Her research takes her to Poland, and the site of one of the Nazis' most horrific extermination camps. Overall, this was a very good book, but I thought Becca's character was both just a little bit too saintly and too innocent.
Her sisters were treated rather harshly for essentially, being normal. Also, Yolen's portrayal of Poland seemed to me to be a little bit out of date for - and as someone who loves old Europe, her portrayal of the country seemed somewhat uncharitable. I preferred the parts of the book that had to do with the events of the s much more - the narrator of that part of the story, Josef, was much more interesting to me. Jun 23, Jeffe Kennedy rated it it was amazing.
A haunting, beautiful read. Though it's framed in the Sleeping Beauty tale, that's not really what the story is about in the end. But a lovely, exquisitely written book. Heartbreaking and yet hopeful. May 24, Circus Folk rated it it was ok Shelves: literary-fiction. I am still baffled by the amount of rave reviews Briar Rose received. Admittedly, the story is very unique.
The idea of comparing the Holocaust to the Sleeping Beauty fairytale may seem a bit far-fetched initially, yet Yolen manages to bring the truth of this parallel to light. Unfortunately, it was executed in a way that really detracted from what was formally an original idea. Instead we are left with a poorly written, confused, and mediocre young adult novel.
Many of the characters that popula I am still baffled by the amount of rave reviews Briar Rose received. Many of the characters that populate this book are completely unconvincing. Beccah is a shallow protagonist with a boring personality and no flaws to speak of. Magda stuck out to me in particular. There also seems to be an issue in this book with age.
Many of the adults act like children. Beccah is so immature I thought her to be 16 or 17 rather than Her sisters were by far the worst though, with their constant bickering and melodramatics, spewing out comments that only a spiteful 10 year old would say. Every time I read their dialogue I would consider putting down the book permanently. Unfortunately this was required reading for a class, so on I read. I would have much rather seen a novel based on the story Josef tells.
The characters were much more human and the action much more real. It is not difficult to make stories about the Holocaust sad. However, to make it a truly emotional story, one must pay close attention to the characters and the pacing. Both of these are severely neglected. There seems to be something missing throughout the entire book.
It desperately needed to be further elaborated on and tied together more neatly. Overall Briar Rose was a great idea that fell flat due to poor character development, writing, and what seemed to me laziness.
The amount of complaints I have about this novel are innumerable. The only thing that really keeps me from calling it one of the most disappointing books I have ever read is the idea that underlies it.
There is so much untapped potential here it is frustrating. I wish Yolen had taken better advantage of the opportunity she was given.
Dec 18, Wendy rated it really liked it Shelves: young-adult , wwe-reading-challenges , fairy-tales-and-folk-tales , historical-fiction , levar-s-rainbow-book-club. A box full of Gemma's secret possessions leads Becca to unravel the mystery of her grandmother's past in a harrowing holocaust story. Imaginative re-tellings of fairy tales can be hit or miss for me, but this book really caught my attention with the way it took the story of Sleeping B "Gemma" has told the tale of Briar Rose to her three granddaughters for as long as they can remember, but on her death bed, in a moment of lucidity, Gemma emphatically informs Becca that she actually is Briar Rose.
Imaginative re-tellings of fairy tales can be hit or miss for me, but this book really caught my attention with the way it took the story of Sleeping Beauty well beyond its darker roots. Not since Bitter Greens and Deathless have I read a fairy-tale retelling that truly embraced the power of historical context. I think one of the best types of retellings understands that fairy tales were not written or read in a vacuum.
Much like horror stories, fairy tales have always explored the tellers' fears and desires, and often subverted mainstream societal norms and constraints. By choosing to blend history whether real or imagined with fairy tale, the retelling gains a quasi-realis Not since Bitter Greens and Deathless have I read a fairy-tale retelling that truly embraced the power of historical context.
By choosing to blend history whether real or imagined with fairy tale, the retelling gains a quasi-realism and authenticity that both enthralls and educates. Maybe even inspires the reader to search out non-fiction based on actual people, places and events.
Having said that, the fairy tale in Yolen's book was not being retold as much as it was being used as the catalyst for a granddaughter's research into her grandmother's history, a past her Gemma never spoke directly about. She would instead tell her three granddaughters the tale of Sleeping Beauty. And at the end of her life, their Gemma began telling them that she was Sleeping Beauty, that it was her story. Of course, most of the family thought her senile, possibly demented.
But with her dying breath Gemma begged her youngest and favorite granddaughter, Becca, to find "the castle. Yolen went dark, we're talking pitch black, with her retelling of this well-known tale of Sleeping Beauty. What else would a reader expect when the jacket blurb includes the word Holocaust?
How could anyone actually expect anything less than brutal and heartbreaking? My advice to anyone looking for fluffy fairy tales: skip this book. However, if you're looking for a mix of historical fiction and fairy tale, or an exploration into how fairy tales and stories or fiction in general might be used by someone to cope with tragedy, read this book!
