Hansel and Gretel
Reviewed By Janet Mawdesley March 6, 2015
Author Neil Gaiman, illustrated by Lorenzo Mattotti
Distributor:
ISBN: 9781408861981
Publisher: Bloomsbury Childrens
Release Date:
Website: http://www.allenandunwin.com
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It has always been said the at there is more to the traditional fairy tale than just the story about good and evil, but when Neil Gaiman gets hold of it, there is definitely more to it than ever before.
In his darkly creative manner, he turns the tale of Hanzel and Gretel inside out and upside down to present the story in a manner that will appeal, horrify and fascinate the modern, and not so modern, reader.
Aimed at the younger reader market he and Lorenzo Mattotti have taken the much loved tale of two children who have become lost in the woods, not realising the trail of ginger bread crumbs they left to follow back have been eaten, and given it a new twist, as only Gaiman can.
Trouble is, the children had been taken deep into the woods by their father as hard and desperate times had fallen on the family. He was no longer able to feed his four children, so two had to be removed. Hansel and Gretel managed to eventually find their way back home thanks to the trail of white stones left by Hansel at every corner. That was the first time.
Eventually the father had to take them back into the woods again, saying they were going to help him work but Hansel knew better. This time did not have anything to leave behind as a trail.
And can you work out the rest? Yep, of course; they eventually find their way to a very yummy smelling gingerbread house, deep in the forest, where they meet a lovely old lady who offers them food.
But that is when things really start to go wrong for the children.
The ending is perhaps as you may expect or maybe not, but one thing is clear the message is a relevant today as it was in the days the story was written by the Brothers Grimm in 1812.
‘Don’t go into the dark woods, meet and old lady and eat her gingerbread, because things are not always as they may seem!’
Enjoy the modern version of this finely crafted tale, but don’t let your children read it before bed because it is a tale that, even all these years on, is still as dark and scary and terrifying as it was when it was first written!