Photographing Fairies

by Steve Szilagyi

Book Overview

It all begins in the 1920s, when a blustering country policeman, Constable Michael Walsmear, literally punches his way into American photographer Charles Castle's London studio. Walsmear has what he claims are photographs of fairies. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, whom Castle approaches to verify the pictures, offers a large sum of money to have Walsmear's photographs destroyed. But even more than cash, Castle wants the truth. His quest takes him to Burkinwell,...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0345377516
• ISBN13: 9780345377517
• Release Date: June 1992
• Publisher: Ballantine Books
• Length: 321 Pages
• Weight: 9.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 5.1" x 7.4"

Customer Reviews

A quirky delight

Offbeat, quirky--to be sure. This engaging story, set in the early 1920s is great fun to read, due to the slightly off-kilter main character, Charles Castle. He's naïve to the point of painfulness, and prone to go charging off in new directions without the assistance of a reliable map. A photographer by trade--and a not-so-good one at that--he is thrown off balance when his London studio is invaded by a small-town constable, Michael Walsmear. Walsmear has photographs that he wants to be validated. Problem is, they're not very good photos, and the subject is entirely improbable. But, to prove that many times we see what we want to see, Castle--after a bit of tweaking--does see the `fairies' captured on film by Walsmear. Castle then rushes off to see Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (the creator of the marvelous Sherlock Holmes mystery novels) who has a bit of a reputation in this field. In fact, Sir Arthur has his own photographs of fairies, for which he is seeking validation. From there, the tale gets `mysteriouser and mysteriouser' until all the loose ends are satisfactorily tied together. Along the way, while journeying to the small rural village of Burkinwell, Castle is robbed on the train by two very strange characters, Paolo and Shorty, who may or may not be members of the gypsie troupe, with caravans parked just outside the town limits. There's also Esmirelda, the maid-of-all-work at the Starry Night (the local hostelry); the beautiful Linda Drain, wife of Tom, the local minister, who has his own difficulties with which to contend; the Templetons--father Brian, and daughters Anna and Clara--whose garden houses the fairies, and . . . Some books can be easily capsulized; others stubbornly resist. This is one of the latter. It's beautifully written with a wry sense of humor and inquisitiveness not often seen anymore. The setting seems to me to be completely accurate for the time and place, and it is populated by a most unusual and enigmatic assortment of characters. It's an absolutely delicious read!

What the papers say:

"An `Enchanting' Tale" - Wall Street Journal "A remarkable novel... full of charm and - literally - enchantment." - Los Angeles Times "If Charles Dickens and Raymond Chandler had collaborated on a book, the result might be something much like Steve Szilagyi's `Photographing Fairies'... beatifully written." - Seattle Times "Delightfully whimsical . . . This sweet little tale turns darker by degrees as little acts of viciousness multiply and the whimsy becomes almost terrifying. It's a delicately constructed maze at turns funny and frightening, and leaves readers perplexed and entertained." -- The Milwaukee Journal "Szilagyi has written a sprightly first novel full of gentle humor, weird sex and unlikely happenings. Szilagyi writes with a sort of careless half-smile that keeps the reader reading. Photographing Fairies is a small, deft enchantment." -- Kansas City Star "Extraordinary . . . While Szilagyi walks the line separating the magical from the mundane, he also weaves together fragments of fiction and history." -- The London Free Press "An adeptly controlled cross between a mystery, a fantasy and a historical novel." -- The Cleveland Plain Dealer "An enjoyable mystery-fantasy." -- The San Diego Union-Tribune "Brilliant." -- Buffalo News

It left Me Impressed!

I have to say that I really enjoyed reading the book, especially being a person who loves collecting farie items. But not only was it about faries, but a bit of mystery. If you like these two, too then you will really enjoy the book !

This is my new favorite book

I definatly approve of this book. I was drawn in and each chapter pulled me into the next. I fully recomend it, allthough the ending had me a little depressed, but not because it was disapoiting. Read it!

Loved it!

This is a delightful novel. The fairies invite you into their realm and put spells on you with their magic. I would highly recommend this book to anyone, especially fairy lovers like myself