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Hiddensee: A Tale of the Once and Future Nutcracker
In this imaginative novel rooted in the rich soil of early 19th-century German Romanticism, beloved New York Times best-selling author Gregory Maguire twins an origin legend of the famous Nutcracker with the life of Drosselmeier, the toymaker who carves him.
Gregory Maguire's novels have been called "bewitching", "remarkable", "extraordinary", "engrossing", "amazing", and "delicious". Having brought his legions of devoted listeners to Oz in Wicked, Wonderland in After Alice, and Dickensian London in Lost, Maguire now takes us to the Black Forest of Bavaria and Munich of the Brothers Grimm and E.T.A. Hoffman.
Hiddensee recreates the backstory of The Nutcracker, reimaging how this entrancing creature came to be carved and how it magically guided an ailing little girl named Klara through a dreamy paradise on a snowy Christmas Eve. It also brings to life the mysterious godfather Drosselmeier - the ominous, canny, one-eyed toymaker made immortal by Petipa and Tchaikovsky's ballet - who presents the once and future Nutcracker to Klara, his goddaughter.
But Hiddensee is not just a retelling of a classic story. Maguire discovers in the flowering of German Romanticism a migrating strain of a Hellenic mystery-cult and ponders a profound how a person who is abused by life, short-changed, and challenged can access secrets that benefit the disadvantaged and powerless. Ultimately, Hiddensee offers a message of hope. If the compromised godfather Drosselmeier can bring an enchanted Nutcracker to a young girl in distress, perhaps everyone, however lonely or marginalized on the eve of a winter holiday, has something precious to share.
An Earphones Award–winning narrator “leads the listener on a dark, wild, and altogether strange adventure” (AudioFile) in this whimsical reimagining from the New York Times bestselling author of Wicked! A one‑eyed toy maker crafts a Nutcracker that guides a sickly girl named Klara from despair to a snowy, dreamlike world of awe. “Enchanting, mystical, and filled with wonder” (People).
Gregory Maguire's novels have been called "bewitching", "remarkable", "extraordinary", "engrossing", "amazing", and "delicious". Having brought his legions of devoted listeners to Oz in Wicked, Wonderland in After Alice, and Dickensian London in Lost, Maguire now takes us to the Black Forest of Bavaria and Munich of the Brothers Grimm and E.T.A. Hoffman.
Hiddensee recreates the backstory of The Nutcracker, reimaging how this entrancing creature came to be carved and how it magically guided an ailing little girl named Klara through a dreamy paradise on a snowy Christmas Eve. It also brings to life the mysterious godfather Drosselmeier - the ominous, canny, one-eyed toymaker made immortal by Petipa and Tchaikovsky's ballet - who presents the once and future Nutcracker to Klara, his goddaughter.
But Hiddensee is not just a retelling of a classic story. Maguire discovers in the flowering of German Romanticism a migrating strain of a Hellenic mystery-cult and ponders a profound how a person who is abused by life, short-changed, and challenged can access secrets that benefit the disadvantaged and powerless. Ultimately, Hiddensee offers a message of hope. If the compromised godfather Drosselmeier can bring an enchanted Nutcracker to a young girl in distress, perhaps everyone, however lonely or marginalized on the eve of a winter holiday, has something precious to share.
304 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 31, 2017
896 people are currently reading
19588 people want to read
About the author
Gregory Maguire
112 books9,197 followersGregory Maguire is an American author, whose novels are revisionist retellings of children's stories (such as L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz into Wicked). He received his Ph.D. in English and American Literature from Tufts University, and his B.A. from the State University of New York at Albany. He was a professor and co-director at the Simmons College Center for the Study of Children's Literature from 1979-1985. In 1987 he co-founded Children's Literature New England (a non-profit educational charity).
