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9th out of 591 books
—
3,545 voters
East
by
Edith Pattou
Rose has always been different.
Since the day she was born, it was clear she had a special fate. Her superstitious mother keeps the unusual circumstances of Rose's birth a secret, hoping to prevent her adventurous daughter from leaving home... but she can't suppress Rose's true nature forever.
So when an enormous white bear shows up one cold autumn evening and asks teenage
...morePaperback, 528 pages
Published
May 1st 2005
by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
(first published September 1st 2003)
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This novel is a retelling of "East of the Sun and West of the Moon" which is probably one of the most underappreciated fairy tales out there. Unfortunately, this retelling doesn't quite do it justice. The author chose to use multiple viewpoints, which felt more like a gimmick and less like the best way to tell the story (especially since I was only really interested in the stories from two of the five narrators). Also, no one ever seems to have given Edith that all important advice to...more
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I absolutely loved this book. I've read it so many times and never has it grown old. I love how it shifts views and tells you what other people are doing and how it has many plots that all tie together in the book. I love the White Bear and I love reading what he has to say and the riddles and poems he speaks in. The chapters weren't long so you could just fly through the book with no trouble. I fell inlove with Rose and her personality from the beginning, the first few pages a a little slow, bu...more
For a re-telling this was very good. In many ways, other than just expanding on the original, this version seemed to try to add some realism to the tale. Fortunately it wasn't realism at the cost of magic. There was still plenty of magic. Don't look for anything staggeringly innovative here and the writing isn't perfect, but this is very readable.
The novel delineated an ordinary world from a magical world by making Rose's home life somewhat more mundane as well as keeping from her ma...more
The novel delineated an ordinary world from a magical world by making Rose's home life somewhat more mundane as well as keeping from her ma...more
Multiple first person POVs always throw me off. Always. This wasn't an exception, though I really liked the narrators, so it didn't distract me as much as if could have.
I'm a bit disappointed that the more fantastic aspects of the original folk tale were not included, but if I had never read the original story, I wouldn't have noticed they were missing.
I'm a bit disappointed that the more fantastic aspects of the original folk tale were not included, but if I had never read the original story, I wouldn't have noticed they were missing.
I loved this new and interesting fairy tale. Pattou's style was fresh and easily drew me in.
This book will waste your time. The story is entirely unbelievable and hard to relate to.
I really enjoyed this book. It got a little slow near the middle, but it quickly picked up speed. I think the way Edith Pattou chose to write this book was interesting and I liked that you can read it knowing each persons point of view. The problem I had with the way the story was written is that sometimes you want to see the situation from somebody else's point of view and you can't. This left me with a lot of questions about what the other characters were thinking. I liked Rose a lot. She was ...more
What a GREAT young adult fantasy! I loved everything about this book! Although it is almost 500 pages, it is a quick read. (Short chapters, larger print.) The story is based on the Norwegian fairytale "East of the Sun and West of the Moon" which I didn't know until I read the author's notes at the end. I liked that even though it was a fantasy, it took place in a real time and place-16th Century Norway. (Read the glossery in the very back for modern names) I loved the mother's s...more
I guess it is a retelling of the "East of the Sun, West of the Moon" or "The Polar Bear King" fairy tale, which I had never heard of before... to me it is Beauty and the Beast with a twist. It was a good read. The ending seemed to wrap it up a little too quickly for me, and with a little to much "back to reality." After all the action, I wasn't ready for it. I don't know what I would have changed though, so I shouldn't complain! :)
Update: After readin...more
Update: After readin...more
Shayla
added it
Recommends it for:
anyone looking for a good read!
