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227th out of 346 books
—
208 voters
A City in Winter: The Queen's Tale
Driven to avenge the murder of her royal parents and reclaim their lost kingdom, the daring young heroine and would-be queen journeys to the besieged city on the plain to seek out its eveil conqueror, the Usurper. Mark Helprin's spellbing tale reveals a city veiled in snow, at once divine and deadly. Van Allsburg's stunning illustrations supply a palpable richness which ca...more
Hardcover, 144 pages
Published
October 1st 1996
by Viking Children's Books
(first published 1996)
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The story of a ten year old girl, raised in the forest, who travels alone to the city to claim her kingdom. Her parents and grandparents, the rulers of the kingdom, had been murdered by the Usurper when the girl was a baby and she has been raised in secret by a tutor. When she is put to work in the castle that should be hers, she finds that rebels have been waiting for her return.
An unusual book. It begins with the now grown little girl writing to her unborn child, so we know she survives. Also,...more
An unusual book. It begins with the now grown little girl writing to her unborn child, so we know she survives. Also,...more
Mark Helprin has a beautiful imagination, which he uses full force in this story of a city and its queen. The queen is 10 years old and she has returned from exile in the forest to her snowy realm which has been overthrown by an evil usurper. The city is "in winter" for more reasons than seasonal, it is held in thrall by a cold and ruthless person. The little girl queen must work and wait, and find her friends before making herself known.
Helprin's descriptions of the colossal palace and all its...more
Helprin's descriptions of the colossal palace and all its...more
A very seriously themed children's tale, we read of a little girl, raised in the forest by a tutor,now sent to the city to claim her rightful role as royalty. She must fight the evil Usurper to win freedom and happiness for all her people. The tutor makes another dramatic appearance as sacrificial savior. The religious symbolism is obvious but welcome in a day when faith and loyalty are rare and needed. Chris Van Allsburg's illustrations are, as always, beautiful and intriguing. This was a gift...more
this is one of my favourite books of all time. my dad first read it to me when i was about seven and i love re-reading it. it gives me warm feeling every time because it's such a powerful story told beautifully. by now the characters are old friends and reading this book always inspires me. Mr. Helprin is a master.
This is one of those books I go back to year after year, re-reading it and always finding something new, making me wonder if perhaps while on my shelf the story is continuing.
A masterfully crafted world, believable but fantastical. I could keep dredging up adjectives but really, there aren't any suitable ones.
A masterfully crafted world, believable but fantastical. I could keep dredging up adjectives but really, there aren't any suitable ones.
Interesting sort of fable for adults and young adults. Mysterious and quirky but keeps you turning the pages. Not what I expected and felt a little unfinished in some ways - drops you in the story and leaves you hanging - but it kept me turning the pages.
Not Helprin's best. I definitely like his shorts stories better; he is a stronger write there I think. There were still some very good bits - and some very Helprin-y phrases. Overall an okay read.
This is a lovely fairy tale, ferrous in its truth-touching, deft in its detail, and startling in its heroine's child-eye simple-complexity.
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The hyperbole that was charming in Swan Lake seemed excessive and distancing in this continuation.
The graphics in this book are simply amazing, and the story itself is enthralling.
I was drawn to this because of the illustrator...Chris Van Alsberg. Loved the story.
Aug 11, 2010
Robbie
added it
Read this years ago. Want to read it again, because I recall it was amazing.
Jun 11, 2009
Ehbluemle Bluemle
added it
A City in Winter: The Queen's Tale by Mark Helprin (1996)
I loved reading his books to the kids. Very magical.
GREAT!
One of our favorite family read-aloud books, repeated many times over years, and also beautifully illustrated. It's a fairy tale set in a mythical city with a totalitarian gov't; but apart from a plucky heroine it's all rather bleak only slightly leavened by quirky humor that kids don't really get. We read this to our kids to ensure their deeply embedded sense of perversity. Now that they are teens this is clearly paying off. Nature or nurture? You can't answer that question.
I saw this book on the sale table at a local bookstore a few years back and thought it looked interesting. It's been a while since I read this book, but remember it being one I really enjoyed. The illustrations are wonderful and add to the story. When I finished, I realized that this was the middle book in a trilogy based on "Swan Lake". I still haven't picked up the rest of the series--see my to-read list--but hope to get the other books and complete the set.
A nice middle-grades fairy tale read. Lovely pictures too.
This was a gorgeous book. Should be read in one fluid motion though as it contains beautiful imagery and a story with a short timeline.
reading it to the kids this summer!
May 16, 2013
Anne Girouard
marked it as to-read
May 15, 2013
Brad
marked it as to-read
Apr 29, 2013
Stuart Sturton
marked it as to-read
Apr 23, 2013
Kris
marked it as to-read
Apr 22, 2013
Lauren Brown
marked it as to-read
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A conservative commentator who has served in the Israeli army may not seem the likeliest source of whimsy, but Mark Helprin's tales are written from the soul of a poet. Soldiers and burglars figure prominently in his work, but the stories are not tales of intrigue; they focus more on love, morality and far-flung travels. - http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk
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