The Frog Prince by Stephen Mitchell

Title: The Frog Prince

Author: Stephen Mitchell

Publisher: Harmony 1999

Genre: Fairy Tales

Pages: 188

Rating:   5 / 5 stars

Reading Challenges:  Semi-Charmed Challenge — One day read; Telling Tales; Support Your Local Library

How I Got It: Library loan

In this brilliant jewel of a book, the best-selling author of Tao Te Ching: A New English Version expands and deepens the classic fairy tale in the most surprising and delightful ways, giving new emphasis to its message of the transcendent power of love.

The Frog Prince tells the story of a meditative frog’s love for a rebellious princess, how she came to love him in spite of herself, and how her refusal to compromise helped him become who he truly was. This is a magical book that moves (amphibiously) from story to meditation and back, from the outrageous to the philosophical to the silly to the sublime. Profound, touching, written in prose as lively and unpredictable as a dream, The Frog Prince tickles the mind, opens the heart, and holds up a mirror to the soul.

Interesting retelling of the fairy tale.  We get to see more of the Princess’ and Frog’s inner thoughts through the journey.  I like the idea of teaching life philosophy through fairy tales.  They are the easiest to understand.  We can explore deeper meanings through classic well-known stories.  The slim novella only took me an hour to read and yet I feel like I could spend many more hours contemplating the messages included.  I don’t have much else to add.  I like it.  I want to read more fairy tales/reinterpretations/philosophy stories.  I really should add some more to my TBR list.

Two great passages:

What may appear to be proud, ungrateful, and headstrong from the outside may from the inside express an unshakable integrity of character.  Pride, if is doesn’t step over the line into arrogance, is simply an unprejudiced self-esteem.  Ingratitude is the appropriate response to a kindness that has hooks on it.  Headstrong is another word for trusting your own heart. — pg. 103

There remains the question of meaning.  A frog turns into a prince.  A lost son is found.  A queen long dead steps down from her pedestal, flushed with life.  Is this wishful thinking?  Whistling in the dark?  And if it isn’t, if such transformations are images of what can actually happen to us, in us, what do they entail?  What do they look and feel like? — pg. 184

Side note: Listening to Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds while listening was a good choice.  Soothing acoustic music set the mood for this books.

  

 

Beastly by Alex Flinn

Title: Beastly

Author: Alex Flin

Publisher: HarperTeen 2007

Genre: YA Fairy Tales

Pages: 304

Rating:  4  / 5 stars

Reading Challenges: Telling Tales; Book2Movie; Read Your Name – F

How I Got It: Library Loan

Book

I am a beast. A beast! Not quite wolf or bear, gorilla or dog but a horrible new creature who walks upright. I am a monster.You think I’m talking fairy tales? No way. The place is New York City. The time is now. It’s no deformity, no disease. And I’ll,stay this way forever—ruined—unless I can break the spell.

Yes, the spell, the one the witch in my English class cast on me. Why did she turn me into a beast who hides by day and prowls by night? I’ll tell you. I’ll tell you how I used to be Kyle Kingsbury, the guy you wished you were, with money, perfect looks, and the perfect life. And then, I’ll tell you how I became perfectly . . . beastly.

If I was 15, I would have loved this book.  As I am 30, I liked it.  Overall a cute read, but nothing I will gush over.  I liked Lindy, Will, Magda, and Kendra.  All were great characters.  Kyle/Adrian was so-so.  I get that he was supposed to be the villain in the beginning and find redemption in the end, but I never found him charming, at any point in the book.  This maybe my 30-year-old self not being attracted to 15-year-old boys.  But I also think part of it lies with his personality.  The change seemed rather abrupt and disgenuine.  I just didn’t believe him.  Oh and the chat room transcripts… seemed really hooky and silly.

