11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
People don't understand these stories are not new....., 16 April 2004
By C. A Baker - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Tapping the Dream Tree (Newford) (Paperback)
All of these stories are from previous rare Chap books and other small press printings from many many years of Mr. De Lint's body of work.
So some of the stories aren't as well told because well they were written 10-15 years ago.....also this clearly states it is full of SHORT stories..short stories can't go into the kind of detail several folks seem to be demanding from De Lint. If you want more details of some of these characters by the OTHER anthologies of Newford as well as the full length novels. Don't whine and complain because you feel like you got dropped into the middle when the books clearly says it is MORE tales from Newford..not ALL the tales from Newford....sigh.
Beautiful collection lovely lyrical quality and and engaging characters. I have only a few De lints I have not enjoyed and this certianly not one of them.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Former Non-Fan of De Lint, 14 Feb 2005
By JoT - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Tapping the Dream Tree (Newford) (Hardcover)
After reading the reviews posted here I realize that I have missed out on quite a lot of excellent reading material over the years. The only three de Lint books I have ever come into contact with are The Onion Girl, Tapping the Dream Tree, and Spirits in the Wires. Some die-hard fans will therefore, I am sure, immediately discount my disagreement with the seemingly negative opinion of this book shown by the majority of the reviewers here. In particular, I strongly disagree with the review that states, "This one is for the fans... only" because this is the first De Lint book I ever read.
I will freely admit that I am a sucker for a good short story. I must also say that, if the first de Lint I had read was a continuous novel, I might not have gone around town recommending it to everyone I knew, as I did with Tapping the Dream Tree. This might not be as deep or as emotional or as detailed as some of de Lint's other work, but, from my reading of the stories, de Lint writes into these stories as much detail and emotional description as a short story can possibly contain.
As a short-story writer, one of the most difficult things to do well is to leave out parts that you could write in. If you choose well, these left out pieces add to your characters and stories more effectively than their inclusion. de Lint is excellent in this respect. Some of these characters are so well written that you want to step into their world and find out what they are like on a normal day and if they've ever had a normal day and what they like in their coffee or if they like coffee at all. They are characters that have deep wells of untouchably fascinating personality.
In summary... I loved this book. I loved these characters. This is the first De Lint book I ever read. This is still my favorite De Lint book. If you have never read de Lint, and if you like short stories from Bradbury (all of his shorts, not just his Martian Chronicles), and you would like to find a book of fantasy that captures the same feelings of making all things strange and, in strangeness, strangely beautiful, read de Lint's Tapping the Dream Tree. It is good enough to be worth reading.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
A Newford fan will enjoy this book., 12 Nov 2002
By a discerning fan - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Tapping the Dream Tree (Newford) (Hardcover)
I'm a big fan of Charles de Lint and have been breathlessly awaiting the fourth collection of his Newford-based stories, which I then read pretty much in one evening.
Though none of the stories were bad, there was something about them that dissatisfied and I couldn't quite put my finger on it ... the above Publishers Weekly review clarified it for me. These stories feel rather lazy and passive compared to the previous three collections. They feel very self-referential, several of them begin by referring to and summing up some previous story from the character's "life" before moving into a new tale that isn't nearly as alive and interesting as the original appearance of the character had been.
I was also disappointed that the last quarter of the book was just a reprint of "Seven Wild Sisters," which was published as its own independent book earlier this year.
Perhaps Newford is becoming tired as a story device; I hate to say it, because I love de Lint's Newford and I always enjoy visiting its streets. But with a few exceptions, these stories just weren't as alive as the previous ones have been.
I'll still follow de Lint wherever he takes me, though. A fan's a fan. :)