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Last fall, in a Newberry Award streak, I picked up Princess Academy, by Shannon Hale (a 2006 Newberry Honor book). I loved the book, and the fact that Shannon Hales lives near me. In fact, I recently went to one of her signings. Anyway, after Princess Academy, I read Book of a Thousand Days and Austenland. I hadn’t, though, delved into her Bayern series. Thus, when my book club picked the first Bayern book, The Goose Girl, for this month’s read, I was thrilled.
The Goose Girl is based on the fairy tale of the same name. I knew the basic plot of the fairy tale (princess goes to marry a prince in a foreign land, her lady-in-waiting switches places and tells everyone she is the princess, the princess becomes a goose-keeper, eventually the true princess is restored to her rightful place and the lady-in-waiting is killed), but Hale’s retelling of the book was intruiging and magical and heartfelt. I was swept along with Ani/Isi (the goose girl) and her tale of becoming a princess by being a commoner. The character development was a little spotty with regard to most of the other characters, as with most fairy tales, but the development of Ani was amazing. I felt her uncertainty and longing and the building of her character and sense of self. (Also, I loved the prince.)
Some of the more fantastical elements, like Ani’s the communications with the wind, were a little much for me. But I loved Ani’s mystical aunt and Ani’s communications with Jok, the goose, and Falada, her horse. There was a bit of everything in this story: heartbreak, intrigue, murder, royalty, love, friendship, betrayal, loyalty, bravery, and self-discovery. And, most importantly, they all lived happily ever after. At least until the next book starts. Sigh. I’ll read this book again. And again.
The Goose Girl, by Shannon Hale (75) * * * * *
Other reviews:
I am quite delighted with this book. I’m so glad that I picked it up from the library today on a whim. The Invention of Hugo Cabret was awarded the 2008 Caldecott Medal.
With a combintion of black and white pen sketches and black and white printed words, this book is unlike any I’ve ever read. At 526 pages in a hardbound binding, it looks a little daunting. However, I read it carefully in less than an hour and a half. At least half of the pages are beautiful sketches, with a few black and white photographs thrown in. The presence of the pictures and the opening instructions to “picture yourself sitting in the darkness, like the beginning of a movie” set a magical tone to the book.
The story is (though I don’t like to use the term) heartwarming. Little Hugo Cabret has been orphaned and is living a precarious life as a clockkeeper in a train station. His father died trying to fix an old automaton, and Hugo has taken it upon himself to fix it. This quest leads him through a fantasical and yet very believable adventure that ends with him finding his true self. The writing itself is simple and rich. The combination of the pictures and the story is a beautiful work of art that defies proper description. I cant wait to see what Brian Selznick does next.
Everyone needs to read this book. Go on. Go read it.
The Invention of Hugo Cabret, by Brian Selznick: (75) * * * * *
