2016 • 160 pages • Penguin Books
A fork-tongued
princess. A boy who can control the currents of the sea. Cannibals who feast on
the limbs of a village of peculiars. These are just a few of the brilliant
stories to be found in Tales of the
Peculiar, all of which hold mystical information about the peculiar world - a place familiar to many of us since its
first introduction by Ransom Riggs in Miss
Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. The stories in this collection
explore peculiar history and folklore in a wonderfully imaginative way, and
also include some beautiful illustrations to accompany each of the tales.
Ransom Riggs has
successfully created a selection of stories that manages to be both delightful
but also educational. The stories and the world of the peculiars are of course
fictional, but that doesn’t mean the morals of these tales lose any of their
merit. At their core they explore ideas concerning fate and destiny, about
finding love, the complexity of possessing a peculiar talent, fighting
prejudice and sticking to your principles. Plus, they are thoroughly enjoyable
to read! The writing style is sophisticated and thoughtful, with each story feeling
more imaginative and quirky than the last.
If you enjoy reading
classic fairy tales by the Brothers Grimm or Charles Perrault, then I’m sure
you’ll take great delight in reading this collection. Tales of the Peculiar is full of macabre events but the stories are
also injected with a brilliant, kind of deadpan humour, which I loved. It’s a
magical collection of stories, but also thoughtful in its execution. I felt as
though I was reading something truly different as I explored each of the tales,
which is exactly what I want from a reading experience – to be surprised yet enchanted.
A couple of my
favourites included The Splendid
Cannibals, which tells the tale of a group of wealthy cannibals who feast
of the discarded limbs of peculiar folk. It’s fantastically written and
explores the consequences of how wealth can become corruptive. Another tale
that stood out to me was The Girl that Befriended Ghosts, which
follows a young woman who can talk to ghosts and wishes to connect with the spirit
folk who live in her house. Again, this was a lovely story that was both funny,
yet heartfelt.
What’s more, you don’t
need to have read Riggs’ original trilogy to enjoy these tales. I didn’t pick
up Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar
Children until after I finished this, but I didn’t enjoy it any less than a
dedicated fan. If anything it made me want to explore the peculiar world more.
Overall rating: 5 stars
My copy of Tales of the Peculiar was sent to me by The Bookbag and my original review was published on their website.
Overall rating: 5 stars
My copy of Tales of the Peculiar was sent to me by The Bookbag and my original review was published on their website.
