Mermaid

Apr 18, 2013 The Holy Terror rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: borrowed, mermaids, romantic-fantasy, 2011, fantasy, romance

What could have been a poignant retelling of "The Little Mermaid" turned into a sappy mess with a lot of unfinished ideas. The beginning was gripping and fantastically told, the middle desperately grasped at sensuality and tragedy, while the ending deflated and fell flat. I was left feeling disappointed and cheated by this story.

Even if you're not familiar with the original Hans Christian Andersen tale, you've probably seen Disney's "The Little Mermaid." I thought at first that this would be li...more What could have been a poignant retelling of "The Little Mermaid" turned into a sappy mess with a lot of unfinished ideas. The beginning was gripping and fantastically told, the middle desperately grasped at sensuality and tragedy, while the ending deflated and fell flat. I was left feeling disappointed and cheated by this story.

Even if you're not familiar with the original Hans Christian Andersen tale, you've probably seen Disney's "The Little Mermaid." I thought at first that this would be like an adult version of Disney's story, and for the most part, it was. The names are different, and there's no singing crab, but the structure of the story remains the same: the youngest mermaid princess falls in love with a human man, and chooses to sacrifice her voice and tail and forsake her family and friends for the chance to be with him.

Turgeon decided to make this about a love triangle, and a supposedly tragic one at that. Margrethe, Lenia the mermaid's foil, is the daughter of the Northern king. She is being hidden at a convent because there are rumors that the South is getting ready to attack. So of course, the man who the mermaid saves just happens to be (view spoiler) and both women fall in love with him.

There was a lot of talk about God, faith, fate, and destiny, but it's not really something the author explored to an extent that was meaningful. The mermaid's whole position was borne of blind faith, and it's something that just didn't sit well with me. The talk of God and everything seemed so shallow and not something I could relate to. Margrethe constantly talked about how she wished to achieve rapture, and to have the feeling of love she saw in the nuns and on the mermaid's face, but it just felt so artificial. Margrethe even fell in love with the man the mermaid saved upon first glance, when they had little in common other than being beautiful. I understand this is a trapping of fairy tales in general, but it just felt so unbelievable in this instance. Turgeon was trying to recreate a more modern, and therefore, believable, version of this classic tale, and she failed in both aspects.

The man was a philandering dolt who didn't deserve either woman. His personality was cardboard, and I felt more chemistry between the women than I did when he was with either of them.

The mermaid was a fool, and she should have been treated as such. How can you leave everything you've ever known for the minute chance that a guy who you were around for all of a couple of hours will love and marry you? This was just stupid, and insulting to women in general.

The ending robbed me of the tragedy I wanted, and I can't help feeling bitter at this.

Turgeon's writing wasn't anything special, and at times I felt like she repeated herself to fill up the pages. I can't say I'll never read her again, but I don't think she does this sub-genre any justice.(less)

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Feb 02, 2011 Jillian -always aspiring- rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: People who like fairy tale retellings

Shelves: covers-i-love, could-have-been-better, should-have-loved-it-but-didn-t, 2011-reads, retellings, left-me-feeling-conflicted, disappointing-books, reviewed

The fairy tale, 'The Little Mermaid,' and I have a long and sordid history together. It was my favorite Disney movie when I was a kid (toddler age). I watched the video endlessly; I carried an Eric doll around with me all the time; and I even bawled loud and proud when I was faced with a lobster on a platter that so reminded me of dear Sebastian. The story moved and thrilled me because the mermaid, Ariel, fought her way to get what she wanted and succeeded in securing her happily ever after. So,...more

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Apr 04, 2013 Alexa rated it 3 of 5 stars

I picked up this book with fond memories of retold fairytales I'd read in the past and loved. I really hoped this book would fit into that category. It did not.

First of all, there was way too much God in this book. I don't usually have an issue with religion in literature (though I can't say many of the books I read contain much in the way of serious religion), but this felt so forced. The princess was hiding in a convent, the mermaid was moved by the sight of the cross, she wanted to be connect...more

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Mar 01, 2012 Andreia Silva rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: desafio-dos-contos-de-fadas-db-2012, emprestados, inglês, leituras-de-2012

Quem está à espera de encontrar uma história de sereias bonitinha com a alegria da sereia em encontrar um príncipe, transformar-se em humana e ser feliz para sempre, então não vão por este livro. É um reconto da pequena sereia, mas de igual só tem mesmo a sereia. Aqui encontrar o príncipe e ficar com ele não vai ser tarefa fácil para a sereia Lenia (custa-lhe, literalmente, partes do corpo) e há sangue, há guerra e há luta. E depois há o (habitual) triângulo amoroso. Duas princesas e um príncipe...more

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Jul 07, 2012 Susana rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: carolyn-turgeon, fairy-tales

Este foi um livro que ao fim de cinquenta páginas, cheguei a pensar que não o iria terminar. Felizmente o livro vai-se tornando um pouco mais interessante com o decorrer da história, mas, no final, foi uma história sem nada de extraordinário. Sem dúvida, que desta autora continuo a preferir o livro Godmother: The Secret Cinderella Story apesar de um "pequeno" pormenor que me deixou um pouco desiludida.

