Herr Rau reviewed Seven Gothic Tales by Isak Dinesen
Review of 'Seven Gothic Tales' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
Looking through the comments here, I'm certainly not the first to say: I haven't read anything like this. Some people say the stories remind them of Poe; I don't see that at all: These stories are very much like German tales of the early 19th century - E.T.A. Hoffmann, Joseph von Eichendorff. Leisurely told, tales within tales, slightly eerie but not necessarily supernatural, off-kilter, with lots of unanswered questions. All that, but written a hunded years after these stories, with some twists maybe that you wouldn't have back then, although the old stories did get rather weird, too.
You read the stories and ask yourself if you missed anything. Sometimes I did, sometimes I didn't, probably; the read is enjoyable either way. The stories aren't connected, much, but themes and motifs and characters overlap. Tales are set within tales within tales, which might get on people's nerves. Me, I like …
Looking through the comments here, I'm certainly not the first to say: I haven't read anything like this. Some people say the stories remind them of Poe; I don't see that at all: These stories are very much like German tales of the early 19th century - E.T.A. Hoffmann, Joseph von Eichendorff. Leisurely told, tales within tales, slightly eerie but not necessarily supernatural, off-kilter, with lots of unanswered questions. All that, but written a hunded years after these stories, with some twists maybe that you wouldn't have back then, although the old stories did get rather weird, too.
You read the stories and ask yourself if you missed anything. Sometimes I did, sometimes I didn't, probably; the read is enjoyable either way. The stories aren't connected, much, but themes and motifs and characters overlap. Tales are set within tales within tales, which might get on people's nerves. Me, I like that.
Full review, in German:
https://www.herr-rau.de/wordpress/2019/02/isak-dinesen-seven-gothic-tales.htm