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alongreader's review against another edition
4.0
First things first; these aren't poems. They are poetic, but they're not poems. They're short stories, each only one or two pages long.
Second things second; they're beautiful. Absolutely wonderful, a really clever look at how the twelve sisters might have moved on from their brief freedom and the ways they might try to recapture it as adults. I can't say too much, because I don't want to spoil them, but they are amazing.
Although it'll help if you're familiar with the original story, it is recapped at the start, so you won't be missing too much. (And Andrea, I've read versions where he chose the youngest as well. Always written so that she was simperingly happy with being chosen.)
I'm loving all the new versions of fairytales where marriage is not the end game, and this book will sit proudly with them.
Second things second; they're beautiful. Absolutely wonderful, a really clever look at how the twelve sisters might have moved on from their brief freedom and the ways they might try to recapture it as adults. I can't say too much, because I don't want to spoil them, but they are amazing.
Although it'll help if you're familiar with the original story, it is recapped at the start, so you won't be missing too much. (And Andrea, I've read versions where he chose the youngest as well. Always written so that she was simperingly happy with being chosen.)
I'm loving all the new versions of fairytales where marriage is not the end game, and this book will sit proudly with them.
thebiblioshelf's review against another edition
4.0
To me, fairytales are the original story. With elements of folklore and oral-storytelling passed on from generation to generation until they are finally written down and published for anyone to read, it's no wonder that each of these amazing stories have different variations and attributes linking to a myriad of cultures across our planet. Modern-day retellings often seek to gender-bend or feminise these tales, questioning the traditional roles of the obedient princesses who require a loving stereotypical marriage as their happily ever after.
In Twelve, Andrea Blythe manages to pull off a modern retelling in spectacular fashion whilst retaining the elements of fairytales and storytelling which all of its fans love. Taking each sister one by one, Blythe dedicates each of the Twelve Princesses with their own unique voice and identity giving fresh substance and purpose to the once subservient, archaic damsels-in-distress in search of their prince.
As characters of their own, we see the ringleader whose decision it was to condemn their failed suitors to death; the sister whose stubbornness and obstinance defied punishment and carried on her dancing regardless of the King's ruling; the wannabe-baker who despite being told to stay out of the kitchen ends up finding more than one passion in the pantry; the Belle-like book-lover who managed to camouflage herself amidst the stacks.
Twelve was not quite poetry in the form I was anticipating and represents more of a prose-style narrative, however the writing was lyrically beautiful just the same. Language and imagery contribute to a huge part of my enjoyment in a book and, for something shorter than what I'm used to reading, Blythe brought this in spades! The haunting imagery of the Third Sister's tale is sure to resonate with any bibliophile who has ever been lost and caught up in their own little bookish world.
The Author's Note at the end seeks to clarify Blythe's inspiration for writing these wonderful poems. It gives credence to the fact that she is well-versed in the genre and this tale in particular. It was interesting to read her motivations for writing Twelve and take on board her own viewpoint in bringing these stories to life.
Why Should You Read This Book?
For the bewitching storytelling.
For a fresh uplift on a classical fairytale.
For the diverse representations and identities of the Twelve Princesses.
Any reader with a passion for fairytales is sure to find something to enjoy in this short and sweet collection of poems based on tale of The Twelve Princesses from The Brothers Grimm.
[Review to be posted on blog on: 19/08/2020]
In Twelve, Andrea Blythe manages to pull off a modern retelling in spectacular fashion whilst retaining the elements of fairytales and storytelling which all of its fans love. Taking each sister one by one, Blythe dedicates each of the Twelve Princesses with their own unique voice and identity giving fresh substance and purpose to the once subservient, archaic damsels-in-distress in search of their prince.
As characters of their own, we see the ringleader whose decision it was to condemn their failed suitors to death; the sister whose stubbornness and obstinance defied punishment and carried on her dancing regardless of the King's ruling; the wannabe-baker who despite being told to stay out of the kitchen ends up finding more than one passion in the pantry; the Belle-like book-lover who managed to camouflage herself amidst the stacks.
