M. Parsons: M. Parsons Writes
Joy Calderwood: Reviewer's Choice Reviews
M. Parsons, reviewer and owner of M. Parsons Writes
Bribed by the promise of rich chocolaty decadence,
thirteen diverse women meet on a stormy night to tell
tales of truth, fantasy, and revelation in "The
Insomniac Tales" a collaborative work by various DLSIJ
Press authors following in the footsteps of Geoffrey
Chaucer and his "Canterbury Tales".
Harkening back to the original Canterbury Tales, this
story takes the reader on a journey through recitation
by each of the different characters and although solid
in theory and tied together very well by the narrator,
the story did have points where it took a few moments
to 'learn' each of the individuals along with their
contributive tales.
But it is because of these varied tales that most
readers will be able to find at least one - or even
more - appealing story that suits them comfortably and
overall should find this an enjoyable read,
entertaining with both its uniqueness and colorful
characters.
The characters were distinct in both voice and
imagery, some more solid than others, but in general I
was able to envision them all as being 'real'
personalities and not just descriptions put to paper.
And since there were several authors involved in this
work, it is difficult to evaluate its style and
expression as a whole, however most of the writers did
have a good sense of the language and presented their
ideas well enough to allow the reader the ability to
'see' the concepts, characterization, and settings
that they were trying to create.
The presentation itself was solid, and personally I
have to admit that I loved the interior formatting and
design concept for it definitely added that " special
little something". However, I do have to add that
there were just a few typographical errors missed
within the work itself.
As a whole, I found I enjoyed most of every story
within "The Insomniac Tales by Chaucer's Women", but
if I were asked to comment in regards to which tales
within I enjoyed the most, I would have to reply that
it was those told by the Saylor, the Clerk, the
Priestess, the Wife of Bath, and the Second Nun just
for the reason that they did what a story is supposed
to do - draw in the reader. In addition, I have to
mention the Squire's tale solely because of its
imagery. And on a last note, I must extend my kudos to
the Prioress for a very good effort with the
Invocation.
Well done, Ladies!
©2003 M. Parsons
Freelance Writer and Reviewer
http://www.geocities.com/mparsonswrites
October 8, 2003
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Joy Calderwood, reviewer for Reviewer's Choice Reviews
"Hell hath no fury
like a room full of insomniac women ... especially those
in pursuit of chocolate."
Fourteen women are isolated
at a Women’s Wellness Spa, during a storm and power outage. The
narrator is the night clerk or Hostess, who, to get them all through
the night, sets up a storytelling contest. The Hostess does sharp
little word pictures of the guests for us, so we can see what to
expect from each – almost.
THE INSOMNIAC TALES is a project
worked up for fun by DLSIJ Press. They brought together a group of
their own authors, each of whom wrote a story suggested by Geoffrey
Chaucer’s 1400 AD classic, THE CANTERBURY TALES. The idea was to
parallel Chaucer’s concept, and sometimes the language, but update it.
I didn’t find the author list until I reached the end, and I have not
read THE CANTERBURY TALES, so I read each story without a clue what
to expect.
The Knight’s Tale: A determined woman takes eerie vengeance
against her prince. The tale of the first vampire.
The Reeve’s Tale: A sharp practice businessman is targeted
for revenge through his womenfolk. Evil is its own reward.
The Cook’s Tale: A piano bar player makes some lousy choices.
But which of several cooks is the Cook?
The Saylor’s Tale: A wife beset by two gorgeous men finds a
way to teach them both a lesson. I knew without doubt who it was
written by on the first page, when the beautiful words and phrasing
made my head start to float.
The Prioress’s Tale: A devout young man takes action against
abortion. My description is straightforward, the story isn’t. Written
in verse.
The Nun’s Priestess’s Tale: The spiritual journey of a lost
girl looking for truth. Mostly metaphorical philosophy.
The Pardoner’s Tale: Starts with a truly excellent knock-knock
joke. Be sure you recognize the tongue-in-cheek Bible-thumping for
what it is, because this story is funny.
The Wife of Bath’s Tale: Sour recounting of how a downtrodden
wife turns the tables. The Wife of Bath has a major grudge against
men.
The Summoner’s Tale: A seemingly spoiled, clueless woman
actually has things well in hand. Enjoyably clever. The only case
where the Hostess’ description of the storyteller leaves us thoroughly
unprepared for her story.
The Clerk’s Tale: The theme of Chaucer’s Clerks’ Tale was
unconditional female submissiveness. If I tell you what this
insomniac’s tale is about, there will be no surprises left.
The Merchant’s Tale: Older businesswoman buys a young husband.
The tale is laced with word games that rarely work. This is the way
the Merchant would talk, but I found it irritating.
The Squires’ Tale: A mother and baby are driven from their
planet by war, to make new lives on earth. The all-too-obvious message
of this story is that lesbians can have true love.
The Second Nun’s Tale: A passionate young woman is persuaded
that her nature is evil. The dilemma is worn-out, but the glowing
Second Nun brings it back to life. R rated.
I’m not going to differentiate
among the authors, who have chosen to sign themselves as the unified
"Chaucer’s Women". As in all short story collections, the quality of
writing varies. The remaining mystery is, who wrote the Hostess’s
viewpoint, upon which all the stories hang? It is entertaining and
insightful, a happy juggling of many elements.
The purpose of THE INSOMNIAC TALES
is light entertainment, with a caprice for the educated. I wanted to
pretend to be educated on the subject, so I found on the internet a
summary of Chaucer’s stories. How closely have Chaucer’s Women
paralleled Chaucer? We have stories like The Reeve’s Tale, whose plot
summarizes exactly alike in both Chaucer and INSOMNIAC TALES. We have
stories like The Summoner’s Tale, which parallels Chaucer in prologue
and story, except that satire turns the message upside down. Then we
have others like The Nun’s Priestess’s Tale, whose story has nothing
in common with Chaucer but a red feather – at least not that my cheat
sheet shows.
In spite of Chaucer, each writer
seems to be writing a story she personally wants to write. The issues
are today’s women’s issues, told with in-jokes and attitude. It ends
with a little contest, if you look carefully. Pardon me now, while I
go work out the puzzle.
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