Away with the Fairies

When you mention the literary genre fantasy fiction, you most usually think of dragons and dungeons in the neo-Gothic settings of other worlds. The novel "Some Kind of Fairy Tale" by  Graham Joyce is fantasy set in contemporary England describing the interface between the real world and the fairy realm. (Actually he never uses the word Fairy as he says they don't like this name!)

The plot centres on a young woman, Tara, who disappears in some enchanted woods at the age of 16 and then returns to her parents house twenty years later, not seeming to have aged and swearing she has been away only for six months. She claims to have been living with the fairies in a parallel universe. Tara's brother, parents, and teenage sweetheart find it difficult to accepting her return and the explanation of events she gives. It is this collision of belief and unbelief that drives the plot forward. It is basically a novel that explores themes of love and loss. The descriptions of the land where Tara went are beautifully evocative and the description of the dysfunctional relationships between Tara and her family, and Richie - the ex-boyfriend - are subtly nuanced and well written.

`Some Kind of Fairy Tale' is a contemporary take on the classic `abducted by fairies' tale and Joyce admits that he was inspired and influenced by many such stories from the past. Joyce creates a recognisable, comfortable middle class semi-rural suburbia then over paints this scene with shades of unreality. His fairies are not the sentimental version: they are not tiny and they don't have wings and wear pretty little dresses. They are not evil but dark and sinister with a very different morality and code of behaviour. It is a dark Faerie-land which is both a menacing and yet also a very beautiful place. 
The book occupies the hinterland between psychology and fantasy. Joyce's fiction is noted for its juxtaposition of the real and unreal, with an element of ambiguity regarding whether the supernatural element is truly supernatural or is in fact a metaphor, or psychological manifestation. Alongside the supernatural element of this story we are offered alternative explanations, possibilities and reactions through the narratives of the different characters. Tara tells her story to a psychiatrist and to her sister in law, a psychologist, and they both make their own diagnosis. There is much scepticism about Tara's story, and we see the attempts to test and disprove her account.

I enjoyed the book and found the use of many narrators to tell the story a masterful device to show that every story is seen differently through the eyes and experiences of each unique individual.

Click here to buy this book

 Image courtesy of dan/ FreeDigitalPhotos.net