How to Fracture a Fairy Tale

De: Jane Yolen, Marissa Meyer

Narrado por: Suzanne Toren, Eileen Stevens, Derek Perkins, Henrietta Meire, Feodor Chin, Lauren Ezzo, Tim Campbell, Kevin Kenerly

Fantasy icon Jane Yolen is adored by generations of readers and listeners of all ages. Now she triumphantly returns with this inspired gathering of fractured fairy tales and legends. Yolen breaks open the classics to reveal their crystalline secrets: a philosophical bridge that misses its troll, a spinner of straw as a falsely accused moneylender, the villainous wolf adjusting poorly to retirement. Each of these offerings features a new author note and original poem, illuminating tales that are old, new, and brilliantly refined.

©2019 Jane Yolen (P)2019 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Marissa Meyer's name in the title tricked me

I will start by saying that Marissa Meyer has tricked me. Her prologue to this collection was the best part of this whole book for me. Was I not reading this for the 2024 r/fantasy Bingo challenge, with the prompt "Judge a Book by Its Cover", where the reader is not supposed to read the synopsis or any reviews prior to jumping into a book, I would have dnf-ed this book very early on. Because I disliked almost everything about it.

Also, I will do something that I appreciated seeing another reviewer do - there is an author's note following each tale (that I appreciate it exists), but it doesn't go 1. story 2. author's note for that story. Instead, all of the stories go first, then all of the author's notes, which I don't think is a great choice on the part of the editor.

I also can't say much about the audio narration because there was no indication to which narrator narrated which of the stories.

I really dislike how the author has "fractured" these fairy tales, especially how she seemed hell-bent on making the situation even worse for her heroines, compared to the original fairy tales. And I don't think that she has ever fractured "the evil step mother" trope in any of her 28 stories that are in this book. To which I ask, why not?

The only story that I genuinely really liked is Brother Hart, which I gave ⭐⭐⭐⭐ to, and would have liked to have a whole book based around this story, particularly if someone like Juliet Marillier would write it.

There is also an honorable mention for the Cinder Elephant, which I have a few qualms with, but I enjoyed the somewhat absurdist take on the Cinderella story. And I am not even sure that the author wanted to introduce those absurdist elements into the story? 🤔
Anyway, I gave it ⭐⭐⭐.

Now I will give my review and ratings for all 28 of the stories:
1. Snow in Summer - ⭐⭐ - I don't know why I didn't realize that this was a Snow White retelling until well into the story. I quite disliked it. The author calls this a book of fractured fairy tales but the first tale has one of the, if not the, most standard fairy tale trope - the evil stepmother. I don't think that this story did anything particularly interesting, except make the protagonist into a murderer.

2. the Bridge's Complaint - ⭐⭐⭐ - this is a The Three Billy Goats Gruff retelling. Very meh. Did nothing special, imo.

3. The Moon Ribbon - ⭐⭐⭐ - this is a Cinderella retelling, but again, I don't think it did anything particularly innovative.

4. Godmother Death - ⭐⭐⭐ - probably the most interesting one so far, with a protagonist who dares to do something clever, albeit he is punished for it. But this also kinda has some icky, slightly misogynistic vibes with godmother being clearly referred to as a female, but the author tells us that "she didn't know how to walk as a woman, which then follows the description of her, according to the author, very un-feminine walk, but which is actually just a normal walk. What gives?

5. Happy Dens or A Day in the Old Wolves' Home - ⭐⭐ - we are supposed to believe that these wolves are telling the truth? If so, the author should have made it more believable (especially so since the author managed to fall into a plot hole in such a short story - the supposedly vegetarian wolf is cheering for chicken soup by the end of the story?), unless we are supposed that this story has a particular bad ending for the nurse protagonist?"

6. Granny Rumple - ⭐⭐⭐ - this is obviously a Rumpelstiltskin retelling, but I personally didn't gain anything from it. Nor did I particularly enjoy it.

7. One Ox, Two Ox, Three Ox, and the Dragon King - ⭐⭐⭐ - this one was an interesting mix between eastern and western mythology.

