A Curse Dark As Gold

Aug 25, 2007 Sarah rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: starred, arcs

Let’s just make this perfectly clear: I loved this book. Fairy tales retold are pretty much a sure thing with me, but this one’s a humdinger. You think you know Rumplestiltskin? Think again.

Elizabeth Bunce refers to her work as “historical fantasy” and she’s dead-on. One of the main strengths of A Curse Dark as Gold is the setting. The mill stands firmly at the center of the plot, and Elizabeth Bunce makes the place feel very real, right down to the last creaking board. But the setting is more t...more Let’s just make this perfectly clear: I loved this book. Fairy tales retold are pretty much a sure thing with me, but this one’s a humdinger. You think you know Rumplestiltskin? Think again.

Elizabeth Bunce refers to her work as “historical fantasy” and she’s dead-on. One of the main strengths of A Curse Dark as Gold is the setting. The mill stands firmly at the center of the plot, and Elizabeth Bunce makes the place feel very real, right down to the last creaking board. But the setting is more than just the place – it’s also the whole community, the time, and the culture, which are cleverly modeled on the years near the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. The competition between tradition and technology forms a smart backdrop for the Miller sisters’ struggles. The author also knows a thing or two about the woolen industry, that much is clear. I think it’s a mark of how well done the book is that I didn’t realize how much research went into the story until I’d read the afterword. Even though the story doesn’t take place in a firm time or location, the author is very clear about what elements of industry and society are factual and what’s been altered, and that goes a long way with me – even in a fantasy.

Yes, despite the realism of the setting, this is unquestionably a fantasy. Much to my delight, the author goes about introducing the fantasy elements gradually. When an author gets me firmly entrenched in a seemingly normal world before unleashing the magic, I’m much more willing to go along for the ride. In the case of Curse, it’s hard to tell just when the magic starts, and that’s a good thing. Strange happenings abound, but they’re not blatantly otherworldly at the outset. Is it a curse, or isn’t it? Are the townsfolk onto something, or is it just country superstition? Even the heroine herself shows a good deal of uncertainty and skepticism, further helping to suspend my disbelief.

Because let’s face it: fairy tales are full of gaps. All sorts of improbable things happen with little or no explanation. Now, I’m not looking for someone to explain every inch of a tale and give me a step-by-step lesson in spinning straw into gold, but a good retelling – like this one – will have you half believing the story is possible. Fairy tale characters also seem to get pushed around like chess pieces – especially the girls A good retelling will also put a little muscle on those underdeveloped characters, and give them minds of their own. True to form, Charlotte Miller is no wishy-washy helpless heroine. This girl’s got some backbone *and* a head for business. That’s not something you find a whole lot of in the Brothers Grimm.

Of course, a good chunk of the fun of retellings is wondering how the author will weave in the familiar elements of the backstory. What will change? What stays the same? Sorry, I’m not telling. Instead, I’ll leave you with these questions, which A Curse Dark as Gold will answer for you in March:

What did Rumplestiltskin want that baby for?

Why did the miller’s daughter agree to Rumplestiltskin’s price?

And most importantly:
What’s in a name?
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May 09, 2009 Allison (The Allure of Books) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: own-it, 2009, historical-fantasy

I bought this book expecting to fall in love with it, and it did not let me down. It was an incredible story, and my head is spinning with everything I want to say about it.

First of all, I was touched before the story even began. In Elizabeth Bunce's acknowledgements she says "And lastly, to my husband, Christopher, for always being there. If I wrote you into a story, no one would believe you were real." I think that is lovely, and I was in love with the author from the get-go.

On that subject-ma...more

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Sep 05, 2010 Cara rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to Cara by: Ash

Shelves: fantasy, 2010, historical-fiction, fairy-tales, awesome-covers

If there is one word that I would use to sum up this book it's intricate. I was floored to find out that this was the author's debut novel. Ms. Bunce is up there with the best veterans of the fantasy genre.

Charlotte Miller knows her share of hardships. Her mother and baby brother died, and the book starts with the reader witnessing Charlotte and her sister burying their father. Too bad for Charlotte that this is not the last she is going to see of bad luck. With her father gone she has to shoul...more If there is one word that I would use to sum up this book it's intricate. I was floored to find out that this was the author's debut novel. Ms. Bunce is up there with the best veterans of the fantasy genre.

