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hayleybeale's review
4.0
A fairly straightforward, though nicely constructed, re-telling of the Grimm fairytale with dramatic illustrations - would make a great readaloud for older kids. Read my full review here.
aylincoolcat's review against another edition
3.0
I expected Gaiman to spice up the well-known fairy tale a bit more, but unfortunately these expectations were not met. Mattotti's drawings on the other hand were super atmospheric and thanks to the illustrations I never noticed this dark and depressing side of the fairy tale Hansel & Gretel before.
yobaldyn's review
challenging
fast-paced
2.0
What kind of father is this? Are you kidding me?
Despite that, love how clever and optimistic Hansel is and the cunning of Gretel.
Despite that, love how clever and optimistic Hansel is and the cunning of Gretel.
joshgauthier's review
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
4.0
Stark illustrations for a stark tale, skillfully told in classic style.
dreizehn's review
2.0
This wasn't what I was expecting. I thought it was a graphic novel, but it is simply a rather straightforward retelling of Hansel and Gretel with silhouette illustrations every other set of pages. The illustrations are intriguing, but I was just expecting more from it.
bluestjuice's review
3.0
More or less a graphic novel, this slim volume juxtaposes a series of black-and-white illustrations by Lorenzo Mattotti with the classic Grimm's tale of Hansel and Gretel, re-told (but not much changed) by Neil Gaiman. For readers familiar with Gaiman's breadth of work it seems guaranteed to be something of a disappointment: it's savage and creepy, treading unflinchingly into the dark psychological realm where fairy tales originate, but it isn't really terribly original. It is like the sketch of something that could have been worked up into a more complete, more detailed picture, but the bits that are unique to this telling are only brief snippets and don't develop the story in a substantial way. Much of the artwork is very attractive and it's definitely all ominous, and it's a good, disturbing story! I just didn't think there was enough here to make this version very special.
erincataldi's review
2.0
I think I was expecting a little MORE, but then again, this is a kid's book. Pages alternate between spine tingly black and white illustrations and Neil Gaiman's version of Hansel and Gretel. He doesn't add any new twists or tricks to the story, it's the classic Grimm version we all grew up with. That being said it's still a great read for children who are interested in folk tales. This isn't necessarily anything to write home about, the illustrations are good, the story is good, but it's nothing new or exciting. In the back of the book there is a brief blurb on the oral and written history of Hansel and Gretel with a little bibliography. Alright, but not amazing.
casihamilton's review
3.0
I'm not entirely sure what all the fuss was about this art, which I found to be very uninspiring. I will say that the simple change to the story Gaiman makes, that of never calling the old woman a witch, certainly makes for a much darker read of this already disturbing tale.