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Apr 18, 2013 Fairytalecritic rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: the-little-mermaid-retellings

Andersen’s The Little Mermaid is about love and sacrifice. The little mermaid falls in love with a man she cannot have, gives up everything to be with him, and is rejected in favor of a human girl, and as a result dies and is turned to sea foam. It’s a story about sacrificing everything and getting nothing in return, of wishing you could give up everything if only something would turn out your way. Of wanting what you know you cannot have, hoping against all hope. And this is what Turgeon really...more Andersen’s The Little Mermaid is about love and sacrifice. The little mermaid falls in love with a man she cannot have, gives up everything to be with him, and is rejected in favor of a human girl, and as a result dies and is turned to sea foam. It’s a story about sacrificing everything and getting nothing in return, of wishing you could give up everything if only something would turn out your way. Of wanting what you know you cannot have, hoping against all hope. And this is what Turgeon really manages to capture in her novel, Mermaid.

One of the things I really appreciate about this novel is that it’s told in two voices. The chapters alternate between Lenia, the mermaid, and Margrethe, a northern princess. Margrethe is staying at a convent where her father has sent her into hiding from their southern enemies. While she is standing on the cliff looking out over the ocean, Margrethe witnesses what she thought to be impossible; a mermaid pulling a drowning man out of the water. The mermaid is Lenia, a princess of the sea kingdom. She’s the youngest of all her sisters and has always been fascinated by the human world. But what fascinates Lenia the most is the idea of a human soul. Her grandmother told her that humans have souls which have eternal life; when a human dies, his body may rot but his soul will live forever. Mermaids, on the other hand, live three hundred years and then turn to sea foam and are no more.

On her eighteenth birthday, which also happens to be the night of a terrible storm, Lenia swims to the surface of the ocean for the first time. She witnesses a terrible shipwreck, and while countless sailors drown around her, she decides that she can save at least one of them. Swimming between the sea and sky, Lenia falls in love with him, but she realizes that they are of two worlds; although she can bring him to shore, she cannot save his life once he is there. So when she sees Margrethe she calls to her, save him.

Despite my mild dislike of the ending, I loved the book overall. It was poignant, unflinching, and bittersweet. It explored both sides of this story, and acknowledged that it is not a love story, but rather a story of longing for love. I also appreciated that this was a relatively faithful adaptation to the Andersen version, but that it also elaborated hugely on the principle characters. Would I read it again? Definitely. (less)

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Feb 23, 2013 Emilie B rated it 4 of 5 stars

Since I was a little girl I have loved mermaids. I made the mistake of watching Disney's 'The Little Mermaid' before reading the actual Hans Christian Andersen tale. when I read the original tale I was traumatized because of the sad ending. Researching about Andersen and looking at the symbolism behind I found out that the story has many Christian themes, for example the mermaid sacrifices herself for the prince and she (depending on different schools of thought) is either 'saved' or she just pl...more

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Aug 29, 2012 Trish rated it 3 of 5 stars

Mermaid tells about the story of Hans Christian Andersen's Little Mermaid, only with some twists and an even darker theme. The princess who ends up with the prince in the original story takes a more pivotal role here, and we get to see her point of view as well as the mermaid's. The cover itself is beautiful, though the appearance is not exactly how Lenia, the mermaid, was described to look like. The summary is quite intriguing, and any mermaid-lover would definitely want to have a go with this...more Mermaid tells about the story of Hans Christian Andersen's Little Mermaid, only with some twists and an even darker theme. The princess who ends up with the prince in the original story takes a more pivotal role here, and we get to see her point of view as well as the mermaid's. The cover itself is beautiful, though the appearance is not exactly how Lenia, the mermaid, was described to look like. The summary is quite intriguing, and any mermaid-lover would definitely want to have a go with this book just after spotting it on a bookstore shelf (I did).
After finishing it though, I could honestly say that the book was ... an okay book. It's not spectacular, but it was still pretty sad and almost made me cry in the end. You could see how brave yet idealistic Lenia the mermaid is. After saving Prince Christopher from drowning, she falls in love with him especially after hearing so many tales about human souls and whatnot. Like the original story, she sacrifices her mermaid life, voice and all, for the sake of being with the human prince. But after her happy times with the prince, despite suffering as a side-effect for becoming human, she had to go through the painful fact that her beloved would have to marry someone else, who also happened to be her first human friend, which was none other than Princess Margrethe. On the princess's side, the story reveals of her secret fascination with mermaids and the life beneath the ocean, which fueled after meeting Lenia. She also fell for Prince Christopher after Lenia asked her to save him, even after she figured that he was the prince of her enemy's kingdom. After finding out about her kingdom's suffering due to the war, she's determined to do whatever she could to save the people from more bloodshed, even if it meant marrying Prince Christopher when he's sort of in love with a human Lenia as well. But her friendship with Lenia created quite a surprising twist in the ending.
Of all the characters, I'm mostly confused about Prince Christopher's personality. He obviously thought that it was Margrethe who saved him from drowning, but after meeting Lenia, he kind of falls for her as well, even though he's also in love with Margrethe. What I didn't like about the story is how it didn't reveal much about Christopher's true feelings, especially after Lenia's disappearance. I would've liked to see how he acted upon this, to find out how he truly felt for each girl. I didn't really like him, because it seemed like he was leading both girls on.
All in all, I give this book a 3 star rating. It's a good book, and I would definitely recommend this to any mermaid-fans like myself. If you're a sucker of tear-jerkers, I would recommend this as well. I just think that there were a few lacking elements in the story, but it's still worth a read. (less)

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Jun 03, 2012 Amy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2012

Mermaid is told in two different points of view, the view of the Princess and the Mermaid. It opens with Princess Margrethe staring out at the ocean.

