Mikela

I have acquired a new appreciation of the short story and renewed my love for the wonder, beauty and magic in Charles de Lint's writing.

IN THE HOUSE OF MY ENEMY

Having learned my lesson from the last collection of his stories, I decided to share my thoughts on individual stories that particularly appeal to me rather than waiting to review the whole collection as one.

In the titled story is a paragraph on page 211 that really hit home with its truth.

...Beauty isn't what you see on TV or in magazine ads or even necessarily in art galleries. It's a lot deeper and a lot simpler than that. It's realizing the goodness of things, it's leaving the world a little better than it was before you got there. It's appreciating the inspiration of the world around you and trying to inspire others.

 

Sculptors, poets, painters, musicians - they're the traditional purveyors of beauty. But it can as easily be created by a gardener, a farmer, a plumber, a careworker. It's the intent you put into your work, the pride you take in it - whatever it is.

 

This is just one of the stories that speaks to me...the book is loaded with them and I'm loving every word.