tehani's review
3.0
Look, it wasn't that this book wasn't well written. It was. But it is absolutely NOT what the cover and blurb and tagline try to make it out to be. This is grim, realistic fiction - go into it expecting that, and you'll probably enjoy the reading experience much more than I did.
kellytsak's review
5.0
What an incredible throught provoking and heartfelt journey. Mothers Grimm is a selection of 4 short stories that are about mothers loosely based on the Grimm fairytales.
An incredible eye opening book that will challenge any woman, particularly mother who reads it. It is like nothing I have ever read before, it makes the reader keenly aware of the pressure that women and mothers feel on a daily basis. The characters were all relateable and their plights will be felt leaving the reader pondering for quite some time after finishing.
I would recommend this book to any mothers, it was an eyeopening journey that makes one aware of the daily struggles a mother faces
An incredible eye opening book that will challenge any woman, particularly mother who reads it. It is like nothing I have ever read before, it makes the reader keenly aware of the pressure that women and mothers feel on a daily basis. The characters were all relateable and their plights will be felt leaving the reader pondering for quite some time after finishing.
I would recommend this book to any mothers, it was an eyeopening journey that makes one aware of the daily struggles a mother faces
readerziyya's review
3.0
*As seen on my blog*
Mother’s Grimm karya Danielle Wood adalah sebuah buku yang memuat empat kisah retellings -some Mother characters from Brother’s Grimm Fairytale. Kisah-kisah yang berbeda, namun memiliki tone dan ending senada. Yang pertama berjudul Lettuce. Tentang Meg, seorang wanita yang secara fisik, bertubuh tinggi dan biasa. Meg tipikal observator. She thinks about things around her but she’s a quiet person. Ketika hamil anak pertamanya, ia ikut kelas yoga untuk ibu-ibu hamil. Di sana, ia bertemu seorang wanita bertubuh sempurna. Melekat padanya perhiasan dan pakaian berkelas. Bahkan dalam kondisi hamil besar, wanita itu terlihat cantik. Yang juga tak luput dari penglihatan Meg adalah bahwa wanita itu, meski hamil, tak mengenakan cincin kawin. Meg memanggilnya Treasure.
Sejak itu, pupil Meg selalu awas saat ada Treasure dan terhadap segala hal tentangnya.
Lalu mengapa judulnya Lettuce?
Di hari persalinan anak pertamanya (yang ia beri nama Jackson Alexander Campbell), di klinik tempat ia melahirkan, ada seorang bayi perempuan cantik yang ditinggal ibunya begitu saja. Melihat bayi itu, ia memberi saran nama Lettuce. Terdengar silly, tapi jika apa yang dipikirkannya benar hingga ia mencetuskan nama Lettuce itu, maka tak salah lagi bahwa bayi itu adalah bayi milik Treasure. Mengapa sampai bayi cantik itu ditinggalkan?
Next.
Kisah kedua berjudul Cottage. Berkisah tentang seorang ibu, Nina, yang mesti meninggalkan impiannya untuk menjadi ibu rumah tangga; merawat anak-anaknya dengan perhatian penuh. Apalagi anak pertamanya, Henry, adalah bayi yang butuh perhatian khusus; tubuhnya kurus, susah makan, dan emosinya sering tak stabil. Bukan keinginan Nina untuk menjadi working mom, tapi keadaan finansial keluarga kecilnya. Lucas, sang suami, memiliki hutang besar yang meski dengan tambahan Nina bekerja pun, baru bisa dilunasi dengan angsuran bertahun-tahun. And so it goes, childcare is the solution.
Childcare tempat ia menitipkan Henry dan Gracie (putri kedua Nina) bernama Cottage. Hari-hari pertama Henry dan Gracie ditinggal di Cottage selama Nina bekerja, terasa begitu sulit. Henry menjerit-jerit, menangis hingga muntah, tak pernah benar-benar rela ditinggal ibunya. Nina pun, tak sanggup melihat Henry bereaksi seperti itu hingga ia jadi tak fokus dengan pekerjaannya.
Tapi hari-hari berlalu menjadi minggu, lalu menjadi bulan, dan Henry terbiasa dengan ritual perpisahannya dengan Nina sebelum ia berangkat bekerja. Sayangnya, Henry juga jadi lebih lengket pada salah satu perawat yang bekerja di Cottage yang bernama Beverly. To the point that Henry compares Nina to Beverly, even choosing Beverly over her. Henry masih dengan emosinya yang tak stabil. Paranoia Henry bahwa Nina sudi untuk sewaktu-waktu pergi meninggalkannya dan tak kembali juga masih ada. Dan satu momen tantrum Henry mentrigger emosi terpendam Nina (sedih, takut, cinta, khawatir dan marah) hingga Nina menjadi sesosok Ibu yang tak ia kenali lagi.