I was shocked at the multiple reviews I read that condemned this book for its inclusion of homosexuality. Were readers unaware of the fact that homosexuals were also persecuted in the Holocaust? Or throughout history? I did not remember reading anything "graphic" in Briar Rose, so I went back and re-read Josef's story.
First, though, reviewers commented on Becca having a lesbian friend. That's it. Just having a lesbian friend was offensive to those reviewers. Second, Josef Potocki's part of the story, "Castle," which reviewers said had "graphic" descriptions of the character's "promiscuity" and gay sex. There were brief references to losing his virtue in college, to being in his lover's arms. I counted three lovers over a span of several years, perhaps even a decade. Here's the only "graphic" description I found.
Josef was talking about his lover, a Viennese politician, "They made love during Hitler's victory speech, a horrible, angry, passionate thrusting, that left Josef bruised and somewhat stunned. He had planned to have a long talk with his lover about being more gentle the next morning. But when he woke, he found the man dead in the marble bath, his wrists still bleeding soft red lines into the tub He was a friend of Father Stashu, the priest at the church in present day Chelmno.
I was able to easily glean that information during my first reading. I was saddened to read those people's reviews. It breaks my heart for those reviewers to hold so much hate in their hearts. Yet their ignorance and intolerance reminded me that we're still a long way away from the world I dream of, one in which everyone is allowed the freedom to be who they are and one in which differences are celebrated instead of persecuted. Oct 13, Audrey rated it did not like it Shelves: europe , fiction , listens , just-terrible , waste-of-time , wwii , young-adult-fiction , s.
I wish I had explored more reviews of this book before reading it. I'm usually pretty careful about that, because I don't want to waste my time on a worthless book. Well, this one was totally different than what I expected. I should've been more careful.
First of all, I thought it would take place more in the s than the s. But, okay, that was fine once I got used to it. My main problem was that the worldview of this book is just steeped in the perspective of a secular, depraved, post-mode I wish I had explored more reviews of this book before reading it.
My main problem was that the worldview of this book is just steeped in the perspective of a secular, depraved, post-modern society. There was a nonchalant reference to an out-of-wedlock pregnancy brief, but troublingly presented as oh-so-normal and validated.
There were also some sexual references and swearing. However, the main thing that I had no idea about when I picked up this book was the homosexual content. The protagonist is friends with an openly lesbian former professor and, later on, there are graphic depictions of the completely promiscuous affairs of another homosexual character.
I definitely would not have read this book if I had known about this. I don't want to turn this review into a debate on homosexuality, but it's not that I hate people with same-sex attraction or believe that they should be persecuted. For more about what I believe on this issue, see this this link. Objectionable content aside, the method of storytelling with flashbacks often felt repetitive.
Everything was quite obvious, and I had most of the clues put together long before the protagonist did not always the case with me. Another thing I couldn't figure out was, considering all the time she spent with her grandmother before she died, why had Becca never just straight out asked her about her past?
The writing was really odd at times, too. For example, a face was described as looking like "parchment that had been written over and scraped down too many times. Another person was said to have eyebrows like a "demented dove. Doves have eyebrows? Also, the fact that random people popped up making fairy tale references felt a bit forced.
For example, the stranger on the plane telling Becca that, because she hadn't traveled much, she was like Sleeping Beauty. What does not traveling much have to do with that particular fairy tale? As a further incidental note, there is no attempt made at subtly veiling the author's and characters' political leanings. One character shoots rubber bands at a photo of the first George Bush. I started by listening to this on audio book, but I didn't love the narrator.
I ended up continuing through Chapter 23, and then once I found out about the homosexual content, I basically just skimmed the rest of the book about 90 pages. Overall, the book was a waste of time. Hmm, I first rated this 3 stars, now I'm debatting to downgrad it to 2 stars. The start was good, the ending wasn't too bad but the middle was seriously weak - I was not impressed and I can't even be bothered to go into all the details.
Just a couple of things Interestingly, Magda only seemed to have trouble constructing simple sentences in En Hmm, I first rated this 3 stars, now I'm debatting to downgrad it to 2 stars. Interestingly, Magda only seemed to have trouble constructing simple sentences in English, complex ones was quite a different cattle of fish and one she mastered quite beautifully "She has raised me since my parents are gone p. Sachenhausen is not the name of the labour camp north of Berlin near Oranienb u rg not Oranienb e rg , big difference , it's Sach s enhausen.
That really seriously irked me; perhaps because I've been to Sachsenhausen at least a couple of times. But perhaps I should just be happy that Auschwitz and Majdanek were spelled correctly?? I also seriously doubt that Polish Jews spoke Hebrew to one another, I'm pretty sure that would have been Yiddish On the upside, Briar Rose is intriguing. Taking the concept of a fairytale and weaving in a holocaust story was definitely not something I'd read before, especially with the take on homosexuals.