‘It was a gloomy, overcast day, like all days were, when the princess first saw them. The two of them, who would change her life. There was nothing to herald their appearance, no collection of birds or arrangement of tea leaves to mark their arrival.’

Margrethe, a human princess, is in a convent to hide from the rivaling kingdom. Lenia, a mermaid pri...more Mermaid is told in two different points of view, the view of the Princess and the Mermaid. It opens with Princess Margrethe staring out at the ocean.

‘It was a gloomy, overcast day, like all days were, when the princess first saw them. The two of them, who would change her life. There was nothing to herald their appearance, no collection of birds or arrangement of tea leaves to mark their arrival.’

Margrethe, a human princess, is in a convent to hide from the rivaling kingdom. Lenia, a mermaid princess, is celebrating her eighteenth birthday by traveling to the upper world for a day. They are both brought together that fateful day by Prince Christopher, son of the king of the rivaling kingdom.

As soon as I read the opening line I was hooked. The writing style is magnificent and it’s really easy to get lost in. I was torn between whose parts I liked better at first, but by the end I was taken with Margrethe.

The Little Mermaid was always my favourite fairy tale of them all. I didn’t know the real story until I was in about grade six, but I still loved it (my mother says I would watch the Disney movie every single day without miss for a year or so straight when I was four). I forgot all about the real version when I first started to read Mermaid, but by the end I had recalled it and to say the least, I was a little scared for the ending.

I liked Lenia for the first few of her chapters, but then she just went down hill. I found her very childish in her ways of thinking and kind of selfish too. After meeting the prince (who was mostly unconscious at the time), she was completely in love and was willing to give up everything for him. As for being selfish, she doesn’t care about the two kingdoms fighting and people dying, she wants the prince all to herself.

Christopher… where to start? At first I liked him, he was sweet to Margrethe. Then he also went down hill. He is so fickle! One moment he’s mooning over Lenia and the next Margrethe. He isn’t a good character. As others have mentioned in their reviews, he is not a knight-in-shining-armour. I’m not going to lie though; I was a bit worried for him at the end.

Margrethe was my favourite. She is really strong as a character and thought about others. She thinks she is in love with the prince, but quickly dismisses the thought, unlike some people we could mention (coughtLeniacough). Margrethe thought about her kingdom and worried about the people who would be killed.

This is a really beautiful, if dark and sad, story. I suppose you would call it heartbreakingly beautiful.

There are three sexual scenes, I believe. Nothing too graphic, but they’re still there. Other than that, there really isn’t anything ‘bad’ about it – no swearing or violence.

Also at: http://wrote-with-love.blogspot.ca/(less)

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May 21, 2012 Bluerose's Heart rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: adult, fantasy, little-no-romance, on-the-fence, fairy-tale-re-telling

I went through many stages of love/hate while reading Mermaid. It's an awesome example of why you should always finish a book(I don't always, by the way). It took me a couple of chapters to get used to the writing style, but once I did, I found it to be quite lovely(in a gothic sort of way). Then, I got so angry at the middle that I was tempted to stop reading and maybe throw it against the wall. By the end, the story redeemed itself.

If I wasn't halfway familiar with the original version of "The...more I went through many stages of love/hate while reading Mermaid. It's an awesome example of why you should always finish a book(I don't always, by the way). It took me a couple of chapters to get used to the writing style, but once I did, I found it to be quite lovely(in a gothic sort of way). Then, I got so angry at the middle that I was tempted to stop reading and maybe throw it against the wall. By the end, the story redeemed itself.

If I wasn't halfway familiar with the original version of "The Little Mermaid", I imagine my opinion of Mermaid would be very different. It's not that I overly liked the story(either of them). The fact that Turgeon stayed so true to the original, though, I do like what she did with it, with a few exceptions. The original is not like the Disney version. It's very dark and sad. Turgeon did take different twists and turns, and again, I won't say I liked all of them, but it's still a beautiful story.

If you're determined not to like Mermaid, there's plenty that you'll find to dislike about it. The prince, for one. He's a sex-crazed JERK, and although he did redeem himself a tiny bit by the end of the story, I still didn't like him. It's not about the prince, though. Not at all! He plays an important part of the plot, but the story is mostly about the princess, Margrethe and the mermaid, Lenia. The chapters actually alternate between the two of them.

There's lots of spiritual talk, but I didn't really like it in the form it was portrayed. Souls are mentioned a good bit, along with God. It's an "in general" type of spirituality, as in all humans have a soul that automatically goes to Heaven when the body dies no matter what.

If you're looking for a "happily-ever-after" fairy tale, with a "knight-in-shining-armor", don't pick up this one. It's dark and sad and just plain gross at times. It's also beautiful and heartbreaking.

Overall, I liked it, considering the story it was based on. (Not everything, but most of it).

Content:

There are 3 sexual scenes throughout Mermaid. They are pretty mild. I've seen WAY worse, but they're still there and more than I'm comfortable with. I especially felt that one of them was completely uncalled for. Due to the plot, one of them was somewhat necessary. Nothing happened until past page 100. The first scene was so completely out of nowhere that I was left in shock.

There's no profanity at all, which I greatly appreciate! (less)

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Mar 30, 2012 Johanna rated it 5 of 5 stars

Mermaid
by Carolyn Turgeon

Genre: Paranormal Romance | Fantasy | Historic

Two princesses (one earthbound, one aquatic) vie for the heart of a prince in this new twist on the classic fairy tale.

