Customer Reviews

Deerskin

5 star:		(107)
4 star:		(31)
3 star:		(18)
2 star:		(15)
1 star:		(15)

 

 

McKinley's writing is amazing, dreamlike, gutwrenching & heartwarming. This book is *not* for everyone. It has a very dark tone & the first few chapters are very painful to read. Your heart will be ripped to pieces several times before the book ends. BUT despite all of this I found it to be a very uplifting story of triumph & love. I didn't just read this book I lived it.

It is the story of Princess Lissar, who at first glance appears to live a charmed life. Actually, once we dig a little deeper we realize Lissar is very alone & isolated in her world. Her parents don't seem to remember she exists, she has no friends only servants. The turning point begins when her Mother dies and she receives a puppy as a gift of condolence from Prince Ossin whom she names Ash. Dear old Dad, crazy with grief over the loss of his Queen, turns into a nutcase & completely forgets he has daughter for several years. During this time Lissar & Ash grow up together & become bonded closer than any two beings can be. Then one day Dad remembers he has a daughter & decides it is time for her to marry & start producing an heir. Once he takes a good look at Lissar he notices how beautiful she has become & how much she resembles her mother. I don't want to give anything else away but this is the beginning of Lissar's transformation into the mystical creature Deerskin & the end of her life as she knows it.

Despite the dreary beginning, this story is ultimately a positive one & especially recommended for dog/animal lovers. The scenes with the puppy rearing, Lissar's eventual opening up to Prince Ossin & the magical, mystical qualities of the story make this a must read. Lissar is a heroine to admire & Prince Ossin is a ray of light in a world filled with selfish, spoiled & revolting men. Lissar's dog Ash is the glue that holds her together through good times and bad.

So, if you're up for an emotional read that is well worth the pain put a day aside to read this one & make sure you have a box of Kleenex handy. You're guaranteed to cry tears of pain & of joy. This one unquestionably gets 5 out of 5 stars.

I, like other reviewers, am very put off that someone could criticize this wonderful tale for being "dark". And furthermore, how on earth did this one person accumulate enough impatience to THROW IT AWAY before reading even 100 pages of it??? Hello??!! This is a ROBIN McKINLEY BOOK!!! It deserves to be read all the way through at LEAST once.

I did read it all the way through, in fact, I stayed up until 3 o'clock in the morning to finish it. By the end, I had my hands clenched and in the course of reading had yelled things like "NO!" "Oh MY GOD!", etc. several times.

It starts out seemingly perfect, as all the old boring fairytales seem to be, with tales of the handsome King and the Queen who is "the most beautiful woman in seven kingdoms". This tale is told to their only child, a daughter Lissla Lissar. She at a young age is enthralled by the tale of how her father completed an impossible quest to win her mother. But, we soon see the reality of the tale in that the King and Queen are so absorbed in each other that Lissar is completely ignored.

Then, a tragedy more profound than first appearance enters in. The Queen dies (not that she couldn't have prevented it) and Lissar is given her first friend in the form of Ash, a Fleethound puppy who is a gift from a prince in a neighboring country. Lissar isn't much affected by her vain, self-absorbed mother's death but a certain facial expression her father bestows on her keeps Lissar dreading him for the next two years for reasons she cannot discern. What she does not realize is that she is beginning to look more and more like her exquisite mother. In her maddened father's eyes, she is the only woman in the country who compare to his belovedly beautiful dead wife. On the morning after her hideous 17th birthday, Lissar's fears are confirmed for the worst.

Yes, this book does involve rape, incest and abuse. This is the most horribly disturbing part of the book but it is not graphic. McKinley handles it as tastefully as such a situation can be handled. Incest is an unnatural horror but McKinley does her best to keep it from driving her readers completely insane. However, the discription of Lissar's reaction and what happens to Ash is enough to make me cry even as I write this review. This is a topic that should be addressed though and I believe that it may be beneficial to anyone who has suffered such a crime to read this book. Because, as with all books where an major catastrophy occurs, joy and healing and the ability to cope for the most part do factor in.

Don't read any more unless you want to know what happens to Lissar and Ash after the end of part one.

Wounded in Heart, Spirit and Mind, Lissar and Ash flee and spend the winter in solitude. Lissar then goes through another tragedy brought on by the rape and remembers what happened to her. Then, a mysterious being gives her "the gift of time" and when Lissar comes to, her old wounds are lessened and she is ready to leave her mountain home. With the gift of time comes the ability to lock away all knowledge too painful for her to deal with at the time and she moves on, not really knowing much about herself, but being directed nonetheless. She and Ash have also been given the gift of disguises. Lissar's long black hair has become an irredescent white and her formerly green eyes are now black, black with secrets not even she is aware of at this point. Plus, Ash's coat is now long, she is no longer distinguishable as a fleethound.