Hmm… Masih ada dua kisah bernuansa Grimm dalam buku ini. Baiknya mungkin saya stop sampai di dua kisah pertama ya?
Okelah, sedikit aja deh tentang dua kisah berikutnya.
Kisah ketiga, berjudul Sleep. Sedikit banyak tentang seorang wanita muda, yang hamil dan memiliki anak di luar rencananya dan selanjutnya kisahnya ditambahi sentuhan baby blues. Saya kesulitan menceritakannya kembali dalam kalimat-kalimat singkat, tapi yang jelas, buat saya kisah ketiga ini yang paling ‘Grimm’. Gimana, jadi penasaran kenapa saya bilang paling Grimm?
Last story, berjudul Nag. Saya paling ngga gitu mudeng dengan cerita yang terakhir ini. Lebih tepatnya ngga tahu apa yang membuat narator dikategorikan ‘Grimm’ (Oh My, Grimm udah bukan sekedar nama tapi udah kaya kata sifat!) kecuali bahwa ia membunuh seekor kuda yang menurutnya berbisik kepadanya –yup, sedikit fantasy untuk kisah terakhir ini. Narasinya maju mundur, tentang si narator yang bernama Avery mengenang kembali hari terakhir sebelum ia memisahkan diri dari ibunya. Avery mengingat perhatian sekaligus kesedihan ibunya saat melepaskan dirinya. It happens that the life (and the man) she has chosen might not the one her mother’s wanted. Sometimes she regret that (maybe most of the times). But she walked on. And now that her children are grown up, it comes to her, the feeling her mother’s once have about her and her life. If only she did better.
Eeeh, what a long post (and yet I still have couple things to say)!
Membaca buku ini, membuka mata saya akan beratnya menjadi seorang ibu dan bahwa menjadi ibu yang baik itu susah. Padahal menjadi ibu yang baik adalah dambaan semua ibu muda. Karena dalam prosesnya, kehidupan wanita yang menjadi ibu ditempa dengan hal-hal rutinitas dan aktivitas yang menguras tenaga, pikiran, dan emosi. Yang tiapnya, saat mencapai titik terlemah pertahanan seorang wanita, malah berpotensi mendestruksi dirinya sendiri (bahkan anak-anak mereka).
Ngga semua perempuan itu tough, tapi semuanya memiliki bibit fragile. And so, what will you become?
Mother’s Grimm karya Danielle Wood adalah sebuah buku yang memuat empat kisah retellings -some Mother characters from Brother’s Grimm Fairytale. Kisah-kisah yang berbeda, namun memiliki tone dan ending senada. Yang pertama berjudul Lettuce. Tentang Meg, seorang wanita yang secara fisik, bertubuh tinggi dan biasa. Meg tipikal observator. She thinks about things around her but she’s a quiet person. Ketika hamil anak pertamanya, ia ikut kelas yoga untuk ibu-ibu hamil. Di sana, ia bertemu seorang wanita bertubuh sempurna. Melekat padanya perhiasan dan pakaian berkelas. Bahkan dalam kondisi hamil besar, wanita itu terlihat cantik. Yang juga tak luput dari penglihatan Meg adalah bahwa wanita itu, meski hamil, tak mengenakan cincin kawin. Meg memanggilnya Treasure.
Sejak itu, pupil Meg selalu awas saat ada Treasure dan terhadap segala hal tentangnya.
Lalu mengapa judulnya Lettuce?
Di hari persalinan anak pertamanya (yang ia beri nama Jackson Alexander Campbell), di klinik tempat ia melahirkan, ada seorang bayi perempuan cantik yang ditinggal ibunya begitu saja. Melihat bayi itu, ia memberi saran nama Lettuce. Terdengar silly, tapi jika apa yang dipikirkannya benar hingga ia mencetuskan nama Lettuce itu, maka tak salah lagi bahwa bayi itu adalah bayi milik Treasure. Mengapa sampai bayi cantik itu ditinggalkan?
Next.
Kisah kedua berjudul Cottage. Berkisah tentang seorang ibu, Nina, yang mesti meninggalkan impiannya untuk menjadi ibu rumah tangga; merawat anak-anaknya dengan perhatian penuh. Apalagi anak pertamanya, Henry, adalah bayi yang butuh perhatian khusus; tubuhnya kurus, susah makan, dan emosinya sering tak stabil. Bukan keinginan Nina untuk menjadi working mom, tapi keadaan finansial keluarga kecilnya. Lucas, sang suami, memiliki hutang besar yang meski dengan tambahan Nina bekerja pun, baru bisa dilunasi dengan angsuran bertahun-tahun. And so it goes, childcare is the solution.
