Reviews of Retellings
Not particularly coincidentally, mostly by women (84%)
Have read:
An Older Compilation from Anne Rice
Category: Erotica, Fantasy
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"From bestselling author Anne Rice, writing as A.N. Roquleaure. In the traditional folktale of ‘Sleeping Beauty,’ the spell cast upon the lovely young princess and everyone in her castle can only be broken by the kiss of a Prince. It is an ancient story, one that originally emerged from and still deeply disturbs the mind’s unconscious. Now Anne Rice’s retelling of the Beauty story probes the unspoken implications of this lush, suggestive tale by exploring its undeniable connection to sexual desire. Here the Prince reawakens Beauty, not with a kiss, but with sexual initiation. His reward for ending the hundred years of enchantment is Beauty’s complete and total enslavement to him…as Anne Rice explores the world of erotic yearning and fantasy in a classic that becomes, with her skillful pen, a compelling experience."
This looks to be a sort of "what happens after" which we were talking about in class. Unfortunately, it is not something I would include in the Sleeping Beauty canon. To me, this seems to be Anne Rice's excuse to write out her sadist fantasies. I've only read the first in the trilogy, but perhaps 1% of it was related in any way to the Sleeping Beauty story. The girl could have been any princess, any person even. So her name is Beauty; she could have been named Ashley for all it mattered. I will grant the author that Sleeping Beauty is deeply connected to sexual themes and taboos. But if you want to recreate this effectively, in my mind, you have to keep some of the story we all know. The bit which is related to the story is interesting in some ways. Beauty is rescued by her dark prince, and she says, "He has awakened me an claimed me. My parents are restored, their kingdom is theirs again, and more significantly, life is theirs again, and I belong to him." This made me think of class discussions and how we as modern readers sometimes jump to "rape" when reading the original story. In truth, this was a different time. A man could "claim" you and would not be wrong in doing so. Sleeping Beauty could not do much if she had not liked the prince after he had risked so much for her, especially since she was a woman. Similarly, in this story, her eyes open upon the orgasm of the prince, much like some of the discussions we had about sexual awakening and deflowering as being the end of one way of life. Buy it! |
"The Tiger Fortune Princess" by Eugie Foster
Category: Fantasy, Romance
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This collection of retellings is intended to blend Eastern and Western traditions, the author is herself of Chinese-American descent and thus epitomizes this fusion. According to the introduction, "her stories extend past the love-at-first-sight, happily-ever-after moments of Western fairy talrd and explore the more complicated realm of suspicion, deception and betrayal."
The empress of China is bearing a long-awaited child. As is traditional in China, the empress commissions the baby's horoscope. The empress accidentally offends the soothsayer while she is working and thus brings about her wrath. Her curse is thus: "your daughter will die unborn unless she rides the dragon's tail" (tough one), "if she survives. . . she will be devoured before she meets her husband. . . and her father will die of unhappiness." The empress decides to maintain her chi (i.e. she is remaining calm, for the baby's sake). She is wise and realizes that this is in fact year of the dragon and that she must keep the baby from being born until the end of the year. Day 1: January. The empress is nine months pregnant. After waiting out the year, her daughter is born and the empress decides to hide her from the evil spirits hanging over her. Like Rosie in Spindle's End, she is hidden in a place in which a princess should never be: a rural hut. When the princess comes of age, she is told that she must find a husband in order to save her father's life. In order to do this, she must send away her fortune, which has become to her a sort of soul. With a little help from her appeased ancestors, a suitor arrives and finds her in an enchanted sleep. In his desperation at finding the fortune to be true, he eats it (so, he devours "her" before he meets her). In order to return her soul to its natural state, he says "marry me and our spirits will be one." When they get to the palace, the emperor rises and is well again and the soothsayer is forever plagued by the girl's grateful ancestors. Buy it! |
"Sleeping Beauty, Indeed" Regan M. Wann
Category: Romance, LGBT
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The editor claims to have compiled these retellings because she had previously been unable to find any "lesbian friendly" fairy tale retellings (are heterosexual retellings lesbian unfriendly? I know what she means, but that is a little extreme). She describes feeling excluded from the world of fairy tales, which perhaps further exacerbated her feelings of isolation from others.
The author of the short story in question, titled "Sleeping Beauty, Indeed," is Regan M. Wann. The story is told by the last fairy and it begins with a familiar motif - that of the spindle being related to sex. In this version, the slighted fairy decrees that Beauty will become a whore (wow) when she says "her sex will be a gaping hole!" The last fairy attempts to save her from a life of "harlotry" by giving her a blessing. If she loses her virginity, she will sleep until her true love awakens her. So Beauty grows up and as she is lustful at all times, men are kept away from her. But the women. . . well, no one thinks of this. Well, Beauty experiments with a friend of hers and that is that. The fairy says, "well this is certainly unexpected." Indeed. Of course, she is also woken up by a woman - the same friend who "compromised her maidenhead" in the first place. Again, the fairy is shocked. Unfortunately, this is not acceptable in the kingdom and the evil fairy decides to switch places with Beauty. She will choose a prince and rule the kingdom, while Beauty and her girlfriend can live together as normal people. Everyone lives happily ever after! For some reason, this just didn't really work for me. For one, why does she have to be cursed to a life of whoredom in order to become a lesbian? Is that really the parallel a lesbian-friendly author wants to create? Buy it! |
"The Sleeping Beauty" by Rosario Ferré
Category: Post-modern
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Apparently, this story, by Puerto Rican author Rosario Ferre, is a "grotesque" version of Sleeping Beauty. Let's see, shall we?