Lissar comes upon the "yellow city" where the local prince (yes, he may very well be the same who gave her Ash) has a litter of orphaned puppies in need of special care. In the course of time, Lissar cares for the puppies as her old spiritual wounds try to come to grips. The prince we find also is a human and a very good friend to her.

Then, on the night of a ball, Lissar's old fears and anxieties come back and she is forced into seclusion again. This may seem tedious for some readers but I find it fitting. Such a horror as has occured to Lissar takes much time to heal, and McKinley portrays it very thoughtfully here. Some may find this rambling. But, I found that I was drawn into Lissar's emotions, confusion and fear just as if I were a part of her mind. McKinley's style is very effective in this and I find it completely appropriate. The wording needs to be confusing in order to be accurate to Lissar. Otherwise, the story would not be so real. Not all of McKinley's books are like this, so this type of writing is proof that she did it on purpose.

Anyway, this was a fantastic story! DO NOT GIVE UP!!! READ IT ALL YOU WILL NOT BE LET DOWN OR DISAPPOINTED!!! And don't worry, Lissar's father does not get away with his crime. You will be very surprised at just how he gets his karma and how Lissar saves more than herself! Not all endings are perfect, Lissar has not gotten over it. And, I love the book all the more for it, for in reality, such things cannot be "gotten over" it will always be a coping process, but, in the end, she can joyfully say that she will TRY. And that is the best and most real anyone could hope for!

I was searching for a book when the cover of Deerskin caught my eye, whoever designed it has a true gift for art. After reading the book I believe the artist to have a great talent for capturing a characters soul. Although many of the previous reviewer do not recommend this book for young readers I feel I must. I read this book at about 13 and it opened my eyes to the painful world many of my friend have had to live through. I love the way McKinley allows our heroine, Lissar, time to heal herself and come to terms to what has happened to her. It is refreshing to read a book that shows an acurate portrayal of a young woman in pain. McKinley's simple yet strong writing style only adds to the drama that is naturally engrained in the storyline. Ash is the perfect character for the necessary comic relief, subtle yet so true one can picture ones own dog acting the same way. It was a refreshing change to have an animal companion as the balance in Lissar's upside down world. Ossin is the perfect romantic lead for this story. He's not macho or overbearing he is only concerned for Lissars happiness and the wellbeing of his dogs, an interest they both share. In the end the reader is pleased to see the obligatory romance occur. It's like watching an old friend finally get the happiness they deserve. That is what this book is to me and I hope is to many people, an old friend. After reading Deerskin i ran out and bought every McKinley book I could find and have been emmensely pleased with every one. I would reccomend this book to any one who has suffered in any way or to anyone who loves a good read. Like many other of the reviewers of this book I have read this book many times and I will continue to do so in the future.

This is, in my opinion, Robin McKinley's best book -- and I've read every one from "Beauty" to "Rose Daughter". Deerskin reminded me of a dream, one that starts out quiet and detached, grows into a nightmare, and then changes into a somewhat-happy ending. It isn't just a "fairy tale" or an adventure story like The Hero and the Crown. It's a story about going through a horrifying experience and living, not just to tell about it, but to make yourself whole again. McKinley's writing style is wonderful -- she writes some of the most beautiful English I've ever read. Lissar's world drew me in, and I finished the book completely exhausted. "Deerskin" was one of the very few books I've read -- along with Madeline L'Engle's "A Ring of Endless Light" and Patricia McKillip's "The Changeling Sea" -- that totally changed me. I will admit, however, that the subject matter is disturbing. I would not recommend this book to anyone under the age of fifteen. Even some older readers expecting a "nice" book like "Beauty" may be upset by "Deerskin". I read it as a fairly mature seventeen-year-old and was still disturbed in places. An enormously powerful book.

