Fabulous audiobook

Fabulous is an awe-inspiring collection of short stories — refreshing retellings of age-old tales from Greek and Celtic mythology to those from the Bible. It masterfully updates them to fit in with our contemporary world and does so in such an engaging and eminently readable manner. Of course, it suffers from the same problems as all anthologies — they are not all to the same standard, however, they are each beautifully written and fascinating; jumping from one tale to another was great fun and I was entertained throughout. This is a superb collection and deserves to be widely read.The stories are littered with commentary on current societal issues, and although they are altered, the original myth and characters are always front and centre in Hughes-Hallett's mind. It's perfect for dipping in and out of by reading a single story at a time or you can do what I did and gorge on it. It was so interesting and absorbing that I wanted to experience them all together. The book is both intelligent and puts a fun, intriguing new spin to tales that have been told for centuries. I also greatly appreciated the section at the end as it points you towards further reading if you want to learn more about each of the original stories. Many thanks to Fourth Estate for an ARC.

Surprisingly, I liked Fabulous more than I thought I would; ancient myths isn't something I have indulged in before but it was great—would I feel the same had Lucy Hughes-Hallett not decided to include summaries of the ancient fables? I don't know.The book consists of eight short stories, each retelling ancient myths with modern reconstructions. As I said, I relied on the summaries a lot; I was only familiar with three of the short stories: Joseph, Mary Magdalen (probably through my own religious persuasion), and Piper (quite a fun read.)Speaking as someone perhaps less informed over the cultural historic events of old fables, I felt myself simultaneously learning, relating and escaping into a different world. I found some clever literary devices, such as alliteration, assonance and sibilance that I felt gave each mini plot power and emotion. ‘the women wiping fingers, oily from eating olives on smooth bellies already oily with sun-cream.’ p. 107The tone and traits of character's used creates a feeling of immediacy that relates to the ordinary reader. 'There were inscriptions made of tissue paper and tinsel, blocky great capital letters like shouts—DAD, GRAN, OUR MUM—as though the bereaved were yelling at their oldsters to come on down and eat their tea.' p. 123Most of all, I really enjoyed the bluntness of Hughes-Hallett rhetorical language, she knows when to use them in order to create the most impact on the reader. 'I'd stopped the swimming when they put the membership up. Actually no. Tell the truth. I stopped when a man standing next to me in the trough of chlorine said. . .' p. 124One I will—unexpectedly—pop on the reread pile.P.S. stunning book cover!

Fabulous is a collection of short stories that retell famous myths in modern Britain, twisting ancient tales into relatable modern snippets. Orpheus, Psyche, Tristan and Isolde, the Pied Piper, and Mary Magdalen are just some of the figures given fresh new versions of their stories, mixing criminal gangs, immigration, estate agents, pest control, love and more.The stories are knowing and witty, using observations and comments on modern society to try and make these very famous tales fresh. As expected, they vary in how they engage with the source tale, but the original myth is always central to the narrative and characters. Stand out highlights include the story of Diana and Actaeon with estate agents, Pasiphae and the minotaur with seaside gangsters, and adding further complications and some pink pills to the story of Tristan and Isolde. The two Biblical ones—Joseph and Mary Magdalen—are interesting, but may be more appreciated by someone who doesn't have more knowledge of Greek myth and Arthurian legend than Biblical material.It is the kind of book that is perfect for picking up and reading single stories, dipping in or choosing the figures that most interest you. The modern retellings are clever and fun, and the end has a quick guide to the original tales for anyone who didn't know (or Google) them previously. There's a delight in how famous the original stories are and how ordinary the characters in these versions can be.

This collection follows the current trend of updating classic Greek, Roman, and Bible stories to the modern day and language. Regular readers of this genre know that the stories are sometimes more successful if the reader knows only the basic outlines of the original so that there's less to argue with. Hughes-Hallett has provided snippets before each story so that the casual reader can appreciate the classic and view her story with some background. The modern tales are set in the present day UK. As with all short story collection, this is one to dip in and out of - the stories aren't really linked and reading one at night before bed is a good way to appreciate them. Thanks to Edelweiss for the ARC.

I'm happy I requested this book because it was an interesting read.I liked the way the author tell contemporary stories based on mythical or biblical ones.Not all the story are at the same level but they're all engaging and fascinating.My favourite was the one inspired by Tristan and Isolde, I found it enthralling and fascinating.I look forward to reading other books by this author.Recommended!Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Absolutely beautiful book! Not sure it would be everyone’s cup of tea but I have to say that I loved it. The book essentially retells myths and legends of old in a 21st century setting. Beautifully written, the prose is magical and highly recommend giving it a chance. At the first ‘chapter?’ I thought I was going to hate it but fell more and more deeply in love with it page by page. Particularly loved Psyche and Actaeon

This was a really well written and interesting collection of stories. All areas of stories are covered and the range of retellings was well picked. I can't think of a story in this that was bad and I can't wait to reread this in the future. Hughes-Hallett is a fascinating writer and she has a great way constructing and exploring the themes that feature in the original stories.I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Honestly this was a lovely book and a super easy read - I've actually read this while tottering around Edinburgh.This retelling of the myths highlights how timeless these myths and stories are - that humanity hasn't really changed all that much. That we can still find these myths relatable in a modern context, the lessons and themes of morality remain the same.Overall a thoroughly good read.

An interesting and unusual set of short stories that challenges you to re-imagine myths and legend in modern settings. Some of them were a bit hard to place, so it was reassuring to read the overview of the myths at the end of the book.

Thank you to Fourth Estate for sending this wonderful collection my way. Fabulous immediately excited me when I found out it was based off a wide range of mythology and folklore. You all know how much I love retellings so I knew I had to read it.As will all short story collections, you find yourself gravitating to some more than others. I absolutely adored the one based off the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, I found the new take on Psyches story intriguing, and I really enjoyed the new take on Tristan and Isolde. Hughes-Hallett takes themes of the original myths such as lost love, desire and more but adds drugs, societal issues and other modern issues to recreate the stories. Fabulous is the kind of book you keep on your bedside or in your bag ready to dip into for a little break. The stories are fascinating, whether you are familiar with the stories or not, and show Hughes-Halletts talent for writing. She obviously has a wide range of knowledge which she uses to create her own imprint on these old tales. It is best to read them separately with a gap so that you can savour each story individually. The stories are engaging, fascinating and full of emotion. This really is a fabulous read.

I liked the language and parts of the plots but it mirrors folk tales in being quite simplistic so is not for everyone.