Twelve was not quite poetry in the form I was anticipating and represents more of a prose-style narrative, however the writing was lyrically beautiful just the same. Language and imagery contribute to a huge part of my enjoyment in a book and, for something shorter than what I'm used to reading, Blythe brought this in spades! The haunting imagery of the Third Sister's tale is sure to resonate with any bibliophile who has ever been lost and caught up in their own little bookish world.
The Author's Note at the end seeks to clarify Blythe's inspiration for writing these wonderful poems. It gives credence to the fact that she is well-versed in the genre and this tale in particular. It was interesting to read her motivations for writing Twelve and take on board her own viewpoint in bringing these stories to life.
Why Should You Read This Book?
For the bewitching storytelling.
For a fresh uplift on a classical fairytale.
For the diverse representations and identities of the Twelve Princesses.
Any reader with a passion for fairytales is sure to find something to enjoy in this short and sweet collection of poems based on tale of The Twelve Princesses from The Brothers Grimm.
[Review to be posted on blog on: 19/08/2020]
_reedmylife_'s review
5.0
This was amazing. These poems felt more like short stories of what happened to the princesses after they stopped dancing. It talks about how girls are trapped in a society of innocence and purity created just for women.
This collection is powerful, funny, sensual and so eye-opening to those who do not understand the woman experience. It comments on the way women are treating not directly but symbolically and I think that is so much more powerful.
Blythe really took the story of the twelve princesses' and created a whole new realm.
This collection is powerful, funny, sensual and so eye-opening to those who do not understand the woman experience. It comments on the way women are treating not directly but symbolically and I think that is so much more powerful.
Blythe really took the story of the twelve princesses' and created a whole new realm.
othersideoftherain's review
3.0
{I received a review copy from NetGalley}
an interesting structure inspired by old folklore — always a favorite of mine — that has some really wonderful gems. there’s imagery of a pregnant princess perhaps growing not a baby but an apple tree in her belly; another princess sewing her ghosts into a quilt so the pain can be folded up and put away. these fragments are strong and lovely, and I so wish the entire work was as memorable and compelling. I like where the author seemed to be going on a number of occasions - I just wish it went the entire way.
an interesting structure inspired by old folklore — always a favorite of mine — that has some really wonderful gems. there’s imagery of a pregnant princess perhaps growing not a baby but an apple tree in her belly; another princess sewing her ghosts into a quilt so the pain can be folded up and put away. these fragments are strong and lovely, and I so wish the entire work was as memorable and compelling. I like where the author seemed to be going on a number of occasions - I just wish it went the entire way.
kellen_green's review against another edition
4.0
What happens after the "happily ever after" is a very adult question and in fairy tales we rather not ask it... But, not this time, now we know what happened to the 12 dancing princesses and how that can be a greater lesson to us.
In this, short story, the author teaches us that that "ever after" holds a dark side, not only as part of the rapture between the real and the fantastic worlds, but also in a very female empowering way.
Twelve, shows us in a very fluent and "tale-ish" way, the destiny of each of the dancers, taking in to account the effect of the trauma that their situation brought and each personality trait, making each destiny a very different story.
A great way to provide a moral on how our decisions, habits and strengths can lead us to a self-destructive, isolationist or traumatic result.
A story I would like to reread many more times!
An e-ARC of this book was kindly provided by Netgalley in exchange of an honest review
In this, short story, the author teaches us that that "ever after" holds a dark side, not only as part of the rapture between the real and the fantastic worlds, but also in a very female empowering way.
Twelve, shows us in a very fluent and "tale-ish" way, the destiny of each of the dancers, taking in to account the effect of the trauma that their situation brought and each personality trait, making each destiny a very different story.