Charlotte Miller knows her share of hardships. Her mother and baby brother died, and the book starts with the reader witnessing Charlotte and her sister burying their father. Too bad for Charlotte that this is not the last she is going to see of bad luck. With her father gone she has to shoulder the responsibilty of being in charge of the mill. Stirwaters is everything to their town, and she can not and will not let it fall. She literally will do anything to keep the mill going. When things start to get rough a mysterious man who calls himself Jack Spinner comes in to save the day. Charlotte being the level-headed young woman she is doesn't buy it at first, but Jack Spinner proves himself to be reliable. Of course everything always comes at a price. Will Charlotte be willing to pay the highest price of all?

In the beginning of the book you feel like Charlotte, that everything is rooted in reality. As the story progresses though you can feel that the lines of reality begin to blur into this magical world around them. Not even once did I think this world was not real. The historical background of the story gives the reader a sense of realness and helps to make the magic more believable.

Charlotte at times could be stubborn beyond comprehension, but I understood her even though I didn't always agree with her. She always did everything to protect the people she cared about, and you really can't be mad at someone who has that quality. The plot is done superbly. Every character and every bit of info comes back around to show what had been hiding in plain sight all along. The right person just had to be willing to look. Characters are always the heart of the story and this particular cast of characters were true to form and kept the book pulsating. Randall was my favorite, but I'd say the most interesting was Uncle Wheeler. Uncle Wheeler I'd say is the one who really hits the theme of what a name truly means, and what it doesn't.

A brillantly crafted story of love, mystery, and magic.(less)

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Jan 26, 2009 Rose rated it 5 of 5 stars

I LOVED this book! Loved the way this retelling of Rumplestilskin was fit into a real setting, loved the way even despicable characters had their moments when we felt sorry for them, loved the magic and the mystery. I loved the words, too. I'm living in a non-English speaking country and sometimes I feel starved for words, and by the time I got to page 2 it was all I could do not to stuff the whole book in my mouth and devour it. Lovely!

AND IT JUST WON THE WILLIAM MORRIS AWARD FOR BEST FIRST YA!

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Jul 20, 2010 Valerie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: retellings, historical-fiction, fantasy

It's a retelling and historical fiction. Such a great combination. It's a great retake on the Rumpelstiltskin tale, set in the Industrial Revolution.

Charlotte Miller and her sister Rosie are the last of the Miller thread that make quality cloths. The whole process of making the wool was pretty nice. It didn't seem like it was teaching me anything but I still learned a little about the time period and cloth making.

I was frustrated with Charlotte a number of times. She is so responsible and carr...more

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Aug 08, 2012 Margaret rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy-and-science-fiction, mythology-and-fairy-tales, children-s-and-ya-fiction, authors-ab, sirens-2012

Charlotte Miller and her sister Rosie have problems. Their father has just died, leaving their family mill in deep debt. Their long-lost uncle has arrived and is pushing them to sell. But their small community relies on the mill for its residents' livelihoods, and Charlotte isn't willing to give up her life and her friends' lives so easily. When Jack Spinner shows up and promises a way out, Charlotte makes a bargain with him to save the mill, but she gets far more than she bargained for and must...more Charlotte Miller and her sister Rosie have problems. Their father has just died, leaving their family mill in deep debt. Their long-lost uncle has arrived and is pushing them to sell. But their small community relies on the mill for its residents' livelihoods, and Charlotte isn't willing to give up her life and her friends' lives so easily. When Jack Spinner shows up and promises a way out, Charlotte makes a bargain with him to save the mill, but she gets far more than she bargained for and must figure out the mysterious connections of the past, between Jack Spinner, her mill, and her family. The book starts out in a solid, historical-feeling kind of way; only slowly does Bunce introduce the fantastic elements and thus the real impetus of the plot. It's a little too slow in the beginning, yet it builds up to real tension by the end.

Charlotte is an intelligent and dedicated heroine, and I appreciated that, but I have to admit that by the end, I was a little impatient with her unwillingness to share her burdens and her increasing knowledge of the situation with anyone. This dimmed the charm of the main romance for me: I couldn't quite believe in how quickly it started and how it could have been maintained in the face of Charlotte's pigheadedness. I rather preferred the secondary romance, a very understated one between Charlotte's sister Rosie and one of the millworkers, and I'd have liked to see more of that.

By now, I'm sure you've figured out which fairy tale this is a retelling of. I love fairy tale retellings and have read a lot of them, and I thought this was a very good one, adding a lot of depth to the tale of "Rumpelstiltskin". I especially liked the setting, which is based on Bunce's research into English and American wool mills in the late 1700s, on the cusp of the Industrial Revolution, which provides some conflict in the plot, as Charlotte must face competition from mills with more efficient, automated systems. Bunce creates a tightly knit neighborhood around the mill, showing how one business can nurture an entire community.