8. Brother Hart - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - this is apparently a retelling of a Grimm fairy tale called Little Brother, Little Sister and it's easily my favorite one so far. And checking the synopsis of the actual fairy tale, I like this retelling so much better. I love the that the main point of "fracturing" here was shifting the focus to showcase familial love between a sister and a brother. I am sad this isn't longer. I would honestly love a whole novel.

9. Sun/Flight - ⭐⭐⭐ - this one is obviously an Icarus retelling, but again, nothing special, I read it only yesterday and I have already started to forget details about it.

10. Slipping Sideways Through Eternity - ⭐⭐⭐ - I am sad that such an interesting title wasn't explored at all.

11. The Foxwife - ⭐⭐⭐ - I don't think that this one added anything to the kitsune (or gumiho) mythos.

12. The Feary Flag - ⭐⭐⭐ - Again, nothing special. For a Celtic retelling, I'd much rather read Juliet Marillier.

13. One Old Man, with Seals - ⭐⭐⭐ - I am not familiar with the original story of this one. This was fine.

14. Sleeping Ugly - ⭐⭐ - This one was terrible, ostensibly a retelling of Sleeping Beauty. That the author decided that a proper punishment for someone being mean and a spoiled brat is to sleep forever without any chance to wake up again is, well, very telling imo, and I find it extremely cruel and unreasonable.

15. The Undine - ⭐⭐⭐ - This Little Mermaid retelling was fine. Not memorable.

16. Great Grandfather Dragon's Tale - ⭐⭐⭐ - This is supposedly a retelling of St. George’s dragon story? It was whatever.

17. Green Plague - ⭐⭐⭐ - A Pied Piper retelling without a proper ending.

18. The Unicorn and the Pool - An unnecessary, imho, Jesus metaphor.

19. The Golden Balls - ⭐⭐ - an absolutely disguising The Princess and the Frog retelling. The original fairytales already are so dark and cruel towards women. What is the point of making them even more cruel and terrible towards women?!!!

20. Sister Death - ⭐⭐⭐ - according to he author, this story comes from the Jewish tradition of both Lilith and the Angel of Death. I barely remember this one.

21. Sule Skerry - ⭐⭐⭐ - A retelling of a Selkie story. It was whatever. It contains questionable consent.

22. Once a Good Man - ⭐⭐⭐ - I am not familiar with the original fairy tale (the author has not given the name of the original). It was fine. I guess that the point that the author was trying to make is that human will to help others is what makes the difference between heaven and hell?

23. Allerleitauh - ⭐⭐ - I don't care that the author says that this is a Cinderella retelling. To me, this is obviously a Snow White retelling and yet another one where the author treats the titular character gruesomely. Why? I have no clue. Except to maybe showcase that she can be crueler to her female characters than the original fairy tales?

24. The Gwynhfar - ⭐⭐ - Arthur and Guinevere retelling. Very icky. Also, it give me the additional ick of a possible villainization and*or degradation of disability?

25. Cinder Elephant - ⭐⭐⭐ - Obviously a Cinderella retelling. While I have problems with how both the fat Cinderella and wraith thin step-sister were represented, I will admit that I ended up enjoying the absurdist tendencies of this story. Even if the prince was more into birds than humans.

26. Mama Gone - ⭐⭐⭐ - A retelling of a vampire story and a proof that the author can write a gentle retelling when she wants. Even if the story isn't particularly memorable, imo.

27. The Woman Who Loved a Bear - ⭐⭐⭐ - This is a retelling of a Native American story from the Tales from the Great Turtle short story collection, according to the author. It was fine.

28. Wrestling with Angels - ⭐⭐⭐ - A retelling of an Old Testament (Hebrew Bible) story (according to the author) where Jacob wrestles with the angel. Quite sad.

intetesting

interesting fairy tales that have been fractured in various ways. well written and Entertaining.

Boring

I just can’t get into this. I don’t think I’m going to be able to finish it.