Customer Reviews

Haunted Waters

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Isn't it great when a book really grabs you and knocks you off your feet? I was so sorry to come to the end. A hauntingly beautiful fairy tale for older readers. The love of Lord Huldbrand (spelling!) for Undine is powerful to begin with and it is fascinating to watch this love turn to suspicion to fear and even to loathing. The mysterious, mystical elements of the book are particularly well written. It's spooky without being scary. I am a Storyteller who loves folklore, mythology, and fairy tales. I am now searching Amazon.com for similar books. (Anyone out there have any suggestions?) This is just a very powerful work that is extremely well written. I'm not doing as good a job as I'd hoped in praising it (these reviews are tough to write, which makes me appreciate a well-written book even more!) so buy a copy for yourself and enjoy, I know you will.

This expanded version of Fouque's fairy tale noir is excellent; the plot flows right along, emptying into a sea of despair. Twenty-four short chapters provide readers thristy for more details the opportunity to drink deeply of the intimate dialogue bewteen the ill-starred couple: Undine, supposing herself the daughter of humble fisherfolk, and young Lord Hudlbrand of Ringstetten, lost in the dark forest. While Fouque's heroine (see reveiws for UNDINE) is fair and blonde, Osborne's maiden has dark tresses and even darker origins. The author encloses her tale within a brief prologue and epiloque of her own creation, to futher explain the fate of this mysterious girl.

Both versions have the old fisherman, the flooded peninsula, demonic trailing, the sudden arrival of a shipwrecked priest and the romantic complications caused by Lady Bertalda. This noble lady is less threatening to Undine than Fouque's; though less guilty and conniving, she still represents the Eter! ! nal Triangle . Narrated in the first person, HAUNTED WATERS reveals more of the psychological struggle of a nobleman deeply in love with his bride. Yet he is increasingly distressed about her fascination with the sea, her unusual powers over water and and her not-quite human origins.

Once he dobuts her love and suspects her link to the aquatic underworld, Huldbrand's life cascades into terror and disaster. Despite Undine's warnings not to antagonize the water spirits by causing her pain in their presence, he can not prevent the distance between their once-adoring hearts. Their happiness and their very lives are doomed, yet Osborne implies some hope for an unusual afterlife. This is a wonderful read for fans of Fantasy and Fairy Tales of all ages; I loved it!

Based upon the novel "Undine" written in the early 19th century by Friedrich Heinrich Karl, this short novel is spare and seems almost primative. The dialog is simple, the characters not very deep, but it has atmosphere in abundance and romance and obsession. It is the sad tale of a nobleman who is beguiled and ultimately falls in love with a mysterious young woman. It reads almost like a myth or a legend. It draws you into its pages and treats you to emotional ambiance that you won't soon forget. Some elements of the tale are never fully explained, but I did not find that to be a necessity because it is very dream-like or similar to being held under a spell. Anyone who has lived under an enchantment will understand. Read it and see for yourself. It is lovely.

Based on an old legend, this is a romance/horror/fantasy/mythical story, and quite nicely written. There are some areas that could use a little more elaboration, but overall it's very nice.

A young nobleman named Huldbrand ends up temporarily stranded at the home of a fisherman. There, he meets the fisherman's foundling daughter -- a beautiful, sea-obsessed, almost wild-seeming girl named Undine. Huldbrand falls helplessly in love with her, and after a priest is conveniently provided, the two are married.

But something sinister is lurking in the woods -- a skin-faced, eyeless, lipless demon that is stalking Undine. Though she and Huldbrand initially are happy at his vast estate, the demon has followed her. Increasingly frightened by his wife's strange ways and by the bizarre things that follow her, Huldbrand begins to wonder what she truly is and whether she is as innocent as she seems.

Mary Pope Osborne is best known for her younger reader books, the Magic Tree House series. But this book is for older readers, despite its short length. It'll scare some younger readers, there are some brief hints about the marital relationship between Huldbrand and Undine, and the kiddies may be bored stiff by the steady, gradual pace and the uneventful settings.

Writing is exquisite, detailed but not too detailed, evocative without requiring too much description. There seems to be a dreamy tint to even the everyday occurrances in this book, especially any scenes with Undine. Characterizations are a little thin -- at times, Huldbrand feels like the only truly 3-D character.

However, as adaptations go this is a great one. Definitely worth the read.

The book starts off with the main character, Lord Huldebrand, riding through the woods on his horse. Huldedbrand was on his way to meet with the duke and saw the opening to the woods. He couldn't help, but want to explore it. Huldebrand became lost in the woods and while trying to find his way out he runs into something. To him, it looks like a demon. It's standing right ahead of him, in the woods.

He was so frightened that he yelled and his horse began to run. He tried to stop the horse, but eventually he fell off. After falling off and laying there for awhile he see's a fisherman. The fisherman asks Lord Huldebrand to come and stay at his house. Huldebrand accepts the man's offer and comes home with him. Huldebrand see's the fisherman has a wife and a daughter.

Undine was the daughter's name. Huldebrand was overwhelmed by the sight of her. The next few days that he stayed at their house; he watched. She was kind of strange with the things she did. Undine's favorite thing was to swim. But, as strange as she was, Huldebrand couldn't help liking her.

The more the days go on he realizes just how much he likes her and feels sad by the thought of leaving and going back to his world. How could he ever go back to his life after knowng Undine? He didn't want to leave without her. Without seeing her, hearing her voice. Undine knows how Huldebrand feels and agrees to marrying him.

Their life together starts off very good, but Huldebrand realizes strange things happening. Like something or someone is following them.

This book is inspired by the german fairy tale called Undine. I borrowed this book from the library because I thought that it sounded interesting, but it was even better than I thought it would be. I got sucked into the book and read it all in one day.

This is an amazing story of love, and terror. It will suck you in and keep you reading because you want to find out what is going to happen next. It sucked me in, and now this book is one of my favorites.

This book was my first experience with the old fairy tale of Undine, and Mary Pope Osborne manages to capture and retell the story with a mix of spirituality, old paganism, and a dreamy, ethereal magic that is completely addicting in every way. The story is told through the eyes of the prince, the young man lost by the coast to be bewitched by the strange foundling girl. It leads into a passionate, but wonderfully vague, romance that never quite reveals the true mystery of what Undine is and where she comes from. The ending was absolutely marvelous. The writing is spectacular and this is a fine example of a fairy tale.

Osborne retells the love story between the mysterious and magical free spirited Undine and the knight that marries her and brings her into his civilized world, with powerful pathos and enchanting imagery (particularly that longing for the sea and freedom set against the longing for love and acceptance). The fairy tale is full of original and powerful imagination, but never forgetting the human characters full of soul, or the very real meaning of the tale. Perfect. Grade: A

I really, really liked this book! It's simply fantastic. It is based on a German fairytale and is full of entertaining dialogue, magical descriptions, and clever twists and turns in the plot. The entire story builds to a surprising conclusion that leaves the reader wondering about dangerous love and lusting hearts. Betrayal, passion, fear, fantasy and mystery are all elements of this novel. I really enjoyed it. I'm not often attracted to romances, but this one is exceptional.

This is a wonderful book. It terrorizes and tantalizes at the same time. It is in the top 3 of books I have ever read. A haunting,passionate story with just enough detail to tell a great tale. The book was so hard to put down.

Haunted Waters is a really excellent book! Mary Pope Osborne really gets you to have feelings towards the characters and wonder why things happen the way they do. She in a way forshadows whats going to happen, but you don't realize she did until what she foreshadowed happened. This book was great if you like magic and suspence, and even if that's not your favorite, you'll still love it