Childcare tempat ia menitipkan Henry dan Gracie (putri kedua Nina) bernama Cottage. Hari-hari pertama Henry dan Gracie ditinggal di Cottage selama Nina bekerja, terasa begitu sulit. Henry menjerit-jerit, menangis hingga muntah, tak pernah benar-benar rela ditinggal ibunya. Nina pun, tak sanggup melihat Henry bereaksi seperti itu hingga ia jadi tak fokus dengan pekerjaannya.
Tapi hari-hari berlalu menjadi minggu, lalu menjadi bulan, dan Henry terbiasa dengan ritual perpisahannya dengan Nina sebelum ia berangkat bekerja. Sayangnya, Henry juga jadi lebih lengket pada salah satu perawat yang bekerja di Cottage yang bernama Beverly. To the point that Henry compares Nina to Beverly, even choosing Beverly over her. Henry masih dengan emosinya yang tak stabil. Paranoia Henry bahwa Nina sudi untuk sewaktu-waktu pergi meninggalkannya dan tak kembali juga masih ada. Dan satu momen tantrum Henry mentrigger emosi terpendam Nina (sedih, takut, cinta, khawatir dan marah) hingga Nina menjadi sesosok Ibu yang tak ia kenali lagi.
Hmm… Masih ada dua kisah bernuansa Grimm dalam buku ini. Baiknya mungkin saya stop sampai di dua kisah pertama ya?
Okelah, sedikit aja deh tentang dua kisah berikutnya.
Kisah ketiga, berjudul Sleep. Sedikit banyak tentang seorang wanita muda, yang hamil dan memiliki anak di luar rencananya dan selanjutnya kisahnya ditambahi sentuhan baby blues. Saya kesulitan menceritakannya kembali dalam kalimat-kalimat singkat, tapi yang jelas, buat saya kisah ketiga ini yang paling ‘Grimm’. Gimana, jadi penasaran kenapa saya bilang paling Grimm?
Last story, berjudul Nag. Saya paling ngga gitu mudeng dengan cerita yang terakhir ini. Lebih tepatnya ngga tahu apa yang membuat narator dikategorikan ‘Grimm’ (Oh My, Grimm udah bukan sekedar nama tapi udah kaya kata sifat!) kecuali bahwa ia membunuh seekor kuda yang menurutnya berbisik kepadanya –yup, sedikit fantasy untuk kisah terakhir ini. Narasinya maju mundur, tentang si narator yang bernama Avery mengenang kembali hari terakhir sebelum ia memisahkan diri dari ibunya. Avery mengingat perhatian sekaligus kesedihan ibunya saat melepaskan dirinya. It happens that the life (and the man) she has chosen might not the one her mother’s wanted. Sometimes she regret that (maybe most of the times). But she walked on. And now that her children are grown up, it comes to her, the feeling her mother’s once have about her and her life. If only she did better.
Eeeh, what a long post (and yet I still have couple things to say)!
That evening, Meg’s mother came to the hospital to meet her grandson.
‘Did you . . . ?’ Meg began.
Meg was tired and weepy by now and uncertain she could continue, and yet there was something she had to know. ‘Mum, did you feel this? Did you . . . love me this much?’
Meg looked closely at her mother, and at the unkindnesses done to her face by the years of trying to hold it all perfectly together. The scoldings, the crossness, the indignation: they all showed. But, even so, they were not up to the task of hiding her wistfulness.
‘Hold on to that feeling, Meggie,’ her mother said. ‘Because it has to last you for a very, very long time.’
Membaca buku ini, membuka mata saya akan beratnya menjadi seorang ibu dan bahwa menjadi ibu yang baik itu susah. Padahal menjadi ibu yang baik adalah dambaan semua ibu muda. Karena dalam prosesnya, kehidupan wanita yang menjadi ibu ditempa dengan hal-hal rutinitas dan aktivitas yang menguras tenaga, pikiran, dan emosi. Yang tiapnya, saat mencapai titik terlemah pertahanan seorang wanita, malah berpotensi mendestruksi dirinya sendiri (bahkan anak-anak mereka).
