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Peter and Max: A Fables Novel (Fabletown)

by Bill Willingham, Steve Leialoha (Illustrator)

3.91 · rating details · 1,238 ratings · 271 reviews

A new stand-alone FABLES NOVEL from award-winning and wildly acclaimed author, Bill Willingham.

This story stars Peter Piper and his incorrigible brother Max in a tale about jealousy, betrayal and revenge. Set in two distinct time periods, prepare to travel back to medieval times and learn the tragic back-story of the Piper family, a medieval-era family of traveling minstre...more

Hardcover, 400 pages

Published October 13th 2009 by Vertigo

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Nov 15, 2009

Laura rated it

Shelves: adult-fiction, crime, fairy-tale-myth-legend-retelling, fantasy, geographical-setting-importance, dysfunctional-families, magic, journey, power, survival, siblings

Peter and Max Piper are brothers. But aside from the same mother and father and musical giftedness, the two have little in common. Their story opens in the present in the recondite part of New York known as Fabletown with Peter learning of his brother's return. Peter lives in Fabletown with his paraplegic wife Bo Peep and other characters of fantasy and fairy lore such as Snow White, the Beast, and the Big Bad Wolf.

Despite Bo's protests and concern for Peter's safety, Peter resolves...more

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Dec 11, 2011

Jennifer rated it

Overall, it was dark, entertaining, and really insightful in terms of the story of the Pied Piper. I loved the duality of the two brothers, and their relationship progress as the book goes on and as they age. Also, many other well-known fairy tales are included as accents to the central story of the two brothers, which was really entertaining and insightful. I enjoyed it, mainly because it was nice to see a different format to Willingham's graphic novels. That being said, I do think that he is b...more

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Apr 24, 2011

Caitlin rated it

I've been reading the Fables comics (that's a review for another day) so I picked this up as another way of hooking into Willingham's universe.

Set firmly within the constraints of the Fables world, this novel is all about the enmity between Peter Piper and his brother, Max, the Pied Piper of Hamelin. There is evil doing and magic and adventure and other Fables make appearances - Bo Peep (Peter's true love), Bigby Wolf, Frau Totenkinder.

The story here moves along apace, b...more

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Mar 25, 2011

Karly Abreu rated it

· review of another edition

Peter & Max is Bill Willingham, author of the much acclaimed Fables comic book series, first attempt at writing a novel. It is closely related to said series, but works very well as a standalone. At first the writing seems a bit shaky, but as the book continues, Willingham falls into a groove of writing what he writes best: well drawn characters and grand adventures. For this story, he interlocks several well known folktales and nursery rhymes against the grim backdrop of a war, as he does in t...more

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Mar 21, 2011

Isaac Hamlet rated it

· review of another edition

I should begin by saying that prior to this book I had neither read nore heard of "Fable". I had no Idea that there was an author who had put a new twist on such welll know stories (Red ridding hood, Big bad wolf, snow white, little miss muppet.) It's true that there are a few things that you won't understand if you read this book. Are the Fables from sperate worlds? What makes them immortal? Are all the people from their world(s) immortal? These and a few other confusions will arise b...more

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Feb 24, 2011

Dot Hutchison added it

Peter & Max: A FABLES novel, by Bill Willingham

Yes, that's right: novel. For those familiar with the graphic novels, this comes as something as a surprise, but trust me, it's a pleasant one. This takes place in the same universe as the graphic novels, and within the same timeline. It's not necessary to have read the series to understand this book, as Willingham does quite a good job of setting up the universe in the first few pages, but a familiarity with events and cha...more

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Nov 25, 2010

Chibineko rated it

Right off the bat, I do have to give any potential readers a bit of warning. If you haven't read Willingham's fantastic comics, you will probably be a little bit lost during some parts of this story. The book can be read apart from the rest of the Fables comics & Willingham does give a bit of background in the book's beginning, but I expect that some will be a little lost during some of the scenes that take place during Fabletown's present. (Of course they could read up on Fables via it's Wikipe...moreRight off the bat, I do have to give any potential readers a bit of warning. If you haven't read Willingham's fantastic comics, you will probably be a little bit lost during some parts of this story. The book can be read apart from the rest of the Fables comics & Willingham does give a bit of background in the book's beginning, but I expect that some will be a little lost during some of the scenes that take place during Fabletown's present. (Of course they could read up on Fables via it's Wikipedia entry, but where's the fun in that?)