Barring the small issues with pacing and characterization I've noted, I really enjoyed A Curse Dark as Gold and will be looking for more from Bunce.(less)

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Nov 06, 2012 Jennifer Wardrip rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: trt-posted-reviews, trt-gold-star-award-winner

Reviewed by Julie M. Prince for TeensReadToo.com

Since her father's death, the fate of the Miller family woolen mill and that of the Shearing village rests on Charlotte's shoulders. An unexpected and seemingly insurmountable debt leads to a difficult choice for the normally practical and levelheaded miller's daughter.

Must she take the offer of the strange little man who can weave straw into gold, or can she make her own way through the maze of ill luck and deceit that seems her family legacy?

El...more Reviewed by Julie M. Prince for TeensReadToo.com

Since her father's death, the fate of the Miller family woolen mill and that of the Shearing village rests on Charlotte's shoulders. An unexpected and seemingly insurmountable debt leads to a difficult choice for the normally practical and levelheaded miller's daughter.

Must she take the offer of the strange little man who can weave straw into gold, or can she make her own way through the maze of ill luck and deceit that seems her family legacy?

Elizabeth C. Bunce's A CURSE DARK AS GOLD is worth its own weight in gold and then some. A folkloric re-telling beyond Rumpelstiltskin proportions, this tale weaves the best storytelling techniques into a fine tapestry of intrigue, drama, and romance.

The tight writing never wavers. Gorgeous, consistent language abounds, like, "I sank to my knees in a sea of crumpled flannel and pressed my hands into the sharp shale of the yard, as if bites from the stones could remind me of who I was."

And just who is Charlotte Miller? Certainly one of the most fascinating characters I've come across of late. If not self-confident at the beginning of our story, she is at least confident in what she knows: the mill cannot go under and the families of Shearing cannot be allowed to starve or scatter to the winds. As she is the only one around to prevent these happenings, Charlotte will do what she must to prevent them. And so she does.

As time goes on, and with Pinchfields Mill of Harrowgate nipping at her heels, Charlotte's choices become ever more difficult and the stakes are raised as she struggles through crisis after crisis. Charlotte's resolve to dismiss the very idea of the Miller Curse crumbles into a pile of wasted wishes as the harsh reality of the unreal comes to be. She is forced to play the hand that's dealt, facing sinister forces she once easily dismissed.

A strong protagonist indeed.

Every word counts in this amazing book. The language, while assuredly stunning and appealing, is never frivolous. It's hard to believe this is a debut novel, and I eagerly await whatever Ms. Bunce wishes to put in front of me next, as it's sure to be delightful and satisfying if it's near the quality of A CURSE DARK AS GOLD.

It's only fitting that this novel be recommended for the Gold Star Award for Excellence and admittance to the TeensReadToo Hall of Fame. (less)

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Feb 17, 2008 Laura rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book arrived Thursday, but I didn’t get a chance to read it until Friday. We were out at the dentist when it arrived, and didn’t see it when we got back because it was lodging between our doors. Friday morning, my Mom was driving me to school, and we noticed something on our front steps. It was a package… I brought it in the car, unwrapped it, and found A Curse Dark as Gold. The book was frozen- literally. The pages cracked when I turned them. It was quite an experience. I didn’t think that...more This book arrived Thursday, but I didn’t get a chance to read it until Friday. We were out at the dentist when it arrived, and didn’t see it when we got back because it was lodging between our doors. Friday morning, my Mom was driving me to school, and we noticed something on our front steps. It was a package… I brought it in the car, unwrapped it, and found A Curse Dark as Gold. The book was frozen- literally. The pages cracked when I turned them. It was quite an experience. I didn’t think that our weather had been too cold, but I guess it had gone into the negatives during the night. My copy of the book is completely normal now…

Charlotte Miller’s father passed away, and now she is in charge of the Miller woolen mill, which she won’t give up. The Miller woolen mill has its ways, and always is unpredictable. Doors won’t open, and nothing will ever stay fixed for too long. Charlotte and Rosie, her younger sister, are determined to keep the mill in the family, but when their Uncle Wheeler comes and insists they sell it, Charlotte wonders how long they can fight him. She then learns of her father’s enormous debt, which they in no way could possibly pay. But when short Jack Spinner offers to spin them a thousand spools of thread, Charlotte Miller forgets the fabled “Miller Curse”…

A Curse Dark as Gold retells Rumpelstiltskin (You can read the original tale on Sur La Lune.) It differs from the original tale, so if you already know Rumpelstiltskin, A Curse Dark as Gold will still be surprising. I would enjoy reading other versions of Rumpelstiltskin, since I know so little about the tale. I don’t know if there are any other retellings, but I am going to look into it.

