A Drink of Water
Book
Originally published in 1960, this classic tale from beloved author John Yeoman and renowned...
Swallowing Mercury
Eliza Marciniak and Wioletta Greg
Book
Wiola lives in a close-knit agricultural community. Wiola has a black cat called Blackie. Wiola's...
Walton Ford: Pancha Tantra
Book
This book features a natural selection: Ford's beautifully savage beasts and birds. Walton Ford's...
A Treasury of Songs
Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler
Book
As well as being the UK's most successful picture book author, Julia Donaldson is a gifted...
Lottie disney bookworm (1056 KP) rated Trying to Live Happily Ever After in Books
Oct 8, 2019
I was very intrigued by the concept of Trying to Live Happily Ever After: bringing fairytales into the modern age is right up my street and, on the whole, Clive Lilwall did not disappoint.
With 17 short stories in total I must admit I did not enjoy every tale.
Cinderella, in my opinion, was just as vapid as her stepsisters and it felt like her owning an old model of a mobile phone justified her to get "the prince". Granted, this may have been Lilwall's aim to show how we associate technology with social standing. However, I would have appreciated a stronger role model as opposed to the slightly kinder but still materialistic Cindy we received.
Unfortunately some of the fables were also lost on me but that may be because I am not familiar with the originals.
Nevertheless, some of Lilwall's tales will possibly stay with me forever. Red's granny getting saucy under a wolf skin; Hansel and Gretal getting fat and baked in a whole new way and, of course, the blunt, shameless, no-holds-barred adaptation of The Emperor's New Clothes, starring a certain "president".
The writing is overly simplistic at times but this only highlights the roots of these tales as stories and fables.
The writing does not need to be complex when human actions and consequences are under the spotlight in such a humorous, satirical and thought provoking manner.
These are not the fairy tales you remember, they're not even revolting-rhymes-sort-of-for-kids. Not in the slightest. You have been warned.
The Man I Became
David Colmer and Peter Verhelst
Book
Warning: This story is narrated by a gorilla. He is plucked from the jungle. He learns to chat and...
Grimm Woods
Book
A remote summer camp becomes a lurid crime scene when the bodies of two teenagers are found in a...
Horror Paranormal Thriller Mystery Mystery > Crime Suspense
The Great Emoji Quizbook
Book
Succinct, cheerful and globally understood, emojis are everyone's second language. Who knew you were...
Rain
Book
In this, his first volume of original verse since the award-winning "Landing Light", Don Paterson is...