Spindles End by Robin McKinley
Enchanting!
Renowned fantasy writer Robin McKinley, author of the lush Beauty and
the Beast retellings Beauty and Rose Daughter, has produced another re-
mastered fairy tale, this time about the dreamy Sleeping Beauty. Much like
in the original story, the infant princess, here named Rosie, is cursed by
an evil fairy to die on her 21st birthday by pricking her finger on a spindle.
That same day, Rosie is whisked away into hiding by a pea sant fairy who
raises her and conceals her royal identity. From that point on, McKinleys
plot and characterization become wildly inventive. She imagines Rosie
growing up into a strapping young woman who despises her golden hair,
prefers leather breeches to ball gowns, and can communicate with
animals. And on that fateful birthday, with no help from a prince, Rosie
saves herself and her entire sleeping village from destruction, although
she pays a realistic price. In a final master stroke, McKinley cl everly takes
creative license when the spell-breaking kiss (made famous in Sleeping
Beauty) comes from a surprising source and is bestowed upon the
character least expected. Although the entire novel is well written,
McKinleys characterization of Rosies animal friends is exceptionally fine.
Observations such as ...foxes generally wanted to talk about butterflies
and grasses and weather for a long time while they sized you up, will
spark readers imaginations. It wont be hard to persuade readers of a ny
age to become lost in this marvelous tale; the difficult part will be
convincing them to come back from McKinleys country, where the magic...
was so thick and tenacious that it settled over the land like chalk dust....
Highly recommended. (Ages 12 and older) --Jennifer Hubert
Personal Review: Spindles End by Robin McKinley
I'll start off by stating that the original faery tale of Sleeping Beauty is one
of my least favorites and holds not interest for me. That being said, as I
timorously picked up Spindle's End for the first time, I had already
expected to put the book down in a few chapters. Hours later I was closing
the book, at its finish. This wonderfully written masterpiece had enthralled
and captured my heart. Spindle's End is by far one of my favorite books of
all time.
McKinley draws you into this strange world where magick coats every
surface and we at first follow one of Rosie's faery godmothers. McKinley
goes into fantastic detail of Rosie's childhood, with all of her adorable, and
sometimes wicked, quirks, creating a depth to the character I had never
seen before and couldn't help but love. She does this with the setting, each
character, and every event, creating an ocean of meanings into the
friendships, trials, and love, out of the trickle of a stream that I had seen
before.
Beautifully crafted, I purchased this book as soon as I could after reading
it, and have read it many, many times since. I highly recommend it to
anyone who has a love for faery tales.
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