Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Mermaid:A Twist on the Classic Tale Review

Mermaid
A Twist on the Classic Tale

Summary
The story of two very different women, one mortal, one mermaid, and the clash between worlds best kept apart... It is a cold day at the end of the world when a young woman, a princess in hiding, looks out across a Northern sea and sees something she could not have seen. It looks...it can't be. It looks like a mermaid's tail. And, as she looks more closely, she sees that the mermaid is dragging a drowning sailor in her arms. Because, only hours before, another princess, the daughter of the sea queen, has decided to risk everything and take a look at the world above the sea: the world of mortals. And there she finds a storm, a shipwreck, a sailor, and sets in train events which will change both women's worlds forever.

What I Loved
An Andersen Based Mermaid Story
This follows the Hans Christian Andersen version not the Disney Little Mermaid. The Anderson version is much more dark and tragic with no HEA (happily ever after) for the mermaid. Carolyn's version gives us the point of view of both the mermaid Lenia and the Prince's eventual fiance Margrethe. Carolyn paints this beautiful underwater world filled with magic and mermaids, I don't think I would be able to leave it.
Characters
The Mermaid Lenia: The fascination with the world above, saving a prince, falling in love with him and trading her powerful fin for weak human legs and constant pain. Lenia is both passionate and beautiful and she will risk everything for true love.
The Princess Margrethe: In Andersen's version she is only introduced at the very end for the wedding for she the death of the mermaid. Instead in Carolyn's version we get to know this princess, who she is, her passions and her point of view. We get to know her as a kind-hearted future ruler who does believe in magic and mermaids after her encounter with Lenia.
Ending
This story was wonderful and I loved it completely. I was happy with the ending even though it didn't end an a perfect HEA, it had a bittersweet ending of contentment.

Confusion
I felt like I was betraying Lenia because I liked Margrethe and since Andersen's mermaid's life ended so tragically I wanted it to end differently somehow. I wanted both of them to be happy, but I had no idea how that was going to happen when both of them love the same man and the dictation of the kingdom.

Recommendation 
If you like the original Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Mermaid, but are sad with how it ended you need to try this story out. This isn't a romance read so there is very little romantic stuff.

Information 
Genre: Fiction
Other Novels by Turgeon 
Godmother: The Secret Cinderella Story
Rain Village
The Next Full Moon

What is your favorite retelling of The Little Mermaid?


<3Books

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