Tagged: Once Upon a Time Reading challenge

Books

Leviathan by

It is 1914 and Europe is on the brink of war. In Austria-Hungary young Prince Aleksander’s life is suddenly in turmoil. His parents have been murdered and he is on the run and in disguise. His once-upon-a-time allies have turned out to be enemies and there are very few people he can trust. In England Deryn Sharp wants nothing more than to be an airman. The only problem is, she’s a girl, and airmen are.. well, male. In disguise she gets accepted and is soon serving as a Midshipman aboard the Leviathan. A huge airship built around a fabricated beast.

4 April 2010
Books

Once Upon a Time by

Ever since Carl announced that it was time for this year’s Once Upon a Time reading challenge I’ve been trying to decide what to read for it. It’s a dilemma!! but...

28 March 2010
Randomess

Once Upon A Time III

Last month Carl announced the start of this year’s Once Upon A Time Challenge. At the time I wasn’t sure if I’d be reading along, but after reading online casinoBlack Ships...

5 April 2009
Books

Memory and Dream by

ISBN: 0330339591 Once Upon a Time Challenge ; More reviews Katherine Mulley had been dead for five years and two months, the morning Isabelle received the letter from her. I’ve read...

29 May 2008
Books

Tithe by

A Modern Tale of Faerie ISBN: 0689860420 Read for the Once Upon A Time challenge. See also: About Holly Black ; Stainless Steel Droppings ; Book~Adorer ; The page wanderer Other...

25 May 2008
Books

The Tooth Fairy by

Read for the Once Upon A Time Challenge See also: Author’s Site ; Scooter Chronicles ; SF site ; Tier 3000 I’ve read a few Graham Joyce books at this stage;...

11 May 2008
Books

Achilles by

Two rivers. Flowing in contrary directions.
Two layers of water, each moving steadily, separate and self-possessed.

When I was thinking of books to read for the myth section of Carl’s challenge I did consider the Iliad, and the Odyssey too, so when I was wandering around the library and stumbled across this book it seemed perfect. And I’m so glad I picked it up; it makes for a really good read.

8 May 2008
Books

The hero with a thousand faces by

Whether we listen with aloof amusement to the dreamlike mumbo jumbo of some red-eyed with doctor of the Congo, or read with cultivated rapture thin translations from the sonnets of the mystic Lao-tse; now and again crack the hard nutshell of an argument of Aquinas, or catch suddenly the shining meaning of a bizarre Eskimo fairy tale: it will be always the one, shape-shifting yet marvellously constant story that we find. together with a challengingly persistent suggestion of more remaining to be experiences than will ever be known or told.

I think maybe I’m just not in the mood for studious type books. At least, that’s the excuse I’m making for not really enjoying this book. Then again it may simply be that we’re all aware of these great themes that so many myths and fictions retell over and over again. Back in 1949 it was all original and new and so of course deserved all that attention. Now? Well the writing style is a little on the ponderous side and I think I’ve read most of these arguments before.

6 May 2008
Books

Finally!

A good while ago Carl launched his second Once Upon a Time reading challenge. And I think I’ve finally made my decision and a going to go with the second option:...

23 April 2008
Randomess

Undecided dir. by

I’m still not totally on board with the new WordPress layout. I think long term it’ll turn out to be handy, but at the moment I’m still getting used to it....

13 April 2008
Honk / Weekly memes

TT #23

Wow, can you believe that I’ve been doing this Thursday Thirteen stuff for 23 weeks now? I was wondering what to do for this week’s Thursday Thirteen but then I got...

28 June 2007
Books

Tree and Leaf by

I propose to speak about fairy-stories, though I am aware that this is a rash adventure.

This, in many ways, is the perfect book for the Once Upon a Time Reading Challenge as it contains fairy tales and myth and fantasy. It is a collection of shorter works by Tolkien, and begins, not with a story but, with an essay, On Fairy-Stories and surprisingly, I found this the most interesting aspect of the book. Tolkien writes about the origins of fairy stories, why he believes them necessary. He also defines what he means by a fairy story. A very different thing from the tale relegated to the children’s nursery, although somewhat related. Possibly the first defence of the fantasy genre.

8 June 2007
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