Recommended to Shayla by:
best friend
This story is amazing. "East of the sun and west of the moon" has always enchanted me, and I was so excited when I picked up this book knowing that it was a retelling of this beatiful story. I was not dissapointed. I loved the way that Edith Pattou gave each and every character a believable personality. In our world, every "villian" has a story behind it--no one is truly evil--and Pattou was able to portray that very well the way that she switched points of view between the c...more
Abby
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Before I ever read this book, I wrote a short story retelling of the same Scandinavian fairy tale along the same lines--appropriating the plot but filling in the details. Fairy tales, like a lot of oral traditions, are plot-driven and survive on the basis of being a fantastic story, but they're not so good at explaining things. So I understand the impulse to fill in the gaps, which inspired not only this author but at least two other novel-length retellings of "East of the Sun, West of th...more
Have you ever heard of a talking polar bear? What about the Young Woman who chose to live with him of her own accord? I have, most recently in this book:Eastby Edith Pattou. With 494 pages, this might seem a daunting book to some; however, for me it was a favorite from the start. This story comes in many different packages: the source of this story is an old Norwegian myth that has been interpreted by many authors, I myself have read two other versions of it. This myth sends itself out as a book...more
Inspired by the famous Scandinavian fairy tale East o’ the Sun and West o’ the Moon, Edith Pattou has created a rich novel which approaches the story in a fantastical yet believable way, including the previously untold perspectives of all main and secondary characters of the famed story. Nyamh Rose has a propensity to wander, much to the chagrin of her superstitious mother. Rose’s mother was once told by a fortuneteller that a child of hers born in the direction of the north was fated to die i...more
I definitely had Ice in mind when I picked this up, and so I have to say...this book on its own gets a three star rating, but when compared to Ice? Just a sad old one star, a little pat on the back for the birthing position idea that is surely borrowed from the Chinese star-reading practice of Fengshui. One thing that bugged me to no end is how lacking Nyamh is in the department of resilience, resourceful and tenacity. Everything just went her way, she never had to work for it. The romance was a...more
East is a book about a young Njorden girl named Rose. She is courageous, bold, and adventureous. One day, white bear asks for her to come with him and in exchange, he would bring her family wealth and make her sister well.
I really liked Rose’s mother’s character. She was so distinct and erratic that her presence added a whole new twist to the situation. I liked her superstitions, especially about birth direction. The fact that she would take such precautions to avoid having a no...more
I really liked Rose’s mother’s character. She was so distinct and erratic that her presence added a whole new twist to the situation. I liked her superstitions, especially about birth direction. The fact that she would take such precautions to avoid having a no...more
"East" by Edith Pattou is a historical-fiction-fantasy adaptation of the classic fairy tale "East of the Sun, West of the Moon." The fairy tale is classified as the "search for a lost husband" by Aarne-Thompson (am I spelling that right?) and deals with a young girl who leaves her family in order to live in an ice palace with a polar bear. Pattou's greatest achievement, perhaps, is translating the original tale into an accessible young-adult fantasy adventure. The s...more
There are some books that are simply unforgettable, which engrave themselves on your heart forever. East is one of those books. While marketed to the unfortunate YA fiction market- presumably because the protagonist is young- this is an adventure that is appealing at any age.
The story is heavily centered around the "Beauty and the Beast"-esque Norse fairy tale "East of the Sun, West of the Moon," the tale of a girl betrothed to a white bear who turns into a man and lay ...more
The story is heavily centered around the "Beauty and the Beast"-esque Norse fairy tale "East of the Sun, West of the Moon," the tale of a girl betrothed to a white bear who turns into a man and lay ...more
This is one of my favorite fairytale retellings, based on a lesser known Norwegian fairytale. I originally read the story in several of my favorite childhood books including The Blue Fairy Book and the beautifully illustrated (now out of print) East of the Sun and West of the Moon: Old Tales from the North. There is also a great movie "The Polar Bear King" based on the fairytale that was filmed in Norway.This fairytale has also recently been surfacing in other retellings, such as Ice a...more
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Chris
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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Margaret
rated it
East is a YA retelling of the fairy tale "East of the Sun and West of the Moon", a lesser-known but interesting variant on the "Beauty and the Beast" and "Eros and Psyche" tales. Rose lives in Norway with her family; when one of her sisters becomes dangerously ill and the family is about to be evicted from their farm, a white bear appears at the door and tells the family that if Rose will come with him, their troubles will end. Of course she goes with him and become...more
this was a refreshing version of the east of the sun, west of the moon story. i found the characters to be well composed and believable. in other variations of this story, the mother has been portrayed as evil or as hating the daughter, as happens with so many mothers in fairy tales, but in this version the mother’s actions were explained and even after she did what she did she showed remorse, and the birth direction thing, almost like a horoscope, was used very effectively in explaining the mo...more
The premise of this book, based off the story of East of the Sun, West of the Moon, is intriguing in itself. But this retelling is a worthy story in its own right, fascinating and icy, full of determination and painful hope. Rose's journey to not only her own, fitting identity, but true love, is pretty evenly paced (a bit slow at times), interesting, and sweet. We are taken along for a journey that shows Rose's growth and maturity, summarized quite beautifully in the prologue, actually. (I recom...more
This child's story reads like a fairy tale. A magical story of a young girl sacrificed to a mysterious bear, who becomes her love and is of course, somehow cursed. Like the frog prince, eh? Only way better.