I absolutely loved this book. I’m not that into fantasy, but A Curse Dark as Gold contained beautiful writing and a very accurate picture of the industrial revolution. I love history, and we studied the IR this year. I really enjoyed reading about it in a book instead of my textbook, though I do enjoy textbooks as well.

I adored the romance in A Curse Dark as Gold. I don’t want to spoil it, because it isn’t too obvious right away, but the romantic character had me gripping my seat. I got so angry at Charlotte at times… but in the end, it was definitely worth it. Uncle Wheeler, however conniving, was a very well written character as well. I don’t know what I think of him, and I have little sympathy for his decisions.

Fab book, please read it. I don’t like fantasy too much, and I am so glad that I bought A Curse Dark as Gold.(less)

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Jan 14, 2013 joanna rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: fans of strong female characters

Shelves: rereading

This was excellent! Well-written and intelligent. I love a good spin on an old classic story. (In this case, it's Rumpelstiltskin - but with more life to it.)

It was in the Teen/Young Adult section and that's fine, I read books from there all the time, but most adults don't. And I think that would be doing this one a disservice, as it could easily cross over.

The author Elizabeth C. Bunce uses folklore and historical tradition in a way that makes this fairy tale seem very real...and she develope...more

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Dec 12, 2007 Molly rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: love-the-jacket, books-i-wish-id-worked-on, ya

I could probably write a lengthy review about the many things I admired about this debut YA (#1 on that list - the skill with which the curse was woven all through the novel, with the mill itself becoming a creepy almost-character), but I think it boils down to one statement really. I simply can't decide which I wish more: that I'd been the one to edit this book, or the one to write this book! Alas, since neither were options, I'll settle for being a fan and waiting eagerly to see what Elizabeth...more

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Jan 20, 2010 CLM rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to CLM by: Tawen

Shelves: ya, fantasy, historicalfiction, 19th-century, fairy-tales

This is a YA version of Rumpelstiltskin, which I am very much enjoying late at night. It is a beautifully written book of love and obsession. Four and a half stars.

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Jul 14, 2010 Nadia rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: anyone who loves a good fairy tale

Recommended to Nadia by: Meribeth Shank

Shelves: young-adult, fairytale, read-in-2010

Entrancing retelling of the story of Rumpelstiltskin. I could not put this book down!

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Jul 14, 2010 Ash rated it 4 of 5 stars

I haven't read any fantasy for a while and I was starting to think that maybe I just didn't enjoy it as much as I used to. Reading this reminded me of why I loved fantasy so much. Specifically the reason why I'm such a huge sucker for fairy tale retellings.

Quick Overview: After the death of her father, Charlotte Miller and her sister Rosie are left in charge of the small family owned wool mill. As mishap and hardship continue to plague the Miller family and the mill, whispers of the long lived c...more I haven't read any fantasy for a while and I was starting to think that maybe I just didn't enjoy it as much as I used to. Reading this reminded me of why I loved fantasy so much. Specifically the reason why I'm such a huge sucker for fairy tale retellings.

Quick Overview: After the death of her father, Charlotte Miller and her sister Rosie are left in charge of the small family owned wool mill. As mishap and hardship continue to plague the Miller family and the mill, whispers of the long lived curse inevitably start making their way around the mill workers and small town. Charlotte is determined to keep the mill and refuses to accept that the curse exists. When she and her sister receive a letter from their Uncle Wheeler they hope that he can help them in some way, but Charlotte soon finds that he is not anything as she thought. As it looks like losing the mill is inevitable, the mysterious Jack Spinner appears and offers to help them. At a price. Charlotte is desperate to save the mill and accepts his help. Eventually Charlotte finds that she has agreed to a price much higher than she could have ever imagined and frantically tries to save what is most dear to her.

The story starts off slow and I found myself getting kinda huffy for things to start happening, but as the story progresses things really begin to pick up as does the suspense. I eventually realized that I was reading ahead in the dialogue and cringing when things didn’t go right. I loved Charlotte and Rosie and their extended family of the mill. Rosie is smart and strong even though she’s young. Charlotte is strong willed, practical and stubborn without being heartless and it’s easy to like her from the start. The history and the mystery in the book are woven in seamlessly without taking away anything from the fantasy.