For 18-year-old mermaid princess Lenia, the world of men could not be a more exotic or fascinating place. Although her experience with humans is limited to the shipwrecks and dead sailors she comes across in her ocean-floor kingdom, she yearns for more. She gets her wish when she is finally permitted to go up...more Mermaid
by Carolyn Turgeon

Genre: Paranormal Romance | Fantasy | Historic

Two princesses (one earthbound, one aquatic) vie for the heart of a prince in this new twist on the classic fairy tale.

For 18-year-old mermaid princess Lenia, the world of men could not be a more exotic or fascinating place. Although her experience with humans is limited to the shipwrecks and dead sailors she comes across in her ocean-floor kingdom, she yearns for more. She gets her wish when she is finally permitted to go up and explore the surface, and has to save a young man from drowning during a storm. She delivers him to the shores of a convent and into the arms of a young novice.

That girl, Margrethe, is actually the daughter of the northern king, hiding at the convent for her own protection. And, as luck would have it, the rescued sailor, Christopher, is the son of her father’s arch nemesis, the southern king. The two royals share an attraction, without knowing each other’s identity, and Christopher leaves without knowing Margrethe’s secret.

Back with her merpeople family, a smitten Lenia pines for the prince and strives to find a way to be with him. Her quest takes her to the sea witch, Sybil, who informs her that becoming human is indeed possible, but comes with a steep price. Lenia has to give up her beautiful voice, and her lovely new legs will cause her chronic pain, like walking on knives. Also, Christopher must marry her if she is to survive and acquire a human soul. No matter. Lenia takes Sybil’s potion and goes to her beloved, who is indeed charmed by the mute otherworldly creature Lenia has transformed into. They become lovers, but she has competition.

In order to stave off an almost inevitable war, Margrethe hatches a plan to marry Christopher herself, and unite their kingdoms. But while that might be good politics, it does not bode well for Lenia, who is unable to explain her situation to anyone.

WOW! What a great book. I was totally expecting some silly modernized mermaid version similar to Forgive My Fins, but was pleasantly surprised with a classic fairy tale that still had a bitter twist. I'm a sucker for fairy tales and loved this book even more because it wasn't your normal 'Little Mermaid' story. It's easier to describe this books concept as being more along the line of the gritty/gruesome tales of ol' that the Brother's Grimm created (ie. we're talking dark topics like death & decomposition). Both of the kingdoms, on and off land, were fascinating to me and I thoroughly enjoyed all the characters created, especially the friend/nemesis relationship between Lenia and Margrethe. It is truly a magical tale that comes off more as folklore than fantasy, but all in all . . . good stuff!!

Likes: I highly enjoyed the chapter splits between "Princess" and "Mermaid" and couldn't stop reading about both.

Dislikes: Not much to dislike about this story, I just wish there was more!(less)

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Jan 29, 2012 Miss rated it 3 of 5 stars

I was looking through the reviews for this book and I feel like its a perfect case study in how expectations influence whether you enjoy a story. Because I picked up Mermaid after reading this recommendation and was happy to get exactly what I wanted. If I'd been been hoping for a really satisfying paranormal romance? I definitely wouldn't have enjoyed it as much. An engaging mermaid/prince romance would require the book to actually care about the prince and he's basically a non-entity.

Speaking...more I was looking through the reviews for this book and I feel like its a perfect case study in how expectations influence whether you enjoy a story. Because I picked up Mermaid after reading this recommendation and was happy to get exactly what I wanted. If I'd been been hoping for a really satisfying paranormal romance? I definitely wouldn't have enjoyed it as much. An engaging mermaid/prince romance would require the book to actually care about the prince and he's basically a non-entity.

Speaking of the love triangle! I was satisfied with it from the princess' side because I thought the novel was pretty clear on the fact that her 'love' for the prince had almost nothing to do with him as a person as it did with him as a connection to the mermaid and a way to fulfill her higher purpose.

In that bleak and windy place, once the mermaid had returned to the sea, Christopher had been the closest thing left to magic in the world. (222)

The exact moment when the Margrethe/Christopher relationship clicked for me. It didn't matter to me that their romance was never really developed because this wasn't an instalove case where I couldn't understand why the heroine fell for the hero. She didn't. She fell for magic, she fell for the opportunity to save her kingdom from continued suffering. Christopher could have been any man and still played the same function in the story for her.

The mermaid/prince relationship doesn't work as well. I get that a huge part of why she loved him was her desire to have a soul, but I felt like that motivation needed a little more development. It's tricky because I can't identify what Turgeon would have needed to change for me to find it satisfying. I mean she certainly emphasized it often enough but there wasn't enough depth. I don't know. I thought Lenia generally wasn't as developed as Margrethe, I liked her best in the half of the book before she was living with the prince. Her narrative got so centered on him then that it became much less interesting. I think more of a focus on how she felt getting to experience the human world – independent of the prince, as the world she'd been attracted to for so long – and some focus on her trying to find ways to communicate without her voice would have helped there. Just something that wasn't a constant stream of her love for the prince.

The prince? The book doesn't care about him, why should I? 3 stars
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Dec 22, 2011 Kristin rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: romantic-fools, fairy-tale

Originally posted at These Pretty Words.

