It's kind of a talisman of your reading (and personal) past.

The author does much better simply retelling folktales.

Regarding comments, go to your account and just be sure that you've got the preference checked for e-mail notification. I went for months unable to get comment and then discovered it was because somehow that had come unchecked on my account.

Unfortunately, that was the first thing I checked on Wednesday, and it's not the problem.