Also, there's Slank!
Others have tried to own this word before now. You'll recall the Grinch "slink, slank, slunk" up a chimney in Whoville on Christmas eve, Cormac McCarthy's dogs slank around the periphery of a smoky campfire, the urban dictionary offers various un...more
Also, there's Slank!
Others have tried to own this word before now. You'll recall the Grinch "slink, slank, slunk" up a chimney in Whoville on Christmas eve, Cormac McCarthy's dogs slank around the periphery of a smoky campfire, the urban dictionary offers various un...more
Я не ошиблась в выборе книги для чтения в новогоднюю ночь. Прочитала ее за 31 декабря 2011 и за 1 января 2012.
Поначалу бросалась в глаза некая примитивность речи, ПОВы, которые менялись со стремительной скоростью, что нельзя было успеть разглядеть ту или иную личность. Ну и чего уж там не жиюко между собой различаются персонажи, нету пресловутой психологичности (глубокой, что отличает одного персонажа от другого). Повествование линейное, концовка предсказуемая.
Столь высокая оценка от м...more
Поначалу бросалась в глаза некая примитивность речи, ПОВы, которые менялись со стремительной скоростью, что нельзя было успеть разглядеть ту или иную личность. Ну и чего уж там не жиюко между собой различаются персонажи, нету пресловутой психологичности (глубокой, что отличает одного персонажа от другого). Повествование линейное, концовка предсказуемая.
Столь высокая оценка от м...more
Nothing particularly compelling or groundbreaking, but still a decent read. The style of swithcing narratives with each chapter was somewhat interesting, but probably could have been used to greater effect, as there's little compelling beyond the sections from the main character's point of view.. The sections with Rose's family do little to advance the plot, the White Bear remains a muddled cypher throughout, and the one truly interesting POV (the troll queen's) is never fully explored like it ...more
Ok, this is one of my favourite fairy tales to read, but this wasn’t my favourite rendition of East of the Sun, West of the Moon but it was still really good. In fact, this was the first one that I’ve read where I can picture it happening (aside from the trolls and whatnot) but it was more realistic than any of the others that I’ve read.
Now, I’m normally not one who enjoys reading a book written from alternating perspectives but with this book it worked. In fact, the fact that the T...more
Now, I’m normally not one who enjoys reading a book written from alternating perspectives but with this book it worked. In fact, the fact that the T...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Reading this and Ice (a retelling of the same fairy tale, "East of the Sun and West of the Moon") in the same year was probably a mistake. Both were very literal retellings, though Ice (which I liked better) was a bit more transformative.
Here's the thing: I am not a reader of romance novels, for the most part. However, if you put a romance in your books, especially if it's one of the central conflicts, I am going to notice if it doesn't ring true, and it doesn't ring true i...more
Here's the thing: I am not a reader of romance novels, for the most part. However, if you put a romance in your books, especially if it's one of the central conflicts, I am going to notice if it doesn't ring true, and it doesn't ring true i...more
A beautifully written heart-warming tale that had me hooked with plot. The first thing I saw about the book was the cover and immediately I was drawn to it, to me, it looked almost magical. The story is actually based on a Norwegian fairytale "East of the Sun and West of the Moon", even if you haven't heard of it before, this book will have you flying through the pages.
The character narration changes from chapter to chapter, sometimes the white bear, troll queen, Rose or her ...more
The character narration changes from chapter to chapter, sometimes the white bear, troll queen, Rose or her ...more
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| this is an awsome book | 26 | 78 | Dec 05, 2011 12:50pm |
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Edith Pattou is the author of several fantasy novels, including East, an ALA Top Ten Best Book for Young Adults. She is a graduate of the Francis W. Parker School, Scripps College (B.A., English), Claremont Graduate School (M.A., English) and UCLA (M.L.I.S.). She is married to Charles Emery, a professor of psychology at The Ohio State University. They have one child, a daughter.
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“East of the sun and west of the moon.' As unfathomable as the words were, I realized I must figure them out, reason it through. For I would go to this impossible land that lay east of the sun and west of the moon. From the moment the sleigh had vanished from sight and I could no longer hear the silver bells I knew that I would go after the stranger that had been the white bear to make right the terrible wrong I had done him.... All that mattered was to make things right. And I would do whatever it took, journey to wherever I must, to reach that goal.”
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“That's the trouble with loving a wild thing: You're always left watching the door.”
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