Ngga semua perempuan itu tough, tapi semuanya memiliki bibit fragile. And so, what will you become?
sophiavass's review
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
nerakgo's review
5.0
Medicine for a mother's soul! LOVED this book. Eloquent and humorous reflections on the often unspoken ups and downs of the surprising adventure of motherhood.
tien's review
3.0
In a fairytale, the only good mother is six feet under. All the others are bad news.
By this part of the blurb alone, it should be pretty obvious what we’re getting here. None of that Disney fairy tales with an Happy Ever Afters. By the last line of the Prologue; ”...why it is, in fairy tales, that the Good Mother is always dead.”, I questioned the timing of my reading this book on motherhood (FYI, am expecting my second baby in about 6 weeks). Yet, I continued reading with some foreboding...
There are 4 stories in this novel which I supposed inspired rather than a retelling of any fairy tales. Each story was preceded by some phrases of a fairy tale on which stories are based. These stories are set in more contemporary times with loose interpretations on fairy tales’ mothers. What is missing from these stories are the magic usually employed in fairy tales, the basic good vs. evil, and the ultimate love prevails overall sort of path. In spite of this, these stories are cleverly realistic and frighteningly Grimm-like.
The black and white of distinction between good and evil is blurred as these stories dug into the human psyche. These mothers are far from perfect and each carry own unique struggles in her role as a woman and a mother. These well-told tales carried the burdens of motherhood throughout the ages into contemporary settings where appearances are just never what they seemed. This was highlighted throughout by black humour; pushing out or aside that darkness within us all can sometimes be overpowering.
My instincts tell me that if I were to read this a decade or so from now, I would’ve appreciated it more. But in consideration of my current situation, my heart ached for the future: the upcoming birth, the joys & pains of small children, and further on, the promised heartbreak when they will eventually leave home. These are, of course, the natural course of life though reading Mothers Grimm made it all so awfully real to me –that these all collided in to one point in time so near rather than throughout the next decade or two. This book is one I’d like to re-read one day in the distant future to hopefully better appreciate.
Thank you, Allen & Unwin in conjunction with The Reading Room for copy of paperback .
By this part of the blurb alone, it should be pretty obvious what we’re getting here. None of that Disney fairy tales with an Happy Ever Afters. By the last line of the Prologue; ”...why it is, in fairy tales, that the Good Mother is always dead.”, I questioned the timing of my reading this book on motherhood (FYI, am expecting my second baby in about 6 weeks). Yet, I continued reading with some foreboding...
There are 4 stories in this novel which I supposed inspired rather than a retelling of any fairy tales. Each story was preceded by some phrases of a fairy tale on which stories are based. These stories are set in more contemporary times with loose interpretations on fairy tales’ mothers. What is missing from these stories are the magic usually employed in fairy tales, the basic good vs. evil, and the ultimate love prevails overall sort of path. In spite of this, these stories are cleverly realistic and frighteningly Grimm-like.
The black and white of distinction between good and evil is blurred as these stories dug into the human psyche. These mothers are far from perfect and each carry own unique struggles in her role as a woman and a mother. These well-told tales carried the burdens of motherhood throughout the ages into contemporary settings where appearances are just never what they seemed. This was highlighted throughout by black humour; pushing out or aside that darkness within us all can sometimes be overpowering.
My instincts tell me that if I were to read this a decade or so from now, I would’ve appreciated it more. But in consideration of my current situation, my heart ached for the future: the upcoming birth, the joys & pains of small children, and further on, the promised heartbreak when they will eventually leave home. These are, of course, the natural course of life though reading Mothers Grimm made it all so awfully real to me –that these all collided in to one point in time so near rather than throughout the next decade or two. This book is one I’d like to re-read one day in the distant future to hopefully better appreciate.
Thank you, Allen & Unwin in conjunction with The Reading Room for copy of paperback .
samstillreading's review
4.0
There’s a lot of babies in my life at the moment. Not mine (fortunately), but I have a lot of pregnant friends and new mothers in my circle of friends. Reading Mothers Grimm, I can’t say that I want to join their ranks too soon!
When we think about mothers in fairy tales…well, there’s not too many of them (but a plethora of wicked stepmothers) and they’re not the nice, selfless types. A baby for leafy greens? Sure. Leaving your child in the woods? No worries. But everyday mothers don’t do that – they are pure and always act in the best interests of their offspring…right? The mothers in this story are modern and they’re also women in their own right. They had lives, careers, friends and a social life before Baby made an entrance. Society expects them to juggle everything with a smile, from the high-powered, high-stress job to having a perfect three course dinner on the table every single night. It’s just not possible and in these tales, Danielle Wood shows that something’s got to give. Nobody can be perfect 100% of the time and society does put unrealistic expectations on mothers and judges them harshly for it.