Deerskin is Robin McKinley's most disturbing and powerful book, and possibly her most beautiful. The heroine, Princess Lissar, is beautiful, royal, and a survivor. "Deerskin" rips apart our most treasured little-girl fantasies - that being beautiful, rich, royal and the belle of the ball must be wonderful; that families are perfect, and that princes are always handsome. The story is riveting, sometimes even painful to read. McKinley's incomparable skill with language draws us into the kingdom ruled by Lissar's handsome and heroic father, and her mother, "the most beautiful woman in seven kingdoms" - the quintessential fantasy land. When Lissar's mother dies, her father's grief knows no bounds, and eventually takes a sinister turn. The illusion of perfection is forever shattered, along with Lissar's trust - and her life as she knows it. The tale of this traumatized young girl's survival and her growth into a remarkable woman (with just a little magic thrown in) is the rest of the story. Add a faithful dog and the love of a most unlikely prince to complete the fairy tale. "Deerskin's" enchantment springs from the lovely but dangerous realms of the original tales of the Brothers Grimm. It's not for children. McKinley's other books are stunningly beautiful. "Deerskin" is beautiful - and stunning.

I really don't understand the reviews which talk of the "darkness" of this book as though it were a fault. The strongest books depict events in lives which resound familiarly against our own, and that includes the occurence of pain. In my opinion this is Robin McKinley's best book, partly because of the portrayal of such pain (and the d word, "darkness") and the survival of her character.

As for the writing style, I could see as I was reading that some might find it tedious. But I found it positively enchanting, enveloping me completely in Lissar's world. There were three times I cried aloud "No!" at the events in Deerskin, they were so powerful. It was with great reluctance I pulled myself away to bathe, and I cut as short as possible a lovely hot shower so that I could finish it! Once I did finish it, it left me stunned for hours.

So, if you read books, particularly fantasy, to drop into a pleasant fairy-world and escape from the miseries and stress of life, this book is not for you. Otherwise, look it over and give it a try. And just a note: I am fourteen and survived this book with no trauma whatsoever, thank you; however, do use caution. This book is very strong. It all depends who can handle what in books.

i read all of the other reviews, and i thought it was amazing how even if one did not like this pulling, drawing novel, it still evoked a strong response. it has to be powerful for one novel to accomplish this.

at any rate, to throw my two cents in, i want to know just who decides what a writer can and can not create? perhaps her other novels were not this edgy, but they were by no means gentle. harry's pride often gets in her way, and Aerin only comes to Luthe after she is almost dead because she listened to a demon. they were all very real. and if they have a happy ending, wonderful, for we all need that hope, but life is not all roses. so Deerskin proves.

Deerskin drew me, in fact YANKED me, out of my comfort zone. Lissla was everthing that a frail young human is. we are not perfect, and some, like me, only run away after we are hurt. it may be a fault, but there are others. Lissar trusted the moonwoman just as we all have that one thing that we have no other choice but to believe in because all else has failed. her triumph at the end is what we all need to wish for, or we lose hope. Her dogs gave her somethig to care about, to keep her real...would that we all had that.

deerskin is not my favorite of McKinleys works, but in my opinion it is the most compelling, and, i think, her best. for an author to go so deep after harry, aerin, and beauty, is a credit to her. i would give this book to anyone of any age who needed it, for it is indeed a book that heals while it pulls. i read it at fifteen, and i read it over every few months. it is comforting to me to know tht it exists, because it is as though someone has finally suceeded at putting reality down on paper, solidifying it. and that, i think, is something that many of us crave, or rather, need.

I am a big fan of Robin McKinley, first hooked on her writings with Beauty, and so I decided to pick this up. Let me tell you, this is very different from beauty. This book was not written for younger readers looking for happy, fluffy fairy-tales, but it is an engrossing tale, rewritten in a way that captured my heart. Enough of how much I enjoyed it, explaining the plot may be useful.

Loosly based on the fairy-tale Donkeyskin, McKinley tells of a kingdom where the rulers are perfect, but yet negelect their daughter, forgetting she exists. When the most beloved and beautiful queen dies, Lissar's (main character) father grows mad with grief, and as Lissar grows up with her only companions being servants and her best friend Ash, a hunting dog, soon her father takes more intrest in her. As horrible events take place, so does Lissar's transformation into Deerskin, and her journey to find herself and overcome her horrible past. Dark and depressing in the beginning, but don't give up, by the end it's heartwarming and Lissar is a character I shall not soon forget.

