Snow White and Rose Red (Paperback)

~ Patricia Wrede (Author) "Once upon a time there was a poor widow who lived in a tiny cottage near a lonely forest..." (more)
Key Phrases: faerie queen, quartz globe, mortal magic, Mistress Townsend, Mistress Hudson, Widow Arden (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Wrede's ( Caught in Crystal ) romantic and charming retelling of the Brothers Grimm tale is the fourth in this series. In the village of Mortlak, near the river Thames, during the reign of Elizabeth I, live the Widow Arden and her two daughters, Blanche and Rosamund. The widow, who supports her family by selling herbs and making healing potions, lives in fear of being accused of witchcraft. Her daughters gather the herbs she needs, sometimes crossing into the realm of Faerie, one of whose borders lies in the forest nearby. Also residing in Mortlak is the real-life Doctor Dee, astrologer to the Queen, who with his friend Edward Kelly seeks to harness the magic of Faerie. Their efforts turn Hugh, one of the half-human sons of the queen of Faerie, into a bear. With the aid of the widow and her daughters, John, the elder Faerie prince, tries to disenchant his brother, who has crossed over to the mortal world. John is initially thwarted in his efforts by Madini, head of a faction in Faerie that seeks complete separation from the mortal domain. In putting her twist on the classic tale, Wrede uses language appropriate to the period and nicely evokes both medieval England and a magic land.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Description

Snow White and Rose Red live on the edge of the forest that conceals the elusive border of Faerie. They know enough about Faerie lands and mortal magic to be concerned when they find two human sorcerers setting spells near the border. And when the kindly, intelligent black bear wanders into their cottage some months later, they realize the connection between his plight and the sorcery they saw in the forest. This romantic version of the classic fairy tale features an updated introduction by its editor, Terri Windling.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Firebird; Reprint edition (February 19, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0142411213
• ISBN-13: 978-0142411216
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #46,097 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An interesting and well written rewrite of a fairy tale., August 25, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Snow White and Rose Red (The Fairy Tale Series) (Mass Market Paperback)

I found myself absorbed in Wrede's book from the first page. Snow White and Rose Red is full of mystery, romance, intrigue, magic, and wit. The setting was perfect for the retelling of the fairy tale and Wrede was successful in capturing the language and events of that England period. Wrede was very effective in creatively developing the original fairy tale without losing the original story in the process. I highly recommend Snow White and Rose Red to anyone who enjoys fairy tales or fantasy novels. :-)

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Enchanting!, May 6, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Snow White And Rose Red (Fairy Tales) (Mass Market Paperback)

Three things I really love are blended together in this well-crafted fantasy: the fairy tale "Snow White and Rose Red," alternate fantasy worlds, and the Elizabethan era. Wrede does an excellent job of rounding out the rather uneven original fairy tale with likeable characters and a plausible plot. The depiction of Faerie court and magic is also crafted intricately and well. The use of Elizabethan English is convincing and rings true, although some readers may be irked by the copious usage of "thee," "thou" and "dost." All in all, extremely well told and convincing. Definitely one of my all-time favorite books. For more good alternate Elizabethan fantasy, try Stevermer's The Serpent's Egg.

21 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Pretty good, but not her best, July 2, 2000

By	Abigail Welborn (Seattle) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Snow White And Rose Red (Fairy Tales) (Mass Market Paperback)

I admit that I know Patricia C. Wrede from her Enchanted Forest Chronicles and "Book of Enchantments," which are for young adults and usually supposed to be humorous, neither of which applies to "Snow White and Rose Red." But I have glimpsed her ability to be a serious writer in such short stories as "Earthwitch" and "Stronger Than Time" (in "BoE"), and this is not Wrede at her best.

Granted, the book is involving. I read far later into the night than I had planned. The plot is engaging and understandable, and the characters likable enough (well, the ones who were supposed to be likable, anyway). Wrede also does a good job of adapting the fairy tale and giving characters motivation.

The problems arose after I had finished the book. I felt that the character we got to know best was John, the older Faerie prince, and not Blanche or Rosamund, the supposed main characters. In fact, I felt that the sisters, despite their supposedly different personalities, were indistinguishable; Wrede never really gave either one their own point of view. And why did they look like they were 30 on the cover, when in the book they are 16 and 18? I also wish I knew more about the Widow Arden -- Wrede could have expanded on her background just a little bit more and given us a much more complete understanding of her character. Why did she fear being accused of witchcraft so much? (Yes, yes, she didn't want to be hanged. But her dread was so deep-seated. Had she seen someone hanged when she was young? Had her mother instilled it in her?) Who was her husband? What was his downfall? Why had it left them in ruins? The rules of magic were also hard to follow. Faerie magic was clarified well (in some ways it was the most intriguing part of the story), but not "mortal magic." Why did incantations work? Why were herbs sometimes magic and sometimes not? How did their potions work? The structure of the book was confusing at the beginning. We are barraged with five different viewpoints in the first chapter! The world and characters aren't familiar enough yet for that. Later on they are handled better. Finally, the Elizabethan English, while correct, was still distracting. Yes, it put me in the world of the characters; but then Wrede's modern English narration yanked me back out again. When the reader is constantly reminded of the words s/he's reading instead of the story, it's not very smooth.

For a better example of handling two cultures, multiple viewpoints, and a new twist on an old fairy tale, read Orson Scott Card's "Enchantment."