Maguire has served as artist-in-residence at the Blue Mountain Center, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, and the Hambidge Center. He lives in Concord, Massachusetts.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,462 reviews
March 15, 2018
Rating: 2.5/5 stars
I picked up this book because I was looking for a retelling of the Nutcracker to get me in the Christmas spirit. I should’ve known better than to trust Maguire to instill holiday cheer into anything he writes. I was definitely not filled with cheer and goodwill while reading this, which was a disappointment I should’ve seen coming.
Was this a bad book? No. It retold a familiar story in a new and unfamiliar way, from the perspective of Drosselmeier, the toy maker who crafted the eponymous Nutcracker. And Drosselmeier’s story was an interesting one. But just as he had an incredibly difficult time connecting emotionally to other people, so did I with his story. I found it intellectually compelling but emotionally unsatisfying.
I’ve enjoyed Maguire’s work in the past. Wicked was, in my opinion, an incredibly original retelling of a story that has been told so often that it lost a bit of its life and flavor. Wicked revitalized the Wizard of Oz for me, giving it a depth that I had missed. Elphaba was a far richer character than I would have expected, and I always enjoy seeing both heroes and villains in a different light, as Maguire presented both Dorothy and the Wicked Witch, along with various other characters made famous in the original.
That’s what I was hoping for from Hiddensee, but it’s not what I got. I wanted more depth and richness added to a tale I love. And indeed, Maguire did add aspects to the old tale that were interesting, as I said before. But I just didn’t care about Drosselmeier like I yearned to. I didn’t see the Nutcracker in a new light that surprised and delighted me. I saw him given a new purpose, but he was lifeless in the pages of this book. And honestly, the tone of this book reminded me of Uprooted, which I hated. If you loved Uprooted, you might really enjoy this book.
One of the amazing things about fairy tales and folk tales is their ability to entrance us and move us in a very limited number of pages. Hiddensee felt both too long for a fairy tale and too short for a deeper, more compelling novel, leaving it on a shaky middle ground where it was unable to keep its footing. Of course, this is a personal opinion, as all of my reviews are. But now I feel the need to track down the original story to rid myself of the sour residue left by Maguire’s book, so I can reclaim a story I love. If anyone has another retelling of this story that they love, please share it with me; I don’t want my vision of the Nutcracker to stiffen with age.
Original review can be found at Booknest.
I picked up this book because I was looking for a retelling of the Nutcracker to get me in the Christmas spirit. I should’ve known better than to trust Maguire to instill holiday cheer into anything he writes. I was definitely not filled with cheer and goodwill while reading this, which was a disappointment I should’ve seen coming.
Was this a bad book? No. It retold a familiar story in a new and unfamiliar way, from the perspective of Drosselmeier, the toy maker who crafted the eponymous Nutcracker. And Drosselmeier’s story was an interesting one. But just as he had an incredibly difficult time connecting emotionally to other people, so did I with his story. I found it intellectually compelling but emotionally unsatisfying.
I’ve enjoyed Maguire’s work in the past. Wicked was, in my opinion, an incredibly original retelling of a story that has been told so often that it lost a bit of its life and flavor. Wicked revitalized the Wizard of Oz for me, giving it a depth that I had missed. Elphaba was a far richer character than I would have expected, and I always enjoy seeing both heroes and villains in a different light, as Maguire presented both Dorothy and the Wicked Witch, along with various other characters made famous in the original.
That’s what I was hoping for from Hiddensee, but it’s not what I got. I wanted more depth and richness added to a tale I love. And indeed, Maguire did add aspects to the old tale that were interesting, as I said before. But I just didn’t care about Drosselmeier like I yearned to. I didn’t see the Nutcracker in a new light that surprised and delighted me. I saw him given a new purpose, but he was lifeless in the pages of this book. And honestly, the tone of this book reminded me of Uprooted, which I hated. If you loved Uprooted, you might really enjoy this book.
