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booksgamesart's reviews
164 reviews
The Christmas Train by David Baldacci
3.75
A quick, easy holiday read; predictable yet enjoyable for what it is. Some of the MC's perceptions of other characters did bother me a little.
Hiddensee: A Tale of the Once and Future Nutcracker by Gregory Maguire
3.75
If you were to create a story about Drosselmeyer from the Nutcracker, how would you imagine his childhood and evolution? This book receives some very mixed reviews, so I will do my best to piece together my thoughts.
Hiddensee explores Drosselmeyer's life and character, from the experiences that render him strange and almost creepy to the relationships he forges and love he learns to feel. With an overarching theme of childhood--lost, found, evident, nonexistent, displaced--Maguire intertwines the fantastical with the mundane.
I found myself immediately drawn to the folklore and mystery, though this magic faded in and out of the pages, sometimes seemingly at random. I continued to feel drawn to the story, but I would have liked to have seen further development and resolution of the fairy tale backstory. This did allow for possibility that such memories could be no more than hallucinations or wild dreams, which was clearly purposeful. However, the ending could have used a bit more rounding out, in this light. As it was, Drosselmeyer's fantasy and reality worlds formed a very disjointed and sometimes confusing juxtaposition. In terms of Drosselmeyer's inner conflict, this worked, but for the reader, it left wanting.
There were a few bits I would not have included, had I written or edited Hiddensee (one in particular), but otherwise I took pleasure in the tale of Drosselmeyer's life and am interested in seeking out other novels by Gregory Maguire, so despite some potential flaws, I did like Hiddensee and am glad I came upon it.
Hiddensee explores Drosselmeyer's life and character, from the experiences that render him strange and almost creepy to the relationships he forges and love he learns to feel. With an overarching theme of childhood--lost, found, evident, nonexistent, displaced--Maguire intertwines the fantastical with the mundane.
I found myself immediately drawn to the folklore and mystery, though this magic faded in and out of the pages, sometimes seemingly at random. I continued to feel drawn to the story, but I would have liked to have seen further development and resolution of the fairy tale backstory. This did allow for possibility that such memories could be no more than hallucinations or wild dreams, which was clearly purposeful. However, the ending could have used a bit more rounding out, in this light. As it was, Drosselmeyer's fantasy and reality worlds formed a very disjointed and sometimes confusing juxtaposition. In terms of Drosselmeyer's inner conflict, this worked, but for the reader, it left wanting.
There were a few bits I would not have included, had I written or edited Hiddensee (one in particular), but otherwise I took pleasure in the tale of Drosselmeyer's life and am interested in seeking out other novels by Gregory Maguire, so despite some potential flaws, I did like Hiddensee and am glad I came upon it.