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Heidi
Anne Heiner
ezOP
(10/23/00 6:14:14 pm)
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Rumpelstiltskin's Problem by Vivian Vande Velde
Here is another book I am wondering if anyone has read. Somehow it eluded me for a few months after its publication date, but I finally learned about it, bought it and am now reading it. It has six short stories all presenting different perspectives and/or interpretations of the Rumpelstiltskin fairy tale. I didn't really care for Vande Velde's first collection--Tales from the Brothers Grimm and the Sisters Weird. It failed to be ageless and appealed to only a certain age level. This book is much better. It would be fun to use in a class discussing modern interpretations of fairy tales, especially for high school students.
Anyone read it and want to discuss?
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Kerrie
Registered User
(10/23/00 7:25:02 pm)
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Re: Rumpelstiltskin's Problem by Vivian Vande Velde
Ooooo- I was just looking at this today to get from work (apparently they give "free" books to employees for the holidays). I'll mark it as a definite and hopefully get it soon! (I was especially pleased to see it listed as YA)
Feel free to chat about it otherwise!
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Terri
Registered User
(10/24/00 12:01:19 am)
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Re: Rumpelstiltskin's Problem by Vivian Vande Velde
I didn't love her last fairy tale collection either, so I'm glad to hear this one is stronger. It's an interesting idea, to base the whole volume on one tale.
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Heidi
Anne Heiner
ezOP
(10/24/00 7:27:15 pm)
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Re: Rumpelstiltskin's Problem by Vivian Vande Velde
I read most of the book last night. While it is *much* better than the previous one, it is still low on my list of great fairy tale reads. At the risk of flattery, I can think of several I prefer and they have been edited by someone we all know here with Ellen D. (Just how many Ellens do you know, Terri?)
I like the idea of exploring one tale in so many ways in one volume. Vande Velde is having fun with the tale which I appreciate. There isn't the feeling of needing to say something gross to appeal to the kids--that's the feeling I had with her other book. I would love to see this done again, perhaps one tale explored by several different authors? Of course, I do that in my head already and even somewhat on my site, but a published volume would be lovely. I get excited contemplating a volume of stories based on Beauty and the Beast, Sleeping Beauty or Cinderella or even one of the less popular tales, such as Goose Girl, although publishers would be more wary of an entire volume based on Goose Girl, I imagine.
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Terri
Registered User
(10/25/00 12:05:30 am)
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Re: Rumpelstiltskin's Problem by Vivian Vande Velde
I actually did try to pitch an anthology once of stories all based on Sleeping Beauty. At that time, all the publishers I talked to thought all the stories would be too much the same....and I admit, it would take some careful work on the part of the editor to make sure it had enough variety to be satisfying. Someday I'll find the right publisher for it and take the idea off the back-burner. I had imagined a series of volumes, each examing a different tale from numerous different perspectives. (I want the first one, Sleeping Beauty, to have Burne-Jones' Briar Rose mural, of the princess and all her sleeping handmaidens, on the cover! But, as we've discussed on this board before, writer and editors almost never get final say on cover art, alas.)
I agree with you about Vande Velde's writing -- it just doesn't move me the way other fairy tale writing does. On the other hand, Jane Yolen has championed her work, and Jane's no slouch as either an editor or a writer.
As for all of the Ellens, yes, it is confusing that three of my best girlfriends are Ellens: Ellen Steiber, Ellen Datlow, and Ellen Kushner. And they're all in publishing and they're all dark haired. The Three Graces incarnate.
Edited by: Terri at: 10/25/00
12:09:11 am
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