Kay's Bookshelf

It is obvious that the author enjoyed playing with the original story, twisting it until it’s almost unrecognizable at times. The step mother is no longer wicked, but only wants the best for her kingdom and is sincerely convinced that getting rid of her stepdaughter is the right thing to do. The seven dwarfs are now a number of distorted, twisted midgets. The good prince is a necrophiliac. And so on, taking the story on a whole new level.

Perhaps it is worth noting the way this short story came to be: according to himself, Neil Gaiman, the author, is fascinated by myths and old stories, considering them the compost that helps new stories develop and grow. When attending a symposium on this subject (myths and fairy tales) he was surprised to discover that the audience did not relate to them, did not think of them as “having power”, as being able to still evolve. So Mr. Gaiman set to prove them wrong — and the very next day he presented them with this particular story, born out of the Tale of Snow White and Seven Dwarfs, and yet with a completely new approach.

In the author’s own words:

It was a retelling of the story of Snow White, from the point of view of the wicked queen. It asked questions like, “What kind of a prince comes across the dead body of a girl in a glass coffin and announces that he is in love and will be taking the body back to his castle?” and for that matter, “What kind of a girl has skin as white as snow, hair as black as coal, lips as red as blood, and can lie, as if dead, for a long time?” We realize, listening to the story, that the wicked queen was not wicked: she simply did not go far enough; and we also realize, as the queen is imprisoned inside a kiln, about to be roasted for the midwinter feast, that stories are told by survivors.

Reading this, I was very impressed by the way the author has managed to create such a frightful story, with such an original perspective, at such short notice. Not that I have ever doubted his talent, of course — but these days I am more impressed by him as ever before. :)

What I liked most: The very idea that the story that we all know might have in reality unfolded differently. After all, the mirror has two faces, doesn’t it? :) I am quite fond of the title too — seemingly random words but also a very strong connection to the initial tale.

What I liked least: Not something that bothered me that much but I was surprised to see a few explicit sexual references. I realize that the reason they took me by surprise is that I was somehow expecting to see a children’s fairy tale (despite knowing the opposite). In any way, they are not over exaggerated and taken in the context, they are just as much a part of the story like all the rest.

Recommend it to? Anyone interested in twisted fairy tales and/or seeing events from more than one perspective :)

Written by the same author:
American Gods
Coraline
Good Omens (with Terry Pratchett)
Neverwhere
Stardust
The Graveyard Book

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