Helpful Score: 3
Nice collection of revisionist fairytales, set in and around modern LA, written in Block's recognizable sentimental-punk style. If you like Angela Carter's "The Bloody Chamber" or the fairytale collections edited by Terri Windling and Ellen Datlow, you'll find much to like here.
Helpful Score: 2
The Rose and The Beast: Fairy Tales Retold is just that...fairy tales retold.
In this collection are nine short stories that are classic fairy tales with a modern day twist. These tales include Snow (Snow White), Tiny (Thumbelina), Glass (Cinderella), Charm (Sleeping Beauty), Wolf (Little Red Riding Hood), Rose (Snow-White and Rose-Red), Bones (Bluebeard), Beast (Beauty and the Beast) and, finally, Ice (The Snow Queen).
Like all collections for me, there were tales that I truly enjoyed (Wolf, The Snow Queen) and those that I could live without (Glass, Thumbelina). These, for the most part, are not your typical Disney retelling, light and fluffy. They are dark and gritty, not unlike the originals. Definitely not for the faint of heart. Sex, drugs, molestation, domestic abuse, etc.
These are written in the classic stream of consciousness style so it can sometimes be a little difficult to follow. However, her choice of words and arrangement are incredibly beautiful and quite visual.
Overall, I'm glad that I picked this book up from the bargain bin. It's very much in Block's usual writing, so fans should be for the most part pleased. It was a quick read and I ended up rating it at 3.5 stars.
In this collection are nine short stories that are classic fairy tales with a modern day twist. These tales include Snow (Snow White), Tiny (Thumbelina), Glass (Cinderella), Charm (Sleeping Beauty), Wolf (Little Red Riding Hood), Rose (Snow-White and Rose-Red), Bones (Bluebeard), Beast (Beauty and the Beast) and, finally, Ice (The Snow Queen).
Like all collections for me, there were tales that I truly enjoyed (Wolf, The Snow Queen) and those that I could live without (Glass, Thumbelina). These, for the most part, are not your typical Disney retelling, light and fluffy. They are dark and gritty, not unlike the originals. Definitely not for the faint of heart. Sex, drugs, molestation, domestic abuse, etc.
These are written in the classic stream of consciousness style so it can sometimes be a little difficult to follow. However, her choice of words and arrangement are incredibly beautiful and quite visual.
Overall, I'm glad that I picked this book up from the bargain bin. It's very much in Block's usual writing, so fans should be for the most part pleased. It was a quick read and I ended up rating it at 3.5 stars.
Helpful Score: 2
Children hooked on Disney will not like or understand these stories, and more, the sex and drugs in them are not for the little ones. It's not graphic, just not for children. These are not feel-good, happily-ever-after tales.
Ashley B. (daredevilgirl013) reviewed The Rose and the Beast: Fairy Tales Retold on + 746 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
An ok book. The book is written in a verse like almost. Not poetry but in a strange way. Not used to it. But I didn't like how the stories were retold. It was like here's the beginning..and oh look here's the end. It lacked a middle. They were all very very short and almost like the original versions had been torn apart and left to bare bones. I liked the original versions better. So like I said, an ok book if you want to read it just to see what the writing style is like, but not if you want to really enjoy the fairy tales. (especially if you really have a favorite one that you don't like people messing with..because trust me..she really messes with them)
Helpful Score: 1
I love fairy tale retellings, and this collection had been recommended.
It was a very quick read - large print, wide spacing, and wide margins - but the retellings are gonna linger with me for a while.
Very dark, overt exploration of the subtext (Beauty's father inappropriately lusted after her; Sleeping Beauty was a heroine addict; Snow White & the dwarfs, well . . .)
The voice was confident, and yet lazy--retelling in broad sentences and languid language much like a half-remembered dream. It worked, anything more overt would've been more shocking, deliberately disturbing.
I'm curious to see what else this author has done.
It was a very quick read - large print, wide spacing, and wide margins - but the retellings are gonna linger with me for a while.
Very dark, overt exploration of the subtext (Beauty's father inappropriately lusted after her; Sleeping Beauty was a heroine addict; Snow White & the dwarfs, well . . .)
The voice was confident, and yet lazy--retelling in broad sentences and languid language much like a half-remembered dream. It worked, anything more overt would've been more shocking, deliberately disturbing.
I'm curious to see what else this author has done.