The story is written in the style of Dracula - we see the progressing action through letters and news clippings. The story is also told out of order: it begins with a man begins recieving letters insinuating his wife's infidelity. The author is a ballerina who admires the man's wife, as she is a famous ballet star named Maria de los Angeles Fernandez. Maria is the daughter of the mayor and the wife of a business tycoon. Then we go into the past. Maria was set to become a nun, but disappointed her teachers by becoming a dancer (and therefore, a harlot). Surprisingly, her father wants her to become neither a nun (chaste) or a dancer (promiscuous), but a wife and mother. When her father removes her from the dancing company, she goes into a coma (dramatic). "Dance! That is what is forbidden," according to the girl's thoughts. She hears her boyfriend say, "the hundred years are up, your parents are dead, the social commentators are dead, the society ladies and the nuns are dead, you'll dance forever." An intriguing twist on the forbidden nature of Beauty's curse. She knows she should not touch spindles, yet she is attracted to them. Anyway, Maria marries her boyfriend, but demands, as a condition before marriage, that she be allowed to continue her career. She also expects that she will not be forced to have children, but is soon disallusioned of this notion. The nun reproaches her, saying that she must no longer think of dance and "must come down from your cloud and think of your baby and your husband, who are not imagined but very real! That is your only path now." So Maria has been relagated to the typical female role, and she is not happy about it. Her husband claims that getting a child from her was "the only way to make her mine." Thus, the "claiming" of Sleeping Beauty rears its ugly head again. Despite this, he truly loves her and allows her every freedom to dance and make a name for herself. But she still feels he must be punished, so she allows him to catch her naked with a "lover" (so she wrote the messages). An accident occurs and both husband and wife die. Hm. Buy it! |
"Carabosse" by Delia Sherman
Category: Poetry, Fantasy
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According to Sherman, this poem was meant to show the view that "bad fairies may create problems, but they often offer the young princes and princesses they curse the opportunity to become more than they would have otherwise been." Very interesting idea, and one which I have seen in a few other retellings. This is particularly evident Coover's Briar Rose in which the fairy attempts to make the princess wiser century after century rather than allowing her to be a mindless beauty for the rest of her life. We can't help but feel sorry for THAT particular fairy.
"Carabosse" is a short poetic retelling of Sleeping Beauty. Rather than saving her from a fellow fairy's curse, the good fairy chooses to save her from the "curses" of fairy gifts and familial expectations. Her gift is the gift of free will; the princess is free to use or ignore her gifts, free to stay or leave the castle, and free to either be married, or be celibate. Of course, this "gift" is shocking to the court ("the queen wept...not marry? The kiss of death"). To ensure these rules are followed, she creates the briars and enacts the 100 year sleep; ostensibly to help her find "a man who would be her mate, not her master." Read it! |
*****(This movie exists: 1935, "Young, naive Luisa Ginglebusher, who loves fairy tales, leaves the
Budapest orphanage to become a movie usherette. Uninterested in rich gifts, Luisa schemes to be a 'good fairy.'" Sounds awesome).
Budapest orphanage to become a movie usherette. Uninterested in rich gifts, Luisa schemes to be a 'good fairy.'" Sounds awesome).
"You Wandered Off Like a Foolish Child to Break
Your Heart and Mine" by Pat York
Category: Fantasy
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Jeez, I haven't heard a title that long since "For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf." Despite that, this story is intended as a "backstory" to an aspect of the Sleeping Beauty tale: the fate of the dead princes. The story begins with a mother trying to wrench her son out of the enchanted hedge while he hangs like a fly caught in a web. "There were seven men still alive in the thorns, betrayed in their quest for the sleeper in the tower by this living trap." Generally, in this version, those attempting to rescue the princes would be themselves taken captive by the briars. Those who struggled would suffer greater torment (not unlike Devil's Snare, eh?). For this mother, the queen in fact, her work is akin to that of the Greek Sisyphus: every day she beats the briars back and overnight they regrow. The briars take on a personality of their own, becoming cunning, vengeful plants. The story is also a commentary on gender, as the queen attempts to stop new princes from rushing into her son's fate. These men, including her son, berate her as knowing nothing of the male quest, of passion, of glory. When the princess is finally freed, we see her in a different light than we usually do. She and her prince seem selfish and unsympathetic as the remaining princes suddenly die, screaming out in pain beneath them. As the castle awakens, the queen's servant says, "how can they cheer when we have lost everything?" She responds, "they cheer because it is we who lost and not them." That's true of more than just this tale, of course. It is a trait we constantly see in our society. The point of this story, I believe, was to bring this idea to the forefront.
Buy it! |
"And Still She Sleeps" by Greg Costikyan*
This story begins with a Dr. Borthwick standing in a queue of men, all hoping to rouse Sleeping Beauty with a kiss (just like "The Wakeful Beauty" it has become a tourist attraction). We discover that this man found Sleeping Beauty after digging her up during an archaeological dig. He is told by the locals that she is the famous "Sleeping Meg," supposedly the daughter of Arthur and Guinevere. Unfortunately, he already had a bastard son via the evil witch Mordred. In order to prevent the marriage and procreation of this child who would eventually take the throne, the witch cursed Meg to sleep until she was bethrothed to a Scottish king and kissed as a symbol of this union. If you know anything about British history, you know how likely this would have been. Understanding the politics involved, Arthur went to Merlin to alter the spell. He did so, saying it need only be her true love who would awaken her. Dr. Borthwick sees the issue we all see: if you have only seen someone, how can you claim to truly love them? Is the spell even possible to break after everyone who has known her has long since passed away?
Although this story is placed in a modern, scientifically-minded world, the population at large seems to be well-aware of the presence of magic, even going so far as to study it at university. This is unique in any story I have read. Buy it! |
*A guy!
The Wide-Awake Princess by E.D. Baker
Category: Fantasy, Adventure, Young Adult
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E.D. Baker, author of The Wide-Awake Princess, also wrote the novel The Frog Princess which was the inspiration for the excellent Disney film "The Princess and the Frog." This novel contains the same heart, meaning, and message of the film: females can be intelligent, meaningful characters and princesses can rescue themselves. When trapped in a castle, the main character says,"if Liam came soon, all the better, but if he didn't, she would do what she could to rescue herself."
