jljaina's review against another edition
3.0
When I first picked this up I was expecting more of a middle grade/ya reading level but it feels more adult. The first page jumps in and makes a reference of things some fathers do to their daughters that is quite illegal (or at least frowned upon if both adults) in many countries. So that set the tone foe the maturity level. Yet there is references to incest, adultery and yes the characters have sex (sorry no stock bringing the baby in this one!). But nothing graphic.
I both felt bad for Rumpelstiltskin and annoyed with him. He really is pathetic in many ways. I was left with questions of what Emily truly though of him in the end. A curious retelling (or perhaps just a different view?) that makes sense in many ways.
I both felt bad for Rumpelstiltskin and annoyed with him. He really is pathetic in many ways. I was left with questions of what Emily truly though of him in the end. A curious retelling (or perhaps just a different view?) that makes sense in many ways.
loram's review
5.0
This is a fairytale retelling that ventures into adult situations, but tastefully so. A young woman, Emily, is to marry the king, but her life is dependent on proving she can spin gold from straw. Of course she can do no such thing, but Rumplestiltskin saves the day with his special magic. He is little and ugly, and hopelessly in love with the woman who will become his queen.
Rumpy is also human and doesn't hesitate to accept the favors that Emily offers in return for his lessons in how to perform the magic, though she finds it difficult to make the transmutations. Like in the original fairytale, she has promised him her first born child in return for his help as well.
This story expands on the original tale and gives a reason for Rumpy's wish for the child. There is magic and court politics in what I thought was a nice little Fantasy tale well done.
The writing was very good and I have no hesitation in giving this one 5 stars.
Rumpy is also human and doesn't hesitate to accept the favors that Emily offers in return for his lessons in how to perform the magic, though she finds it difficult to make the transmutations. Like in the original fairytale, she has promised him her first born child in return for his help as well.
This story expands on the original tale and gives a reason for Rumpy's wish for the child. There is magic and court politics in what I thought was a nice little Fantasy tale well done.
The writing was very good and I have no hesitation in giving this one 5 stars.
jupiter2ff65's review
4.0
Rumpelstiltskin is one of my favorite fairy tales and I really loved this variation on the traditional story. Louwagie has engaging characters and an intriguing premise for the story. I found myself wishing the story was longer just so I could spend more time with the characters and to learn more about the world around them. This book will be a definite reread for me in the future.
otterno11's review
5.0
A splendid first novella, Lacey Louwagie’s humanistic interpretation of the Grimm’s fairy tale Rumpelstiltskin draws strongly upon the tales fraught themes of desire, deception, and Faustian bargains to explore how much people are willing to trade to get what they want (or need) and how they might not always understand what these exactly are. An interesting story, and one that I don’t think has been explored very deeply in recent decades. Rumpled mines the rich vein of this story’s dark, almost claustrophobic atmosphere deftly, taking the traditional narrative of the miller’s daughter and the king, the “small man’s” mysterious agenda, and the “first born” whose fate has great importance for all and turning it into an examination of self worth. Through the perspectives of Rumple and Emily, Louwagie expands upon the human emotions that hide under the surface.
It was particularly effective to take the first person perspective of Rumpelstiltskin himself to really allow the reader to empathize with life; a deformed orphan who through his own force of will, made his way into the court of the King himself and, even more, learned the art of transmutation from a mysterious sorcerer. In spite of this, though, he still feels trapped by his appearance and wants nothing more than to transform himself. Emily, the miller's daughter, on the other hand, is beautiful but she is equally trapped through her relationship to her mentally unbalanced father and the King, each using her for their own ends. Emily needs to protect her family and later, her child, from a world she has little ability to control. Both Rumple and Emily deceive, themselves and others, as they try to use what powers they have to fulfill their desires. These characterizations were among the book’s most compelling features, and I was left wondering how things would work out for them. Compared to gold or beauty or power, how much is self image worth? And how much can one sacrifice to allow these things to others?
Ending in an ambiguous, but hopeful, spot, Rumpled is a thought provoking look deeper into the themes of the fairy tale, and I am looking forward to seeing where Louwagie goes next!
*I received a complimentary ebook copy for review from the author
It was particularly effective to take the first person perspective of Rumpelstiltskin himself to really allow the reader to empathize with life; a deformed orphan who through his own force of will, made his way into the court of the King himself and, even more, learned the art of transmutation from a mysterious sorcerer. In spite of this, though, he still feels trapped by his appearance and wants nothing more than to transform himself. Emily, the miller's daughter, on the other hand, is beautiful but she is equally trapped through her relationship to her mentally unbalanced father and the King, each using her for their own ends. Emily needs to protect her family and later, her child, from a world she has little ability to control. Both Rumple and Emily deceive, themselves and others, as they try to use what powers they have to fulfill their desires. These characterizations were among the book’s most compelling features, and I was left wondering how things would work out for them. Compared to gold or beauty or power, how much is self image worth? And how much can one sacrifice to allow these things to others?
Ending in an ambiguous, but hopeful, spot, Rumpled is a thought provoking look deeper into the themes of the fairy tale, and I am looking forward to seeing where Louwagie goes next!
*I received a complimentary ebook copy for review from the author
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