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379th out of 919 books
—
5,207 voters
The Robber Bridegroom
by
Eudora Welty
Legendary figures of Mississippi's past - flatboatman Mike Fink and the dreaded Harp brothers - mingle with characters from Eudora Welty's own imagination in an exuberant fantasy set along the Natchez Trace. Berry-stained bandit of the woods Jamie Lockhart steals Rosamond, the beautiful daughter of pioneer planter Clement Musgrove, to set in motion this frontier fairy tale...more
Paperback, 192 pages
Published
November 8th 1978
by Mariner Books
(first published 1942)
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Based on a Brothers Grimm fairy tale of the same name, the novella evinces masterful use of narrative compression which gives it the ring of parable. Set before the American Revolution, Clement, a Southern planter who has done quite well for himself, returns home from selling his tobacco to the British and must spend a night in town before traveling to his rural farm the next day. Sharing a bed with two other men, Clement finds himself beholden to one, Jamie Lockhart--a bandit though Clement doe...more
This, children, is how you retell a fairy tale. It isn't all fairy-spun dresses and helpful mice. The cutlery isn't doing a song and dance at the end of Act II. It is dark. It is twisted. It is disturbed and it disturbs you. It is entirely new because it is taken out of its time and place and resurrected in another. It moves into its new land and exposes the new society in which it finds itself. It makes friends with the locals. It plies them with liquor until the local tales are blended so well...more
I heard of this book through the DVD commentary of the film "Candy," with Heath Ledger and Abbie Cornish. The writer planted The Robber Bridegroom on Ledger's character's nightstand, which I never would have noticed on my own. The film mention piqued my curiosity, and honestly I'm amazed that I hadn't read any Eudora Welty up till now.
The novel is loosely inspired by the German fairytale collected by the Brothers Grimm and contains all the classic elements of great storytelling - mistaken identi...more
The novel is loosely inspired by the German fairytale collected by the Brothers Grimm and contains all the classic elements of great storytelling - mistaken identi...more
Mar 21, 2008
Isaac Blevins
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
southerners, southern lit fans, folklorists
Shelves:
classics
Taking plot lines and characters from the best of folktales and southern literature, Eudora Welty creates an enchanting novel. I had never read any Welty before I read this novel as a senior in high school. I quickly found that she truly captures the strange and often unbelievable qualities of the south.
While it is certainly not her most famous work, I think that this is a good starting point for anyone who wants to begin reading one of the queens of southern literature.
While it is certainly not her most famous work, I think that this is a good starting point for anyone who wants to begin reading one of the queens of southern literature.
What a treat this little book is! An adult fairy tale with a twist, Welty, inspired (I assume) somewhat not only by her homeland, but by the Brothers Grimm themselves, tells the tale of Jamie Lockhart; a charismatic outlaw terrorising the population of deepest darkest Mississpi with his band of thieves, and Rosamund Musgrow; a completely innocent and utterly stupid young woman who wanders the countryside in her expensive silk gown, blissfully unaware of her evil stepmothers' burning desire to ge...more
I have to admit - I enjoyed this novel more than I thought I would! It's a slim volume, with very easy to read prose, witty asides and interesting turns of phrases. It reads like a fairy tale, tall tale and parable all rolled up in one. The plot this story follows is very fanciful, full of mis-communications, unlikely coincidences, and meaningful imagery. While the story is inspired by The Robber Bridegroom, I feel there are also influences of the Greek myth Psyche and Eros and Beauty and the Be...more
Very original version of Cinderella. I personally like this better:) I had to read it for AP English and the stark contrast between this and the Disney version strikes me funny and makes the tale more enjoyable.
My college recently put up a theatrical version (musical actually). I regret not seeing it, but I was told that it was only loosely based on the book, so I didn't feel so bad after that hehe.
I heartily recommend this book for those looking for "fairy tales" with a little less "fairy" in...more
My college recently put up a theatrical version (musical actually). I regret not seeing it, but I was told that it was only loosely based on the book, so I didn't feel so bad after that hehe.
I heartily recommend this book for those looking for "fairy tales" with a little less "fairy" in...more
I read all the Grimm fairytales as a child, but did not remember this one, so I just found it and read it. I love the good gruesome ones; so many people do not know that the original fairy tales are bloody and dark. At any rate, the Welty version was interesting, but I have little else to say about it. It has been a long while since I have read this author, but while browsing through the public library, I found this and checked it out. You can read the original tale at http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/...more
I am often bored by fairy tales and especially modern (I consider 1942 to be modern)books or stories that desire to be fairy tales but this particular tale did not bore me in the least. It might have been its sense of humor or its garishness (like a literary Uncle Pecos Bunyan). But most probably it was because of its many wonderful turns of phrase, like Welty wished to drop our lovely tongue down a rabbit hole or shove it through a mirror.