This novel is an interesting commentary on the life of a noble in a magical kingdom. It also contains one of the most attractive aspects I've found through reading all these retellings: the author's decision to focus on unique aspects of the same story and the inclusion of some interesting, "but what about this?" background information. In this novel, interestingly, the kingdom of Sleeping Beauty and her sister is simply one of many kingdoms. As with typically small, medieval kingdoms of our own history, there is diplomacy, war, and strategic marriage to be found at every turn. The story follows the adventures of Annie, sister of "The Sleeping Beauty," Gwen. In order to avoid another christening crisis, Annie's parents ask for advice from a powerful fairy named Moonbeam. To ensure her safety, Moonbeam blesses (or curses, like Carabosse) Annie to lead a life free from the dangers of good or evil magic. Moonbeam says that she must, as a result "survive on her natural charm...she's going to grow up a normal girl, without magic to make her beautiful or graceful or sweet." This is a theme which we are very familiar with (Rosie in Spindle's End, Marina in Gates of Sleep, Aurora in "Sleeping Beauty") - making the princess normal, "human" as it were. If she isn't, it is harder to characterize and make her likeable. This decision causes Annie's life to change dramatically. Because the nobles are all blessed at birth to a lesser or greater extent, Annie sticks out like a sore thumb. Adding to her other-ness, she is not allowed near anyone who is enchanted as she will make them appear as they truly are. Dangerous indeed for the vain inhabitants of the castle, so Annie spends much of her time with the common people. This is another trait we often see in these retellings. Of course, we want to believe that nobles would spend time with the people of their lands, those who are paying for their existence with back-breaking labor, but this was not generally the case. Most of the retellings involve either a "normal" princess or a princess who seeks out normal people as companions. These people we find to be morally redeemable. Others, we cannot abide as heroes (or heroines). Despite the hindrances her blessing causes her, Annie has a useful quality: she is both immune to magic and sensitive to its presence. Thus, she cannot be harmed by the enchantment when it does eventually appear, and can be aware of malevolent fairies in her adventures. As with a few of our other favorite girls, Annie undertakes a quest to rescue her family, and perhaps, find a love of her own along the way. One realistic consideration I hadn't thought of was this: if the entire court within the castle is asleep, who takes over as a leader? Even worse, what if the army is also asleep? Who will protect the land? This plot point is explored in the novel. In the end, Sleeping Beauty is still the passive, vapid creature we know from the early stories. As Annie attempts to rescue her, Gwen comments, "Poor little Annie. You never were graceful. I could always dance circles around you...Always felt sorry for you. Told [Prince] Digby, 'I don't care if she's homely, she's still my sister.'" Annie responds with a wry (or sassy) "You're too kind." The prospective "Prince Charmings" are hardly round characters either. Gwen's favorite, Prince Digby, is a drunkard and a cheat who does not care about her. Another humourous incident regarding princes of ill repute occurs when Annie is trapped in Rapunzel's castle. Every day a new prince comes claiming to be Rapunzel's true love. When Annie questions whether Rapunzel knew that one was married, he says "the subject never came up." Indeed. I enjoyed the subtle allusions to the original tale in this novel. For instance, Annie wanders the castle looking to help those who may have fallen asleep in precarious situations. She finds one lying on glass, and one with her hand over the fire just as we saw in the Grimm's "Briar Rose." She also encounters other fairy tale heroes, such as Hansel and Gretel, Red Riding Hood and the Frog Prince, as well as magical creatures such as kelpies and fairies. She also has a chat with a babbling brook, which more than lives up to its name. In Baker's view, it seems that all fairy tales exist in the same land, and run-ins between the characters of the stories we know are common. They must live together, maintaining some sense of order through their respective monarchies. The author also uses satire, allowing those who know some of the background to share a chuckle or two. For instance, when one prince isn't married by the age of 20, the townspeople begin to gossip and say he is "very particular." This is amusing considering that both in fairy tales and in medieval history, couples marry at a very young age. Another humorous incident is when we meet a fairy named "Sweetness N Light." She is supposed to be a good fairy, who seems to occasionally smother her human charges and forest critters with love in her attempts to make them happy. It reminded me of this. The evil fairy Voracia has her own problems. She comments on how difficult it is to remain the baddest fairy of them all and is shocked when she hears that a competitor for the title "eats baby bunnies and downy chicks for breakfast." This is excellent book for any age, I recommend it. Buy it! |
The "Fables" Series by Bill Willingham*
Category: Comic, Fantasy, Action
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This epic series of 15 volume series of comics/graphic novels has placed a myriad of fairy tales and nursery rhyme characters in NYC. After an evil force known as "The Adversary" pushes them out of their fairy-tale realm, they relocate as refugees to the Big Apple and try to keep their true identities under wraps from the "mundanes" or "mundys." This is facilitated by an organization, titularly headed by Old King Cole, but truly run by Snow White herself.
The books offer many commentaries on fairy-tale life, for example:
Briar Rose's participation in the story is very interesting. As she was blessed at childhood with wealth by one of the fairies, she is the wealthiest fable, regardless of circumstance. If she pricks her finger on anything, she and all those surrounding her fall asleep. A thorny rose bush also grows around the building. Unfortunately, the Prince's kiss only saved her until the next time she pricked her finger, at which point, she must be kissed by another Prince who truly loves her. In two episodes, she is used as a type of "chemical warfare" (totally genius). She pricks her finger, causing an entire enemy population to fall asleep. Prince Charming cannot wake her, as he does not love her as the spell dictates. Buy it! |
*A guy!
"Briar Rose" Debra Cash
This poem explores what Sleeping Beauty is thinking during her 100 year sleep. In some stories, she seems to think nothing during this time, upon waking she feels that she jas just fallen asleep a moment before. Other times, we find that she has been acutely aware of her prison-like state, perhaps sensing some of the changes around her but unable to speak or protest. To me, this seems to be a religious commentary. What happens to us after death (or sleep as death)? Do we see nothing, feel nothing? Or do we live a different life? Of course, different people will respond in different ways to this question based on their belief system.
Read it! |
Sleeping Beauty; the One Who Took a Really Long Nap
by Wendy Mass
Category: Comedy, Young Adult
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"It's not easy being Princess Rose. Especially when a fairy curses you and you find yourself avoiding all sharp objects . . . and then end up pricking your finger anyway, causing you to slumber for a hundred years or so. And it's not easy being The Prince. Especially when your mother has some ogre blood and tends to chow down at the most unfortunate moments. A walk in the woods would help, you think. Until you find a certain hidden castle . . . and a certain sleeping princess."