The second thing that every potential reader should know, is that this is not a comic book. This is a written novel with several beautiful illustrations set throughout the novel. The whole story is word only, although there is supposed to be 8 pages of a sequential story (which sadly my preview copy didn't contain) to draw attention to the graphic novels.

The story itself takes place during two (and a half) time periods, one of which is set in an alternate world. This particular Fables story follows Peter Piper & his troubled brother Max. The present day story begins a bit before the big Fabletown war & the old story begins many, many years before that in Peter & Max's world, just as the Adversary is pillaging & invading their lands.

Peter & his family are caught mostly unawares by the evil army as they were more concerned with the yearly activity of performing for the wealthy Peep family, with Peter being preoccupied with the idea of seeing his childhood friend Bo again. Little do they know that a simple act of handing over a magical flute from father to son (Peter) would cause the eldest son Max to descend into madness & depravity.

I was surprised at how short this book truly was. At "only" 310 pages (or at least that's the page length in my copy), many will be able to finish this book in one sitting. Then again, if the book was any longer the basic core of the story might have been lost. Throughout the book there are black & white illustrations by artist Leialoha that fit in marvelously with the story.

But the main pressing point remains: did I enjoy the story? Yes, yes I did. Do I think this should be a recommended read for all Fables fans? Yes. It's an interesting read & I did learn something new in this book, which unfortunately I can't say because it's somewhat spoilerish. I did like the ending to this book & I can't wait to read the next entry (comic or literary) in the Fables lineup.

(And if you were curious, here's the various fables mentioned in this book: the Peter Piper rhyme, Little Bo Peep, Pied Piper of Hamelin, Peter Pumpkin Eater, & Peter and the Wolf. I think that was all of them...)

(ARC provided by amazon vine)(less)

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Sep 01, 2010

Jasper rated it

Shelves: favorites

a great *first* for Vertigo, hopefully not the last

first off let me just say that after reading this book, i'm sorely tempted to read it again right now. the writing has this magical lure that brings you right in, letting you really invest in the story and the characters.

now, you don't need to be familiar with the Fables graphic novel to enjoy Peter & Max but i think it's good to know the gist of it...
you'll be acquainted with many of the characters that fill it's p...more

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Apr 23, 2010

Emma rated it

I'm so caught between giving this book a 3 or a 4. I ended up with four because I'm a rabid Fables fan and this took me deeper into the world I love so much, but it really deserves a 3.5--for several reasons.

Don't get me wrong, I did really, really like it--it was Bill Willingham, one of my heroes, and most of the book left me heartily entertained and happy. But at the end, all I could really muster for this book was a sort of positive sounding "Meh."

As I see i...moreI'm so caught between giving this book a 3 or a 4. I ended up with four because I'm a rabid Fables fan and this took me deeper into the world I love so much, but it really deserves a 3.5--for several reasons.

Don't get me wrong, I did really, really like it--it was Bill Willingham, one of my heroes, and most of the book left me heartily entertained and happy. But at the end, all I could really muster for this book was a sort of positive sounding "Meh."

As I see it, there were three flaws in this book that kept me from gushing happily about it.

1) The prose. Willingham has this tendency to be wordy that you don't notice as much when he's writing comics. It was first evident in that short story "A Wolf in the Fold," which outlined Bigby's origins. While Peter and Max wasn't nearly that forced or flowery sounding, it still got in the way somewhat. The book's more high-tension scenes tended to mask this by their sheer engaging action, but portions that were in the modern Fabletown era tended to show this more.

2) Max. I really didn't like the fact that so much of his cracked diabolical mania was explained by him simply "being evil". Yes, there are parts in the beginning that try to explain his tranisition from moody teen into the terrifying Pied Piper of legend, but they seemed too flimsy. He was much more two-dimensional and gave a 'disney villain' vibe at times, and when you have such a limited cast of characters you can't hide this well.

3) The end. It seemed far too simple after hyping up the sibling rivalry for that long. One of my favorite parts of the book was the musical duel between Max and Peter--it was inventive, exciting, dramatic--and here I was thinking it would be a dry run for the real ending battle between the two. Not even close. It's over in what--five minutes? And there's not even a single note played on either flute--Peter stabs Max with Frost and leaves. That's it. No magical music, no real fight, even--it was unsatisfying.