I love me a good fairy tale. While I don’t consider myself an annoying girly-girl in that I need everything to be pink and frilly, I do concede the point that I’m a bit of a princess. I collect Cinderella memorabilia and find myself wandering into the Disney store under the guise of shopping for my niece (hint: she’s not even one. She doesn’t know who Cinderella is yet). Anywho, while I adore the Disneyfied versions of these tales, I’m far more intrigued b...more Originally posted at These Pretty Words.

I love me a good fairy tale. While I don’t consider myself an annoying girly-girl in that I need everything to be pink and frilly, I do concede the point that I’m a bit of a princess. I collect Cinderella memorabilia and find myself wandering into the Disney store under the guise of shopping for my niece (hint: she’s not even one. She doesn’t know who Cinderella is yet). Anywho, while I adore the Disneyfied versions of these tales, I’m far more intrigued by the original stories. Have you read the original versions? Grimm? Perrault? Andersen? They are morbid and sometimes scary, far from what most little girls today hear. When searching out material for my TBR list, I added a number of fairy-tale retellings. Mermaid is the second one I tackled and I’m happy to say, it’s the second one I’ve really enjoyed.

Mermaid, as you may have guessed, is a retelling of The Little Mermaid, the Hans Christian Andersen version, no Scuttle, Flounder or Sebastian in sight. When I picked this one up, the summary really caught my attention for one key reason: the story is told in alternating points of view, switching every chapter between the mermaid, Lenia, and the human princess, Margrethe, who finds the prince on the beach after Lenia saves him. If you know the tale, you’re aware that TLM is ultimately a bit of a tragedy, and Mermaid definitely sticks to the major plot points.

Lenia is a mermaid princess who is fascinated by the human world, more specifically, the “myth” that humans have souls, which allow them to “live” forever. Mermaids, on the other hand, have long lives but eventually turn to sea-foam and cease to exist altogether. She’s heard tales of when her kind mingled freely with the humans, but lives in a time when any interaction is strictly forbidden. Each mer-person is granted one day to visit the surface, though they must remain hidden. When Lenia’s day comes, she doesn’t waste a moment, swimming for the surface at midnight, despite the fact that there’s a raging storm. The young mermaid comes across a sinking ship and watches in fascination as sailors die all around her. Swimming through the wreckage, she finds one man who’s still alive and feels pulled to save him from the same fate of his crew.

Meanwhile, on land, we are introduced to Margrethe, a young princess who is being housed in disguise at a convent for her safety. Her father, the Northern King is convinced that the enemy Southern kingdom is gathering their forces, intending to attack. On the morning after the storm, Margrethe is out walking in the garden when she spots a mermaid, Lenia, carrying a man to shore. Lenia spots Margrethe and somehow calls to her to come and save the man.

The mysterious man turns out to be the prince of the Southern lands, Christopher, a fact Margrethe doesn’t find out until after a mild flirtation with the handsome stranger. When she discovers his identity, she flees, terrified that he will somehow find out who she is. Still, the young princess is drawn to the man a mermaid dropped into her lap, wondering why he was brought to her. When Christopher is well enough to travel, the two share a final (or so they think) goodbye with a very sweet kiss. By this point, I’m firmly on Team Margrethe.

Back under water, Lenia can’t stop thinking about the man she saved and visits the surface once more to see if she can find him again. Instead, she finds Margrethe. The two share a conversation, each clearly fascinated with the other, envious of the life the other woman leads.

Shortly after, Margrethe returns to her home land and Lenia strikes a bargain with the sea witch to allow her to become human. Here again, we see a very adult version of TLM because the trade-off for legs is having her tongue cut out and constant stabbing pain with every step she takes. Lenia bears her burden in hopes of gaining the prince’s love and his hand in marriage so that she may one day gain a soul of her very own.

Unaware of Lenia’s plan, Margrethe hatches one of her own. Convinced that the mermaid bringing the prince to her was a sign, she agrees to give herself in marriage to the Southern prince in exchange for peace between the two kingdoms. When she arrives in the Southern kingdom, she finds not only the Prince, but Lenia as well.

What really caught my interest about this telling is that you get two equal sides of the story. Neither of these women are the “wrong choice.” They both have their good and bad qualities but each loves the prince in their own way and neither holds a grudge against the woman competing for his hand. Typically I’m not a fan of love triangles. I like to choose a side and solidly support that choice. In this story, I wanted to choose a side, but the writing and the characters pushed me to consider both options equally.

If you’re a fairy tale lover like me, I’d highly recommend this book. It’s a quick read but packed with good stuff. While it’s not overly erotic, it is definitely an adult version of the familiar tale, woven in a beautiful way that will challenge your allegiance.

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Nov 15, 2011 Susan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

I have always loved the Hans Christian Andersen tale, though the ending is terribly sad. It always ripped at my heart when the prince marries the other girl (I've never like the other girl, the little mermaid's rival, who unfairly stole the heart of the prince). I can compartmentalize, and appreciate the Disney happy ending version for what it's worth...I know that there's no way Disney would have Ariel die and become a Spirit of the Air. But the sad Hans Christian Andersen ending has always fel...more

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Oct 08, 2011 Andrea Peterson rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fairy-tales

Andersen's The Little Mermaid is probably my favorite fairy tale, and one I feel is often misunderstood (though that's a rant for another day). So a novel adaptation of the story, with the "other princess" as co-protagonist, sounded like something specifically made to appeal to me. But while there were some good bits, and Lenia and Magrethe were interesting enough, on the whole the book was disappointing.

