Reviews

Jim Henson's The Storyteller: The Novelization by Anthony Minghella

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yourbelovedissy's review against another edition

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adventurous lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? N/A
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

pizzamyheart's review against another edition

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3.0

After starting the second story Hans the Hedgehog, I realized I've read this book before. It's just an altered version of other classic tales. I enjoyed the pictures and brief memory of my childhood reading this. Other than that, it was just ok.n

rafacolog's review against another edition

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adventurous lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated

4.0

ratkowe's review

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I read the first 2 stories. They were fine, just not in the mood for fairy tales.

saroz162's review against another edition

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4.0

This is a charming idea for a comic/graphic novel series, and by and large, it's a solid initial entry. The appeal is in getting to experience four folklore adaptations - or, sometimes, new stories cobbled from old elements - each told in a different style, with explicitly different art, but all sharing the same loose theme. So far, so good. The main selling point, though, is in being a continuation of Jim Henson's cult favorite TV series, The Storyteller, and the book falls down a little there. The first two stories only feature the Storyteller and his dog in the absolutely most minimal cameos; they might not as well be present. They're a little more involved in the third story, and of course, they are fully woven into the final one (which is an adaptation of an unproduced teleplay from the series). That's a slightly awkward imbalance that will plague this particular series; it's almost as if most of the contributors have never seen the show. Certainly, nobody writes the Storyteller's dialogue like the late, great Anthony Mingella; his unusual cadence leaps off the page, even highly truncated as it is here. I've read eleven other of these latter-day Storyteller installments so far, and only one of them even attempts to sound like the actual show.

As for the stories themselves, they're a solid bunch. Of the first three, the one that makes the strongest impression is the first, "The Magic Snow Goose and the Lord of the Forest," chiefly due to S.M. Vidaurri's vibrant and eye-catching art. The real star here, though, is the final entry, "Vasilissa the Beautiful"; even if it wasn't taken from a screenplay, it would be the strongest story both in plot and in art (here provided by Jeff Stokely). It's very hard to turn down a Baba Yaga story, and this one is particularly fun. The unabridged screenplay, along with some uncolored art for that story, is provided at the back of the book - a nice additional treat.

droar's review against another edition

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5.0

I apparently forgot to review this a million years ago. My favorite of the Storyteller series so far with only one story leaving something to be desired (it's the art mostly, feels too chunky, the story is quite good). The Snow Witch & Vasilissa the Beautifulare both beautiful takes on classics, but the real star is The Magic Goose Swan & the Lord of the Forest an original spin on so many beloved tropes with gorgeous art to boot. Highly recommended to all fairy tale fans.