Also, this book has a very young-adult feel, where Fables, the parent series, is definitely meant for a mature audience. When Max finally says the one swear word in the entire novel "shit", I was like, woah--hold on a second there--did he just say shit? In the normal series, I wouldn't have blinked an eye at a couple of f-bombs. (less)

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Feb 26, 2010

Lincoln rated it

Two things you should know going into this review. The first is that this novel is based on a comic series called Fables, which tells stories about characters from fairy tales living in the real world. The second is that, while you don't need to read Fables in order to enjoy this novel, if you line up ten comic fans, only one of which reads Fables, Fables is still going to be the best continuing series any of them have ever read. Hands down.

Alright, now that that's out of the way; P...moreTwo things you should know going into this review. The first is that this novel is based on a comic series called Fables, which tells stories about characters from fairy tales living in the real world. The second is that, while you don't need to read Fables in order to enjoy this novel, if you line up ten comic fans, only one of which reads Fables, Fables is still going to be the best continuing series any of them have ever read. Hands down.

Alright, now that that's out of the way; Peter and Max tells the story of Peter Piper (of pickled pepper-picking fame) and his brother Max (the Pied Piper of Hamelin). Max is a bad guy, you see, and Peter finally has the chance to rid the world of him. The fairly straightforward story of Peter's travel to Germany to find and defeat Max would be a rather uninteresting short story by itself (though the conflict is resolved ingeniously), but is interspersed throughout a narrative that tells the story of Max and Peter as children, their flight into the Black Forest during the Emperor's occupation of the Homelands, their time in Hamelin and growth to adulthood, their first epic battle, and Max's first encounter with Fabletown in the new world. Basically, by the time the Piper brothers fight to the finish, you've gotten their whole history (I won't spoil it for you, but there's a couple of magic flutes and a crippled lover involved), and you're as ready to see justice done as Peter (and Max, in his own twisted way) is.

Mr. Willingham's expert storytelling should come as no surprise to fans of the comic; no one else could tell a Fables story like Bill, and the book is filled with rich detail and excitement that moves the 368-page novel along at a pretty good clip. Illustrations by Steve Leialoha (the inker on the comic series) are scattered throughout and the book includes a short comic at the end, starring Peter Piper and his wife, Bo Peep. I could have done without the comic; the idea covered in the eight-or-so pages could have been developed into a great issue of Fables, but instead was rather half-assed and seemed to be done as an afterthought. The novel, though, was excellent, and I really hope Bill sees fit to produce a few more of these. 9/10.
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Jan 30, 2010

Lasairfiona Smith rated it

Recommends it for: Fables fans

Shelves: comics, chris-likes, havereadin2009, iown

This ties into the Fables (comic) continuity so I had to read it (I am so addicted to that series). It is a stand alone but I am not sure anyone could really get into it without already enjoying Fables. It is also placed in continuity maybe around volume 6 (it says in the book but I don't have the book with me - I loaned it out).

The writing is smooth and easy, almost too smooth actually. I would have preferred it to be a bit more complicated in the style and substance of everything....more

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Jan 03, 2010

Ross rated it

Bill Willingham's Fables spins off into this tale that gives a glimpse of some characters we haven't seen yet and their interactions with the rest of the characters associated with the universe of Fairy Tale refugees.
Peter Piper and his wife Bo Peep are living somewhat comfortably near the Farm when Rose Red comes to visit, informing Peter that Bigby Wolf wishes to see him. Going to visit Bigby, Peter is informed that his brother Max has returned and needs to be dealt with. What follows ...more

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Dec 03, 2009

Nick Kimball rated it

Recommends it for: Fables fans

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Nov 30, 2009

Robert Beveridge rated it

Shelves: amazon-vine, finished, owned-and-still-own

Bill Willingham, Peter and Max: A Fables Novel (Vertigo, 2009)

For its first non-illustrated venture, Vertigo chose to go with a novel set in the Fables universe. Good choice. I've been a fan of Willingham and co. since the first collection came out, and have been following along the whole way; there's a lot of space in there to stick a novel, and Willingham takes advantage.

Set a few months before the war (collections 10 and 11), Peter and Max is the story of Peter Piper and ...more

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Nov 21, 2009

Orrin Grey rated it

I am, as I've said before, a huge fan of Fables, and so I was really excited to get my hands on this, the first Fables prose novel, and I really expected to like it. But I didn't.