One of the amazing things about fairy tales and folk tales is their ability to entrance us and move us in a very limited number of pages. Hiddensee felt both too long for a fairy tale and too short for a deeper, more compelling novel, leaving it on a shaky middle ground where it was unable to keep its footing. Of course, this is a personal opinion, as all of my reviews are. But now I feel the need to track down the original story to rid myself of the sour residue left by Maguire’s book, so I can reclaim a story I love. If anyone has another retelling of this story that they love, please share it with me; I don’t want my vision of the Nutcracker to stiffen with age.
Original review can be found at Booknest.
December 2, 2017
Hiddensee by Gregory Maguire tells the story of Drosselmeier, the man responsible for creating the Nutcracker, as well as how he came to give it to young Klara.
Full of Maguire’s typical prose and poetic language, Drosselmeier starts as a young boy living with Hansel and Gretel in the woods. When a tragic accident leaves him without an eye and brings him to “the other side” and back, Drosselmeier is then sent to live with various families until he is old enough to become a toymaker. When his beloved friend Felix dies, Drosselmeier assumes paternal responsibility for Felix’s children and develops a quick bond with Felix’s granddaughter, Klara, a sickly girl who lives in a world of fantasy that is very similar to Drosselmeier’s own.
“Hiddensee” is a short novel to read, with quick chapter that flow together rather nicely. Drosselmeier’s story, as told by Maguire, is an interesting one, full of mystery, fantasy and family.
Normally, I find Maguire’s writing a little hard to take, with his extravagant, expanded vocabulary that has be scrambling for a dictionary at least once per page. In this instance though, “Hiddensee” was far more digestible, while still remaining beautifully written.
Drosselmeier is the ultimate misfit- alone for most of his life due to his creative imaginings and strange behaviours, he finds love in the wrong places and with the wrong people until finally finding an adopted family of his own. He is a wonderful anti-hero, creating empathy and connection with the reader.
The story is well-told, with well-developed characters and a smooth flow. Creative and charming, this novel is the perfect novel for the holiday season. Set in “Bavaria” and its surrounding lands, “Hiddensee” takes us through beautiful, isolated settings, with strange customs and characters from fairy tales. This novel has a distinctive and sweet ending, allowing for the satisfying finality I love in novels like this.
“Hiddensee” is a great re-imagining of the Nutcracker, told in the way only Maguire can. A beautiful novel for the Christmas season and beyond.
Full of Maguire’s typical prose and poetic language, Drosselmeier starts as a young boy living with Hansel and Gretel in the woods. When a tragic accident leaves him without an eye and brings him to “the other side” and back, Drosselmeier is then sent to live with various families until he is old enough to become a toymaker. When his beloved friend Felix dies, Drosselmeier assumes paternal responsibility for Felix’s children and develops a quick bond with Felix’s granddaughter, Klara, a sickly girl who lives in a world of fantasy that is very similar to Drosselmeier’s own.
“Hiddensee” is a short novel to read, with quick chapter that flow together rather nicely. Drosselmeier’s story, as told by Maguire, is an interesting one, full of mystery, fantasy and family.
Normally, I find Maguire’s writing a little hard to take, with his extravagant, expanded vocabulary that has be scrambling for a dictionary at least once per page. In this instance though, “Hiddensee” was far more digestible, while still remaining beautifully written.
Drosselmeier is the ultimate misfit- alone for most of his life due to his creative imaginings and strange behaviours, he finds love in the wrong places and with the wrong people until finally finding an adopted family of his own. He is a wonderful anti-hero, creating empathy and connection with the reader.
The story is well-told, with well-developed characters and a smooth flow. Creative and charming, this novel is the perfect novel for the holiday season. Set in “Bavaria” and its surrounding lands, “Hiddensee” takes us through beautiful, isolated settings, with strange customs and characters from fairy tales. This novel has a distinctive and sweet ending, allowing for the satisfying finality I love in novels like this.
“Hiddensee” is a great re-imagining of the Nutcracker, told in the way only Maguire can. A beautiful novel for the Christmas season and beyond.
July 3, 2017
The book began with a 'tale' which never really seemed to take shape or reach a conclusion. Mr. Maguire knows how to write this genre well; but I was disappointed with the disjointed story of Dirk and his purpose, and the mainly incidental references to the nutcracker he made.