A great way to provide a moral on how our decisions, habits and strengths can lead us to a self-destructive, isolationist or traumatic result.
A story I would like to reread many more times!
An e-ARC of this book was kindly provided by Netgalley in exchange of an honest review
alishreads's review against another edition
4.0
Name: Twelve
Author: Andrea Blythe
Genre: Children Fiction, Fairytale, Fantasy, Magic
Review:
A beautiful, lyrical and feminist retelling of the Twelve Dancing Sisters from The Brother Grimm's Fairytale. It tells the story of Twelve sisters who are forced to lived in the ordinary world after being discovered by their father.
This book is divided into eleven parts which tells the tale of each sister after their magic is closed, and their dancing expedition with the fairy princes came to an end. Each part has a unique perspective and shows their own ways of coping with their lives after losing their power.
Intriguing, bewitching and enthralling, it explores the lives of those twelve sisters, one who fell in despair, one who was haunted by ghost, one who cooked, one who fell in love with alchemy and the one who was forced to marry a soldier against her wishes.
Author: Andrea Blythe
Genre: Children Fiction, Fairytale, Fantasy, Magic
Review:
A beautiful, lyrical and feminist retelling of the Twelve Dancing Sisters from The Brother Grimm's Fairytale. It tells the story of Twelve sisters who are forced to lived in the ordinary world after being discovered by their father.
This book is divided into eleven parts which tells the tale of each sister after their magic is closed, and their dancing expedition with the fairy princes came to an end. Each part has a unique perspective and shows their own ways of coping with their lives after losing their power.
Intriguing, bewitching and enthralling, it explores the lives of those twelve sisters, one who fell in despair, one who was haunted by ghost, one who cooked, one who fell in love with alchemy and the one who was forced to marry a soldier against her wishes.
thewildnorry's review
5.0
“They had secrets, selves they kept hidden.”
The Twelve Dancing Princesses has always been my favorite fairytale. It's a mystery and fantasy all wrapped up into one. It's not a love story. Instead, it's one of the original stories of a strong sisterhood--predating Frozen and Lilo and Stitch. And yet for some reason this story often goes unread or gets forgotten.
Andrea Blythe's stories (because to me they read more like poetically written stories than stories wrapped in poems) honors the original tale while exploring the favored question of modern fairytale fans "What comes next?"
Story-wise, I loved how each sister spiraled in different directions after having their secret found out. It showed how there's not just one way to react to misfortune befalling.
Additionally, if you have not read the Twelve Dancing Princesses, Blythe does an excellent job at summing up the story without it feeling entirely like boring exposition to get on with the rest of the book.
But this book's greatest victory was at guiding the readers through a feminist reading without ever making them roll their eyes or feeling like they're being preached at. The misogyny of fairytales is there and treated as a fact that the sisters must sidestep or sigh and fight against. It does not have the warriors mentality but rather that of an every day woman going against the subtle bs of a world that's not fair. It felt more like a shared joke between the narrator and reader over the foolishness of men underestimating women as the reader no doubt would never do. An example from page 3 and a call-back to the original fairytale: "The soldier, we note, did not credit the old woman on the road, who had ensured this success by warning him to avoid the drugged wine and gifting him a cloak of invisibility."
The message does not get in the way of the story or its telling. Rather, it is amplified through the stories of the characters. Other authors should take notes!
She also plays with cliches and tropes like a master. They are there but tilted and used to leverage or understanding and preconceptions of the trope to place us in the group of characters underestimating these princesses.
Writerly-wise, this book was HEAVEN to read. I adored the cheeky narrative voice threaded throughout the prologue and some of the following chapters. (See the above quote.)
Blythe uses words the way a poet does (thus the categorization of these stories as poems), but bends language so it's easy for prose readers to navigate. (I myself am one such reader.) It wanted to pick out my favorite sentences to prove this point, but it was difficult given that there were so many.
