Tapping the Dream Tree

These short stories are beautifully crafted. In fact, I could hardly think of better examples of the short story form. While they all take place in environments familiar to the readers of de Lint's other Newford books, no knowledge of those stories is actually required for thorough enjoyment. In fact, one could say these stories embody the Newford tales strippped of any non-essential detail. They are a must-read for anyone interested in reading or writing good short fiction. While classified as "fantasy" this is not your typical swords and sorcery stuff. The characters live in a real world that just happens to sometimes tap into or feel the overlap of a world that lies at a magical angle to their daily lives.

"Tapping the Dream Tree" is a weighty collection of Newford stories by Charles De Lint, revisiting some of his favoriate characters such as Jilly, Sophie and the Crow Girls. It does include a novelette --'Seven Wild Sisters'. For those of us who have had to search for vanished magazine copies of the stories, this anthology is a wonderful find. His characters are real, in some universe, and it's great to know more about them and their lives. Any De Lint reader needs to have this volume in their collection.

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.

A killer who reads minds, a group of young women who find pixies coming from their computers, hobs in their bookstores, and lovers in their dreams, people who sell their souls to the devil, and seven red-haired sisters who live in the forest and discover the war between the sang fairies and the bee fairies. Author Charles de Lint provides a delightful assortment of modern fairy tales. De Lint's stories are charming and fresh, dealing with authentic people rather than shallow fairy-tale heros--and with real magic. TAPPING THE DREAM TREE is a wonderful collection of stand-alone stories, connected stories about the dream tree and a dream city, and a short novel of the seven sisters. This isn't a dark cyber-punk return-of-magic story, but a modern version of folk stories where fairie creatures may be powerful and beautiful, but are frequently indifferent to humans. Most of the stories are set in the countryside rather than in the city and reflect a peaceful pacing. De Lint's writing paints pictures for his stories, compelling the reader without any sense of hurry. I found myself savoring the stories even though a part of me wanted to plunge on and find out what happens next. If you've read de Lint before, you know what to expect and you'll be delighted to find it. If you haven't, you're in for a treat. De Lint is a winner and TAPPING THE DREAM TREE is a powerful collection of stories that needs to be added to your must-read pile.

Mr. DeLint has brought us back to Newford, and the surrounding areas. He has gifted everyone (who cares to read the book) with 17 more stories, 16 of which speak directly to the Newford mythology. Seven Wild Sisters is also in the book, and I have to admit I found that disappointing, but only because I had already purchased & read the original published version, so when I finished the 16th story, I did not realize I had actually finished the book.However, I do not begrudge this; it allowed a lot of people who may have missed the first publishing of this wonderous story a second chance.And this volume introduces us to several more magical members of the Newford society, and expands our knowledge of some of our old friends.Mr. DeLint continues to tap the Tribe of Words, and the Dreaming Tree, to our benefit. He reminds us there is beauty, magic, sadness, mystery & wonder around every corner, on every shelf, and in every face we meet. We only have to pay attention...