The stories are based on fairy tales, but the premise is so twisted that you’d be hard-pressed to recognise the origin of the tale. I really liked that part – it meant I had no preconceived ideas of what was to come. Boy, I was in for some eye-opening. Wood tackles the big stuff, from the seemingly perfect mother who changes her mind at the last minute to the accidental pregnancy that ends in accidental tragedy. She reveals that mothers are not serene angels, but women whose phones go flat because they forgot to turn the charger on and die a little inside when they have to leave their child in day care to pay the mortgage. They do bad things too, whether it be poisoning or sneaking in a coffee when pregnant. It’s great. It shows we’re all human and we all have faults. Who is this society to tell us what to do anyway?
The stories are easily read in a sitting or two (I say two because they equalled two train trips for me) and I think women who are mothers may relate more to some of the thoughts expressed in the stories (us others, we just nod and know that our friends have said this a lot). It’s probably not a book you want to give to your idealistic friend who is expecting her first child though! (Wait until she’s had several months of sleepless nights). They’re not always happy, but they reflect life as we know it. Read it and grin at the scenes you recognise!
Thank you to Allen & Unwin and The Reading Room for the ARC of this book.
http://samstillreading.wordpress.com
When we think about mothers in fairy tales…well, there’s not too many of them (but a plethora of wicked stepmothers) and they’re not the nice, selfless types. A baby for leafy greens? Sure. Leaving your child in the woods? No worries. But everyday mothers don’t do that – they are pure and always act in the best interests of their offspring…right? The mothers in this story are modern and they’re also women in their own right. They had lives, careers, friends and a social life before Baby made an entrance. Society expects them to juggle everything with a smile, from the high-powered, high-stress job to having a perfect three course dinner on the table every single night. It’s just not possible and in these tales, Danielle Wood shows that something’s got to give. Nobody can be perfect 100% of the time and society does put unrealistic expectations on mothers and judges them harshly for it.
The stories are based on fairy tales, but the premise is so twisted that you’d be hard-pressed to recognise the origin of the tale. I really liked that part – it meant I had no preconceived ideas of what was to come. Boy, I was in for some eye-opening. Wood tackles the big stuff, from the seemingly perfect mother who changes her mind at the last minute to the accidental pregnancy that ends in accidental tragedy. She reveals that mothers are not serene angels, but women whose phones go flat because they forgot to turn the charger on and die a little inside when they have to leave their child in day care to pay the mortgage. They do bad things too, whether it be poisoning or sneaking in a coffee when pregnant. It’s great. It shows we’re all human and we all have faults. Who is this society to tell us what to do anyway?
The stories are easily read in a sitting or two (I say two because they equalled two train trips for me) and I think women who are mothers may relate more to some of the thoughts expressed in the stories (us others, we just nod and know that our friends have said this a lot). It’s probably not a book you want to give to your idealistic friend who is expecting her first child though! (Wait until she’s had several months of sleepless nights). They’re not always happy, but they reflect life as we know it. Read it and grin at the scenes you recognise!
Thank you to Allen & Unwin and The Reading Room for the ARC of this book.
http://samstillreading.wordpress.com
bemkah's review
3.0
This book was very well written, but I came away disappointed.
The theme seems to be expectations. I expected a dark retold fairytale, full of the humour promised on the cover, with dark angular figures and classic mythology. What I got was 4 separate stories about 4 separate women, each on a journey through motherhood that was not at all what she expected. The tales are short, grim, and full of unfulfilled promises, unfulfilled dreams, and failing relationships.
It seems like these stories are a warning against high expectations, against falling for the prevailing culture and mythology behind what it is to be a woman and a mother in the modern world. How someone can go through life without any expectations is beyond me - if you have a fully functioning brain, you have dreams and hopes, you expect things to be better than they are. If we didn't dream, there'd be no books, and I wouldn't be writing this review.
The theme seems to be expectations. I expected a dark retold fairytale, full of the humour promised on the cover, with dark angular figures and classic mythology. What I got was 4 separate stories about 4 separate women, each on a journey through motherhood that was not at all what she expected. The tales are short, grim, and full of unfulfilled promises, unfulfilled dreams, and failing relationships.
It seems like these stories are a warning against high expectations, against falling for the prevailing culture and mythology behind what it is to be a woman and a mother in the modern world. How someone can go through life without any expectations is beyond me - if you have a fully functioning brain, you have dreams and hopes, you expect things to be better than they are. If we didn't dream, there'd be no books, and I wouldn't be writing this review.