4thace reviewed The Cyberiad by Stanisław Lem (A Continuum book)
Review of 'The Cyberiad' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
It seems that this collection of postindustrial fairy tales of uncharacteristic of the author's other work. You could tell that he must have enjoyed writing them based on the unbridled exuberance in them, and it must have been both a pleasure and a chore to translate them into English. Many of the tales have a setup which sounds like a story you know already, but in nearly all cases the author manages to do something surprising and delightful by the end. More than a few instances of situations intended for a mature audience take place, so they really aren't intended for the very young, but I imagine a smart teen might really enjoy these for their subversive wit. The craftsmanship runs more toward farce them beautiful language but now and then there are surprises in the character insights. I would like to listen to these once more some day to …
It seems that this collection of postindustrial fairy tales of uncharacteristic of the author's other work. You could tell that he must have enjoyed writing them based on the unbridled exuberance in them, and it must have been both a pleasure and a chore to translate them into English. Many of the tales have a setup which sounds like a story you know already, but in nearly all cases the author manages to do something surprising and delightful by the end. More than a few instances of situations intended for a mature audience take place, so they really aren't intended for the very young, but I imagine a smart teen might really enjoy these for their subversive wit. The craftsmanship runs more toward farce them beautiful language but now and then there are surprises in the character insights. I would like to listen to these once more some day to catch the sly little surprises I think are hidden among the seemingly throwaway details. The vocal performance in this edition was engaging and lively too, with just the right comic timing.
