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Summary
Summary
Everyone thinks they know the real story behind the villains in fairy tales'evil, no two ways about it. But the villains themselves beg to differ. In Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling's new anthology for younger readers, you'll hear from the Giant's wife (?Jack and the Beanstalk?), Rumplestiltskin, the oldest of the Twelve Dancing Princesses, and many more. A stellar lineup of authors, including Garth Nix, Holly Black, Neil Faiman and Nancy Farmer, makes sure that these old stories do new tricks!
Reviews (4)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 5-8-In their third collection for younger readers, Datlow and Windling have solicited original pieces from 15 well-known authors; the focus this time is on the bad guys of the fairy-tale world. Some tell a traditional tale from the villain's point of view, such as Nina Kiriki Hoffman's "Rags and Riches," a version of "The Goose Girl." Others demonstrate that change in perspective puts a whole different slant on fairy tales, as in Garth Nix's Rapunzel-based "An Unwelcome Guest" and Jane Yolen's "Troll," a revisionist look at "Three Billy Goats Gruff." Several poems are included as well; Neil Gaiman's "Observing the Formalities" is priceless and wouldn't be out of place in the New Yorker. Some stories are more successful than others, but almost all are both highly readable and thought-provoking. Many are funny, several are quite scary or creepy, and the final story, Kelly Link's "The Cinderella Game," is subtly yet powerfully chilling. A solid choice, particularly where sophisticated fractured fairy tales are popular.-Eva Mitnick, Los Angeles Public Library (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Horn Book Review
Sixteen stories by well-known authors (Garth Nix, Holly Black, Neil Gaiman, Kelly Link, etc.) provide fairy-tale villains' viewpoints, deepening these traditionally two-dimensional characters and giving them distinct voices. From the giantess who tells of Jack's visit to the woman made of candy who uses the same material on her house, these protagonists show that everyone has a story. Reading list. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
Kirkus Review
Fifteen authors, nearly all well known to fantasy readers, move to the folktale villain's side. Jane Yolen's "Troll" develops a taste for goat only after a lightning bolt cooks one on his bridge; Rapunzel is portrayed not as a witch's captive but "An Unwelcome Guest" by Garth Nix; the giant's beleaguered wife happily sees off both Jack and her oafish husband in Peter Beagle's "Up the Down Beanstalk." In one of the collection's three poems, Neil Gaiman gives Sleeping Beauty's wicked fairy voice as she insists on the importance of "Observing the Formalities." Several supposed baddiesmost notably the Bluebeard figure in Nancy Farmer's "Castle Othello"turn out to be victims of bad press, and despite his appetite for human babies even the helpful sprite in Michael Cadnum's " 'Skin" might earn some sympathy. Well, maybe notbut there's still plenty in this all-new collection to please, challenge and amuse fans of the editors' earlier gatherings, A Wolf at the Door (2000) and Swan Sister (2003). Brief author bios follow each selection; a list of further reading rounds it all out. (Fantasy/anthology. 10-13) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
In this follow-up to Datlow and Windling's A Wolf at the Door (2000) and Swan Sister (2003), the duo again amass an anthology of fairy-tale retellings, only this time they keep focus upon the backstories of well-known villains. As always with such endeavors, it's a mixed bag of funny, quirky, and downright creepy entries. A standout on the humorous side is Peter S. Beagle's Up the Down Beanstalk: A Wife Remembers, in which Mrs. Giant tells all to a newspaper reporter about that infamous rascal Jack, who scrambled up the beanstalk and ended up killing Mr. Giant. On the sinister side, Kelly Link finishes off the book with an absolutely bone-chilling offering called The Cinderella Game, in which Peter babysits his new stepsister. The experience ends in blood, horror, and with the sense that there is no happily ever after left for anyone. Although some stories, like Neil Gaiman's Observing the Formalities, require a good deal of familiarity with the original yarns, the collection is largely accessible and very enjoyable.--Kraus, Daniel Copyright 2009 Booklist