Based solely on this, it seems like Bill Willingham's genius is much better served by the format of comics. Peter & Max is weighed down by tedious description, and worse (and more surprising) the characters are flat and flavorless. While the characters (some few of them the same characters) in Fables ...more

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Oct 20, 2009

Amanda rated it

I am a big fan of fairy tale retellings. I learned how to read from fables and fairy tales when I was a child, and have retained a fascination for them since. In this book, Bill Willingham introduces a bold choice in the remaking of fairy tales. Peter & Max is his first novel novel, but as I haven't read any of his graphic novels, I
can't really offer much insight on the background of his idea. Peter & Max are the two Piper brothers, one responsible for the Pied Piper legend, the other for...moreI am a big fan of fairy tale retellings. I learned how to read from fables and fairy tales when I was a child, and have retained a fascination for them since. In this book, Bill Willingham introduces a bold choice in the remaking of fairy tales. Peter & Max is his first novel novel, but as I haven't read any of his graphic novels, I
can't really offer much insight on the background of his idea. Peter & Max are the two Piper brothers, one responsible for the Pied Piper legend, the other for the pickled pepper tongue twister. In this book, Willingham tells of the beginnings of these two brothers, both armed with magical flutes, a relationship rife with jealousy, betrayal, and murder. Willingham also introduces the Fables, a group of fantasy creatures and characters who live in modern-day America, under the radar of the mundane people. Beauty & the Beast, Snow White & Rose Red are among some of the famous Fabled few. In the modern part of the story, Peter and his wife, Bo Peep, are living peacefully with the Fables, until Beast's brother brings them news that Max has returned to this world. Through a series of flips between flashbacks and the present, Peter & Max's story is told and it's a dark tale.

However, there are a few things that prevents this book from being truly amazing. First of all, nothing is very developed in the story. Everything exists as if it is only 2-D. Neither the present Fables world, nor the worlds they came from is very rich, they exist only as a backdrop, which is disappointing because I found myself kind of searching for a place for these people. The characters are really lacking as well. Peter & Max have no other personalities other than good and bad. This is frustrating in the fact that somewhere, halfway through the story, I realized, I had no sympathy for Peter! He started out as a charming and resourceful child, but as an adult, Peter lacks any real life. Max is just your typical twirling mustached villain.

With such dull characters, Willingham really fails to build any sort of tension. I wasn't worried for Peter or fearful of what Max would do. The book took on a robotic feeling and I began reading just to get to the ending. There was no climax, no OH! moment, not even any sort of surprise during their final showdown. And the book just ends. Just like that.

It's really disappointing because Willingham led me to believe I was entering a world full of rich characters. The book was really tame and I just felt that he started out so great....but ultimately failed to deliver.(less)

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Oct 17, 2009

Lyle rated it

Peter & Max is Willingham's first venture into novel format of his Eisner-winning _Fables_ set of graphic novels.

It is an outstanding piece of fiction.

One the surface, it is the story of two brothers, hunting each other across thousands of years, and several worlds.

Like the fables and fairy tales that it draws from, Peter & Max is a book that deals with extremely dark themes: insanity, patricide, rape, murder, infanticide, and, at in its darkest moments, mass ...more

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Jan 12, 2012

Eric Krause rated it

· review of another edition

Loved this one. I'd never heard of the comic before I downloaded it, so I came into this world as a newbie. And it was fine. I'm sure there were back stories and character traits I missed for not knowing all about the Fables world, but honestly, it didn't matter. This was a good stand-alone story. The story is a mix between the past and present, both from the points of view of Peter Piper and his evil brother, Max. It all builds up to a climactic battle between the brothers, both of whom have to...more

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Oct 11, 2009

Heather rated it

In a similar vein to Gregory Maguire's Wicked, Bill Willingham's Peter & Max: A Fables Novel takes a well-known story and characters, and imbues them with a rich history and fleshed-out present. But unlike Wicked, which was a political allegory, Peter & Max is all fairytale -- dark, disturbing and solely for adults.