Well, maybe I'll stick with the 3 star rating for now. Feb 02, Kaora rated it liked it. Everyone likes a fairy tale story because everyone wants things to come out right in the end. And even though to tell a story is to tell some kind of untruth, one often suspects that what seems to be untruth is really a hidden truth. Briar Rose is a new take on the classic fairy tale, Sleeping Beauty.
Gemma loves telling her grandchildren the story of Sleeping Beauty. However on her death bed she reveals that she is Briar Rose and makes her granddaughter promise her to find the castle, find the p Everyone likes a fairy tale story because everyone wants things to come out right in the end.
However on her death bed she reveals that she is Briar Rose and makes her granddaughter promise her to find the castle, find the prince and find the maker of the spells. Rebecca begins a search into her grandmother's past to discover that some fairy tales have a basis in reality. I was not overly fond of the writing in this one, but about halfway through the author found her stride and I found myself thoroughly interested in the tale of Briar Rose.
I also loved how the author went back and forth between Rebecca in the present day and the past where Gemma told the story. Often I find time jumps disconcerting, but in this case it was very effective. It is a darker version of the fairy tale, so if you pick it up expecting something like Disney's Sleeping Beauty you will be surprised. There are no witches or curses. It is set during the Holocaust, and while the story follows the same general lines as the fairy tale, some of these events did happen, making it a story that strikes deep.
Cross posted at Kaora's Corner. Sep 05, Alexandra rated it really liked it Shelves: terri-windling-fairy-tale-series , fantasy , retold-fairytales , older-books-need-love-too , watch-for-on-kindle , favorites , to-re-read , why-is-this-not-on-kindle , own-on-audible. Although it's loosely based on Sleeping Beauty it is not itself fairy-tale-like, and is set in modern times.
Part of the action takes place in Nazi Germany and the plight of the Jews the significance of the barbed wire on the cover photo. It's a good story, and although it's not all happy events I did like it very much. It's in my "to re-read" pile. Was not what I expected; a different approach to a fairy tale retelling. I had never heard of Chelmno prior to this book. Jan 14, Shannon rated it it was ok Shelves: youngadult , historical-fiction.
Briar Rose is a re-imagining of the fairy tale Sleeping Beauty. Unfortunately, it wasn't the retelling I was hoping for. I had hoped for either a new and adult take on a fairy tale, or a new look at an old story that I could share with my 10 and 12 year old daughters.
This book provided neither. At some unknown point in the early 21 st century, Briar Rose pricked her finger while in a Mundy store called "Tiffany's", placing the whole building in an enchanted sleep. It was later revealed during a talk with Bigby that in this incident when her finger was pricked, the authorities sent in a police dog named "Prince" and his innocent dog kiss awoke her, the affection of a dog being honest and true although Briar threatened Bigby never to tell a soul of the incident.
After this, when journalist Tommy Sharp threatened to reveal what he had discovered about the Fables , her sleeping curse was employed to put the inhabitants of his residency to sleep while a team led by Bigby Wolf ransacked his apartment. However, when it came time to awaken her, Prince Charming's kiss did not work, most likely because he no longer loved her. Flycatcher 's kiss woke her up, which ended up with her tasting flies when she awoke.
It has never been revealed if she knew Flycatcher awoke her or not. During the war against the Empire, Briar's curse was deployed within the Imperial capital, putting the inhabitants of the entire city to sleep, depriving the Empire of most of its senior officials and the majority of their combat-ready sorcerers. Recently, the city was burned to the ground, but not before Briar Rose and the Snow Queen were carried away, still asleep, by a mysterious cadre of goblins.
Eventually, a bottle imp tells Ali Baba , who is seeking treasures in the burned down city, about the sleeping girl that is blessed with eternal wealth and riches, but needs to be woken with true love's kiss from a prince. Ali Baba sneaks into the goblins' encampment and kisses the sleeping Briar Rose, who awakens from the spell, along with the Snow Queen. The Snow Queen seeks vengeance on Rose for putting her to sleep for years, and takes both of them captive.
Instead of killing them, the Snow Queen forces Jonah, the bottle imp, to tell her stories of Briar Rose's life, as the Snow Queen "is addicted to good stories", and Jonah is very good at telling stories. It is revealed that because Ali Baba risked his life to wake and rescue Briar Rose, his actions fell under the definition of true, but not romantic, love.
Briar also defeats Hadeon the Destroyer , the evil fairy who cursed her as a baby. Briar's fairy godmothers then turn Hadeon into a car that can travel to any world, and the spaces between worlds. The car has to serve one thousand times before it will revert to back to Hadeon's true form.
Briar uses the car to travel back to the newly re-built Fabletown. Later, the dragoness gains retribution against Briar Rose by cursing Aurora into an eternal sleep. Once Upon a Time Wiki Explore. Once Upon a Time. Gilmore Rebecca Mader Robert Carlyle. Goodman Jerome Schwartz Kalinda Vazquez. About Us. Explore Wikis Community Central.
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