This book, marketed for younger readers, adds some interesting aspects to the Sleeping Beauty narrative. In general, its success lies in the fact that it rounds out every character. We have often discussed that almost no characters in the original tales have any characterization given. The princess exists only to be awakened, the prince only to awaken her. In this book, we receive the backstory of both main characters, as well as that of the prince's ogress mother (as this is based on Perrault's tale). Beauty, known as Princess Rose, has some interesting qualities. As with other Beauties retold, she is rambunctious and adventurous, not the passive sleeping maiden we were given in the original tale. Also, she suffers from identity issues, which we have decided is an inherent quality of the Sleeping Beauty narrative. She struggles with her gifts: "how could I explain that I felt like I had not earned any of the praise that was constantly heaped upon me. . . how could I explain that no one - not even me - knew the real me, the person I would have become without the fairies' help?. . . I suppose I was afraid that without the magic gifts I was nothing at all." That, in my opinion, is a very interesting twist on Rose's gifts. After this moment of self-realization, she determines to find her "real" self. We also see the comparison between sleep and adolescence when she states: "what I truly wanted to do was hide in the corner of the wine cellar like I did when I was younger, closing out the world. But I was nearly a woman now. It was time to outgrow such things." Prince is the least interesting character in my opinion. He is a young adventurous boy with curiosity about the mysterious tower in his castle's backyard (okay fine). Despite this, I find it interesting that the author chooses to call him simply "Prince" and he acknowledges frequently that he has no other name. He is the prince and only the prince. It is his destiny to be "the" prince. Of course, he eventually changes his name to "Princess Rose's Husband" (yes, really), which sort of negates the point. Although the story is unchanged, Prince's ogress mother becomes a figure for sympathy rather than fear and derision. We discover that she was born part-ogress, but that her life is not a happy one. She has an abhorrence of all beautiful things, which must be purged from the kingdom. She must indulge her bloody hunting tendencies on certain days of the month and feels great shame for her nature. Occasionally, Prince is disgusted with her and she shows her pain at these moments. Thus, she is born with the traits of envy and bloodlust, and, as Prince often says, she cannot help her nature. Of course, because of its audience, it is cleaned up. No suitors die in the attempt to reach Princess Rose. Buy it! |
"Stronger than Time" by Patricia C. Wrede
Category: Romance, Fantasy
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In this story, an old man (Arven) and a prince tell the tale of rose, the princess locked away in the keep behind briars and thorns. Arven's own experience shows the tale to be true as he has seen the bones of the failed suitors. The prince tells him that long ago, a count enraged a witch who then cursed his daughter (why is a young man telling an old man this story?). The count's pride condemned her to her fate (spindle-instigated death), while the countess lessened the curse's severity. She would be condemned to sleep for a hundred years and anyone who attempted to reach her before that time was up would become a corpse themselves. The author places a social commentary in this statement, saying, "nobles seldom think beyond their own concerns" towards the plight of the lower classes. Unfortunately, the countess' magic went awry and caused the "true love prince" to die along with all the others. The young prince asks for Arven's help in order to circumvent the prophecy and he agrees. They get through the briars using a combination of the prince's magic and the old man's ax, all the time maintaining an Orpheus-Eurydice pact which the prince says is necessary. Once they get inside, they find the bones of all of the kingdom, but find the raven-haired princess intact. Suddenly, the prince asks Arven to kiss the princess and all becomes clear - the prince is a ghost, a ghost of the "true love prince." He cannot kiss her or break the curse, so Arven does it in his place. The princess wakes up and recognizes her true love and as he promises to wait for her in the afterlife, he vanishes.
Buy it! |
"Somnus's Fair Maid" by Ann Downer
This story was very interesting and had many parallels to The Gates of Sleep. Despite this connection, there is no magic in the story. It is set in regency England and reads like a combination of Pride and Prejudice and Sleeping Beauty. The "evil fairy" is in fact the old crotchety aunt who everyone "forgets" to invite to the christening. Her "curse" is that the child must live with her after reaching the age of six. Her "blessing" is that a "good" aunt secretly watches over her. As it turns out, once the child, Persephone, reaches this age, both her parents are dead and she must move in with her aunt. She only allows her to partake in the strictest and most chaperoned of activities, which is basically limited to reading the Bible. As with Marina, she rebels in her own small ways and wins over everyone she meets with her charms and eccentricities. She tells people of her hobby: collecting insects, drugging them, and painting them. Simply charming! She soon wins renown as a great beauty and her aunt allows her to purchse fine clothes for the first time in her life. Unfortunately, it is only the enactment of the true curse: she is to be presented to and then married to a very old man with a vendetta against the aunt. In the end, she is loved by two young men, one who sacrifices his happiness for her (as he sees himself as unworthy) and one who wants to marry her immediately. The first man pines for her and contracts "sleeping sickness" in a foreign land, returning to find that she has not married and still cares for him. She fixes his broken body with a kiss and all is well, despite the fact that she refers to him as "My own Hippo!" Well, really!
Buy it! |
"The Glass Coffin" by Caitlin R. Kiernan
Category: Postmodern
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The characters in this story come from seedy backgrounds: murderers, drunkards, gamblers, drug dealers, and users. The "princess" Salmagundi, is a once-wealthy woman in hard luck, an ex-user who waits for a man named Jimmy DeSade to rescue her from her state. Salmagundi's mother's penchant for gambling cost them the family fortune, or, as the girl herself puts it, "she bet away four generations on a spinning [roulette] wheel." Contrary to tradition, this woman is "sleepless;" she worries constantly that Jimmy has left her and the children for a more beautiful companion. As with the princess in "The Maiden Tree," Salmagundi suffers with an inner voice which always tells her that this time, she will not be rescued. Jimmy DeSade comes back from a bad drug deal to find the gate locked, but he pushes through. The children tell him Salmagundi has cut herself on a rusty nail and is dead. He utters the sound of a "soul tearing," and berates them for not taking her to the hospital. They decide to make her a coffin out of sheet metal and glass, maintained with an oxygen device (despite the fact that she is dead). Jimmy leaves the children forever in the house with the glass coffin.
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"Glass Casket" by John Dann*
A young man named Pico begins a quest for reasons which he cannot himself explain. He is drawn to find the origin of a woman's voice which he hears constantly in his mind. He dreams of her and "and he yearned for her," just as many of the Prince Charming's were suddenly consumed with lust upon seeing Beauty for the first time. He finds the sleeping princess in a dark cave, her glass coffin surrounded by pink light. He rescues her and she tells him that she has fallen in love with him via her dreams. Unfortunately, Pico feels he must go back to his own world and misses out on the chance to be with the princess. When he returns, he sees that his home has been destroyed by the great armies of Italy and sees the mistake he has made.
Buy it! |
*A guy!
"Summer Wind" by Nancy Kress
This story is a perfect example of how great a retelling can be with as a result of just one minor tweaking. In this version of "Sleeping Beauty," Beauty is the only one in the palace who remains awake. As such, she feels obligated to care for those within by dusting and (ironically) sewing new clothes as old sets dissolve. We see a life of endless tedium, puntucated by utter despair as she helplessly watches prince after prince die in the briars outside her castle. Although she attempts to stop them, they are too blinded by their heroic quest to pay her any attention. When the right prince finally comes, she is an old woman and knows he will not have her. As such, she leaves the grounds and finds a group of other women who seem to have had similar experiences. They tell her that although her life has not been easy, she has found herself which is a rare gift.
