Cunningham, the brilliance behind such wonderful novels as The Hours (read it read it read it) and Specimen Days, returns with his own versions of fairy tales, all gorgeously illustrated by Shimizu. But instead of the whole tale, Cunningham focuses on mundane aspects of the stories, parts that we didn’t hear about. Like Jack living in his mother’s basement before he sells the magic beans. Or encountering the Beast on a cigarette run in a convenience store. These are wildly imaginative and dark, amazing modern twists. Cunningham is one of the most incredible authors working today, and this book is remarkable. Backlist bump: The Witch: And Other Tales Re-told by Jean Thompson
