An interesting examination of grief and introspection
3 steloj
I received a copy of Reflections Of Queen Snow White from its author, David Meredith. The book takes as its starting point the Grimm fairy tale of Snow White but, instead of simply being another retelling, Meredith looks into Snow White's future to imagine what happens after the Happily Ever After. We find Snow White, depressed and alone in a cavernous throne room. The rest of her court rush about outside delightedly preparing for her daughter's forthcoming marriage while Snow White still mourns the loss of her beloved Prince Charming who died of old age a year before. Meredith's story is dark in the Grimm tradition and includes descriptions of violence, sex and child abuse that will certainly be extra-shocking to those who only know the Disneyfied Snow White. I liked his idea of Snow White visiting her past by way of her Stepmother's enchanted mirror. She longs to reclaim …
I received a copy of Reflections Of Queen Snow White from its author, David Meredith. The book takes as its starting point the Grimm fairy tale of Snow White but, instead of simply being another retelling, Meredith looks into Snow White's future to imagine what happens after the Happily Ever After. We find Snow White, depressed and alone in a cavernous throne room. The rest of her court rush about outside delightedly preparing for her daughter's forthcoming marriage while Snow White still mourns the loss of her beloved Prince Charming who died of old age a year before. Meredith's story is dark in the Grimm tradition and includes descriptions of violence, sex and child abuse that will certainly be extra-shocking to those who only know the Disneyfied Snow White. I liked his idea of Snow White visiting her past by way of her Stepmother's enchanted mirror. She longs to reclaim happiness and her inner strength. Perhaps the mirror's reflection will show her how?
The adult Snow White is experiencing a crisis of confidence and has sunk into depression so her frequent woe-is-me wailing is understandable, if irritating. She seems determined to only ever value herself in relation to a man as would have been normal for the Grimm story's era, although the mirror tries to guide her towards independent strength. Meredith mostly uses historically appropriate language which adds to his well-crafted atmosphere, but occasionally slips into modern-day Americanisms such as 'mommy' which grate. Words are distractingly misused too. Amongst others we have dust moats instead motes, hair is quaffed not coiffed (surely she'd choke!), and my favourite was reading about courtesans in place of courtiers - although some behaved more as the former than the latter so perhaps the substitution wasn't so far off. Reflections Of Queen Snow White is a good read and an interesting examination of grief and introspection, but it needs a more robust proofreading and I would have preferred more to have been made of the ending as it wraps up with an unexpected haste.