Buy it! |
"The Crossing" by Joyce Carol Oates
She makes an interesting comment about the sexual awakening which most Sleeping Beauty characters undergo: she describes it as "both the peak of a woman's life and it's death knell." Interesting, and perhaps, true. It is certainly the peak of what society would wish of women, and generally the death of one's individualism and self-centered life. In any case, the story retells the Sleeping Beauty tale through the lens of a medical tragedy. A woman is hit by a train and is grotesquely and severely injured. She falls into a coma and her husband stands at her bedside day and night, trying anything to wake her. For her part, she imagines herself in a town she remembers from childhood. She wanders for weeks and one day suddenly realizes (after seeing a beetle come out of her aunt's ear!) that she is in some sort of dead land. Her only hope is to escape this devastated place on a train which comes by every day. She does so, and her human life ends, but who can say where her mind traveled?
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"Waking the Prince" by Kathe Koja
In this story, it is the prince who is trapped in an endless sleep. The story flits from this fairy-tale medieval setting to a modern one in which a young woman feels she has found the love of her life. He is beautiful and charming, and very much enjoys sleeping. He says almost nothing and frequently ignores her (wow, prince charming). His beauty controls her, allowing her to forget the numerous times he hurts her. She finds herself saying "this time is different" everytime she makes a new plan with him, which of course, always falls through due to his unmindfulnesss. The Prince is still asleep at the end of the story, but seems to be projecting his dream self on this girl's life. We leave feeling that she may finally have left him.
Buy it! |
"Snow in Dirt" by Michael Blumlein*
This futuristic story finds Sleeping Beauty in a grave. A man digs in his garden, finds her and brings her home. No one is quite sure what to do with her, so they decide to take her to the hospital. Although they claim to have seen people in this type of state frequently, their prescription to aid her is useless. Despite this, he keeps trying because everyone "wants to be able to fix what's hurt. Because sadly, we're too old for Band-Aids." Eventually, she wakes up on her own and the two fall in love. After months of being a housewife, she wonders why she is no longer happy. He encourages her to become a model and their life changes as she becomes more and more famous. She becomes a narcissist and a drug addict and the love between them fades. He realizes that, in effect, he created her. He started her life (as all Prince Charming characters do) and made her what she was. In order to keep her youth, she takes a new age-reversal drug. Unfortunately it only puts her back to sleep, the youngest she had ever been. In the end, he reburies he and hope she will find a better prince in the future.
Buy it! |
*A guy!
"The Dog Rose" by Sten Westgard*
In this story, a commoner attempts to breach the briars in order to save a serving-woman whom his grandfather was engaged to in his youth. Along the way, people tell him that he cannot enter the castle or defeat the roses because he is "a weed" himself. In the end, he is unable to get through the roses and is rescued when the true prince comes through and destroys the prison of thorns holding him. Despite this, his mere survival amongst the throns is seen to be remarkable and he is contented to have the admiration of the serving girl. Meanwhile, the Prince is selfish, haughty and mean to hermits (he stole his clothes). I imagine this decision will come back to haunt him. I like to think so, anyway.
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*A guy!
Haven't Read:
New Sleeping Beauty Book by Mercedes Lackey
Category: Fantasy, Romance
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"The Sleeping Beauty is the fifth book in the Five Hundred Kingdoms series. Godmother Lily serves the Kingdom of Eltaria, which may be the most imperiled of all the Five Hundred Kingdoms. It has the misfortune of being small, rich, and surrounded with enemies. Governing it has been a constant juggling trick.
But now The Tradition has decided to land the blow of making the King a widower, and his daughter the Fairest In The Land. This can only mean bad things for the King, the Princess Rosa, and above all, the Kingdom itself." Buy it! |
Night's Rose by Annaliese Evans
Category: Romance, Fantasy, Adventure
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"Beauty was not awakened by a kiss. For nearly one hundred years, Rosemarie Edenberg has worked tirelessly to wipe the dreaded ogre tribe from the earth. Now the tribe has gathered in London to work a spell that will destroy the scourge of their kind, the woman they call the Briar Rose.
Two magnetic men will unite to aid Rose--her mysterious Fey advisor, Ambrose, and the vampire, Lord Shenley, an Earl of scandalous reputation and even more scandalous appetites. One will save her, one will betray her, and both will challenge her to face the past that haunts her. Once upon a time, she was ensnared in the mists of enchantment, cursed to sleep one hundred years. But this beauty wasn’t awakened with a kiss, and has never known happily ever after. With the help of her handsome allies, Rose may yet find it." Buy it! |
Shadow by Jenny Moss
Category: Fantasy, Romance, Adventure, Young Adult
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"Shadow has grown up with young Queen Audrey. A prophecy at the queen's birth predicted her death before her 16th birthday, and by staying at her side constantly, Shadow is supposed to help prevent that fate. While the two girls were close when they were younger, now that they are nearly 16, Audrey criticizes and taunts Shadow, who resents her lack of freedom and identity, never having known her parents. When Audrey dies suddenly, Shadow takes advantage of the ensuing chaos to escape the palace, with the help of Sir Kenway, a knight who was a close companion of Audrey's. As Shadow travels, she discovers clues to her own identity and destiny, and she has to mature and accept the new role that is being offered to her. Moss has created a complex story full of intrigue and secrets, with Audrey's regent and advisors sometimes seen as supporting her and sometimes against her, and with a variety of factions looking for power after her death."
Apparently what happens if the curse is allowed to go through. Buy it! |
Enchantment by Orson Scott Card*
Category: Fantasy, History, Adventure
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"Ten-year-old Ivan is terrified by, yet drawn to, a beautiful woman frozen in time in the middle of the primordial forest of Russia. More than a decade later, he returns and uses his prowess as a track-and-field star and a promise of marriage to rescue this princess. Echoes of Narnia sound (including some slightly preachy undertones) as Ivan is drawn back into the princess's time. He finds that he has no skills useful in the ninth century, and yet must find a way to defeat the witch Baba Yaga, who has harnessed the power of a god to take over Princess Katerina's kingdom. Ivan brings his betrothed into the modern world to keep her from Yaga's clutches and the pair learn to understand not only each other, but each other's powers and weapons. By the time they return to the fairy-tale world, they are armed with modern-day knowledge and aided by Ivan's relatives, who turn out to be minor Russian deities and witches. In an apparent desire to make his tale believable, Card leaches it of some of its magic, offering up the extraordinary as matter of fact, and his characters lack some of the depth that usually makes his writing so rewarding. His new look at a classic tale is clever, however, adding attractive whimsical twists and cultural confluences to a familiar story."