Movie

I have to confess that I saw the movie before reading the book.  After watching the movie, I would have rated it 3 stars.  But after reading the book, I now give the movie 4 stars.  Raising the age of the main characters made the true love romance feel real.  I just can’t believe in 15-year-olds finding their one love.  While I am not a fan of Vanessa Hudgens in general, she did a decent job as Lindy.  I loved Alex Pettyfer as our Beast.  He had the right amount of vanity in the beginning, but we also really get to see his gradual change.  I could have done without Olsen twin (which one?) as Kendra.  She’s supposed to be ugly at the beginning.  She was just too glamourous to be believed.  Neil Patrick Harris’ Will was great.  And the change in makeup really did it.  He was still a Beast, just an interesting looking Beast.

 

 

Fables: Super Team

Title: Fables Vol. 16: Super Team

Author: Bill Willingham

Publisher: Vertigo 2011

Genre: Graphic Novel; Fantasy

Pages: 160

Rating: 5  / 5 stars

Reading Challenges: Fables Series; A to Z — S; Support Your Local Library

Now why oh why in this mixed-up world would we saddle an important series that has never had anything to do with Super Heroes with a title like “Super Team”? And why has that snotty little Pinocchio suddenly got it into his head that he needs to design tight-fitting costumes for a carefully selected team of Fables? In fact, why was the little brat caught looking over his own comic-book collection, mumbling things like, “We can call him Werewolf Man, and he can be The Golden Knight, and she can be called The Green Witch?”

Another great, although somewhat anticlimactic, volume.  Bigby continues to be one of my favorite characters in the entire series.  Ozma is growing on me.  I really enjoyed Mister Dark and suspect Nurse Spratt will become a major player soon.  The North Wind is the constant blowhard.  Blufkin’s adventures were fantastical enough.  I think that’s what keeps me reading: The character.  I love all the different and interesting characters Willingham has created.  They liven up the somewhat tired fairy tale stories.  I can’t wait to see what happens to the scattered Fables next.  And there was quite a few cliffhangers at the conclusion of Volume 16!  So exciting…

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Fables: Rose Red

Title: Fables Vol. 15: Rose Red

Author: Bill Willingham

Publisher: Vertigo 2011

Genre: Graphic Novel; Fantasy

Pages: 256

Rating: 5  / 5 stars

Reading Challenges: Fables Series; Support Your Local Library; RYN – R; Color Coded – R

Rose Red, sister of Snow White, has finally hit rock bottom. Does she stay there, or is it time to start the long, tortuous climb back up? The Farm is in chaos, as many factions compete to fill the void of her missing leadership. And there’s a big magical fight brewing down in the town square, right under her window.

Another great addition to the Fables series.  This one had so many storylines, and I loved every single one.  That’s not always the case.  Of course we get the main storyline of Rose Red’s triumphant return.  But we also get Beauty and Beast’s baby, Bellflower’s (Frau Totenkinder) battle with Mr. Dark, an interesting meeting with the North Wind, and a few shorts after the move to Haven.  I loved it!  The best part… the beautiful illustrations.  This volume included the series’ 100th issue.  The artwork for that issue was too beautiful not to share.  So, I made it my button for this year’s challenge.  Enjoy!

 

 

Jack of Fables: The End

Title: Jack of Fables Vol. 9: The End

Author: Bill Willingham

Publisher: Vertigo 2011

Genre: Graphic Novel; Fantasy

Pages: 144

Rating: 4  / 5 stars

Reading Challenges: Fables Series; Name – E; My Years – 2011; Support Your Local Library

Jack Frost seeks to kill a dragon, unaware that it’s his own father. Jack Frost has just set upon the greatest quest in a long and distinguished career of great quests: To kill a dragon. Of course, he is not aware that the dragon in question is in fact his own father. Meanwhile, the Page Sisters find a new purpose in life: restoring the Great Library. This volume includes JACK OF FABLES #50, a special issue that includes appearances by everyone who’s ever shown up in the series.