I will re-read soon and try to piece together what I may have missed the first time around!
I will re-read soon and try to piece together what I may have missed the first time around!
December 9, 2017
An orphan boy is raised by an unlikable couple who live alone in the woods, leaves after an accident with an axe, and muddles through another two hundred pages with no clear goals. If there is more to this story, I missed it. There is no real plot. I didn't find the characters engaging. The prose is awkward and the dialogue wooden. This is, of course, my subjective assessment. Others may find something in it that I did not.
April 22, 2018
3,5/5
Muy al estilo de 'Wicked', aquí Maguire selecciona al juguetero del cuento de 'El cascanueces y el rey de los ratones' como el protagonista de su novela. Es un retelling muy particular, como ya lo fue 'Wicked' en el que los elementos del cuento son más bien píldoras que hay que saber encontrar, mientras que el autor desarrolla una historia completamente autónoma por su parte.
Me ha encantado la atmósfera de cuento, la ambientación de Alemania y el misticismo que aparece y desaparece en la obra, pero los personajes (especialmente el protagonista y su amigo Felix) no llegaron a engancharme. La lectura te atrapa pasada la mitad del libro y sorprende que haya menos fantasía de la que podría parecer en un principio, pero esta es una historia llena de guiños para los amantes de los cuentos de hadas, yo la he disfrutado y sobre todo me ha dejado con ganas de leer el cuento de Hoffman y más obras de Maguire.
Pd. Quiero saber más de Klara!
Muy al estilo de 'Wicked', aquí Maguire selecciona al juguetero del cuento de 'El cascanueces y el rey de los ratones' como el protagonista de su novela. Es un retelling muy particular, como ya lo fue 'Wicked' en el que los elementos del cuento son más bien píldoras que hay que saber encontrar, mientras que el autor desarrolla una historia completamente autónoma por su parte.
Me ha encantado la atmósfera de cuento, la ambientación de Alemania y el misticismo que aparece y desaparece en la obra, pero los personajes (especialmente el protagonista y su amigo Felix) no llegaron a engancharme. La lectura te atrapa pasada la mitad del libro y sorprende que haya menos fantasía de la que podría parecer en un principio, pero esta es una historia llena de guiños para los amantes de los cuentos de hadas, yo la he disfrutado y sobre todo me ha dejado con ganas de leer el cuento de Hoffman y más obras de Maguire.
Pd. Quiero saber más de Klara!
December 29, 2019
Young Herr Drosselmeyer travels around meeting people - some are interesting, most are not. Klara shows up in the last few pages, a sickly ray of sunshine, but by then it's too late. I kept wondering why the author wanted to revisit this tale if he couldn't be bothered to breathe a little life into the story.
The Coda, however, was lovely and almost, but not quite made me want to tack on an extra star.
The Coda, however, was lovely and almost, but not quite made me want to tack on an extra star.
November 13, 2017
CRAP! CRAP! CRAP! Why did I trick myself into reading this utter nonsense?!?! Why?!?!!? After Alice (his Alice in Wonderland adaptation) was bad enough (another 1 star review) but I was lured in by the premise of a backstory to the nutcracker. I'm an idiot! I should have stayed clear! My god, this story hardly anything to do with the nutcracker and the first 200 pages was about a boy named Dirk wandering the countryside, no mention of A nutcracker or THE nutcracker OR Christmas. NOTHING! ZILCH! Literally dumb. I hate this. I'm never tricking myself into reading his stuff again. Avoid if you know what's good for you.
November 18, 2017
The walnut, opened.
I was intrigued by the gentle telling of this story, but the truth is, I didn't realize I had loved it until the very end.
I was intrigued by the gentle telling of this story, but the truth is, I didn't realize I had loved it until the very end.
December 11, 2019
3.5 Stars
Review:
It took a while for me to get into this book, but I enjoyed it in the end. It was an interesting take on the background of the The Nutcracker and the life of the mysterious toymaker Drosselmeier.
