Jim Henson's The Storyteller: Fairies (Volume 5)

Maybe the least satisfying of the Storyteller collections so far, just from the perspective that the theme - fairies - seems full of potential, most of which is never met. Although it certainly includes good material and shouldn't be ignored outright, this volume just seems (figuratively, not

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literally) thin: the last three of the stories four are more fables than full-bodied fairy tales. What mostly saves the book is that finally, after three other volumes, there seems to be a conscious attempt to use the Storyteller and his dog as they were utilized in the TV series; "Faerie Hill," in particular, tries hard to homage John Hurt's unique cadence in the title role, and it's mostly successful. The final story, "The Fairy Pool," is perhaps the least detailed - you don't really even get a sense of characters beyond the protagonist - but Celia Lowenthal's art is so gorgeous it's easy to forgive a familiar and somewhat forgettable tale. The other stories don't have that strength to fall back on - especially Tyler Jenkins' "The Pond," which is drawn so loosely as to almost feel unfinished.

Not a triumph, but not a failure, either. I keep waiting for this series to knock it out of the park.

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