In the Fables universe, characters from fairytales, nursery rhymes and other legendary stories have all come together in our world after theirs was taken over by an invadi...moreIn a similar vein to Gregory Maguire's Wicked, Bill Willingham's Peter & Max: A Fables Novel takes a well-known story and characters, and imbues them with a rich history and fleshed-out present. But unlike Wicked, which was a political allegory, Peter & Max is all fairytale -- dark, disturbing and solely for adults.

In the Fables universe, characters from fairytales, nursery rhymes and other legendary stories have all come together in our world after theirs was taken over by an invading army known as the Empire, controlled by a madman called the Adversary. They live together in relative harmony, hidden from the so-called "mundys" -- us. It has been this way for centuries (Fables never age), and will likely be so until the end of time.

Peter Piper is one of the Fable refugees, living with his wife, Bo Peep (now a wheelchair bound cripple) in a house outside of town. One day, he gets word that his older brother, Max, has been spotted in the mundy world, and sets off to hunt him. When the story flashes back to the Piper brothers' childhood, the story of Peter & Max begins in earnest.

Willingham manages to work familiar childhood characters into very grown-up stories. Max, the story's villain, is a homicidal sociopathic megalomaniac, who doesn't discriminate when it comes to picking his victims. He's a chilling, frightening character, all the more so because his rampage begins when he's just fourteen.

I loved this book, so much more than I even expected to. It managed to be written with a tone that was both charming and threatening all at once, and it painted clear images in my head as it progressed. That, of course, was helped along by the wonderful illustrations provided by Steve Leialoha, which lended an ominous tone throughout.

Although this was Willingham's first prose novel (he normally writes the Fables characters in comic form), I am hoping it's not the last. He's a skilled writer who knows how to craft a tightly woven story, and I can't wait to see what else he has in store!(less)

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Nov 16, 2011

Sarah Payok rated it

I thoroughly enjoyed Peter and Max. Even though it is a novel, this story felt completely part of the overarching Fables comic series. Bill Willingham does a good job of fitting Peter and Max into the Fables timeline while also carving out its own space; it isn't so tied into the Fables world that the story is limited.

Peter and Max is about the brothers, Peter the Piper and Max the Pied Piper. A series of events led to their estrangement and since Max's disappearance in the old world...more

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Sep 04, 2010

Blodeuedd Finland rated it

Shelves: fairytale, fantasy

I actually borrowed this one before I read my first Fables graphic Novel. And after reading this book I sure want to read those graphic novels. Because the world is wonderful.

This is then a novel based on the graphic novels. It is a standalone and it is about Peter and Max. The book takes place in this world, because the Fables (all those famous fairytale stories we know and love) fled to this world to get away from the war. Here they settled in new York. Peter is happy with th...more

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Mar 03, 2011

Anna rated it

I thought this was a good addition to the Fables mythos. I appreciated the fact that it referenced enough of the known characters of the Fables comics, but remained focused on Peter, Max and Bo. Sometimes my problem with the comics is that there are too many players involved so each of their stories gets too diluted.

I had hoped that this novel would've also gone longer. Max is truly one of the creepier and more disturbed characters in Fables, but his appearance in Fabletown by the end...more

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Jan 31, 2011

Anthony rated it

I will probably come back and add some detail to this later, but my initial thoughts are:

As an addition to Bill Willingham's FABLES universe, this feels like the most insular story he's ever told. Although mention is made of many of FABLES' cast of thousands, only a handful of the series regulars play peripheral roles in the story. That may be frustrating for readers who are accustomed to Snow White, Bigby Wolf and the rest taking center stage.

I enjoyed the very tightly-told ...more

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Jan 11, 2010

Dxmaniac69 rated it

Really, my rating for this book is about 3 and a half stars. The book is good, and a very easy read. I don't know how appealing it would be to someone who isn't a Fables fan. In short, if you enjoy reworking of fairy tales, it's worth a read. It builds on the darkness of the original faeiy tale (The Pipe Piper of Hamelin) without changing it radically like Wicked does the Wizard of Oz.

For Fables fans, the question is whether or not Bill Willingham has potential as a novel writer...more

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Nov 08, 2011

Scott Foley rated it

· review of another edition

In many cases, novelists have difficulty making the jump to comic book writing just as comic book writers and screenwriters may have a rough time adapting to pure prose writing. I'm happy to report that Bill Willingham not only made the jump to prose writing well, but he exceeded my already lofty expectations.

