Myths of Origin: Four Short Novels

I'll be honest -- I'll read just about anything by Catherynne Valente at this point, even her video-game spinoff novels based on games I've never played. I love her gorgeous writing style, her unconventional stories and concepts, and her way of calling out society for its horrific treatment of anyone it regards as "lesser." So when I learned that four of her earliest novels had been compiled into one volume, I knew I had to give it a read. And while this is not my favorite of her works, and it's quite obvious these are her first works and she hadn't quite hit her literary stride yet, they're still dazzling and poignant works.A brief review of each work:"The Labyrinth" -- her first novel, and the most poetic, experimental, and plotless of the three. While at it's heart it's the story of a woman traveling a labyrinth and the beings and mysteries she uncovers there, it's only vaguely related to the original myth at best. The language is stunning, but there's little plot to be had -- if anything, it's more of an extended poem than a novel, so it's probably best read and appreciated as one instead of as something with structure and plot."Yume No Hom: The Book of Dreams" -- a Japanese tale about an old woman named Ayoko who lives on a mountain... and dreams of her alternate lives as the Sphinx, Isis, Tiamut, and others. Told as a series of vignettes corresponding to the Chinese calendar, it's again more of a series of interconnecting poems than a novel, though it does have a more definite structure and does a fine job of tying together the many dream selves of the main character."The Grass-Cutting Sword" -- another adaptation of Japanese folklore, this one is a retelling of a Japanese creation myth as well as the story of a storm god who fought a maiden-devouring serpent. This story maintains the fantastic language of the author's style but is definitely the most strongly (traditionally?) structured of the novellas in this volume. It's also the angriest, pointing out the misogyny prevalent in a lot of world mythology as we know it and the fates of the women who are often relegated to trophies or damsels in distress in fairy tales and folk tales."Under in the Mere" -- Valente's take on the Arthurian mythos, telling us the stories of many key figures in the tale of King Arthur -- the Lady of the Lake, Mordred, Morgan La Fey, Galahad, Lancelot, and others. A series of vignettes, it fleshes out these characters in startling ways, making them far more human and flawed than the original stories made them out to be. There's also a startlingly modern bent to this story, with the knights and characters occasionally crossing the boundaries of their world to end up in what they see as a faerie land but is actually modern-day California... and while some might find this detail obnoxious, I found it fascinating and a very neat addition.The book also contains an afterward by Valente herself, detailing where she was in her life when she wrote each story and the seeds that eventually germinated into these tales. I appreciated her insight and her explanation of each novella's genesis, and it helped me better appreciate her work even if I had problems with it.For fans of Valente, this book is a fascinating glimpse of her early work. Readers not familiar with her writing may find themselves overwhelmed by it -- her writing is fantastic but definitely not simple to read -- and I don't think these stories are her best work. They're still vibrant and illuminating reads, however, breathing new life into old stories and looking at the familiar from a fresh angle.

Catherynne Valente is an author on the rise, entrancing readers with her luscious, dreamlike prose and her exquisite explorations into magical realms. Even her children's stories are like little gold-rimmed gems."Myths of Origin: Four Short Novels" brings together four novellas written over the years, from her debut novella "The Labyrinth" to the recent story "Under in the Mere." They're beautifully-written, swimming in exquisite words and images -- and the main problem is that it's often hard to extract a true narrative from it."The Labyrinth" is the tale of the Walker, the Seeker-After, a woman who ate the compass rose. She wanders through the timeless, endless Roads of the Labyrinth, where she finds a Hare, a figure garbed in opals, a Crocodile, a Mirror, an erudite Lobster and his keys, and countless other strange wonders. Will she ever find the center?"Yume No Hon: The Book of Dreams" switches the focus from a mystical world to ancient Japan. The story centers on Ayako, a woman who lost her village long ago, and now lives in a pagoda on the side of a Mountain. Nearby villagers believe her to be a spirit, and bring offerings to her -- but the answer of what Ayako is connects to a vast expanse of goddesses."The Grass-Cutting Sword" is another strange, beautiful tale based in Japanese folklore. The tale is partly about the thunder god Susanoo, who is sent to earth in human form by his sister Amaterasu. As he struggles to defeat the eight-headed monster Yamata-no-Orochi, Valente explores the perspective of the Orochi's multiple heads ("I am Eight. We are Eight") and the maidens sacrificed to him.And finally there is "Under in the Mere," which reimagines Arthurian legends just as adeptly. It follows the perspectives of various characters from Arthurian legend -- the Lady of the Lake; Sir Kay and his thoughts of his brother; the Green Knight; the dancing, dreaming Sir Dagonet; Lancelot and the two women he loved; Morgan le Fay bringing her brother to Avalon; Galahad in a modern world, and others.WARNING: These books are not easy read. All four are awash in windswept, jewel-toned words that slowly drown you in their beauty, and they often don't have straightforward narratives. "The Labyrinth" is particularly hard to read -- it's a very experimental novel, like someone took a few dozen lush poems and stretched them into prose.The following three novellas have more defined stories, but they still aren't for people who like nice, defined beginning-middle-end stories. These are for people who like to sink into decadently luscious, scented prose like a luxurious bath, surrounded by flowers, talking animals, mystical dream-lands and dusty jewels. Valente's prose is almost too sensual to stand at times."Myths of Origin: Four Short Novels" drowns you in lovely words and eerie, hallucinatory dreams -- just don't expect a story that won't befuddle you.