One major problem was the prince. I felt absolutely no connection to him whatsoever, and had...more

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Sep 27, 2011 Brandon Witt rated it 4 of 5 stars

I've been obsessed with The Little Mermaid for as long as I can remember. First, the story by Hans Christian Anderson, then the cartoon based on his story, then Disney's version. I love them all.
When I saw The Mermaid on the shelf in the store, I didn't think twice--I bought it. Then, I was nervous. It would be such and easy thing to mess up the story and give me a bitter taste in my mouth about my favorite story--Like the Broadway musical did (ugh). It was also highly probable that it would si...more

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Aug 21, 2011 Corinne rated it 3 of 5 stars

I looked into this book because I am a massive Mer-fanatic.
The book itself has a good story. An adult version of the Disney version of The Little Mermaid meets Hans Christian Anderson's original story.
The book is much darker than Disney's retelling, though less detrimental and finite than Hans Christian Anderson's original tale.
The similarities to Disney's tale lie in that the mermaid is the youngest daughter of the Royal merfamily. She longs to be in the "Upper World" and has treasures belongi...more

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Aug 05, 2011 Ashley rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Now... I love fairytales. And the Little Mermaid has to be my second favorite behind Beauty and the Beast... actually... make that Disney's version of The Little Mermaid. I think that is what bothered me about this book. Now don't get me wrong... I think that the author told the story well, and in a way that didn't completely depress you, like Hans Christian Anderson's version. I liked how the author made both heroines likeable, to the point that you wish the Prince could be with both of them. I...more

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Jul 06, 2011 Brooke rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult

I initially read about this book on "Entertainment Weekly", with the announcement that it was going to be made into a movie. I was immediately intrigued by the fact that it was based much more closely on Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale than the *ahem* other mermaid stories out there currently. In other words, there are no talking animal sidekicks or murderous French chefs, and the sea witch actually ISN’T evil.

Lenia is the daughter of the Sea King, and has just turned 18. It’s a mermaid tra...more I initially read about this book on "Entertainment Weekly", with the announcement that it was going to be made into a movie. I was immediately intrigued by the fact that it was based much more closely on Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale than the *ahem* other mermaid stories out there currently. In other words, there are no talking animal sidekicks or murderous French chefs, and the sea witch actually ISN’T evil.

Lenia is the daughter of the Sea King, and has just turned 18. It’s a mermaid tradition that all merpeople are able to go see the land above for one day, only on their 18th birthday. Lenia emerges from the ocean’s depths to a violent storm, and sees a ship breaking apart before her eyes. She decides to rescue one of the sailors, as watching them all die is too terrible, and carries him to shore and safety. She is fascinated by the human man, remembering stories that her grandmother told her about humans and their souls. Mermaids live 300 years, and on that day gracefully turn to foam and become part of the ocean. Lenia finds this prospect too bleak, and is more attracted to the idea of the human soul, which lives forever in heaven.

Meanwhile, Margarethe, the daughter of the Northern King, is in hiding in a convent by the sea from the enemies of her father’s kingdom. She is out in the convent garden and sees the mermaid wash up on shore carrying the prince. She is entranced by the beautiful woman from the sea, and even more so by the love she shows the near-drowned man. At that moment, Lenia catches her eye and telepathically tells her to help the man. With a flick of her tail, she returns to the sea.

The mystery man is quickly nursed back to health at the convent, but both women remain haunted by their encounters with him and each other. Both are willing to make extreme sacrifices to recapture the sense of magic that they felt at experiencing the other’s world…

I’d read the original Hans Christian Andersen version of this tale, and while I was absorbed in the story, had a slight sense of dread for fear of the ending. I had trouble getting attached to both female leads because of the impending sense of tragedy. This is a gorgeously written book, both consistent in its period voice and attentive to detail in both the undersea kingdom and the world above. Both women are complex, though the fascination of each with religion gets slightly tedious (Lenia’s desire for a soul and Margarethe’s conviction that God sent the mermaid and man to her).

Turgeon takes a well-known tale and rewrites it beautifully- very few books are able to move me to tears, and this one definitely joins their ranks. I look forward to seeing any news on the movie adaptation moving forward.(less)

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Jul 05, 2011 Amelia rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

As an avid reader of the classics, it is impressive to find how close this was to Hans Christian Andersen’s tale. Obviously, there are some alterations to this latest “twist,” so don’t be expecting the exact fairy tale. The same gruesome cutting of the tongue for the mermaid’s payment is still there, but that’s an obvious necessity to the plot that could only have been downplayed by Disney (no offense to the movie – I still love the cartoon!).

There are some softer points to Turgeon’s version tha...more

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Jun 27, 2011 Caroline rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Fans of mermaids and fairy tales

Shelves: carolyn-turgeon, mermaids, fantasy, fantasy-romance, fairy-tales

Turgeon's interpretation of the original Little Mermaid is an entertaining, interesting read. At its best, it is intriguing and original, in that it delves not only into the perspective of the mermaid, but her rival, the princess. However, as entertaining as the book can be, and at times, even a little touching, it falls short of being really good with typical pitfalls.

Again, the exploration of Margrethe's--the princess whom the mermaid's beloved prince is supposed to wed--perspective is origina...more Turgeon's interpretation of the original Little Mermaid is an entertaining, interesting read. At its best, it is intriguing and original, in that it delves not only into the perspective of the mermaid, but her rival, the princess. However, as entertaining as the book can be, and at times, even a little touching, it falls short of being really good with typical pitfalls.