Okay, I'd be remiss if I didn't offer full disclosure and admit that I am a huge Fables fan. That doesn't mean I automatically give Willingham a free pass, though. I've written so...moreIn many cases, novelists have difficulty making the jump to comic book writing just as comic book writers and screenwriters may have a rough time adapting to pure prose writing. I'm happy to report that Bill Willingham not only made the jump to prose writing well, but he exceeded my already lofty expectations.

Okay, I'd be remiss if I didn't offer full disclosure and admit that I am a huge Fables fan. That doesn't mean I automatically give Willingham a free pass, though. I've written some glowing Fables reviews, but I've also come down pretty hard on the title every now and again. I'm simply trying to clarify that while I may not be totally objective with Willingham, I can remain critical.

For those unfamiliar with Fables, the premise is that all of our storybook legends, nursery rhyme characters, and mythological figures are very real and lived in their own worlds. When their homelands were overrun by an evil overlord, they fled to our dimension just as New York was being founded. There they have lived among us ever since, always searching for a way to win back their own lands.

Peter & Max is a very well-written, tightly-plotted, astutely-orchestrated novel. As you know, it focuses upon Peter Piper and his brother, Max, as well as Little Bo Peep. And in true Fables fashion, Willingham is sure to deliver the scenes we'd expect from such characters, but he also makes them his own and offers some unexpected twists and turns. I also enjoyed that the chapters alternate - a chapter will focus upon Peter and Max's past, and then the next will zero in on the present. This was a great way to build suspense while slowly revealing pertinent plot points.

What I appreciate the most about Peter & Max, though, is the fact that it makes sense. Willingham lays the groundwork early on and doesn't throw any last minute plot-changers into the mix. While he still managed to catch me off guard, none of the resolutions struck me as, "No fair! That came out of nowhere!" Too many times an author plays willy-nilly with their climax and resolution, but not Willingham. He remained consistent throughout, even if we couldn't guess why he included certain bits of information early on.

Furthermore, while I believe a Fables fan will especially love this novel, by no means is Fables a necessary read in order to enjoy Peter & Max. If anything, I see the novel as a gateway to the comic book, though I'm certain the comic book fans will be frothing at the mouth to pick up this book, and rightly so.

Willingham has a captivating writing style, and I like the fact that while he gives us nuanced details, he doesn't go overboard with it. I really can't emphasize enough Willingham's skill as a prose writer.

Well-written, surprising, exciting, and carefully plotted, Peter & Max will impress and delight both Fables fans and those entering the Fables world for the first time.
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Dec 02, 2009

Christopher rated it

Shelves: fiction

I enjoyed this novel quite a bit. At times it feels like some of the fairy tales are rather shoe-horned into the story (the pickled peppers and pumpkin-eater episodes jump to mind), but I don't feel like the story would be ruined if I didn't know those nursery rhymes. Instead, knowing the rhymes sort of intruded on the story.

I personally feel like Willingham snuck an extra fairy-tale in there with the names. The elder Piper brother, Max, goes into the woods and declares himself to...more

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Jan 14, 2011

Lady K rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

Encore une fois je vous présente un vrai coup de cœur ! Voici le genre de livre qu’on a envie de dévorer pour connaitre la fin, tout en voulant le savourer le plus longtemps possible. Paradoxal n’est-ce pas ? Il y avait bien longtemps qu’une lecture ne m’avait pas donné cette sensation. Cependant, vous excuserez ce billet un peu décousu, car j’ai eu beaucoup de mal à écrire cette chronique, je ne savais pas par où commencer, quoi dire sur ce livre qui m’a totalement subjuguée!

Le style ...moreEncore une fois je vous présente un vrai coup de cœur ! Voici le genre de livre qu’on a envie de dévorer pour connaitre la fin, tout en voulant le savourer le plus longtemps possible. Paradoxal n’est-ce pas ? Il y avait bien longtemps qu’une lecture ne m’avait pas donné cette sensation. Cependant, vous excuserez ce billet un peu décousu, car j’ai eu beaucoup de mal à écrire cette chronique, je ne savais pas par où commencer, quoi dire sur ce livre qui m’a totalement subjuguée!

