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3.66 AVERAGE
3.66 AVERAGE
Bumped up to four stars because of the illustrations.
… if your beauty doesn’t trouble the constellations, nobody’s going to cast a spell on you. No one wants to transform you into a beast, or put you to sleep for a hundred years.
'A Wild Swan' retells a handful of classic fairy tales. It twists the old stories and allows the characters a little more in depth than the otherwise somewhat two-dimensional characters we often see in fairy tales. We follow the witch before she built her pancake house: a promiscuous, divorced alcoholic with broken dreams. We are a fly on the wall near Snow White and the prince while they are having an argument in bed.
This book is a true gem. Michael Cunningham's writing is excellent - he has long been one of my favorite writers, and 'A Wild Swan' did not disappoint. It was entertaining and thought provoking thoughout.
And it is beautifully illustrated by Yuko Shimizu:
4.5/5
Really quick read. Fairy tales retellings but in real sounding scenarios. So enjoyable. Really good mix of sassy and sincere. Would definitely recommend. Ye.
Really quick read. Fairy tales retellings but in real sounding scenarios. So enjoyable. Really good mix of sassy and sincere. Would definitely recommend. Ye.
These beautifully written, richly imagined fairy tale re-tellings explore the dark, untold parts of classic stories, adding a whole new perspective.
What would happen if Snow White could never live up to the 'perfect' image of herself the Prince fell in love with? What if the riches Jack stole from the Giant could never bring him or his mother happiness? How did the witch come to live in a house made of sweets? What if Rumplestiltskin demanded the Queen's firstborn child because he desperately longed to be a father?
This wonderful collection explores these ideas, amongst several others. Each story is also accompanied by a stunning illustration which makes the book a lovely object in its own right.
What would happen if Snow White could never live up to the 'perfect' image of herself the Prince fell in love with? What if the riches Jack stole from the Giant could never bring him or his mother happiness? How did the witch come to live in a house made of sweets? What if Rumplestiltskin demanded the Queen's firstborn child because he desperately longed to be a father?
This wonderful collection explores these ideas, amongst several others. Each story is also accompanied by a stunning illustration which makes the book a lovely object in its own right.
I usually don't read a lot of retellings just because I don't know they don't catch my eye but this one did at the library. Right from the beginning, it was different, could be the modern words but it worked well here and kept the pace interesting I thought.
Fantastic! I don't really know what else to say besides that. These stories were dark and beautifully twisted. While having some aspects that were from modern day thrown in there. Beautiful, I picked this up from the library but I don't know why because I enjoyed this book so much that I will be ordering my own copy asap!
You know my love for fairy tales with a twist ... these twists are by turns horrifying, comedic, macabre, beautiful.
this was really interesting. it took our well known fairytales and used some of the worst parts of human behavior to put a twist on them as well as provide comments on our society. I was pretty impressed with this and read all the stories in one sitting.
This book reexamines fairy tales and I was enthralled. "A Wild Swan: And Other Tales" examines fairy tales in different ways, so you aren't always sure how the story is going unfold. Sometimes you will see the tale from a different character's perspective. Sometimes it will simply be a retelling without the Disney-esque rose tinted glass effect. And other times you might get a glimpse of life after "happily ever after". It makes for a quick read (134 pages), which is ideal because otherwise I think the book could have dragged or gotten too monotonous.
I thought it was insightful, interesting, and a bit unnerving at times. Highly recommend if you think fairy tales could use a few more doses of reality.
I thought it was insightful, interesting, and a bit unnerving at times. Highly recommend if you think fairy tales could use a few more doses of reality.
If there's anything this dark, delightful little collection of stories proves, it's that fairy tales never get old. You laugh, you cry, you reminisce, you put it down one day and think about it again, in a different context with new eyes, years later. Things are darker, sadder, and more uncertain, but that familiarity of "Once Upon a Time," even if you know it leads to grim tidings, still lends a sense of comfort and familiarity that's hard to shake off, even if you wanted to.