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A review by smart_girls_love_trashy_books
Deerskin by Robin McKinley
3.0
-POTENTIAL SPOILERS-
This is actually my first Robin McKinely book if you can believe it. And what a book to start on. I've actually been meaning to read one of her books for a while now but only now got around to it. But what did I actually think of it?
This was actually the first retelling of Donkeyskin specifically that I've read. I've read other versions that have similar themes but this is the first one I've read that's strictly Donkeyskin. It's not hard to see why it's not told very often and isn't as well-known because the original deals with incest. While the original is more weird and over-the-top, this version doesn't hold back and makes it super dark and mature. And in most respects, it really does work. Lissar's story is painful and raw as she recovers from the rape and abuse of her father, becoming amnesiac and learning to heal. It's not an easy story, but it is an important one. While I couldn't relate due to not having such trauma, I know from reading other reviews that it's a very well-done and therapeutic story and even if I don't relate, I still had sympathy for Lissar and what she went through and wanted to see her recover.
I really liked the way this was written. Heavy and lush and very allegorical, especially for the first part. Everything is either dreamy or nightmarish, but it all feels dream-like. I especially liked the contrast between her birthday ball and Ossin's ball near the end. Both felt very feverish, but one was a bad dream and the other was more sweet. However, it's a style I can see many not getting into especially because it means most of the story comes across as dull. It's novel-length obviously yet the beats are simple and the chapters are super long to give the illusion that there's more going on than in actuality.
On that note, none of the characters seem particularly strong, most of all Lissar herself. I suppose that's the point, but it makes it hard for me to root for her aside from just 'you suffered an injustice, heal' I expected her to either develop a new personality or have aspects of her old one shine through, but no.
It also bothered me that for some reason this book decided to subvert and deconstruct the fairy-tale tropes. While there's nothing wrong with that in theory, I felt this was the exact wrong story to do it for. I really don't think anyone read Donkeyskin and thought it was a romantic, sweet story to be emulated and idolized. Everyone is either super good or just evil with little depth outside of that. Even the idea of Prince Charming being charming and princely on the inside and not the outside has been done before. It's one reason why I feel Lissar was also given very little personality, because it's a common belief fairy-tale heroines don't, but I wish if the author wanted to do this then she stuck to a more commonly-romanticized story.
I also felt the climax was super rushed, like it's over within several pages and Lissar gets there through convenience. It's like the author forgot it was almost time to wrap everything up so she just very quickly wrote something down. However, I did like where it ended, with her saying one day she thinks she could truly love Ossin in return, but only someday.
Overall, I really wished to like this, and while I didn't dislike it, it still had too many issues for me, such as the meandering writing, flat characters, and unneeded deconstruction. It's still a raw and important story about facing and healing from your trauma, and the hope to be whole again, as well as many dogs. It's a dark and adult story too with rape, incest, and animal abuse portrayed vividly and realistically. Even if I wasn't a fan, that doesn't mean it's still not valuable to someone else.
This is actually my first Robin McKinely book if you can believe it. And what a book to start on. I've actually been meaning to read one of her books for a while now but only now got around to it. But what did I actually think of it?
This was actually the first retelling of Donkeyskin specifically that I've read. I've read other versions that have similar themes but this is the first one I've read that's strictly Donkeyskin. It's not hard to see why it's not told very often and isn't as well-known because the original deals with incest. While the original is more weird and over-the-top, this version doesn't hold back and makes it super dark and mature. And in most respects, it really does work. Lissar's story is painful and raw as she recovers from the rape and abuse of her father, becoming amnesiac and learning to heal. It's not an easy story, but it is an important one. While I couldn't relate due to not having such trauma, I know from reading other reviews that it's a very well-done and therapeutic story and even if I don't relate, I still had sympathy for Lissar and what she went through and wanted to see her recover.
I really liked the way this was written. Heavy and lush and very allegorical, especially for the first part. Everything is either dreamy or nightmarish, but it all feels dream-like. I especially liked the contrast between her birthday ball and Ossin's ball near the end. Both felt very feverish, but one was a bad dream and the other was more sweet. However, it's a style I can see many not getting into especially because it means most of the story comes across as dull. It's novel-length obviously yet the beats are simple and the chapters are super long to give the illusion that there's more going on than in actuality.
On that note, none of the characters seem particularly strong, most of all Lissar herself. I suppose that's the point, but it makes it hard for me to root for her aside from just 'you suffered an injustice, heal' I expected her to either develop a new personality or have aspects of her old one shine through, but no.
It also bothered me that for some reason this book decided to subvert and deconstruct the fairy-tale tropes. While there's nothing wrong with that in theory, I felt this was the exact wrong story to do it for. I really don't think anyone read Donkeyskin and thought it was a romantic, sweet story to be emulated and idolized. Everyone is either super good or just evil with little depth outside of that. Even the idea of Prince Charming being charming and princely on the inside and not the outside has been done before. It's one reason why I feel Lissar was also given very little personality, because it's a common belief fairy-tale heroines don't, but I wish if the author wanted to do this then she stuck to a more commonly-romanticized story.
I also felt the climax was super rushed, like it's over within several pages and Lissar gets there through convenience. It's like the author forgot it was almost time to wrap everything up so she just very quickly wrote something down. However, I did like where it ended, with her saying one day she thinks she could truly love Ossin in return, but only someday.
Overall, I really wished to like this, and while I didn't dislike it, it still had too many issues for me, such as the meandering writing, flat characters, and unneeded deconstruction. It's still a raw and important story about facing and healing from your trauma, and the hope to be whole again, as well as many dogs. It's a dark and adult story too with rape, incest, and animal abuse portrayed vividly and realistically. Even if I wasn't a fan, that doesn't mean it's still not valuable to someone else.