Buy it! |
*A guy!
Clementine by Sophie Masson
Category: Fantasy, Comedy, Young Adult
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I'm currently reading Sophie Masson's Cold Iron and look forward reading to this one!
"Sophie Masson carries listeners back to 18th-century England to witness the birth of two children who are destined to be connected throughout their lives. Aurora is born into royalty, while Clementine is the daughter of the local woodcutter. However, their births have brought fairies to each of their cradles to bestow gifts. Although the girls will be friends throughout their first 16 years, there are secrets surrounding them, especially the legend of the sleeping castle of Joli-Bois. The novel is a spellbinding reworking of the familiar tale of Sleeping Beauty. Reader Mikaela Martin brings her acting skills to this retelling and delivers a beautiful performance." Buy it! |
A Kiss in Time by Alex Flinn
Category: Romance, Comedy,
Young Adult |
"In A Kiss in Time, an American boy awakens a princess who has been slumbering for 300 years. Jack is on a European tour when he breaks an ancient curse by kissing the slumbering Princess Talia. Instead of rejoicing, she and other awakened members of their magical kingdom are confused and perturbed to find themselves in the 21st century. In order to escape the wrath of her father, who blames her for causing the curse, Talia flees with Jack to his home in Florida. While acclimating to the modern world - cell phones, television, Jell-o shots - the princess manages to charm everyone she meets and help Jack sort out his life. Alternating between the teenagers' distinctive points of view, Flinn skillfully delineates how their upbringings set them apart while drawing parallels between their family conflicts. Fans of happily-ever-after endings will delight in the upbeat resolution, which confirms the notion that 'love conquers all.'"
Wait there are jello-shots in this book? It says grades 5-8. Buy it! |
Grimm's Last Fairy Tale by Hadyn Middleton
Category: History, Romance
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"Happily ever after" and "once upon a time" have no place in this complex novel by British author Middleton, based on the lives of the world-renowned fairy-tale masters, the Brothers Grimm. In 1863, Jacob Grimm; his niece, Auguste; and their manservant, Kummel, travel from Berlin to Grimm's hometown of Hesse, where Auguste hopes to shed some light on family secrets. Her reticent uncle, however, is preoccupied with private memories of his humble childhood, his deceased brother and partner, Wilhelm, and their work on their first collection of stories, Tales for Young and Old. As the journey continues, a third narrative surfaces: Jacob Grimm's final telling of "Sleeping Beauty." In this troubling rendition of the fairy tale, a young man traverses a fractured yet magical countryside in search of the fabled princess, but his kiss fails to wake her immediately. When she finally opens her eyes, they marry, but the new prince's mother turns out to be the witch who first cast the sleeping spell. On the return trip to Berlin, Grimm's health is failing, and his niece is haunted by his reminiscences and her newfound feelings for Kummel. Beneath the surface of his narrative, Middleton (The People in the Picture; Son of Two Worlds, etc.) deftly surveys the German political landscape of the late 19th century and reveals a connection between Jacob Grimm's world and the horrors to come in the 20th century. Dense and many-layered, the novel requires much patience, but readers willing to invest the effort will reap a modest reward."
Buy it! |
Thornspell by Helen Lowe
Category: Young Adult, Adventure, Romance
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"Confined to a country castle while his father fights in the south, bored Prince Sigismund dreams of adventures he believes happen only in stories. The nearby Wood is the source of most of his fantasies; it’s been forbidden since his great grandfather’s time, and stories abound as to why. No one visits the castle, and the gates rarely open, so when Sigismund spies a wealthy carriage on the road, he rushes to meet it and is flung headlong into an adventure involving the dangerous Wood, an enchanted palace, and a princess sleeping among thorns. Aided by a dragon and other allies, his own magic, and a legendary sword, Sigismund must break the spell before the evil fairy who cast it can gain enough power to take over his world. This reimagining of Sleeping Beauty follows the prince as he develops from a wistful little boy who longs for his stern father’s approval into the worthy hero he is destined to be."
Buy it! |
Watching the Roses by Adele Geras
Category: Young Adult, Drama, Romance
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"Watching the Roses, the second book in the Egerton Hall trilogy, tells the story of Alice. Echoing the fairy tale "Sleeping Beauty" and a little bit of "Red Riding Hood", it is also the most romantic, most gothic, and darkest of the three books. Alice was cursed at her christening by her aunt, "the dreaded Violette", who was angry at not being invited; the curse stated that she would be "snuffed out" on her eighteenth birthday. Another aunt tried to mitigate this by wishing her health and a long life, assuring her parents that, while Alice might fall ill or have an accident that year, she would recover. Eighteen years later, the family throws a grand coming-out party for Alice, to defy Violette's dark words. And at this party, Alice is raped.
Alice retreats into silence, hiding in her room and refusing to speak to anyone. Her parents fall into despair as well, drinking and taking sleeping pills, and letting even the precious rose garden go to ruin. Alice sits alone, writing her thoughts in an old notebook of her father's, peppered with his notes on this rose or that. Alice wants to break out of her shell, and can't find the strength to do so; the only thing that sustains her are dreams of her long-distance sweetheart, Jean-Luc. How will she "wake up" back into normal life? Read and find out..." Buy it! |
Waking by Alyxandra Harvey-Fitzhenry
Category: Drama, Young Adult, Romance
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"Since her mother's suicide, Beauty, 16, has been visited by the Shadow Lady in her dreams. The teen is withdrawn and desperate to avoid the stares and questions of her classmates. Her well-intentioned father has gone so far as to lock up everything with an edge, even to the point of forbidding the use of plastic utensils, in an attempt to prevent any other accidents in the house. Then in walks Luna, a new student who marches to the beat of her own drum. She tells Beauty that girls with weird names need to stick together. Slowly, Beauty begins to reclaim her life. She finds the confidence to paint again and takes tentative steps toward a relationship with her longtime crush. The allusions to Sleeping Beauty are well done and subtle. As Luna and a handsome male classmate named Poe provide the impetus for this Beauty's awakening, her dream-life begins to take on a darker, more sinister–yet freeing–tone. This novel about waking up from a nightmare–literally and figuratively–is nicely crafted and will resonate with readers who are struggling with grief and similar emotions."