I liked how not every single persons appearance was obsessively described in detail. You know that Rosie is considered the prettier of the sisters, but it’s not because Charlotte goes around in woeful self-deprecating tangents. Whenever someone is described it seemed at appropriate times. Along with that though it was hard to figure out just how old some people were. Most characters are introduced by name and make a few appearances before you know anything about what they look like or how old they are. At first I thought Rosie was 16 but at the end figured out that she was around the 14-15 range. Another character named Harte I thought was in his early twenties but then it looks he might actually be a few years younger. Then I’d think someone was a girl to figure they were actually a boy. Reading one characters name I thought “Sounds like a young girl”. Nope, old guy. Old. So that was confusing sometimes. I also thought that the relationship between Randall and Charlotte was too fast and I was kinda confused about just how much Charlotte cared about him. Maybe because she was too? And I admit that I got annoyed when Charlotte was still holding on to saving the mill at the end. I’m a huge sap at heart, but I think I wouldn’t have been as forgiving to one particular character as Charlotte was. If it was me I’m not sure he would still be walking. But that’s just me.

Other than those things though, I really enjoyed reading this take on Rumpelstiltskin and was totally sucked in by the end. Even though you know everything is going to work out, you freak and worry because you never know. The actual mill might as well have its own pulse as it has its own voice and character in the story as well. The question of who Rumpelstiltskin really was is finally answered and you finally learn the “real” story behind the fairy tale.
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Sep 23, 2008 Meridyforgot rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book receives five starts with the stipulation that it did have some faults that I usually don't overlook. However, this book had many strong virtues and therefore it receives the coveted five star rating.

1. It was a deep and meaningful and romantic and clean. Squeaky clean. Gasp! This shouldn't be a miraculous thing, but it is. I loved how this book proves that the seemingly impossibility of having all four of these characteristics in one book is not, in actual fact, impossible.

2. While...more This book receives five starts with the stipulation that it did have some faults that I usually don't overlook. However, this book had many strong virtues and therefore it receives the coveted five star rating.

1. It was a deep and meaningful and romantic and clean. Squeaky clean. Gasp! This shouldn't be a miraculous thing, but it is. I loved how this book proves that the seemingly impossibility of having all four of these characteristics in one book is not, in actual fact, impossible.

2. While the characters sometimes annoyed me,(this would be a fault usually not entirely overlooked)they learned from their mistakes and took responsibility for them.

3. It deals with subjects of revenge, forgiveness, love, and courage in a thoughtful and interesting way. One can draw some analogies from this story and apply them to real life.

4. Charlotte and Randall have a falling out in this book, that gets resolved quickly. Some people would call this unrealistic, but I like it in this case. How many times do people complicate their marriages? How hard is it to really forgive each other? Yes some things are hard to work through, but how many times do people make it more difficult than it needs to be to forgive one another? I really liked how Charlotte and Randall rectified their situation. Then they looked past what happened, held on the the good things in their relationship, and improved the way they treated each other.

That said, the biggest drawback of the book was that it didn't hold my attention all of the time. But as you know I am a very impatient reader, so this may not be a problem for other people. I ended up skipping ahead at times and then going back a rereading. I did this several times. :)What was really cool, however, was the fact that when I finally read the book all the way through to the end, I was still surprised by some plot twists. So I feel that this book was more complex than many other books I've read in this genera and deserves credit for that.(less)

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Mar 11, 2008 Angie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: belovedbookshelf, girls-who-do-things, retellings, ya

I've been savoring this one. I mean, I read a chunk every day, don't get me wrong. But if something happened to come up at night during my normal reading time, instead of muttering, "Vital point," like I usually do, I was up for it.

Watch a movie? Sure.

Clean out a few more boxes from the study? Let's do it!

Because I just didn't want this book to end. It more than lived up to the expectations I had, having heard such wonderful early reviews. And I was so pleased that it did because the initial pro...more I've been savoring this one. I mean, I read a chunk every day, don't get me wrong. But if something happened to come up at night during my normal reading time, instead of muttering, "Vital point," like I usually do, I was up for it.

Watch a movie? Sure.

Clean out a few more boxes from the study? Let's do it!

Because I just didn't want this book to end. It more than lived up to the expectations I had, having heard such wonderful early reviews. And I was so pleased that it did because the initial prospect of a Rumpelstiltskin retelling was not all that attractive.

Let's face it, in its original form it's an awful fairy tale. Awful Dad sells his nameless daughter to Awful King in exchange for money. Awful King threatens nameless daughter with death unless she is able to spin straw into gold. Otherwise he'll marry her. Then to top it all off, creepily Awful Dwarf appears and saves nameless daughter's bacon....in exchange for her potential first-born child. And she's willing to make this Awful Bargain because she really doesn't want to die and can see no other way out. So she marries Awful King, makes a baby with him (shocker!), and, when Awful Dwarf comes to claim his due, is only able to save her baby by guessing his Awful Name. Yeah. Not my favorite fairy tale.

