Rating: 
Summary: A Treat for Byatt Fans
Review: I loved this book but I really think you have to have read Byatt's Booker Prize winning novel, "Possession," in order to best understand and relate to the stories in "The Djinn in the Nightingale's Eye."In "Possession," Byatt created two wonderful Victorian characters, Randolphe Ash and Christabel La Motte, both writers. Two of the fairy tales contained in this collection of Byatt originals, "The Glass Coffin," and "Gode's Story," are the work of "Ash" and "La Motte." This is not to say that a reader will not enjoy them if he or she has not read "Possession." It only means that he will not derive the maxiumum amount of enjoyment from the stories. The other two stories, "The Story of the Eldest Princess" and "Dragons' Breath," as well as the title novella, are meditations on the art of storytelling and all are very good. "The Djinn in the Nightingale's Eye," in particular, is excellent. The only thing I didn't like about some of these stories, "The Story of the Eldest Princess," especially, is the thread of feminisim that runs through them. But, on further reflection, I suppose that is typical of all fairy tales, to some extent. "The Djinn in the Nightingale's Eye," tells the tale of a modern day storyteller who loves to meditate on the tales of Scheherazade. It is a rather pessimistic tale, from some standpoints, though not entirely, and the storyteller is a very clever one. She proves this cleverness when she winds up with a djinn of her very own. Byatt's characters never seem to be black or white; instead, they are simply people with very differing views on life and the choices that should be made. The characters in this book are no different and that is one of things that makes them so charming and believable. These aren't the typical "happily ever after" fairy tales of your childhood. They are, rather, meditations and reflections instead. But they are meditations and reflections that do contain more than a bit of magic. If you like your fairy tales told with a modern touch and if you prefer them on the esoteric side, this might be a book you'll really enjoy.
Rating:
Summary: A Treat for Byatt Fans
Review: I loved this book but I really think you have to have read Byatt's Booker Prize winning novel, "Possession," in order to best understand and relate to the stories in "The Djinn in the Nightingale's Eye." In "Possession," Byatt created two wonderful Victorian characters, Randolphe Ash and Christabel La Motte, both writers. Two of the fairy tales contained in this collection of Byatt originals, "The Glass Coffin," and "Gode's Story," are the work of "Ash" and "La Motte." This is not to say that a reader will not enjoy them if he or she has not read "Possession." It only means that he will not derive the maxiumum amount of enjoyment from the stories. The other two stories, "The Story of the Eldest Princess" and "Dragons' Breath," as well as the title novella, are meditations on the art of storytelling and all are very good. "The Djinn in the Nightingale's Eye," in particular, is excellent. The only thing I didn't like about some of these stories, "The Story of the Eldest Princess," especially, is the thread of feminisim that runs through them. But, on further reflection, I suppose that is typical of all fairy tales, to some extent. "The Djinn in the Nightingale's Eye," tells the tale of a modern day storyteller who loves to meditate on the tales of Scheherazade. It is a rather pessimistic tale, from some standpoints, though not entirely, and the storyteller is a very clever one. She proves this cleverness when she winds up with a djinn of her very own. Byatt's characters never seem to be black or white; instead, they are simply people with very differing views on life and the choices that should be made. The characters in this book are no different and that is one of things that makes them so charming and believable. These aren't the typical "happily ever after" fairy tales of your childhood. They are, rather, meditations and reflections instead. But they are meditations and reflections that do contain more than a bit of magic. If you like your fairy tales told with a modern touch and if you prefer them on the esoteric side, this might be a book you'll really enjoy.
Rating: 
Summary: I don't get it
Review: I really don't see the hype behind this collection of so-called fairy tales. I found them tedious, redundant, and shallow.
Rating:
Summary: Read for the Title Story
Review: I was nurtured by my mom on myth, folk tale, and fairy stories as a child, so it was a delight for me to read "The Djinn in the Nightingale's Eye." A.S. Byatt led me down ancient winding streets in exotic places to bring me to myself. This is the goal of all successful fairy tales and this modern fairy story accomplishes that goal. The protagonist, Gillian Perholt, is a modern woman, and that is what gives this tale its "life spark" and makes the concept of writing a fairy tale work so well. The other four stories echo the formula of all past fairy tales, and so they seem stilted and lifeless. "Once upon a time," the trademark of tales, worked in the past because it added a sense of timelessness to the story. But we need to remember that when the original tales were told, the lifestyle that was being described was a lifestyle that everyone could still basically identify with. This made the stories timeless and relevent. As children, we were only aware of the magic and adventure of these old stories and sometimes the shadows of the story's message, but as adults we need a fairy tale to have a sense of immediacy and timelessness, as indeed they did for people who heard them in the past. The old tales were meant for children and adults alike, and for a modern tale of the same genre, the same two conditions need to hold true. Gillian is modern. She is middle aged, divorced and independent. She is bright, and conflicted about herself - taking pride in her intellect and scholarly accomplishments and having doubts about her disirability. There is also a continuous thread of anxiety about death that permeates Gillian's personality. All these factors, as well as descriptions of air flights and luxury hotels, gives the story its immediacy. Gillian travels the world to lecture in her specialty:"narrology." This means she is an expert on folk tales and legends from around the world and draws analogies between them to locate universal truths. Gillian has always had a great imagination, and at first, during her scholarly wanderings, we think it is this imagination and life's disappointments that play tricks with her mind. But when she is given "the Nightingale's Eye," (a beautiful old glass bottle)as a gift, we find ourselves in a full blown fairy tale with magic, wit, adventure, errotic pleasures, and intellectual games. Now we are willing to buy into Byatt's beautiful writing because it gratifies on all levels.