What made this book hard for me to get into was how meandering it was. It really was the story of Drosselmeier's life, starting with his childhood, all the way through death. There was no real goal or stakes. But that was the nature of the book. It was meant to be more of a prequel than a retelling, the story of how Drosselmeier become a toymaker, how he came to make the Nutcracker, and how he became part of the Stahlbaum family. Despite being easy to put down at times, I did like the premise of getting to know the man and the background behind the famed Nutcracker. And there were some unexpected turns and parts of the story where I was more drawn in. By the end, I did want to keep reading.
I also liked Drosselmeier's POV. He didn't have a whole lot of personality, but it was in a way that made sense and seemed to suit him... which probably doesn't make sense to anyone reading this review. He had a very different life and perspective from mine, and I always appreciate that in books. Also, Drosselmeier seemed to be attracted to men and women, which would make this book LGBT+, but his sexuality was never explicitly stated.
The writing had somewhat of a fairy tale feel to it. Sometimes things were a little vague and otherworldly. I just now realized that the fantasy element was very light. Personally I would've liked a bit more of the fantastical. But I liked how immersed the story was in the setting of 1800s Germany.
I'm sure there was more to this book---the blurb talks about all sorts of deeper things---but I've never been great at finding hidden meanings. I just enjoyed this for the story. If I recall correctly (I wrote most of this review right after reading, but I'm only getting around to editing and posting it months later), it had a wistful feeling to it. It made me feel kind of melancholic (I'm not sure I'm using that right, kind of like a slight, vague sadness), but I think it's good when a book can make me feel anything, even if it's not the most positive of emotions.
I don't normally talk about the physical aspects of books, but I have to say, this book has a lot of cool stuff going on. I have a hardcover copy, and sadly I don't have the dust jacket because I bought it from Book Outlet (I want that damn dust jacket so badly), but I know it has a cut-out where the walnut is, and on the actual book is a giant nutcracker face holding the walnut between its teeth. Also, the pages are deckle edged, which somehow matches the historical, fairy tale feel of the story.
This may not be everyone's kind of book, but I think you just need to know what you're getting into. It's not a fun, whimsical, Christmas-themed retelling, but rather a fairytale-esque story of a mysterious character's life that kind of ends with a nod to the original classic, and I enjoyed it.
Recommended For:
Anyone who like prequel retellings, fairy tales, and slow-paced stories about a character's life.
Original Review @ Metaphors and Moonlight
---------------------
Initial Thoughts:
An interesting, fairy tale-esque take on the history behind the Nutcracker. Meandering, but it pulled me in more the further I got. 3.5 stars, full review soon!
Side note: Does anyone have the dust jacket of this book and not want it??? I got the hardcover without the jacket :-/ Publishers should sell copies of just dust jackets for this purpose.
Review:
It took a while for me to get into this book, but I enjoyed it in the end. It was an interesting take on the background of the The Nutcracker and the life of the mysterious toymaker Drosselmeier.
What made this book hard for me to get into was how meandering it was. It really was the story of Drosselmeier's life, starting with his childhood, all the way through death. There was no real goal or stakes. But that was the nature of the book. It was meant to be more of a prequel than a retelling, the story of how Drosselmeier become a toymaker, how he came to make the Nutcracker, and how he became part of the Stahlbaum family. Despite being easy to put down at times, I did like the premise of getting to know the man and the background behind the famed Nutcracker. And there were some unexpected turns and parts of the story where I was more drawn in. By the end, I did want to keep reading.
I also liked Drosselmeier's POV. He didn't have a whole lot of personality, but it was in a way that made sense and seemed to suit him... which probably doesn't make sense to anyone reading this review. He had a very different life and perspective from mine, and I always appreciate that in books. Also, Drosselmeier seemed to be attracted to men and women, which would make this book LGBT+, but his sexuality was never explicitly stated.