As much as I loved the Jack of Fables series, towards the end I was just kinda done with it.  It was good, don’t get my wrong, I just wasn’t on the edge of my seat waiting to find out what happened.  I didn’t get sucked into the world within the pages.  Something just wasn’t magical enough for me.  I continue to read the main Fables series and love all the volumes.  Jack just became a tiresome character and I never really got into his son, Jack Frost.  I was ready to find out the ending.  And boy was it an ending.  As the volume notes, they went Shakespearean with the ending.  Crazy stuff!  Overall, a good read, just not great.

 

Fables: Witches

Title: Fables Vol. 14: Witches

Author: Bill Willingham

Publisher: Vertigo 2010

Genre: Graphic Novel; Fantasy

Pages: 192

Rating:  5 / 5 stars

Reading Challenges: Fables Series; A to Z - W; My Years – 2011; Support Your Local Library

While the meek and mild flying monkey Bufkin is trapped in Fabletown’s collapsed business office with the evil witch Baba Yaga, Frau Totenkinder and the witches at the Farm upstate prepare to deal with Mister Dark down in what’s left of Fabletown.

Loving this turn of events…  We see more of Mr. Dark, his building empire, and the plans being made to stop him.  I love the changes to Frau Totenkinder.  She’s always been one of my favorite characters.  And now we get an introduction to Ozma.  Very interesting turn, indeed!  Plus we finally see more interactions in Haven.  I’m loving Ambrose, but he really needs to wake up and notice Ride.  I feel the big showdown approaching, but it will probably be drawn out for at least two more volumes.  I’m okay with that.  I love this series so much.

As a side note,  I caught a wonderful little comment alluding to the novel Peter and Max.  Nicely done!

 

2012 Telling Tales Reading Challenge

 

 

From An Armchair by the Sea:  

Rules:

· Challenge runs from January 1^st 2012 to December 31^st 2012. You may sign up to participate at any point between these dates.

· In your sign up post you must mention the level of participation you intend to complete

· Any genre counts as long as it is related to fairytale, folklore, or mythology in some way. If you’re not sure if it counts – as long as you can make a case for why it should, then it does!

· You can re-read books for this challenge as long as the reviews you link are written during 2012, and the challenge can also overlap other challenges.

· Whatever you read must either be a version of a fairytale or myth, or contain fairytale or mythological characters, settings, or sequence of events.

· Every month there will be update posts either here or on my sister’s blog. Please link up your reviews for that month on this post.

 

The Categories

Each category contains five levels, which are as follows:

Level 1: Read 5 books

Level 2: Read 10 books

Level 3: Read 15 books

Level 4: Read 20 books

Level 5: Read 25 books

 

Twisted Fairytales – retellings or modern interpretations of fairytales or myths. Classics – Myth and fairytale from the classics genre (e.g. Homer, Grimm, Virgil, Hans Christian Andersen)

Graphics – Graphic novels and comics based around or containing elements of mythology and fairytale. Examples include Neil Gaiman’s Sandman series and Bill Willingham’s Fables series among others.

Poetry & Drama – We’ve put this in because we’re sure there must be some, but currently neither Esther nor I can think of any (Homer aside!) Any suggestions please let us know!

Non- Fiction – Anything about myth, fairytale, folklore or fantasy in general that doesn’t belong to the fictional genre.

Adaptation Amalgamation – Watch a film and read the book it is based on. This category can incorporate as many other categories as you like (i.e all your films do not have to be based on graphic novels, but some can be, and some twisted fairytale, some non-fiction etc)

Mix n Match – Exactly what it says. Sign up for a level and pick that number of books from any or all of the other categories.

Fairy Tales…  I love them, but how have I not done a reading challenge yet?  That’s okay, this year I am rectifying that oversight.  Behold my committment to Level 2:  10 books based on fairy tales.  I am choosing the Mix n Match category, as I am still choosing my books.  My tentative TBR:

1. The Goose Girl — Shannon Hale (Books of Bayern #1) (2005)
2. Enna Burning — Shannon Hale (Books of Bayern #2) (2006)
3. River Secrets — Shannon Hale (Books of Bayern #3) (2008)
4. Forest Born — Shannon Hale (Books of Bayern #4) (2011)
5. Mythology — Edith Hamilton (1999)
6. Beauty — Robin McKinley (2005)
7. Pegasus — Robin McKinley (2010)
8. TBD
9. TBD
10. TBD

