It's great that MaryAnn talked Charles into publishing this collction because it gives his fans a glimpse of his early work and of the evolution of his writing style. Without this book, many of these stories and poems would remain read by only the receivers of his Christmas chaobooks and his wife, as they often weren't republishd in his normal collections.

As for the contents of the volume, they're prime examples of de Lint's talent, though his poetry is distinctly different from his narrative style. I don't find his poetry to be quite as emphatic as his short stories, but they are still interesting to observe as part of de Lint's portfolio of work. ( )

It's fun to see de Lint's evolution from a somewhat crappy young writer to the great talent he is now. ( )