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3.84 AVERAGE
3.84 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Much better than the Disney ending.
Thank you to the Malcom Gladwell Podcast for bringing this book to my attention the gross injustice Disney did to this remarkable book. The book is very different than the movie. There are many great lessons to take away from this book in addition to the beautiful language that details the characters and settings (sea and land). The book teaches an important lesson on human nature and the sacrifices we make in order to obtain our dreams, but the sacrifice we made in order to obtain that dream may just well of been the more beautiful component of our being. It's a short read so I'll let you draw your own conclusions, but I highly recommend everyone read this and contemplate if their kids are better served to approach our world with the lesson from Hans Christian Andersen's original book or Disney's "magical" twist on the book where the girls always secures the princess.
I'm a book lover who's been a fan of Disney's adaptation since I was a little girl, so I knew I had to read this at some point. What finally pushed me to look for it was the quote shown in the recent live-action remake: "But a mermaid has no tears, and therefore she suffers so much more."
Obviously the original story is quite different to Disney's version— there's much more pain and suffering, and a bittersweet ending that emotionally blackmails children into behaving— but I loved it all the same. There's something about mermaid princesses and underwater kingdoms that makes me feel like I'm a 8 year old again, especially when the imagery is this ethereal and stunning.
I know a lot of people have issues with the story and see it as sexist, but I see it more as a cautionary tale about sacrificing everything — giving up your voice, losing your family, being in excruciating pain— for a man and experience you know little about. Apparently Andersen wrote this after the man he loved married someone else, which definitely added some perspective.
There's a casual mention of slaves, just as a warning.
Obviously the original story is quite different to Disney's version— there's much more pain and suffering, and a bittersweet ending that emotionally blackmails children into behaving— but I loved it all the same. There's something about mermaid princesses and underwater kingdoms that makes me feel like I'm a 8 year old again, especially when the imagery is this ethereal and stunning.
I know a lot of people have issues with the story and see it as sexist, but I see it more as a cautionary tale about sacrificing everything — giving up your voice, losing your family, being in excruciating pain— for a man and experience you know little about. Apparently Andersen wrote this after the man he loved married someone else, which definitely added some perspective.
There's a casual mention of slaves, just as a warning.
I had to read this since I just found out (after 38 years of life) that the story we were all told as kids was quite different from the original fairy tale. Indeed, it is. I quite enjoyed the nightmare version. This could possibly ruin some people's childhood lol. I highly recommend reading it. It's a fast read.
It's short.
It's sweet.
The prose was delightful and the narration wonderful. It's NOT the Disney version, nor is it fully Hans Christian. The ending was unexpected.
The extra star is because it was included in my Audible membership for "free."
It's sweet.
The prose was delightful and the narration wonderful. It's NOT the Disney version, nor is it fully Hans Christian. The ending was unexpected.
The extra star is because it was included in my Audible membership for "free."
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No