In the Forest of Forgetting

Highly original, fantastic, unconventional, and often provocative stories. They range from mystical to humorous. Not all of the stories are top quality but I will never forget the best ones. The story about the woman marrying a bear, one of my favorites, recalls Terry Bison's "Bears discover fire." Other stories suggest fairy tales, especially the retelling of sleeping beauty from multiple points of view.

This was a captivating read. The opening by Terri Windling also features a section where Theodora Goss talks of her lifestyle of living and moving around. I related a lot to the multiple sense of identities, yet sometimes the lost sense of identity she talked about. Most of these stories are disparate, though there are three stories with a witch, Miss Emily Gray, in them, and two stories (one with Miss Gray) that are set... Read Full Review

An excellent collection of stories, all of them little masterpieces of fantastic fiction in the tradition of European storytellers. Most stories belong to a deep tradition of which Kafka was a potent precursor. Atmosphere is certainly Goss's strong point, and utterly well-drawn characters. I'm looking for more of her fiction.

This is one of the most delightful short-story collections I've ever read. Goss's prose is immaculate; there are hints of Angela Carter here, but also of Virgina Woolf. She handles very old themes (Gothic, yes, but also older) with a very rare combination of control and freshness. It's an astonishing collection, and I can't wait to see more from her. Novels are my true love, but I'm happy to make an exception -- and a permanent... Read Full Review

These delicately crafted, literary fantasies draw from Victorian morality stories and fairytales. The language is spare and considered, the tone dry spiked with mordant humor. Goss discreetly and elegantly updates the gothic tale for postmodern times. Her "Emily Gray" stories concern a governess who grants children's deepest wishes, at a terrible price. Three of the Emily Gray tales are here. The title story turns a breast... Read Full Review