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3.75 AVERAGE
3.75 AVERAGE
3.5 stars
Exactly what the title suggests, a book full of fairy tales. I appreciated the history at the end of each. Would definitely recommend for people interested in such short stories
Exactly what the title suggests, a book full of fairy tales. I appreciated the history at the end of each. Would definitely recommend for people interested in such short stories
Yeah I didn't know that these were all translated and adapted by Pullman when I first bought it about 6 years ago or whatever. A lot of them are hard to tell apart because the events are so similar and also like the rest they all sound like Pullman telling them to you. I'd say about a fifth or a quarter of them were interesting or funny enough to stand out and be rememberable. After each story there's a section of its categorisation in different systems of recording fairy tales by type, and Pullman saying what he thinks about its structure and history.his comments are sometimes interesting , but he often states his opinion as fact with no explanation, and on a few occasions he makes it clear that he doesn't like Christianity, or religion in general I assume.
Read my review on my blog:
http://www.50ayear.com/2012/12/16/47-grimm-tales-for-young-and-old-philip-pullman/
http://www.50ayear.com/2012/12/16/47-grimm-tales-for-young-and-old-philip-pullman/
Pullman strips the traditional fairytales right back to their core. This was a lovely read, and the little pieces at the end of each tale, where the author gives a little information about the original tale and any changes he may or may not have made, gives real context to the stories, making them even more interesting.
adventurous
informative
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This book was hard for me to rate because the stories are very repetitive which I understand. However, the stories have the same conclusion, the princess was beautiful, the hero was strong, they all lived happily ever after, god, deus ex machina. I think that the book is a good read because after each story there is an explanation of it and where the story came from.
My favourite story was hand-my-hedgehog because it was the weirdest plot and made me laugh out loud multiple times.
My favourite story was hand-my-hedgehog because it was the weirdest plot and made me laugh out loud multiple times.
Very fun October read.
Favourite stories: Thousandfurs, The Boy Who Left Home To Find Out About The Shivers, The Juniper Tree <3
Favourite stories: Thousandfurs, The Boy Who Left Home To Find Out About The Shivers, The Juniper Tree <3
As faithful a retelling as you could want of the original Grimm fairy-tails. As Pullman said in the introduction the characters are strictly 1 dimensional, the witch is bad the, princess is good, the enchanted fish has a moral lessen, and so these stories are more plot driven as to what happen next rather than any nuance of character. Even descriptive flair is lacking in most stories and so to modern tastes they are a bit bland and underwhelming. The true power of the fairy-tail is in the telling and here Pullman shows his own power.
"I want to be God. I want to cause the sun and the moon to rise. I can’t bear it when I see them rising and I haven’t had anything to do with it. But if I were God, I could make it all happen. I could make them go backwards if I wanted. So go and tell the flounder I want to be God.’’
A volume of retellings of the tales that became famous through the effort of the Grimm brothers. Snow White, Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, the Twelve Dancing Princesses, Rapunzel are here along with more obscure - and more obscure interesting, I'd say- tales of princesses and witches, brave lads, wise animals, foolish kings, devils and spirits.
Do we need retellings when the original material is so loved and popular? It depends. I am in favour of a writer's new view on a classic tale as long as the heart of the story remains intact. In this case, Philip Pullman created versions that are gritty and sassy. However, there were issues that significantly diminished my overall impression of this effort.
Pullman's notes at the end of each tale may be considered "informative" by many readers. Not by me, though. Pullman frequently diminished other writers’ versions or even the origins and the concepts of the stories themselves. I found this rude and unprofessional, to say the least. I mean, you are not exactly Shakespeare yourself, dear writer.
Overall, an average effort and a showcase of a writer’s huge ego…
My reviews can also be found on https://theopinionatedreaderblog.wordpress.com/
A volume of retellings of the tales that became famous through the effort of the Grimm brothers. Snow White, Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, the Twelve Dancing Princesses, Rapunzel are here along with more obscure - and more obscure interesting, I'd say- tales of princesses and witches, brave lads, wise animals, foolish kings, devils and spirits.
Do we need retellings when the original material is so loved and popular? It depends. I am in favour of a writer's new view on a classic tale as long as the heart of the story remains intact. In this case, Philip Pullman created versions that are gritty and sassy. However, there were issues that significantly diminished my overall impression of this effort.
Pullman's notes at the end of each tale may be considered "informative" by many readers. Not by me, though. Pullman frequently diminished other writers’ versions or even the origins and the concepts of the stories themselves. I found this rude and unprofessional, to say the least. I mean, you are not exactly Shakespeare yourself, dear writer.
Overall, an average effort and a showcase of a writer’s huge ego…
My reviews can also be found on https://theopinionatedreaderblog.wordpress.com/