Conceived at the 1979 Frankfurt Book Fair, the idea behind this jointly-published (in nine countries) anthology of stories by women is to show—according to an anonymous preface—how "The experience of women in the emancipation process of the seventies has been reflected not only in political developments but in literature as well." This kind of literary offshoot of a research survey rarely delivers significant writing, however, and that's mostly the case here: journalism is the prevailing spirit. Sigrid Brunk (Germany) and Flaminia Morandi (Italy) and Montserrat Roig (Spain) offer breathless arias of unfairness and women's plights. Britt Arenander (Sweden), Hannes Meinkema (Holland), and Angela Carter (England) do slightly better, adding some shape to their gall and moving it a few inches into the territory of fiction. But only three stories are clearly, crisply works of gifted artists: there's the sharp, intriguing voice of France's Muriel Cerf in the tale of a woman's vengeful luck in a Monte Carlo casino; Gall Godwin's nervous "Notes For A Story" (first published in the 1975 collection Dream Children); and Israeli writer Shulamith Hareven's pulsing "Loneliness"—in which a Jerusalem woman is turned into a panting, Proust-like Swarm by a tough street-girl. Other than these few standouts—a well-intentioned undertaking with more social than literary interest.
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1981
ISBN: 0385155301
Page Count: 264
Publisher: Doubleday
Review Posted Online: Sept. 24, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1981
This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-100227-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.
Pub Date: Feb. 23, 1955
ISBN: 0670717797
Page Count: -
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1955
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
