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3.64 AVERAGE
3.64 AVERAGE
A Caribbean retelling of The Little Mermaid, and the book that the musical, Once on this Island, is based on. While the characters were a bit one dimensional and the story was incredibly frustrating, it was wonderfully tragic. Rosa Guy masterfully tells the story of a young, naive woman while tackling issues of classism and colorism. This book should be revered as a classic.
I thought it was okay. It was really slow going and at the end I felt that it was all just shoved into your face. I got it for my birthday about one maybe two years ago because I had seen the play Once on This Island that it was based on. It was a disappointment at the end after seeing the play. Overall if you're looking for a fun read, I wouldn't suggest this one.
I picked this up because of Once on this Island and it must be said that Lynn Ahrens is an author's lyricist; she frequently uses verbatim text and though I don't know which of the pair picks sources, they have a real gift for finding books that are already musical both literally (songs are sung, dances are danced in the book itself) and more figuratively: you can feel what moments will be musicalised.
This is lovely little fairy tale, The Little Mermaid but with a central character that is more a person than the trope of the Andersen original, with a wonderful undertone of religiosity that lends a bit of magic to the proceedings. The ending is dark, which the musical tries to give an uplifting tone, but the realism here is unsettling and intriguing.
This is lovely little fairy tale, The Little Mermaid but with a central character that is more a person than the trope of the Andersen original, with a wonderful undertone of religiosity that lends a bit of magic to the proceedings. The ending is dark, which the musical tries to give an uplifting tone, but the realism here is unsettling and intriguing.
adventurous
emotional
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This novella is a lush, lyrical read that captures the heartrending emotion of Hans Christian Anderson's "The Little Mermaid". It reads like a fable, with it's very descriptive and evocative prose, and with the heartfelt and innocent longings of Désirée or Ti Moune as she is also called. Her family discovered her orphaned after a storm, and raised her as one of their own, and although she works hard and loves her family, when Ti Moune hears Daniel Beauxhomme's car crash near her village, she falls immediately in love with him and works tirelessly to save him. Even when the demon of death comes to claim him she strikes a deal - she promises her life for his. The four gods that are present in this story - who seem to give Ti Moune the chance for love despite the difficulties that would make it seem impossible - are an interesting addition. They are the gods of the land, sea, love and death, and it's such a simple economy of power and shows what truly rules the peasants of the island.
Because the story reads like a fairy tale, the reader must take it on faith that Daniel is the only love of Ti Moune's life, even though his greatest asset seems to be his beautiful face. I thought their connection for a time when Ti Moune was at the Beauxhomme castle was sweet, but always tinged with sadness because the foreshadowing indicates that there can't be a happy ending. The writing is so beautiful and illustrates the love of Ti Moune for Daniel so well, that when the ending does come, it is so tragic. The ending is a bit different from the Hans Christian Anderson tale, which I found interesting and rather thought provoking when trying to analyze what the author is trying to say with this story. I thought this book was a great read and a fabulous retelling of "The Little Mermaid."
Because the story reads like a fairy tale, the reader must take it on faith that Daniel is the only love of Ti Moune's life, even though his greatest asset seems to be his beautiful face. I thought their connection for a time when Ti Moune was at the Beauxhomme castle was sweet, but always tinged with sadness because the foreshadowing indicates that there can't be a happy ending. The writing is so beautiful and illustrates the love of Ti Moune for Daniel so well, that when the ending does come, it is so tragic. The ending is a bit different from the Hans Christian Anderson tale, which I found interesting and rather thought provoking when trying to analyze what the author is trying to say with this story. I thought this book was a great read and a fabulous retelling of "The Little Mermaid."
Love love love - a very quick read although I wanted to pace myself and savor the experience of reading the source material of Once On This Island, which I hold so dear to my heart! So much darker and more tragic at the end — they definitely made it more of a “fairytale ending” for the musical.
I came to this book after falling in love with the musical adaptation, Once on This Island, advertised broadly as a combination retelling of The Little Mermaid and Romeo and Juliet. I think the book lives up to that literary frame, and sits comfortably in the category of beautiful tragedy. My Love, My Love is a modern myth that treads the surprisingly thin line between cynicism and hope in a nation overtly fractured along racial lines. Worth reading.
It took me a few tries to get into the headspace of reading this book. Admittedly, I only read this book after getting into the musical, Once on This Island, and I was surprised at how different the endings were...
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced