I read this based on the recommendations from several authors. I share their high opinion about the insights it portrays into the creative process and the creative mind. There isn't much story here, but the characterizations and the framing devices keep things moving and interesting.

I give it high marks for overall theme and structure. The intermingling of the current tale with a Hungarian folk tale and even the subject matter of the painting the narrator is working on is pretty brilliant.

On the other hand, the writing might be a little too self-aware, even for a first-person narrative. It's also somewhat awkward and clunky at times. There's nothing I can really put my finger on. Maybe it just felt a little dated. For something written in the 1980s, it had more of a 1970s feel.

I'd still recommend it, especially to creative types: writers, artists, musicians. The ruminations and discussions on what art is and how it is produced are thought provoking and worth the read. I might even re-read this, as other authors do, when I need reminding of why we do art. ( )

A Hungarian folktale of great detail, told in bits over the course of the book and proceeding in parallel to the journey of the contemporary artist who tells it, this one's about the creative process. An original structure for a retelling too, and how unusual is that?: no magic in it except the maker's magic in creating art. I liked it lots, and Brust is at his best when he's got a demanding structure to work to. so here there's the creative process of solving the riddle of the folktale, the intricacies of making art on canvas, and the trick of writing the book - without in any of these cases knowing where the exercise is gonna take the taltos trickster/magician, the artist narrator, or the intrepid writer. ( )

This re-telling of this fairy tale is what I would classify as meh." I recall a self-focused artist, the description of a painting he was doing, and how his loft mates were involved in his artwork piece. There were women involved with whom he was infatuated, hence his bringing Her the Sun, the Moon, and the Stars." ( )

I read this book ages ago. And I enjoyed it. It is one of the books in the Fairy Tale Series that came out in the '80s. I have to admit that I really loved those books.

And I don't enjoy Brust's other books nearly as much as I feel others do. Not sure why. ( )

I wish there was a 3 1/4 rating. This book, while interesting, was filled with annoying stereotypical types. The main character is too whiny about what art is, and is not. Also, couldn't the narrator get a part time job to help with bills, instead of relying on his girlfriend to pay for everything?

I also found that the Hungarian folk tale doesn't really match the story of the starving artists, although I enjoyed this secondary story is quite wonderful.

So, to conclude. Interesting premise. Solid writing. Annoying characters. That is all. ( )