Buy it! |
Alinda of the Loch by Oonagh Jane Pope and Julie Ann Brown
This has evoked comparison's to "Wicked." It sounds awesome, like the novel form of the class syllabus.
"What makes a fairy-tale a fairy-tale? Is it the conflict within the story, where we recognize familiar themed characters that must battle against evil? Alternatively, is it in finding out how as the reader, we too, can conquer the darkness found within ourselves? Fairy tales help us understand the choices and abilities we need throughout our own lives. Children of all ages can learn from Alinda. She models how by recognizing her own "gifts and abilities" when weaved with courage and fortitude, helped her to face adversity. She shows us that the battle for family and love (especially when all hope seems to be lost), is an honorable fight. The story of Alinda of the Loch (youngest daughter of Queen Aurora of Inverness-shire also known as the "real" Sleeping Beauty) will answer many of these questions through her little wise tale. Her story will help us to recognize the shadow and the sunshine in the life of a girl who has obtained both the status and rewards of being both a mythical and modern day 'princess.'" Buy it! |
Utterly Charming by Kristine Grayson
Category: Romance, Comedy
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"What an interesting spin on the fairy tale of Sleeping Beauty. This was an enjoyable novel from start to finish. I loved it. A guilt ridden Alex Blackstone tries to make things right after casting a magic spell which puts his girlfriend, Emma to sleep for one thousand years after he kisses her and she falls into a deep coma which comes from a spell cast on her previously by her evil "mother" (mentor), Ealhswith. Alex misinterprets the "Fates" (the rulers of the magic world) believing Emma is his soul mate but after meeting attorney, Nora Barr his views on who his true soul mate is slowly becomes clear. After sleeping for one thousand years Emma awakes angry, confused and is truly lost in this modern new world. Emma has to learn everything from scratch (she has no clue as to what a shower is, what a car is, etc.) as if she were a child even though she is the equivalent of a 20 something year old young woman. If you believe in fairy tales, this novel is a must read, filled with lots of humor and the belief that dreams can really come true."
Buy it! |
Thoroughly Kissed by Kristine Grayson
Category: Romance, Comedy
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"The story of the "true" Sleeping Beauty, Emma Lost who is alive and kicking in the modern world after a thousand year sleep. Emma who has had to learn everything about the past and present history from the scratch has become a distinguished professor at a University has found out she has come into her magic a lot sooner than she expected and it is completely out of control and she needs help in reaching Portland in order to learn how to control the magic she now possesses. Did I mention, Emma is a witch. The new chairman of the history department, Michael Found is immediately smitten on his first sighting of the most beautiful woman he's ever seen, Ms. Lost but has his doubts about her teaching capabilities and wants her gone from the University but he soon realizes that magic does exist and finds that he is willing to do anything to help Emma Lost as he has already lost his heart to her. Emma Lost and Michael Found are the definite made for each other but of course they have to go through all the hurdles before they realize they are truly meant for each other. Emma makes the ultimate sacrifice and gets the man she desires."
Buy it! |
Never After by Rebecca Lickiss
Category: Fantasy, Comedy, Romance
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"In Lickiss' charming, clever, and surprisingly substantial slice of fictional cake, Princess Vevila, having had enough of dancing with doltish prospective husbands, would rather seek out adventure. Meanwhile her cousin, Prince Althelstan, has fought through yards of brambles into a somnolent castle to discover three sleeping princes instead of one spellbound princess. "It has to have been a transcription error," he muses, just as he notices a slender beauty dozing near the throne. Captivated, Althelstan decides to inveigle his cousin into waking the princes, which, he hopes, will simultaneously free the object of his affection. Aiding Althelstan are three recent graduates of magical Recondite University, all gearing up to confront the witch who, claiming to be protecting the innocent princes, cast the sleeping spell. Figure in a mysterious little man with mismatched clothing and handfuls of gold, and an insecure princess with two sallow stepsisters, and, well, you see where we're headed. A welcome addition to the fractured fairy tale genre and perfect reading for the beach or an air-conditioned castle bedroom."
Buy it! |
Princess Sonora and the Long Sleep by Gail Carson Levine
Category: Comedy, Young Adult
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"A spiteful fairy. A beautiful princess. An outstretched finger. A spindle. A hundred-year snooze. A charming prince. A kiss. All the familiar ingredients.
But wait! Where did that extra prince come from? And those fairy gifts that were never there before? And what does a flock of balding sheep have to do with anything? Gail Carson Levine has waved her magic wand over the old standby of "Sleeping Beauty" and presto! It reappears, transformed, sparkling and hilarious. Chuckles and giggles are guaranteed. This book, by the author of the popular Ella Enchanted, is another in "The Princess Tales" Series." Buy it! |
Once Upon a Summer Day by Dennis L. McKiernan*
Category: Fantasy, Adventure, Romance
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"While napping at Summerwood Manor, Borel has a dream about a young woman in a tower, surrounded by knives and blindfolded. Searching for an answer to who she is and what trouble she is in, he goes to the seemingly abandoned cottage of an evil witch. By reading her diary, he manages to find out that she is Chelle (Michelle), the daughter of his father's old pal.
Accompanied by a sassy Sprite, Flic, and his bumblebee Buzzer, Borel sets off across Faery to find Chelle and set her free. Every night he encounters her in his dreams, without her knowledge that it's only a dream, and tries to figure out where she is and who has taken her captive. To learn where she is, Borel will deal with tricky faerie kings and spectral rider, and even the Fates. But he has only one month to find Chelle, and not many clues to go on... In this book in the "Once Upon A..." Series, it's not initially as obvious what fairy tale McKiernan is retelling, and he manages to keep up the suspense about the daggers, squeaking and other odd clues that come together at the finale. With only a month to deal with the wicked witch and damsel in distress, the plot goes quite fast, and has some genuinely creepy scenes." Buy it! |
*A guy!
Sleeping Ugly by Jane Yolen
Category: Comedy, Kids
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We've already read one Sleeping Beauty retelling by Jane Yolen: Briar Rose.
