Reviewed by nannah on
I feel like there are a couple ways to write a novel-length fairy tale: stick closely to the original tale in style and content or reinvent the tale, straying from the original material. This book really plants itself in the first category, so much so that it reads exactly like a fairy tale - the writing is very (almost too) simplistic, characters are static and undeveloped, and things flow very inorganically and without evoking much emotion (stemming from the author relying on telling rather than showing, maybe).
But the book, like its fairy tale, certainly is transporting. I really feel like I felt cold reading it, and it does a good job painting the icy, Norwegian winter.
It’s a nice read and a lovely retelling, but it doesn’t have that stick-to-your-heart kind of feel.
Reading updates
- Started reading
- 18 January, 2015: Finished reading
- 18 January, 2015: Reviewed