Le style est très plaisant, les mots se suivent avec une fluidité étonnante, et au fur et à mesure de ma lecture, je me sentais comme envoûtée. De plus, j’ai trouvé que l’alternance du récit entre le passé des personnages et le présent renforce le rythme du roman et cela nous permet de comprendre petit à petit l’action qui se déroule dans le « présent ». L’intrigue se dévoile tout doucement à nos yeux …

L’Histoire est tout simplement passionnante, captivante … Bill Willingham revoit à travers ce récit le célèbre conte du Joueur de Flûte de Hamelin. Il utilise bien entendu l’histoire telle que tout le monde la connait, mais lui rajoute de la profondeur en tissant tout une intrigue autour. C’est vraiment très bien imaginé et l’univers qu’a créé le romancier est véritablement riche. La fin m’a un peu déçue par contre, j’ai trouvé qu’elle n’allait pas avec le reste du roman. Mais en y réfléchissant, elle est tout à fait logique, voire même, elle s’impose. Je crois que je n’ai pas aimé parce que je ne voulais pas tourner la dernière page du livre tout simplement ! Une petite chose que j’ai par contre beaucoup appréciée : l’humour est omniprésent, même dans les moments les plus horribles.

Venons-en maintenant aux personnages. Ils sont très variés et le plus marrant est qu’on en connait la plupart. Et pour cause, l’auteur utilise les héros de contes célèbres, tel que Blanche Neige ou encore le Grand Méchant Loup en nous racontant leur vie après le célèbre et pas toujours vrai « ils se marièrent, vécurent heureux et eurent beaucoup d’enfants ».
Ce sont des personnages forts, profonds qu’ils soient principaux ou secondaires à l’histoire. En outre, la psychologie a une place très importante, ce qui nous permet de mieux comprendre les actes de certains protagonistes, sans pour autant les cautionner bien entendu … Je me suis réellement attachée à ces personnages, même si je trouve que Peter est un peu trop gentil !

Et comme si tout ceci ne suffisait pas, le livre est parsemé d’illustrations tout simplement magnifiques réalisées par Steve Leialoha. Elles rajoutent un réel petit plus au roman, le rendu est très beau et je suis contente de posséder ce livre en tant qu’objet car il est sublime !

Pour conclure je ne sais pas quoi rajouter sauf qu’il vous le faut absolument ! Les personnages sont très intéressants, l’histoire est captivante et le style de l’auteur est envoûtant. S’il ne vous tente toujours pas, je ne peux absolument plus rien pour vous =D. Ne résistez pas plus longtemps … En tous cas, moi j’espère sincèrement que Bill Willingham a un autre roman en projet car j’ai bien envie de retourner dans son univers.(less)

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Jan 14, 2010

Mary Beth rated it

I was/am a very happy reader of Willingham's Fables graphic novels, and was thrilled to learn about this book, a novel set within the same world, contemporaneous to the story in the graphic novels, but independent of them as well. It was a fantastic romp and I marvel at the creativity and respectful license that the author takes with well known fairy tale characters.

The eponymous protagonists are brothers, and are based on several familiar tales. Peter is both Peter Piper of pick...more

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Nov 08, 2009

Erika rated it

You don’t need to be a fan of Bill Willingham’s Fables comics to like this book--you don’t even have to know what they are to understand Peter & Max. This is a re-telling of the Pied Piper of Hamelin story from a different perspective, one of those “what really happened” kind of tales. For every other character or event that might confuse the reader, Willingham explains the course of the comics in a few words and lines that, if anything, spoil crucial points of suspense that have navigated and...moreYou don’t need to be a fan of Bill Willingham’s Fables comics to like this book--you don’t even have to know what they are to understand Peter & Max. This is a re-telling of the Pied Piper of Hamelin story from a different perspective, one of those “what really happened” kind of tales. For every other character or event that might confuse the reader, Willingham explains the course of the comics in a few words and lines that, if anything, spoil crucial points of suspense that have navigated and pushed Fables over the years. But don’t let that discourage you at all if you’re a new fan. What I like the most about the comics and this book, is Willingham’s grasp of consequence and reality. To validate these fairy tales with contemporary ideas, Willingham is always examining the life of our favorite heroes and heroines in the unwritten pages after their most famous moments. Away from the storybook and our imaginations is a far removed perspective that pulls gently in our direction--here is more, it says to us; the story continues; life goes on.