Turns out it wasn't Elizabeth C. Bunce's favorite either. I love that she rewrote it because it bothered her. And she did such a splendid job filling in the cracks, reworking the plot, carefully shaping it into a lovely tale of courage and ill luck, curses and redemption. The setting was a perfect choice: eighteenth century England, just on the cusp of the Industrial Revolution. And the beautiful names. Charlotte Miller, Randall Woodstone, Shearing, Stirwaters, Jack Spinner. The names truly belong to their characters and places. I could tell each one was carefully chosen for effect, like a Dickens cast. And I was drawn to them, the animate and inanimate alike. For the mill, the mansion, and the curse itself are characters in their own right. Bunce's beautiful, unselfconscious writing propels the story forward to its climactic conclusion. This is a dark, drafty, remarkably real tale and, like Jack Spinner, it will spin its golden thread around you.(less)

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Jan 20, 2009 Betsy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Every possible fairytale is eventually hunted down and stripped of its elements for middle grade and YA novel reinterpretation. This is not an unusual thing. For centuries humans have been fascinated with such tales, telling them, retelling them, and changing them to suit current needs. Nowandays, when contemporary authors take a tale it becomes the skeleton for a larger story to come. Cinderella becomes Donna Jo Napoli’s Bound. East of the Sun, West of the Moon becomes Sun and Moon Ice and Snow ...more

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Apr 25, 2008 Andrea rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to Andrea by: Erin L

Shelves: ya, favorites

Okay, win.

I have a friend that knows me well literarily (it's a word now, hush) and gave me a fancy, uncorrected proof. She is probably reading this. It's what she said it is - a fairy tale retelling, but you don't really know which tale until you've read far enough.

(Or far enough on this page apparently - there are spoilers right below me. Oy.)

I loved it. I drank it up in a week like a magical tonic. I didn't expect that Charlotte's voice would twist in the same way I am drawn to, revealing...more

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Jan 01, 2009 Danielle rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: everyone!

Shelves: fantasy, all-time-favorites

This book wasn't at all what I was expecting it to be (that seems to be happening quite a lot lately!) but I loved it anyways.

The story outline was thoughtful, and exciting. I never really knew quite what to expect- and even though it started out slow, it was absurdly intriguing simply because it was such a unique style and genre... It was fantasy, but it didn't feel like it.

In addition to having a unique genre and writing style, the characters were also carefully developed so as to make the re...more

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Apr 29, 2008 Elysse rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Lauren

Shelves: fantasy, fairy-tale

This is probably one of the best fairy tale retellings that I have ever red; and definately the best Rumplestilskin one.
The story begins in Charolett Miller's point of view, shortly after her father's death. Orphaned, Charolett and her sister Rosie must take over the family wool mill in order to survive. However, bad things keep happening, making the girls question whether there is actually a curse on the family mill. As their financial problems mount, they enlist the help of Jack Spinner, in t...more

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Nov 13, 2008 Wendy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to Wendy by: Rose

Wow. This book took my breath away! An original, multi-layered, exquisitely written retelling of the Rumplestiltzkin story. Compelling characters who wrestle with painful ethical dilemmas, make mistakes, and ultimately gain a personal understanding of choice and accountability, repentance, and forgiveness. One word of caution--it's a ghost story--don't read it alone late on a windy night!

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Tracey Hi Wendy! I just finished this book and I re-read your review. I can't figure out why you felt it was "exquistely written" and I think if felt choppy...more
Jul 08, 2010 09:47am

Wendy Hmm, maybe I should go back to it myself? It is funny how people with many similar tastes sometimes have such different reading experiences. That just...more
Jul 08, 2010 06:55pm

Tracey Hi Wendy. Funny... about how ratings work... however, if you gave a book 2.5 stars, I am definitely staying away from it. We may be a little off in ou...more
Jul 15, 2010 07:42pm

Mar 19, 2009 Beth rated it 5 of 5 stars

Loved it! A fabulous retelling of the Rumplestiltskin story. Although this is so much more than a fairy tale retelling. What I liked most about it was that it was part mystery, part really fantastic ghost story.
Charlotte Miller is a strong and stubborn main character. When her father dies suddenly, she inherits the mill that has been in her family for generations. She will do anything to keep it running despite insurmountable odds, including accepting the help of mysterious Jack Spinner. When hi...more

