased that the first story was Ortberg's version. And she answered my question regarding the mermaid's motivations, not to acquire a soul of her own but to abscond with that of someone else. Because surely she can find a use for it!
I was also delighted by her very vampiric telling of The Velveteen Rabbit, a lagomorph who is keeping score, holding grudges, and looking forward to the day that he can kick butt! The actual story is sticky sweet and reduces me to tears, so this is a pleasant change.
Another honourable mention for the retelling of Genesis from the viewpoint of a very rules-based angel. I'm sure none of what went on was any of any of his fault.
Of course not everything can be a hit, for me there were a few misses, where I obviously missed the point, but that didn't reduce my enjoyment of the others. I think the Grimm Brothers would be intrigued.
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