The Goose Girl [Paperback]

Harold MacGrath (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 4, 2009

Harold MacGrath wrote novels, short stories and screenplays in the early years of the 20th century. Arms and the Woman was his first novel, published in 1890. His novels were about love, adventure, mystery, and spies. The Goose Girl was originally a fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm. The fairy tale is a classic bride switch. A maid forces the princess to change places with her. The maid becomes the princess and the princess becomes a goose girl. Of course all is made right in the end. MacGrath has taken this tale and adapted it into a novel. The Grand Duke of Ehrenstein's daughter has been missing for years. Gretchen, is the beautiful goose girl, who can read, write, do sums, and loves music. Who or what is this mysterious girl?

Product Details

• Paperback: 206 pages
• Publisher: Book Jungle (November 4, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1438529910
• ISBN-13: 978-1438529912
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Goose Girl, December 30, 2005

By 

Janeifer Drew (MI) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Goose Girl (Paperback)

The Goose Girl takes place in Germany in the mid 1800's. It begins with a poor but beautiful goose girl and her young lover Leopold. It is hard to explain the plot without giving the ending away, so I'll just say that the plot was clever and well developed with a happy ending. It is unfortunate that this book is so hard to get a hold of, it was a wonderful read.

5.0 out of 5 stars An old favorite, July 21, 2011

By 

Susan Lea - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Goose Girl (The Best Sellers of 1909) (Library Binding)

One of my all-time favorite books, I never pass up a decent copy because I know I can give it to one of my adult daughters or a sister. It is completely romantic, impossibly full of coincidences, and perfectly improbable. It's about a goose girl and a princess, so you know it's a grown-up fairy tale. If you hate "Hollywood" endings, don't read it; but if happy endings make you happy and improbable plots don't bother you, it's a good, fun read that leaves you feeling satisfied at the end.

I've tried another book by the same author and found it unreadable, but I can see why this book was a best-seller in 1909--and can still enchant a reader over 100 years later.

5.0 out of 5 stars Not about geese, but a good gander at another age., January 24, 2009

By 

Happy Camper - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Goose Girl (Hardcover)

This quaint costume drama is not about 100 years old. Nonetheless, it remains an enjoyable and intriguing tale of romance, mystery, and disguises, set in a picturesque little German dukedom in a time when war served to redress personal affronts. Macgrath takes his readers on a whimsical trip into history and moves them briskly through scene, character, and plot development, with several minor and one major crisis. There are but a few villains, but all the characters are variously flawed yet heroic people.

It is wonderful that this story continues to be read and made available through reprints. The oldest version I have seen is a 1909 Bobbs-Merrill edition with beautiful illustrations and gold-embossed lettering on the cover.

Historical romance-adventure tales do not suit standard modern tastes, but this is not necessarily a criticism of the book! The plot follows somewhat predictable formulas, such as the "darkest before dawn," and promotes traditional virtues of courage, equality of classes, forbearance, and kindness. This is wonderful light reading to take along on a trip. Read from home, however, it provides a timeless tour to a misty mythical monarchy.