"Set in some unknown kingdom, Sleeping Ugly is a short story about a beautiful, perfectly worthless and mean princess named Miserella, a plain-as-mud orphan named Jane, a fairy in disguise, and an imnpoverished prince (the youngest son of a youngest son) named Jojo. This story takes the traditional tale of Sleeping Beauty and promptly sets it on its ear." Buy it! |
Beauty by Sheri S. Tepper
Category: Sci-fi, Fantasy, Drama
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"Beauty is a fantasy of manners, a dystopian science fiction tale, a time-travel story and an eco-morality play. Still more impressive is the evolution of the narrator and title character, whom we follow for a century of life (ages 16 to 116) as she matures gradually and subtly from a pouty, slightly spoiled daughter of a duke to a wise old woman. Retelling various fairy tales, Tepper strips away each story's gloss. Sleeping Beauty's sleep continues endlessly, prince notwithstanding; Cinderella is as heartless and nasty to her ugly stepsisters as they are to her; and Snow White is a blond bimbo, while the dwarfs are a querulous collection of Basque brothers. Tepper manages to maintain interest, style and theme throughout these disparate elements, and she consistently sniffs out the ugly (e.g., the storybook land of Chinanga, which has all the facets of a fairyland but is an extremely boring place to live). Despite an often depressing worldview, this is a beautiful book from one of the genre's best writers."
Buy it! |
Once Upon a Time by Lynn Roberts
Category: Modern, Romance
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"If you could spend one night with your one true love, a perfect unforgettable night, would you want to do that? What if, that night would be all you ever shared - would you still be willing to do that?. Once Upon a Time is the story of two people who had the courage to say yes.
An extremely interesting take on a classic fairy tale theme, this book kept me guessing until the end. Written in an ultra-modern style (little dialogue,etc.) Once Upon a Time puts a cool twist on both the Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty stories. This is a great book for people who like fantasy based (but contemporary) romance and who want to believe that there is a perfect person out there for everyone (even if it's only in their dreams)." Buy it! |
The Sleeping Beauty Proposal by Sarah Strohmeyer
Category: Romance
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"If you ask me, the best part about the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale is that she didn't have to do anything to get a man.
Genie is a 30 something woman who thinks she is in a perfect relationship until her boyfriend proposes to someone else on national television. She is humiliated by the turn of events and easily convinced by her best friend to pretend to be engaged and carry along with wedding planning. I really enjoyed this book, my second by the author. It was a somewhat implausible plot for sure, but still entertaining. I love the author's writing style and her wit - I found myself laughing aloud at various points. If you don't mind reading a book that is a version of Sleeping Beauty (and therefore very fairy tale-ish), then you will enjoy this book. If however, you take your chick-lit a little more realistic, keep looking. I will definitely read the other two books by the author - she is so entertaining in the fairy tale novels that I am excited to see her efforts in more realistic ones." Buy it! |
Waking Rose by Regina Doman
Category: Romance, Adventure, Religion, Young Adult
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"The third installment of the Fairy Tale Novels Series opens as Rose Brier finally begins to try and move on from her romantic, and unreturned, feelings for Ben "Fish" Denniston. Her path brings her to Mercy College, a small and firmly Catholic school in Pennsylvania, where she meets memorable friends and makes dangerous and mysterious enemies. Meanwhile, Fish is trying to heal from his wounded soul and reconcile with horrific events from his past.
The plot thickens considerably as Rose stumbles upon disturbing information that has been shrouded in secrecy, and finds herself a target for danger. Through cryptic and strange circumstances, Fish finds Rose in a coma, and sets off with the Knights of Sacra Cor, (Rose's sword-brandishing, trench coat-wearing martial artist friends from Mercy College) to find the truth." Caveat emptor from Jilli: "Written by a devout Catholic homeschooling mother, The Fairy Tale Novels are memorable reads, full of epic plots, real characters and Christian truth." Buy it! |
Mrs. Beast and Princess Beast by Pamela Ditchoff
Category: Comedy, Fantasy
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"Mrs. Beast begins with Beauty, who shortly after marrying the Prince realized she preferred her loving Beast to the vain and eccentric Prince. Leaving the comforts of the castle behind, she embarks on a quest to find Elora, the enchantress who changed the beast into a Prince, and convince her to change him back into the Beast. Her quest takes her through Grimm Land, a place where angst clings and spreads like lichen, and where she meets Snow White, Rapunzel, Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella and learns what became of them after they married their princes. Snow White lives in a commune deep in the woods with the Seven Dwarfs, their seven wives and many children. Rapunzel lives in the low end of Storyendburg and makes her living on the streets. Sleeping Beauty is an opium addict living in the Kingdom of Dreams, and Cinderella hides behind a veil refusing to accept the toll aging has taken. Ms. Ditchoff turns fairy tale beauty inside out and invites the reader to do the same in this delicious twist on these fairy tale classics."
Buy it! |
Wakeful Beauty by Leah Wilcox
Category: Comedy, Kids
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"The beautiful girl has been asleep for years and the fairies are desperate to find a prince to help the damsel in distress. An unsuspecting dragon seeking prince will do perfectly... too bad he doesn't like girls! Everyone knows Sleeping Beauty has to be woken with a kiss, except Prince Charming. Every time the fairies watching over her try to tell him, he interrupts with his ideas of how to wake her. The boy's attempts to wake the sleeping girl without a kiss are delightful."
Buy it! |
Sleeping Beauties by Susanna Moore
Category: Drama
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"Once again Moore explores the old families of Hawaii through the eyes of their young women. The protagonist, aptly named Clio, is burdened by history; she feels the weight of ancient tradition, the responsibilities of being an "island girl," and the tensions within her splintered family. Often a runaway, she flees into marriage with a film star who attracts her partly because he lives only for the moment. Their violent breakup propels her back to the islands, where she unexpectedly finds love and the strength to reconcile past, present, and future within an independent spiritual and sexual identity."
Buy it! |
The Sleeping Beauty by Hayden Carruth
Category: Postmodern, poetry
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"The Sleeping Beauty is a long (125-section) poem from Carruth, one that seems fragmented at first but gradually pulls together; mythology, dreams, jazz, all worked into something that could equally be a poem of love or hate, depending on the reader's perspective. An ambitious and strikingly lyrical work, the long poem intertwines dream and reality, myth and history, issues of the past and present. . . . Working within the structure of the well-known tale, Carruth writes about war, politics, love and ecology with sweeping imagination and depth of feeling."
Buy it! |