The writing had somewhat of a fairy tale feel to it. Sometimes things were a little vague and otherworldly. I just now realized that the fantasy element was very light. Personally I would've liked a bit more of the fantastical. But I liked how immersed the story was in the setting of 1800s Germany.
I'm sure there was more to this book---the blurb talks about all sorts of deeper things---but I've never been great at finding hidden meanings. I just enjoyed this for the story. If I recall correctly (I wrote most of this review right after reading, but I'm only getting around to editing and posting it months later), it had a wistful feeling to it. It made me feel kind of melancholic (I'm not sure I'm using that right, kind of like a slight, vague sadness), but I think it's good when a book can make me feel anything, even if it's not the most positive of emotions.
I don't normally talk about the physical aspects of books, but I have to say, this book has a lot of cool stuff going on. I have a hardcover copy, and sadly I don't have the dust jacket because I bought it from Book Outlet (I want that damn dust jacket so badly), but I know it has a cut-out where the walnut is, and on the actual book is a giant nutcracker face holding the walnut between its teeth. Also, the pages are deckle edged, which somehow matches the historical, fairy tale feel of the story.
This may not be everyone's kind of book, but I think you just need to know what you're getting into. It's not a fun, whimsical, Christmas-themed retelling, but rather a fairytale-esque story of a mysterious character's life that kind of ends with a nod to the original classic, and I enjoyed it.
Recommended For:
Anyone who like prequel retellings, fairy tales, and slow-paced stories about a character's life.
Original Review @ Metaphors and Moonlight
---------------------
Initial Thoughts:
An interesting, fairy tale-esque take on the history behind the Nutcracker. Meandering, but it pulled me in more the further I got. 3.5 stars, full review soon!
Side note: Does anyone have the dust jacket of this book and not want it??? I got the hardcover without the jacket :-/ Publishers should sell copies of just dust jackets for this purpose.
October 31, 2017
Gregory Maguire would seem the perfect author for this act of creative investigation into the Nutcracker. He’s already delved into the early lives of such fantastical figures as Snow White and Cinderella. And, of course, his novel about the Wicked Witch of the West is the basis for that spellbinding Broadway hit “Wicked.”
But there’s barely a nutshell of music or magic in “Hiddensee.” Maguire has a style glazed with a patina of Old World formality. Don’t look for the passion and color of Tchaikovsky here; this is a novel with its own palette of darker, woodland tones.
In Bavaria around 1808, a foundling boy named Dirk lives with an old woman and an old woodcutter. When a falling tree knocks Dirk out, he experiences a vision of a talking bird, a gnome and a very aggrieved spirit of the forest. Returning to life and believing that his guardians will try to kill him again, Dirk runs away from home into the wide world he knows nothing about. “How many times,” he wonders, “will I. . . .
To read the rest of this review, go to The Washington Post:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/entert...
To watch the Totally Hip Video Book Review of 'Hiddensee,' click here:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/video/...
But there’s barely a nutshell of music or magic in “Hiddensee.” Maguire has a style glazed with a patina of Old World formality. Don’t look for the passion and color of Tchaikovsky here; this is a novel with its own palette of darker, woodland tones.
In Bavaria around 1808, a foundling boy named Dirk lives with an old woman and an old woodcutter. When a falling tree knocks Dirk out, he experiences a vision of a talking bird, a gnome and a very aggrieved spirit of the forest. Returning to life and believing that his guardians will try to kill him again, Dirk runs away from home into the wide world he knows nothing about. “How many times,” he wonders, “will I. . . .
To read the rest of this review, go to The Washington Post:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/entert...
To watch the Totally Hip Video Book Review of 'Hiddensee,' click here:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/video/...
November 30, 2018
Well I found this rather disappointing.
December 4, 2018
“You might forget a story, but you can never unhear a story.”