Again, the exploration of Margrethe's--the princess whom the mermaid's beloved prince is supposed to wed--perspective is original and at times lovely. Margrethe begins with promise. She's sensible and interested in the mermaid--one could argue that her relationship with Lenia, the mermaid, is far more important than either of their love stories with Prince Christopher. However, Margrethe's instant love for Christopher and complete acceptance of his shortcomings annoyed me. On the one hand, I suppose that a princess would almost expect her betrothed to do what he did. On the other, I found the fact that she wasn't even that irritated, merely sad, frustrating. Her forgiveness of Lenia, I could understand. But Cristopher? He deserved a bit less fawning and a bit more consternation.

Of course, Christopher's character is somewhat problematic. He really annoyed me. I didn't see the girls' love for him, as he basically did nothing but have sex. He wasn't supposed to be a fleshed out character, I saw that. Lenia and Margrethe were rightfully more important. But... He could at least be more tolerable, and not falling in love with every other woman who worshipped him. The fact that he found Lenia's muteness a turn-on was actually kind of disgusting. Whoever ends up with him, the reader figures, doesn't really get a happy ending. But Turgeon doesn't seem to realize that.

Lenia, I forgave a bit more for her naivete. She's a mermaid. However, the innocent mermaid deal does become a bit tiresome. I actually found the novel's sensual aspects refreshingly out of the norm for the genre, and one of its strong points. The scenes weren't romance novel explicit, either, and thus did not disrupt the flow of the text, which I found charming and suitably fairy-tale like.

Again, Lenia and Margrethe's relationship was a strong point. Their lack of rivalry was a nice change of pace, though the over-used of the word "shimmery" whenever Margrethe thought of/saw the mermaid got a little boring. Still, I really enjoyed the re-tooling Turgeon gave to that part of the story. Really, their few scenes together were the most touching of the entire book.

It's worth reading if you're a fairy tale/mermaid lover, though the characters will get on your nerves. A sexed up, flawed, and nevetheless somewhat-fascinating take.(less)

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Jun 04, 2011 Sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2011, to-buy

I'm a little sad it's over. I wanted to keep reading!

So yes, this book is basically one big love triangle. It SO worked though. The chapters alternate between Lenia and Margrethe, and I loved and sympathized with them both. The man, Christopher, doesn't really get much story-time until the last 1/4 of the book or so. Lenia desperately wants the chance to experience the human world, and the chance to gain a human soul. Margrethe wants to bring more beauty and happiness into the world, and it only...more

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May 16, 2011 Chris rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: andersen, mermaids-selkies, fantasy-fairy-tales-influ, feminist-fiction

Really a 3.5, but I'm rounding up because I liked how in touch with the original Turgeon seemed to be. Though, many of the other reviews are correct; the characters could be fleshed out a little more. Just read below.

This is one of those books that will make neither right or left book challengers/banners happy. It's got both God and sex in it.

It also, and this is the reason why it has God and sex in it, far closer to the original Andersen tale.

Andersen's mermaid tale has always been darker, far...more Really a 3.5, but I'm rounding up because I liked how in touch with the original Turgeon seemed to be. Though, many of the other reviews are correct; the characters could be fleshed out a little more. Just read below.

This is one of those books that will make neither right or left book challengers/banners happy. It's got both God and sex in it.

It also, and this is the reason why it has God and sex in it, far closer to the original Andersen tale.

Andersen's mermaid tale has always been darker, far darker than the Disney cartoon. Ursula is just the sterotypical Disney villian (she isn't as attractive as everyone else) and outside of her poor unfortunate souls, there is not much to fear in the Disney version. In Andersen's tale, however, the sea witch is not the scary bit. It is what the mermaid goes though when she becomes human. It always feels as if she is walking on glass. In order to gain what she wants, a soul in Andersen's tale, she must always be in pain (Andersen forsaw evil shows, I'm sure). Andersen's characters suffer (Tatar and others call it a "cult of suffering"); the suffering is the badge of thier humanity. To drop the suffering, to drop the cost, to even drop the soul, to turn the mermaid into the princess who needs rescuing, disrespects the story.

Turgeon doesn't disrepect the story; she keeps to the heart of it. Hence the view of the challengers. This book is going to be at least challengered somewhere, if it isn't already.

Turgeon's tale focuses on the two central female characters - the mermaid and the princess. These two women inadverently find themselves as rivals for the same prince, who is somewhat a louse and somewhat not. He's human too, not the Prince Eric. Turgeon's Christopher and his relationship with the mermaid hews far closer to Andersen where the mermaid sleeps at the foot of his bed.

Turgeon also keeps the quest for the soul. While she makes the mermaid more of a lover, the idea and desire for a soul are there as well. The princess as well feels some type of call. Turgeon keeps the focus on this aspect of the story. The mermaid story in the original had god and the hint of sex; Turgeon plays up the sex and keeps the god. It makes the story more than the plain old Disney version.

Intersting, while the Disney mermaid seems to exist in a mostly male world, Turgeon's world is dominated by women - the princess, the mermaid, the ladies in waiting, a sea-queen (whose husband just nods). The women act like women, friends, not friends and so on. It is not the female vaccum that the Diseny version is. Ariel helped by men and harmed by the only other woman of note. Even the sea-witch in Turgeon's tale gets far more depth.

