Spindle by E. K. Johnston
2016; Johns Hopkins University Press; Volume: 70; Issue: 4 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1353/bcc.2016.0979
ISSN1558-6766
Autores Tópico(s)Folklore, Mythology, and Literature Studies
ResumoReviewed by: Spindle by E. K. Johnston Kate Quealy-Gainer Johnston, E. K. Spindle. Hyperion, 2016 [368p] Trade ed. ISBN 978-1-4847-2228-2 $18.99 Reviewed from galleys Ad Gr. 7-10 When the demon cursed the princess Little Rose on her fifth birthday, it cursed the entirety of Kharuf, forcing a stop to almost all spinning, the lifeblood of the kingdom. Yashaa’s mother, however, continued to spin for the royal family despite the physical illness it brought to her body. Embittered by years of watching his mother suffer, the now eighteen-year-old Yashaa sets out to break the curse, but to do so he must speak with Little Rose—the childhood friend whom he has come to resent as the cause of the curse and thus his mother’s illness. The framework of “Sleeping Beauty” plays out against a hot desert setting, with Yashaa playing the reluctant hero and Little Rose possessing far more agency, wit, and intelligence than is afforded to most fairy-tale princesses. This story adds a twist, though—the pricking of Little Rose’s finger will still cast her into a lifelong sleep, but it will also save her from being inhabited by the demon and thus from bringing ruin to the kingdom. Occasional chapters from the demon’s perspective provide dramatic flair that somewhat compensates for Yashaa’s stiff narration. His formal, almost prudish, voice holds readers at an arm’s length, dampening the impact of any action and stealing emotional weight from characters’ relationships. The story behind the curse and its purpose are also somewhat confusing, even when told by the demon. The ending nonetheless manages to be heartbreaking, drawing on some of the original [End Page 179] tale’s darker threads and possibly pleasing readers who would prefer their ever afters to be bittersweet rather than happy. Copyright © 2016 by The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois
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