Glowing with narrator Virginia Leishman's finely tuned phrasing, The Djinn in the Nightingale's Eye is the perfect introduction to A.S. Byatt, an author who continues to receive international awards and acclaim. Her wondrous fairy tales are iridescent stories full of spells, marvelous creatures, and beautiful princesses. The title tale focuses on Dr. Gillian Perholt, a narratologist. The sturdy, middle-aged scholar travels the world, speaking at international conferences about the art of storytelling. She immerses herself in the study of fabulous, archetypical heroes: patient Griselda, lovely Scheherazade, brave Gilgamesh. But when she is given the fairy tale's three wishes-chances to alter her own story, the choices she makes are both timeless and surprisingly unique. A.S. Byatt, whose imaginative novels sparkle with layers of imagery and drama, focuses on the magic that is created each time a storyeller speaks. The five stories that comprise The Djinn in the Nightingale's Eye are as fascinating and finely crafted as ivory puzzles.
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"Being a big fan of A.S. Byatt, it should come as no surprise that I really enjoyed these five fairy stories. The title tale (novella length) encompasses many tales and critical review amongst the story itself...and it is stunning. " — Keith (5 out of 5 stars)
"Being a big fan of A.S. Byatt, it should come as no surprise that I really enjoyed these five fairy stories. The title tale (novella length) encompasses many tales and critical review amongst the story itself...and it is stunning. "
" Byatt reworks the old fairy tale myths in contemporary settings. Stories that reach deep to my childhood fables . . . beautiful writing. "
" These are fairy tales written by a Booker Prize winner. I love her writing style-- she is very absorbing. "
" This is one of my favorites and I want to re-read. "
" Really enjoyed the stories in this little book. Poetry masquerading as short story "
" Doesn't everyone want a genie to appear and grant them three wishes? Especially if you're middle-aged and the genie will make you look thirty-five again? This book has stories within stories, all of them interesting. "
" My favorite AS Byatt. Considered short stories and a novella- it includes works from within some of her novels and all stand alone as femenist retell of classic fairytale archetypes. And the novella is funny and satisfying. "
" the best modern fairy tales ever. the heir to angela carter. "
" I want to do a djinn! "
" Collection of short fairytales, blended with one contemporary fantasy story, a sort of a meta tale about storytelling and fairytales. Beautifully written. "
A. S. Byatt (1936–2023) was a distinguished critic and author of numerous works, including Possession: A Romance, which won the Booker Prize for Fiction, the Irish Times International Fiction Prize, and the Commonwealth Writers Prize. Her other works also garnered awards and acclaim, and she was granted numerous honorary degrees. She was educated at Newnham College, Cambridge; Bryn Mawr College; and Somerville College, Oxford. In 1999 she was made Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire.
Virginia Leishman successfully revived The Railway Children and other titles by E. Nesbit. She parses phrases carefully for nuance, and flavors dialogue with personality and spontaneity, as exemplified in her rendition of A. S. Byatt’s Possession. She has earned three AudioFile Earphones Awards.
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