Part of what Turgeon seems to be doing is playing with the idea of expections. But Lenia, the mermaid, and Marte, the princess, are, if you will excuse the pun, fish out of water at points in the novel. Thier choices even forced to be more of outsiders at points in the story. Additionally, Turgeon does make good use of doubling in the novel, though the sea-world is better drawn than the land world.

So yes, the novel does have some flaws, but overall this is a very good retelling of a fairy tale. I got this used, but if I had spent full price for it, it would have been worth it.(less)

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May 10, 2011 Stephanie rated it 2 of 5 stars

Unlike Disney, Turgeon stays relatively close to the original, which let me just say is dark and depressing as all get-out. If you can spare (if that) an hour, read it if you haven't already.

She does, true to promise, deliver a bit of a twist. Not really in the sense that it switches between the princess from the convent and the mermaid, but rather in what happens towards the ending. Taking the land-bound princess's angle was in a sense predictable, since the story was a love-triangle from the...more

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Apr 17, 2011 Kelly Cordes rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book struck me with the cover. It is simply a beautiful looking book. I was excited to read this book since I'm such a huge Little Mermaid fan. It is not the usual book I would read since I prefer dystopian novels but this one was calling to me.
I felt it painted a beautiful picture in it's descriptions. I could feel the water, see the sky and breathe the salty air.
Mermaid is not a love story. It is a lust story. The two characters in this story spoke of a love that they simply could not p...more

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Apr 11, 2011 Angie rated it 2 of 5 stars

I'll be honest in saying that when I initially picked up this book it was because I had $20 of a Groupon I had purchased that I had to spend and I wasn't sure what to expect.

The twist on the tale is something I enjoyed, however the characters were very two dimensional with very little development. However, despite that I could relate on some level to the princess who felt she was destined for more and the the mermaid who longed for a world different from her own.

Things you should be aware of pri...more

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Apr 08, 2011 Natalie rated it 2 of 5 stars

Under the sea there lives a mermaid who longs to see the world above. Lenia knows that she will be allowed one day, her eighteenth birthday, to visit it. On that day, the day she has waited for for so long, there is a terrible storm. Lenia comes to the surface to discover a sinking ship. Seeing the men dying, she is determined to save one, and carries him to shore. It is love at first sight, and from that moment she tries to find a way to be with him.
Princess Margrethe has been hidden in a conve...more

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Mar 26, 2011 Jinky rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2011

(2.5)
The beginning was interesting, the middle sensual with a little bit of darkness, and the end was a sappy twist! I like this kind of fantasy/supernatural character oppose to demons, werewolves, vampires and such... for now. Mermaids are softer and I could use a bit of fluffy read right now.

I understand that this is a modern twist on Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Mermaid. I haven't read that book yet but from Googling, I see the twists. Generally, Turgeon's mermaid is older (18yo, opp...more

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Mar 22, 2011 Megan rated it 5 of 5 stars

I was really impressed with this retelling of The Little Mermaid mostly because of the displaced medieval setting and the way in which Carolyn wrote about the two leading ladies. There was something about the land in which the story is set that read differently from a stock medieval time period to me. I loved the defined and explored difference in culture between the North and the South, and the air of fantasy that seemed to encapsulate the whole land because of the underlying ancestral connecti...more I was really impressed with this retelling of The Little Mermaid mostly because of the displaced medieval setting and the way in which Carolyn wrote about the two leading ladies. There was something about the land in which the story is set that read differently from a stock medieval time period to me. I loved the defined and explored difference in culture between the North and the South, and the air of fantasy that seemed to encapsulate the whole land because of the underlying ancestral connection between land dwellers and sea dwellers.

Carolyn could have easily tipped the scales in favor of one character by omitting the perspective of the other, but she instead included the thoughts, feelings and desires of both. It was that equal empathy that entranced me the most, the getting to know both women to a level where you can't entirely choose one side. True, the story followed a classic route that would make any feminist cringe (a man being the only salvation and reason for living in a woman's life), but I personally thought the way Carolyn handled the inner turmoil for all parties involved was extremely well done. Her writing was smooth, descriptive, creative, and worked seamlessly in a chapter-by-chapter perspective-changing format. With some overlap involved, the reader is offered an almost unbroken visitation to the story's events that will keep the pages flipping.

I loved how the love triangle between Margrethe, Lenia and the prince was addressed with equal but different intensities. The love Lenia had for the prince was the kind that could burn and consume. The love Margrethe had for Lenia was the kind that could leave one forever aching and restless. The love Margrethe had for the prince, I felt, was one cultivated out of optimism and a reflection of Lenia's own fixation. Such emotionally-charged content makes for a legitimately engaging read if that is what the reader likes.

The only thing I didn't like was the structure of some sentences, the grammar in some areas and the misuse of some words. Carolyn Turgeon's writing is not conventional in the least, but still reads uniquely and creatively if those aspects can be overlooked.
(less)

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Mar 15, 2011 EZRead eBookstore rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: amelia-reviews

As an avid reader of the classics, it is impressive to find how close this was to Hans Christian Andersen’s tale. Obviously, there are some alterations to this latest “twist,” so don’t be expecting the exact fairy tale. The same gruesome cutting of the tongue for the mermaid’s payment is still there, but that’s an obvious necessity to the plot that could only have been downplayed by Disney (no offense to the movie – I still love the cartoon!).

There are some softer points to Turgeon’s version th...more

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