A review by otterno11
Rumpled, by Lacey Louwagie
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