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Feb 26, 2009 stephanie rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: people who like re-tellings, people who like good stories and strong female characters

Recommended to stephanie by: Amy

Shelves: 2009, prize-winners, young-adult, would-rec, fantasy

man. i don't usually seek out retellings of fairy-tales, but i had heard good things about this one, not to mention all the awards it won. and "rumplestilskein" is one of my favorite stories, so.

there's a LOT to like about this story - first, it's fantastically historically accurate. the contrast of shirings versus pinchfields was beautiful, as it's so the story of cottage industries compared with the beginnings of industrialization.

second, the female characters are strong, brilliant, flawed a...more man. i don't usually seek out retellings of fairy-tales, but i had heard good things about this one, not to mention all the awards it won. and "rumplestilskein" is one of my favorite stories, so.

there's a LOT to like about this story - first, it's fantastically historically accurate. the contrast of shirings versus pinchfields was beautiful, as it's so the story of cottage industries compared with the beginnings of industrialization.

second, the female characters are strong, brilliant, flawed and intelligent. charlotte and rosie are smart and clever, as well as possessing big hearts.

third, it actually makes the fairy-tale better, in my opinion. it makes it make sense. the gold spinner character actually has motivation other than wanting to steal little babies. making the creepy little gnome sympathetic? absolutely brilliant.

fourth, there's love, and there are male/female relationships, but they aren't fairy-tale perfect - they are realistic. (especially of the time.) which to do weigh more - your home life over your new married life? how much to share? what is the burden of responsibility and what does it mean when you marry someone? it's especially important to remember because charlotte is so YOUNG, which can easily be forgotten, but rosie's only fourteen herself, which is a tiny side-note throw away line - but these two girls feel the weight of the village on their shoulders - and in a way, it is. it's lovely.

not to mention how much i loved everything that was going on with the girls' uncle on the side, and how he made so much of the story without overtaking it. even when he wasn't present. the townspeople, the whole thing. every note seemed to be right in this. just the right amount of creepiness and horror and shock and panic and love and sensibility and everything. it is a very well-balanced book.

i really, really loved this and can't say enough about it. give it a try. i actually loved jack spinner, and i can't say enough about charlotte and randall and how note-perfect almost everything was. the historical accuracy as well! (this is probably what made me not mind the beginning too much where the plot is slower - i was so impressed!) this book makes me seriously happy.

(less)

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Jan 09, 2012 Yearning To Read rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, fairy-tale-retellings, fiction, young-adult, love-the-cover, to-re-read, 2011-read, reviewed, favorite-love-stories, best-lit-men, own, 14-and-up, perfectly-titled

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Charlotte Miller's father has died, leaving her and her sister, Rose, the sole heirs of their family business, the Stirwaters Woolen Mill. Charlotte keeps herself busy taking care of her sister and the Mill - for the whole town relies on the Mill. She manages to keep things in order - for a while. But when something terrible happens, Charlotte must either sell the mill or...sell the mill. But that's when the stranger shows up. Jack Spinner, he calls himself, an...more

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Feb 06, 2009 Toby rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: children-s-award-winner, young-adult

A Curse as Dark as Gold, the first winner of the new William C. Morris YA debut award, boasts language that suggests its time and place - a mill town long ago and far away, where a miller's daughter will do anything to save her family. The outline of the Rumpelstiltskin story structures this novel, but the characters, plot and setting are fully fleshed out, maybe a bit fleshier than they need to be at almost 400 pages. Still, although we know the Rumpelstiltskin story, we can't help but admire...more

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Mar 06, 2009 Heidi rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2009-book-challenge, fiction, ya-12-19, historical, award-winners, i-own, fractured-fairy-tale, fantasy

Wow. I had been anticipating this book for some weeks, as I had been quite intrigued by the synopsis and been reading great reviews. It worked out that I needed to Read a Book by a Goodreads Author for my Book Challenge, and this author was one! I'll admit, I was about 75 pages in, and I still hadn't quite clicked with the book. I thought there was too much laying down of the setting and all, even though it was not too detailed and written in such a way that you were expected to already know stu...more

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Oct 20, 2008 Nicole Prestin rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, young-adult

This has to be the most enjoyable book I've read all year.

I have to admit that in the beginning, I was skeptical about all of the praise I'd seen about this book. While I love fairy tale retellings, Rumplestiltskin isn't exactly one of my favorite fairy stories. But this loose retelling, set at the beginning of the industrial revolution, is pretty damn entertaining.

