I talk to my students a lot about the difference between liking something for enjoyment and appreciating something for its beauty or effectiveness or importance or creativity or whatever.
Neil Gaiman regularly does both. His work is enjoyable and appreciated.
I actually haven't read as much Gaiman as I'd like, but I did get the chance to read one of his short works, a lovely picture book called "The Sleeper and the Spindle".
In some ways, it reminds me of "The Cabin in the Woods" movie, by Joss Whedon.
Hear me out: Both well-written, sure, but they both also have this in common: "You think you know the story."
The story centers around "a sort-of Snow White and an almost Sleeping Beauty", reimagining the stories and the characters and weaving them together into a plot of dark magic. At the center is a young queen on the eve of her wedding.
But all is not as it seems, and the preconceived notions the reader has about the fairy tale slip aside as the story progresses.
The artwork is beautiful. I mean, even the cover - LOOK at that cover!
And the retelling is modern, refreshing, and, though I'm sure others may not agree, not pandering to those ideals.
A few notes:
The queen is the hero.
There is no prince saving the day. There is a prince, but he's an accessory to the queen's character.
“You don’t need princes to save you. I don’t have a lot of patience for stories in which women are rescued by men.” And: “I like stories where women save themselves.”
The world-building and detail is lovely.
This is not an LGBTQ+ retelling. I think a lot of people expect that, going in, but, if that's what you're expecting, you're going to be disappointed. Similarly, if you're seriously offended by the slightest alteration of traditional roles and relationships, you're also going to be offended.
I actually don't dislike traditional fairy tales. I see their problems, but I also appreciate them as they are, and the role they play in my identity. If I didn't love fairy tales, I'd never have loved the Babysitters Club, or Jane Eyre, or the Black Stallion, or Jane Austen, or Shakespeare, or Margaret Atwood, or Stephen King.
This is beautiful, and I think every parent should buy a copy for their daughters.
And their sons.
What's your favourite "reimagined fairy tale"?
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