Nearly in a class by itself, strangely reminiscent of The Ballad of the Sad Cafe, with an aura of real magic, the flavor of superstition that has strayed across into the land of archetypes and ancient wisdom. If it were not a book (you see, even now I cannot call it a novel or fiction), it would be one of those dreams that stay with you for days to disturb the pedestrian day waking often confused with reality.
I'd been meaning to cover this gap in my Southern writer reading for a while. I meant to pick up Welty's short stories, but I couldn't find her complete works, and a Grimm's fairy tale retold with a southern folklore twist was too tempting to pass up.
The book surprised me with how well the folkloric southern setting worked; there is no incongruity with the fairy-tale tone of the characters or plot: castle's and princesses work just as well as plantations and plantation heiresses (though the non...more
The book surprised me with how well the folkloric southern setting worked; there is no incongruity with the fairy-tale tone of the characters or plot: castle's and princesses work just as well as plantations and plantation heiresses (though the non...more
Honestly, this book wasn’t all that great. It was almost written as if for young children. Ridiculous, hardly descriptive, and weak characters set in a hardly described world of the early 19th century. This book should have been written as poetry, it seems. There were some good elements to this book, such as the humor. My rating: Two Stars
Feb 07, 2011
Jimmy
added it
Well, this is brilliant. It's a real fairytale because it believes in itself. It's not the postmodern "take" on the fairytale, it's not someone's horseshit thesis on the "role of myth in our lives," none of that tertiary garbage. It's just an honest-to-god true tale, full of beauty and wonder and adventure. i love it.
The Robber Bridegroom is more farce and fantasy than I expected from Welty. Once I got passed the initial "Huh?" it was a fun read with death and destruction handled in a carefree, matter of fact tone. It's better than her Losing Battles, but not as good as Delta Wedding. It's a quick read.
I went back and forth between three and four stars and decided on three stars. I liked it just fine, but wasn't blown away. While I loved the melding of all sorts of different "fairy tales" I think this would have been stronger had it focused on one. But, that might just be me.
I'm teaching a course on the fairy tale this fall & was looking for a modern book that uses fairy tale motifs or re-works fairy tales. Welty's Robber Bridegroom is a terrific amalgam of fairy tale, myth, and Southern history. It was a real surprise and I greatly enjoyed it.
I can't believe it took me so long to read this, and I loved it. I love the way she writes, and she is so adept at witty sentences. The fairytale, bigger-than-life characters appealed to me, and I am going to read more of her works now.
Wow, kind of a wild ride! I may be to much of a literal reader to appreciate this violent, fantastical 'southern' retelling of a Grimm's fairy tale. but I did think it was well written and enjoyed the lush character and setting descriptions.
A wonderful book about a fantasy romance gone wrong and kidnapped and confused. Welty's style and speech here are borderline magical, a world of odd circumstance and charmed accident. I started it a second time as soon as I finished it the first.
I'm trying to become a connoisseur of Southern writers and have happened upon a couple of references to Eudora Welty. I tried this short story out first. It was strange and mildly amusing at times, but I did not love it.
I decided to read the book after seeing the musical at the Scera. I like the musical better. A lot of bragging, outright nonsense, carelessness, and buckskin humor. The first half of the book was better. Maybe it's my age.
I loved this fairy tale set in the mythical deep South. It is beautifully written and a joy to read. The line about the robber finding he has the right skills for becoming a business man tickled me.
I enjoyed this quirky story written by a well known Southern author. Looking forward to discussing with my book club and hearing from our leader who wrote her college thesis on Eudora Welty.
A quick fun read. Kind of a lesser Princess Bride. Imaginative but nothing I'm going to remember two weeks from now. Occasional beautiful descriptions, fairy tale characters.
A fairy tale for lovers of Americana, Ms. Welty introduces characters real, imaginary, and both. Ruthlessness abounds on the Natchez Trace, and not everyone is as presented.
Not the greatest book, but a fun, quick read. The characters are fairytale standard characters transported to a southern setting, which makes for quite interesting reading.
I think I would rather have seen the musical...I could NOT relate to any of these characters the way they were presented. They acted like insane people by my way of thinking...
A fable/fairy tale with wry/gentle humor and a winking eye to the "realities" of real life. My first time reading Welty and it was not at all what I expected - surprised in a good way.
Read all in one sitting, but can't really say I understood it. It was certainly rollicking, and fun, but its allusions to other myths and legends were over my head.
I loved how she used the diction and shape of a classic Grimm fairy tale but made it absolutely of the South. What a beautiful little book!
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Eudora Alice Welty was an award-winning American author who wrote short stories and novels about the American South. Her book The Optimist's Daughter won the Pulitzer Prize in 1973 and she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, among numerous awards. She was the first living author to have her works published by the Library of America.
Welty was born in Jackson, Mississippi, and lived a sig...more
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Welty was born in Jackson, Mississippi, and lived a sig...more
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