I think a lot of that has to do with the author's style. The story just kind of creeps up on you as you read it. The atmosphere is...more

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Sep 09, 2008 SheWunders rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to SheWunders by: Allie Williams

Shelves: 2008-09, fairy-tale, ya-childrens_lit, 2008-cybils-finalists

Rumpelstiltskin terrified me a girl, so took a bit of courage for me to face him again. In fact, I sweat through the last 70 pages of this book - literally. I hung on every word.

Charlotte, stubborn by nature, is determined to save her mill, but at what cost. At first it seems that Charlotte will sacrifice anything, her marriage, her possessions, her trust, but then the price becomes to high. Charlotte is forced to account for a family curse and save her son. There is a clear message of trust an...more

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Jul 19, 2008 Grace rated it 3 of 5 stars

Not a bad book, really, just...a book that had some aspects to it that kept me from enjoying it enough to give it more stars.

A pet peeve of mine in fiction is when a protagonist constantly makes the wrong decision in situations that might have brought about a sooner resolution. Specifically, when other characters who want to (and can) help ask her what's wrong, and she keeps her secret bottled up, dealing with the problems on her own. This especially seems ridiculous when the character keeps he...more

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Jul 09, 2008 Corinne rated it 5 of 5 stars

I have read many a fairy tale retelling in my day. This Rumpelstiltskin story ranks in my top three.

Charlotte Miller is the "Miller's Daughter" - a young woman whose family's woolen mill falls into her hands when her father passes away. Her steadfast love for the mill and those who work there is constantly put to the test as misfortune after misfortune seems to happen at the mill. Charlotte's disbelief in the superstitions of her fellow mill workers begins to fade as that crazy little man comes...more

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Feb 19, 2009 Lucy rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: fans of fairy tale retellings

Shelves: fairytales, teen, award-winner

When Charlotte Miller's father dies, her world feels flipped on its head, but she knows what she has to do: what she always has. The Stirwaters Mill has been in her family for generations, and it has always been at the center of the town of Shearing. All of the townsfolk work in and around the Mill--it provides livelihood for all of them.

And so Charlotte knows that she must pick up where her father left off, and, with the help of her sister Rosie, run the Mill and keep the town afloat.

But one sp...more When Charlotte Miller's father dies, her world feels flipped on its head, but she knows what she has to do: what she always has. The Stirwaters Mill has been in her family for generations, and it has always been at the center of the town of Shearing. All of the townsfolk work in and around the Mill--it provides livelihood for all of them.

And so Charlotte knows that she must pick up where her father left off, and, with the help of her sister Rosie, run the Mill and keep the town afloat.

But one spate of bad luck after another foul all of Charlotte's plans and labors, until she must face the terrible possibility of failure. And that's when the mysterious Jack Spinner shows up, with the power to spin straw into gold, and the ability to rescue Charlotte and Shearing from despair.

Accepting his help is tantalizing and impossible to refuse. But is it worth the cost? Charlotte is sure that she will sacrifice anything to keep her family and friends afloat, but when she learns the true price of Jack Spinner's aid, Charlotte will have to fight to protect her town, her home and her family.

Where do I begin with what I loved about this book? I loved everything. I loved the way that marriage is presented as imperfect, as flawed, as not the happy ending, but instead as merely the middle of someone's story. I loved the strong female characters, Charlotte and Rosie both, and I loved their flaws. I loved the very creepy ghost story.

This book is gut-wrenching. There were a few spots that were so awful I needed to literally close the book and stop reading for a little while, because it was too much for me. I was so pained for the characters that it hurt to read--I turned the pages with great gasping breaths.

It starts slow, but once you get into it is sucks you in and steals your will to do anything but find out what happens, how the story evolves and how the characters grow. It's utterly compelling.

It's a lovely story that shares some similarities with Sharon Shinn's Truth Teller's Tale series--vivid descriptions of country life, and a plot that is small in stature--it's not the fate of the world on the line, just the fate of one family and one small town--but the danger and terror and overwhelming price of failure is heavy nonetheless.

This is a beautiful book, all around. It's a little slow in the starting, but once you get sucked into the narrative, you won't be able to get it out of your mind until long after you turn the last page.(less)

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Molly "I loved the way that marriage is presented ... as not the happy ending, but instead as merely the middle of someone's story."

Such a great observation...more
Sep 12, 2008 07:49am

Mary "This book is gut-wrenching. There were a few spots that were so awful I needed to literally close the book and stop reading for a little while, becau...more
Feb 27, 2009 06:09am

Lucy Mary wrote: "All week I've been trying to get through it and can't. I'm about 1/4 of the way in and already things are so bad and I know what's coming...more
Feb 27, 2009 06:28am

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