Rating:
Summary: Twisted tales and fresh perspectives
Review: I've always found A.S. Byatt to be not only entertaining, but also educational. Reading her books is like attending an English lecture by a favorite professor. Suddenly you realize that three hours have gone by and you've been so engrossed that you didn't notice. A.S. Byatt is a wordsmith of the highest order. Her little volume of tales provides a feast for anyone who enjoys the vagaries of the English language. Who wouldn't want to be a "narratologist", like the main character in the title story? I love that word....wish I'd coined it myself! The Djinn in the Nightingale's Eye, a collection of adult fairy tales, provides a delightful juxtoposition of fantasy and reality, present and past. Things are not what they seem. But of course, if you know anything about fairy folk, you already know this to be true. It's a real treat to find fairy tales that capture the shifting, mercurial nature of "the little people." If you think you're too old for fairy tales, read a few from Byatt's book. Just remember to keep your wits about you lest the author catch you unawares, blissfully expecting a "happily ever after" that never arrives.
Rating:
Summary: Twisted tales and fresh perspectives
Review: I've always found A.S. Byatt to be not only entertaining, but also educational. Reading her books is like attending an English lecture by a favorite professor. Suddenly you realize that three hours have gone by and you've been so engrossed that you didn't notice. A.S. Byatt is a wordsmith of the highest order. Her little volume of tales provides a feast for anyone who enjoys the vagaries of the English language. Who wouldn't want to be a "narratologist", like the main character in the title story? I love that word....wish I'd coined it myself! The Djinn in the Nightingale's Eye, a collection of adult fairy tales, provides a delightful juxtoposition of fantasy and reality, present and past. Things are not what they seem. But of course, if you know anything about fairy folk, you already know this to be true. It's a real treat to find fairy tales that capture the shifting, mercurial nature of "the little people." If you think you're too old for fairy tales, read a few from Byatt's book. Just remember to keep your wits about you lest the author catch you unawares, blissfully expecting a "happily ever after" that never arrives.
Rating: 
Summary: Wonderfully compassionate storytelling
Review: I've read most of A.S. Byatt's work, including Possession. One of the strongest feelings that book and her others engendered in me was the compassion and care for her characters. While not always gentle, she understands that life has to be lived even with the sorrow that comes from painful mistakes and lifelong regrets. While the Gillian of the title story may be a stand-in for Byatt herself, the desire to observe and record and her feelings of superfluousness because of her age, is something many of us can relate to. The beauty of the Genie's own story and his inclusion in Gillian's is tender and hopeful. I've owned this collection for a year and reread it every few months. Like those other great female voices of the 20th century, Angela Carter and Isak Dinesen, she tells modern fairy tales that still contain more than a hint of the fabulous.
Rating:
Summary: Tour de Force
Review: If you've already read the two stories in this collection that are culled from "Possession" and wonder whether it's worth buying them a second time, don't hesitate! The book is worth buying for the brilliant title story alone. The Djinn in the Nightingale's Eye is, as always among Byatt's works, an elaborate celebration of a myriad of literary sources, many of which are fundamental to our culture. And in speaking of "our" culture here, she is, more than in any of her other works, showing us a world culture, with English, Turkish, Greek, Babylonian and other themes all presented and compared in the best tradition of The Golden Bough. However, rather than being an arid search after lost cultural history, the story makes all these legendary themes current and relevant in an up-to-the-minute context. Gillian Perholt is another of Byatt's low-relief semi-self-portraits. Her descriptions of decay and lost youth can be rather gloomy, but here we get a wonderfully optimistic portrait which leaves the reader, finally, with a glow of well-being, and a real sympathy with the character and the author. The book, or at least this story, although short and sweet, re-emphasises the extraordinary range and literary power of Byatt. It is full of succulant language good enough to read out loud. She must rank among the 3 or 4 best authors writing in English today.
Rating:
Summary: Recycled, But Still Good
Review: It is true that these stories are mostly recycled, but they're still worth reading. The title story alone makes the book worth seeking out. Buy the book for fairy story loving friends who haven't read Possession, or get a blanket and cup of something warm and curl up to read it yourself.
Rating:
Summary: Recycled, But Still Good
Review: It is true that these stories are mostly recycled, but they're still worth reading. The title story alone makes the book worth seeking out. Buy the book for fairy story loving friends who haven't read Possession, or get a blanket and cup of something warm and curl up to read it yourself.
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