 

Jack of Fables: The Fulminate Blade

Title: Jack of Fables Vol. 8: The Fulminate Blade

Author: Bill Willingham

Publisher: Vertigo 2011

Genre: Graphic Novel; Fantasy

Pages: 128

Rating:  4 / 5 stars

Reading Challenges: Fables Series

With Jack Horner, former star of JACK OF FABLES, permanently transformed into a dragon, Vertigo reboots the series with a new hero, Jack Frost.The world in which this story takes place is the world in which Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers lived, only thousands of years later. All that remains is superstition and feudalism and all of the old technology is regarded as magic now. Jack seeks the magic blade which will defeat the Giant King. But of course nothing is as it seems since the good guys always reveal themselves to be evil in the end.

I was a bit disappointed by this volume.  I’ve come to expect all kinds of great things from the Fables and Jack of Fables series.  And this one really just disappointed me.  I felt the plot was rushed and lacked the finesse of characters.  The witch fell flat.  The king fell flat.  Hell, even MacDuff the wooden magical owl fell flat.  I finished reading the volume and didn’t want more.  That’s a bad sign.  Hopefully, Volume 9 gets better…

 

Jack of Fables: The New Adventures of Jack and Jack

Title: Jack of Fables Vol 7: The New Adventures of Jack and Jack

Author: Bill Willingham

Publisher: Vertigo 2010

Genre: Graphic Novel; Fantasy

Pages: 128

Rating:  5 / 5 stars

Reading Challenges: Fables Series

Jack Frost, son of Jack of Fables, has left our world and has decided to make his way to the Imperial Homeworld, where his mother is still trapped under a city of thorns. Along the way he will encounter many fantasy monsters, brigands and troops of roving goblins, and have to battle his way through them.

And while Jack Frost undertakes his quest, Jack of Fables is slowly transforming into something unexpected — and deadly.

I’ve liked the Jack of Fables series, but it has been getting a bit old.  I was done with Jack’s antics.  I needed something new.  Thankfully, Jack’s son Jack Frost has more or less taken over the volume.  And he’s out to make a name for himself as a hero.  His naiveté intrigues me.  He’s just so heroic and innocent, such the opposite of his father.  I wonder where the story will lead to next?  Here’s hoping we see more of Jack Frost and that lazy dragon!

 

Fables: The Great Fables Crossover

Title: Fables Vol. 13: The Great Fables Crossover

Author: Bill Willingham

Publisher: Vertigo 2010

Genre: Graphic Novel; Fantasy

Pages: 232

Rating: 5  / 5 stars

Reading Challenges: Fables Series

All nine issues of the long awaited crossover between Vertigo’s two popular series Fables and Jack of Fables are collected here.The world of Fables is introduced to a whole new set of characters…The Literals. The Literals are characters that embody, literally, different literary genres such as Mystery, Comedy and Romance. One of The Literals goes by the name The Storymaker, one who can vanquish the world of Fables with one stroke of his pen.When Jack discovers the existence of The Literals and their leader Kevin Thorn aka The Storymaker, Jack must leave his own book and crossover to the world of Fables to warn Fabletown about Kevin Thorn. Does the The Storymaker plan to close the book on the Fables universe once and for all?

I loved The Literals!  How could you not?  Mystery, comedy, blockbuster, noir, science fiction, and especially fantasy…  And come on, horror as a little girl?  Perfectly creepy!  The fight between the Fables/Literals/half-Fables (that would be Jack of course) was perfect fun.  I loved seeing the culmination of the volumes length buildup between the Litearls and Jack and the Page Sisters and Mr. Revise and Kevin Thorne.  It made for an interesting read.  The only thing I didn’t like: no mention of Mr. Dark.  I hope we get back to that storyline in Volume 14 Witches… 

 

P.S.  Bigby as a little girl?  Priceless!