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A review by melissamalicious
The Crane Husband by Kelly Barnhill
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
All the feelings! This one is a twisted retell of a Japanese folktale The Crane's Wife. A dark tale narrated by a weaver's daughter, this story is one filled with
This book reminds me of a dark fractured fairytale. The twists of the retell is conveying an old message, rather than a more modern one: "mothers fly away like migrating birds. And fathers die too young. This is why farmers have daughters. To keep things going in the meantime, until it’s our time to grow wings. Go soaring away across the sky.”
The crane as an allegorical character is going to have me thinking about this story for a bit. The feathers shedding everywhere, suffocating and obscuring views, the talons taking over the past and damaging it, just whoa. The author presents this story to us and takes the outside world away.
The crane as literal character is done visually, both beautiful and a bit of the grotesque that makes this an enjoyably dark read. The crane as a metaphoric character, whether representing abuse, or expectations of women, or freedom,
I'm really looking forward to getting to discuss this a bit, specifically to what it means when a crane can represent different things. The author weaves this together into an evocative fable. It makes me want to read more of their work.
This book reminds me of a dark fractured fairytale. The twists of the retell is conveying an old message, rather than a more modern one: "mothers fly away like migrating birds. And fathers die too young. This is why farmers have daughters. To keep things going in the meantime, until it’s our time to grow wings. Go soaring away across the sky.”
The crane as an allegorical character is going to have me thinking about this story for a bit. The feathers shedding everywhere, suffocating and obscuring views, the talons taking over the past and damaging it, just whoa. The author presents this story to us and takes the outside world away.
The crane as literal character is done visually, both beautiful and a bit of the grotesque that makes this an enjoyably dark read. The crane as a metaphoric character, whether representing abuse, or expectations of women, or freedom,
I'm really looking forward to getting to discuss this a bit, specifically to what it means when a crane can represent different things. The author weaves this together into an evocative fable. It makes me want to read more of their work.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse
Minor: Injury/Injury detail and Vomit