White Cat, Black Dog: Stories, Kelly Link, author; Shaun Tan, illustrator
I found this book to be very creative and very imaginative as it married reality with magical realism and fantasy. I did not enjoy the language or some of the sexual content, but the seven stories were engaging, nevertheless.
My two favorite stories were the first, “The White Cat’s Divorce”, that gave the book part of its title and the sixth, “The Lady and the Fox”, about a young girl and what seems like an impossible love story.
In the first, a man does not want to grow old, but he can’t stop aging, although he tries everything humanly possible. In the end, will his consuming desire actually bring about his demise?
In the sixth story, Miranda falls in love with Fenny, a strange man she meets every year on Christmas, if it snows. She is determined to keep him in her life, by hook or by crook. Will she defy destiny?
Another story I enjoyed was “Prince Hat”. Gary and Prince Hat are a happy couple, but he has made a deal with Agnes and she does not want to let him go. Is eternal life worth it?
If you enjoy a bit of fantasy, with a touch of horror and science fiction, that approaches fairy tales in a new and different way, this book is for you.