If you want a pretty fairie tale with nothing dark in it, don't read DEERSKIN. However, I would recommend DEERSKIN precisely because it tries to be something more and tackles the sensitive issue of incest and rape. It clearly demonstrates that despite faerie tale surfaces that things can be terribly and horribly wrong and that the things that are amiss might never be noticed because everyone sees what they want to see rather than delving behind and beyond what seems the image of perfection. In some ways, this is an important book for young girls to read because it shows that the faerie tale is not the end all and be all of the story and that heroines can be hurt and survive and heal. I suppose that it is because I read DEERSKIN without any foreknowledge of what it was about and that I expected to read something along the lines of THE BLUE SWORD or THE HERO AND THE CROWN that I was so affected by DEERSKIN, but it is well worth reading and McKinley's pretty prose helps take the reader along the same journey as Lissar, the heroine of the novel.

However, the criticisms that other reviewers have noted do hold true. The novel is superficial and fails to explore the issues raised in the novel with sufficient emotional depth to truly make Lissar a three-dimensional woman. On the other hand, I was caught up in Lissar's struggle and truly felt for her when she confronts her rapist and reveals her story to the kingdom. Another problem with the book is that there are several large parts of the novel that are contrived. For example, I particularly felt that too large a portion of the novel was given over to Lissar and Ossin's mutual affection for dogs and wasn't entirely convinced that Ossin really loved Lissar or was the right person for her except that he's the only eligible prince for Lissar presented in the novel. The contrast between the storybook romance depicted in the first part of the novel and that of the latter half of the novel may be deliberate but comes off as incongruous more than anything else; and the first half of the novel is wonderful at revealing the flaws behind the fairie tale romance in the first half of the novel without dispelling the brilliance of its image. In fact, the latter half of the novel just doesn't seem as well executed or thought out as the first half. Another criticism that was mentioned was that Lissar is a bit too reactive and passive throughout the novel. However, as the novel progresses, it becomes clear that no one can save Lissar from her ordeals except for herself and that a storybook ending is not guaranteed for her - she will have to make that happen for herself on the basis of her own strength.

The novel is full of symbols and isn't geared for realism in the first place. The book isn't meant to be a realistic depiction of Lissar's struggle - if it is, it fails. However, DEERSKIN depicts Lissar's symbolic journey towards healing (albeit aided by the magic of the Moonwoman), and it is in this that McKinley raises DEERSKIN from a flat faerie tale populated with princes and princesses to that of a survivor and heroine.

"Deerskin" like Yolen's "Briar Rose" is not for small children. There seems to be a developing genre of fantasy literature that deliberately faces the harsher parts of life through the use of fairy-tale and archetypal imagery. "Deerskin" is one of these tales. As an aside, students of Carl Jung and Campbell's approach to myth will also find this tale especially interesting in its usage of archetypal imagery and fairy tale. Most of fantasy, regardless of popular myth, is not written with very small children in mind -- much like the original un-expurgated fairy tales themselves.

I would recommend this book for readers old enough to have a little bit of life experience and who -- at least -- are familiar with the facts of life. If a parent inadvertently finds this book in the hands of a very youthful reader, expect a lot of questions and discussion concerning the difficult subjects of grief, sexual abuse and insanity -- and, most importantly, healing. This -- academic approach -- is not to detract from how well written and lyrical McKinley's prose truly is. A good fire, a stormy night, and "Deerskin" will make for a really good read.

Young and older teens, and young women who are in the stages of healing from the kinds of hurts inflicted upon the protagonist will find this book engaging and valuable. Having said that, I often think that we shelter our young readers far too much from "reality" and the depth of emotional content reserved for "adults" in choosing literature. Elementary teachers, especially, trained in the "realism"- schools of children's literature, seem to bypass books like "Deerskin" all too readily for (pretty much) more of the same old thing. Literary imagination, (with the notable exception of "Harry Potter") it seems, is out of style in the classroom. I, while working in the public schools, have seen teachers and librarians go so far as to discourage young people from choosing to read such classics as "Earthsea" -- a trend that I find both disheartening and a little bit alarming.

Robin McKinley's book belongs in U.K. Le Guin's category of "psycho myth", a tale the enters a very dark place -- one that is present in fairy tales in their original un-expurgated forms -- and then finds it's way out again through the healing of the protagonist in a way most unexpected, magical and fulfilling.

Even as an adult reader of fantasy, I found this book filled with well-written lyrical prose that remains true to the fairy tale genre. The world building aspects are sharply defined and consistent without overwhelming the character development. The characters are supremely human, courageous and a little foolish, without becoming overwhelmingly depressing, sentimental or maudlin. The plot is intelligent, smoothly paced and could easily be set alongside the "classics" of the genre by Yolen, Lee, Gorodischer, Beagle, or Le Guin, herself.

A fine piece destined to be, I believe, a classic in the genre and well worth placing in one's permanent collection.