For the folks in fairy tales--Fables, they call themselves--reality is about as pragmatic and mundane for them as it is for us. Forced to flee their fairy tale homes and find refuge in an enchanted portion of New York City’s Upper West Side, the Fables remind us that we know of only a tiny period in their lives; in our world they must learn to coexist in very human ways, without magic or magical objects that would draw attention to themselves. Yanked out of context of course it’s easy to imagine all sorts of wonderful, magical settings that make romantic adventures out of very real, scary episodes. Despite still writing in “happily ever after” endings, Willingham’s come a long way to revolutionize what’s been handed down to us for so long and in the same form.

Peter & Max is about the Piper family (a band of traveling minstrels), two brothers (Peter and Max), and the innocent Peep family who gets caught in the middle of fraternal jealousy and revenge. Like all such things, a combination of skewed perspective and hurt feelings tips the scales of envy towards violence. What begins as an ominous and mysterious set of flashbacks and present-day events, the story gradually finds promise in its most haunting thread: who is the true Pied Piper? Peter or Max? Peter is a sweet boy, always managing to do what’s right and do it well; Max is his older, but less talented, brother who snaps at the slightest attempt to undermine his authority and right as the eldest Piper child. It’s almost impossible to imagine the sweet-tempered Peter luring unsuspecting children out of their beds and away from their homes, but too predictable to assume the blame lays somewhere outside, somewhere obvious.

Like always, Willingham goes a bit further, beginning and ending the fairy tale after the part we’re familiar with. The Pied Piper doesn’t just disappear mysteriously, taking all of Hamelin’s children with him. When the past and present storylines meet, so too do Peter and Max. The outcome is part of what makes the Fables comics so legendary: Willingham not only recreates fairy tales, he adds another dimension that turns into a brand new one. This revival serves the longevity of an already perpetual existence for fairy tales.

For all that he’s done and all that Peter & Max accomplishes, that’s not to say the book isn’t without its faults, if you want to look critically enough. I really enjoyed everything about it. His writing is very accessible and at times, reminiscent of the simultaneous epic grandeur of the comics and those sprawling opening illustrations with short explanatory notations. It’s also the type of writing I tried to imagine as oral; you can almost hear Willingham sitting by the fireside, reading the book aloud to you in wide range of hushed, reverential, and dramatic tones. I’ll bet you he even does the voices. Peter & Max and the Fables comics fall into the same category of “adult fairy tales” as China Miéville's King Rat (albeit less gory and graphic), and Gregory Maguire’s Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister and Mirror, Mirror. With Willingham’s version of events beginning after what we already know, it turns his fables into the late night version of the books read to children just before their bedtime. The real stories are filled with divorce, politics, and sex. Turn on your night lights and be ready for something dark and disturbing--what happens to Fables when they have to live side-by-side the rest of us in real life. As for Peter & Max? You’ll have to read that for yourself. Just remember: this is not a comic.

While Steve Leialoha has beautiful illustrations throughout the book--and a mini comic at the end--on the jacket and actual book cover (the first thing you should do if you pick this up, is to remove the jacket and look at the gorgeous cloth cover!), they only serve to tease fans who rely heavily on the colored illustrations that make comics what they are. If you find Willingham’s writing to be less charming and more awkward and grasping in places, try to imagine it as a scene in a comic book and it might help you visualize where he’s coming from. I didn’t read this for the writing and it’s not unpleasant for that, but it’s too easy to critique the book against flat, predictable, and leading descriptions or emotions that are usually better served visually. Read it for the story and you may wind up loving it as much as I did.(less)

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Dec 26, 2011

Cristy rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: audio-book, fariytale-retelling, series

Not really my usual preferred genre of read, but with a favorite narrator of mine, Wil Wheaton, at the helm I’d thought I’d give one of Bill Willingham’s fables a go. What I found in PETER & MAX: A FABLES NOVEL (Fabletown) was an entertaining enough tale of the “good” Peter Piper and his turned ever so “evil” and bitter older brother, Max Piper. Along with the brothers’ lengthy rivalry, malevolence and estrangement the story is also laced with cameos of several other classic fairytale characters...more

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About Bill Willingham

In the late 1970s to early 1980s he drew fantasy ink pictures for the Dungeons & Dragons Basic and Expert game rulebooks. He first gained attention for his 1980s comic book series Elementals published by Comico, which he both wrote and drew. However, for reasons unknown, the series had trouble maintaining an original schedule, and Willingham's position in the industry remained spotty for many year...more

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