Stories to Read by Candlelight
by Jean Lorrain, Patricia Worth (Translator)
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Synopsis
‘Stories to Read by Candlelight’ contains eight stories first published in the 1890s by the French author, Jean Lorrain, translated here into English for the first time as a collection. Jean draws the reader back in time to his provincial childhood when his grandmother’s seamstress would tell him stories that gave him goosebumps and made him jump under the covers. The characters have a mythical quality, whether fantastical beings who long to be real, like the embroidered Princess Mandosiane, or real people like the eccentric Madame Gorgibus accused of being a wicked fairy. The stories fall between legends and fairy tales, a genre favoured by a few Decadent authors protesting against realism and regretting technological progress.
What I thought
Thank you Henry Roi for sending me a copy of this book for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Stories to Read by Candlelight are stories told to Jean Lorrain during his childhood by his grandmother’s seamstress in the 1800s. These stories to me felt kinda Grimm fairy tale-esque. I enjoyed these tales but I did not find them as “scary” as the author did when he was remembering them. The stories were entertaining in the respect that they felt like old fairy tales, but for me, that is all. I enjoyed them for what they were but I do not see myself seeking them out to reread later.
If you enjoy old tales you will enjoy these 8 stories.
My Rating: /5
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