Each word in this book is chosen on purpose. All of the verbs are powerful and poignant. She also uses sentence structure and punctuation to her advantage and to clearly convey certain ideas and emotions and to build a scene. For example,
This is a beautiful work. A literary masterpiece minus the pretension. I can't wait to read it again and again and again.
(Thank you so much to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!)
The Twelve Dancing Princesses has always been my favorite fairytale. It's a mystery and fantasy all wrapped up into one. It's not a love story. Instead, it's one of the original stories of a strong sisterhood--predating Frozen and Lilo and Stitch. And yet for some reason this story often goes unread or gets forgotten.
Andrea Blythe's stories (because to me they read more like poetically written stories than stories wrapped in poems) honors the original tale while exploring the favored question of modern fairytale fans "What comes next?"
Story-wise, I loved how each sister spiraled in different directions after having their secret found out. It showed how there's not just one way to react to misfortune befalling.
Spoiler
Their ends are also so bittersweet. For the most part, they are free to live the lives they choose for themselves, but the reader is left wondering if this truly counts as a happy ending.Additionally, if you have not read the Twelve Dancing Princesses, Blythe does an excellent job at summing up the story without it feeling entirely like boring exposition to get on with the rest of the book.
But this book's greatest victory was at guiding the readers through a feminist reading without ever making them roll their eyes or feeling like they're being preached at. The misogyny of fairytales is there and treated as a fact that the sisters must sidestep or sigh and fight against. It does not have the warriors mentality but rather that of an every day woman going against the subtle bs of a world that's not fair. It felt more like a shared joke between the narrator and reader over the foolishness of men underestimating women as the reader no doubt would never do. An example from page 3 and a call-back to the original fairytale: "The soldier, we note, did not credit the old woman on the road, who had ensured this success by warning him to avoid the drugged wine and gifting him a cloak of invisibility."
The message does not get in the way of the story or its telling. Rather, it is amplified through the stories of the characters. Other authors should take notes!
She also plays with cliches and tropes like a master. They are there but tilted and used to leverage or understanding and preconceptions of the trope to place us in the group of characters underestimating these princesses.
Writerly-wise, this book was HEAVEN to read. I adored the cheeky narrative voice threaded throughout the prologue and some of the following chapters. (See the above quote.)
Blythe uses words the way a poet does (thus the categorization of these stories as poems), but bends language so it's easy for prose readers to navigate. (I myself am one such reader.) It wanted to pick out my favorite sentences to prove this point, but it was difficult given that there were so many.
Each word in this book is chosen on purpose. All of the verbs are powerful and poignant. She also uses sentence structure and punctuation to her advantage and to clearly convey certain ideas and emotions and to build a scene. For example,
Spoiler
the second sister who cannot stop dancing has her story told all in one sentence.This is a beautiful work. A literary masterpiece minus the pretension. I can't wait to read it again and again and again.
(Thank you so much to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!)
scburhans's review
5.0
This book was nothing like what I expected, but it was still amazing! I'm not sure if it was the formatting on my phone (read through the Kindle app), but the poems felt less like poems and more like short stories. Not complaining, though, they were still amazing. I was surprised, however, that the poems were only based off of The Twelve Dancing Princesses - for some reason, I though it was going to be based off of 12 different fairytales. I must not have read the description very well. Still, the poems were beautiful and they gave so much more depth to characters that were just glanced over originally. I also really enjoyed the feminist take on the story as well. Definitely one of my favorite poetry collections!
Read for the 2021 POPSUGAR Reading Challenge, Prompt: The shortest book on your TBR list
Read for the 2021 Around the Year in 52 Books Challenge, Prompt #33: A collection of short stories, essays, or poetry
Read for the 2021 POPSUGAR Reading Challenge, Prompt: The shortest book on your TBR list
Read for the 2021 Around the Year in 52 Books Challenge, Prompt #33: A collection of short stories, essays, or poetry