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A review by erine
The Sleeper and the Spindle by Neil Gaiman
4.0
A very short flash of a story that hints at larger things.
A strong queen embarks on an adventure to save her kingdom, accompanied by three dwarves who assist her. They travel under mountains, through village and city, conquer the thorns, and find the sleeping
The demise of the witch was not particularly satisfying (A short conversation, a stab with a spindle, and it's all over. Witchy didn't put up much of a fight.), and I was a little disappointed that our intrepid queen abandoned her kingdom. But perhaps she only adventures until she finds a more satisfactory partner, and then returns to lead her kingdom into a better future.
Overall, I loved the twisted, short fairy tale. There should be so much more to this story however, which would make for some interesting discussion (What is the queen's backstory? Who is her fiancé? Where does she go?). It would be a fun writing activity to fill in some of the blanks.
The illustrations are creepy and precise and beautiful, as I have come to expect from Chris Riddell.
A strong queen embarks on an adventure to save her kingdom, accompanied by three dwarves who assist her. They travel under mountains, through village and city, conquer the thorns, and find the sleeping
Spoiler
witch. I really can't say how much I loved that twist. The princess is bound to live out her days in utter mind-numbing solitude, while the evil witch sucks the princess's youth away in sleep while building a sleeping zombie army. A far more evil curse than either sleep or death.The demise of the witch was not particularly satisfying (A short conversation, a stab with a spindle, and it's all over. Witchy didn't put up much of a fight.), and I was a little disappointed that our intrepid queen abandoned her kingdom. But perhaps she only adventures until she finds a more satisfactory partner, and then returns to lead her kingdom into a better future.
Overall, I loved the twisted, short fairy tale. There should be so much more to this story however, which would make for some interesting discussion (What is the queen's backstory? Who is her fiancé? Where does she go?). It would be a fun writing activity to fill in some of the blanks.
The illustrations are creepy and precise and beautiful, as I have come to expect from Chris Riddell.