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A review by thelibraryofminds
The Door in the Hedge by Robin McKinley
3.0
173. The Door in the Hedge by Robin Mckinley
Finished December 7, 2011
I think this would have gotten a higher rating if I had not just read Fragile Things: You know how it is. If you read a really good example of something, its hard not to judge what you read after it a little more harshly. I think because I just read a collection of truly great short stories, its hard to transition. Even though I love Mckinley, I think she works better in the novel format. I think she is an author who needs to take time to fully develop her stories. Part of what I love about her tales is her strong female characters, and I felt that was lacking a little here.
Does this have to do with the type of tale?: I think fairy tales, are in general, outlines. They tend to be the bare bones of stories. Cinderella's father dies, her stepmother treats her terribly, and then her fairy godmother allows her to go to the ball and she falls in love with the prince. Its a basic story. They work more like blank coloring book pages. Its easy to color them with different shades, and to rework them to different times and places because that is part of their purpose. I think they tend to be blank and simple, because they are meant to be shaded in by the particular author. However, I feel that Mckinley doesn't fully color these here; she shades them a little bit, but it feels more like a black and white portrait than a vibrant picture. That's not necessarily a bad thing. I think her stories are interesting, and I particularly loved her version of "The 12 Dancing Princesses." But I feel like she could have done more to really bring the characters to life. What I love her for is her vibrant female characters who struggle with insecurity, and these felt more like the two-dimensional princesses from my old book of fairy tales. (I think I'll be tackling fairy tales in FeelingsFriday. Are the princesses blank slates because of the simplicity of the narrative-or something more?)
Recommend: I would recommend this if you like fairy tales or Robin Mckinley. These stories are lovely retellings, and there's certainly something magical here. If you're looking more a more vibrant picture though, I would check out Beauty or Spindle's End by this author.
Finished December 7, 2011
I think this would have gotten a higher rating if I had not just read Fragile Things: You know how it is. If you read a really good example of something, its hard not to judge what you read after it a little more harshly. I think because I just read a collection of truly great short stories, its hard to transition. Even though I love Mckinley, I think she works better in the novel format. I think she is an author who needs to take time to fully develop her stories. Part of what I love about her tales is her strong female characters, and I felt that was lacking a little here.
Does this have to do with the type of tale?: I think fairy tales, are in general, outlines. They tend to be the bare bones of stories. Cinderella's father dies, her stepmother treats her terribly, and then her fairy godmother allows her to go to the ball and she falls in love with the prince. Its a basic story. They work more like blank coloring book pages. Its easy to color them with different shades, and to rework them to different times and places because that is part of their purpose. I think they tend to be blank and simple, because they are meant to be shaded in by the particular author. However, I feel that Mckinley doesn't fully color these here; she shades them a little bit, but it feels more like a black and white portrait than a vibrant picture. That's not necessarily a bad thing. I think her stories are interesting, and I particularly loved her version of "The 12 Dancing Princesses." But I feel like she could have done more to really bring the characters to life. What I love her for is her vibrant female characters who struggle with insecurity, and these felt more like the two-dimensional princesses from my old book of fairy tales. (I think I'll be tackling fairy tales in FeelingsFriday. Are the princesses blank slates because of the simplicity of the narrative-or something more?)
Recommend: I would recommend this if you like fairy tales or Robin Mckinley. These stories are lovely retellings, and there's certainly something magical here. If you're looking more a more vibrant picture though, I would check out Beauty or Spindle's End by this author.