I can't help but feel like I missed something with this book. Maybe I don't know the Nutcracker story well enough? Or read enough of "the flowering of German Romanticism ties to Hellenic mystery-cults" - but either way, I just did not enjoy this one. Full of odd magic realism/fantasy type story but also shocking moments of swearing and odd sexual incidents. There were times that it felt more modern than some of the time, placing and information would push you to assume. I never felt pulled into the story and, instead, often times found myself disgusted or frustrated with Dirk. He seemed to flit around, making random choices without thinking of consequences and then just moved on to the next thing.
I don't think it's a good example of Maguire's amazing ability to pull readers into a world we think we know and remaking it. I love many of his other stories and will definitely keep reading him!
I can't help but feel like I missed something with this book. Maybe I don't know the Nutcracker story well enough? Or read enough of "the flowering of German Romanticism ties to Hellenic mystery-cults" - but either way, I just did not enjoy this one. Full of odd magic realism/fantasy type story but also shocking moments of swearing and odd sexual incidents. There were times that it felt more modern than some of the time, placing and information would push you to assume. I never felt pulled into the story and, instead, often times found myself disgusted or frustrated with Dirk. He seemed to flit around, making random choices without thinking of consequences and then just moved on to the next thing.
I don't think it's a good example of Maguire's amazing ability to pull readers into a world we think we know and remaking it. I love many of his other stories and will definitely keep reading him!
January 21, 2019
Well, I gave this book until nearly 50%, but it never grabbed me. It's an origin story for Herr Drosselmeier from The Nutcracker. For me, it held none of the magic of the fairy tale. Drosselmeier is a wandering kid who never pulled at my heartstrings. He's mostly a nincompoop. I give up.
August 31, 2017
Another amazing mythical fairy tale from Gregory Maguire. A young foundling, Dirk Drosselmeier, who has courted death, leaves his home of an old man and his wicked wife who want to harm him. He has to learn to live on his own wits. He discovers many scary things in the world along with the fact that anyone he loves dies or leaves him.
April 12, 2018
There is something deeply dissatisfying about a book with the wrong title.
Mild spoilers below.
My early enchantment with Maguire seems to be well and truly over. For while this was a decent bit of historical fiction about nineteenth century Bavaria with some great folklore elements thrown in... it was missing all the glamour of Wicked and even After Alice. The main character, Dirk, was not so much compelling as... an enigma bordering on bland. His whole deal is that his past, present, and future are a tabula rasa, and that just doesn't make him worth following.
The "magical" elements in this story are few and far between, which is fine! I definitely don't need magic dripping from every page of a real-ized fairy tale based on The Nutcracker. But what I do need is for those magical elements to make sense, or at least to have some logic within the world of the fairy tale.
Dirk Drosselmeier, our hero, is more an epitome of Brothers Grimm storytelling than an essential piece of Nutcracker lore. The foundling in the woods, raised in isolation by an old man and an old woman, kept away from civilization and brought up on the old woman's stories until some huge accident happens, forcing him to wander into a brave new world---we've all met him before. But this foundling turned wandering seeker turned quirky craftsman is in fact Klara's Godfather in The Nutcracker. And Maguire's goal is to fill in his entire backstory before we even get close to that point.
My real problem is that so much of the backstory just felt... unnecessary.
Dirk begins his story with a handful of magical totems and a Campbellian call to adventure. He has a weird little knife with a gnome carved in the handle and a crutch cut from the first tree he chopped down. It's difficult at first to see how these totems tie into the Nutcracker story, and when they do, it's rather anticlimactic. For the Nutcracker wasn't originally made for Klara, and it's kind of hard to justify why it ends up in her hands anyway.
The Campbellian call to adventure comes in the form of a vision featuring Pan (mischievous little satyr man) and Pythia (... goddess?), who appear to Dirk throughout the book... seemingly to no purpose. Their goal is only tangentially important, and Dirk spends barely any time thinking or acting upon that goal. They have literally nothing to do with the Nutcracker story and even less to do with Bavarian/Grimmian folktales so, like... why??? The conclusion to this particular strain of the plot is also wildly confusing, dissatisfying, and unclear.
Really there were only two major gems in this story.
The first is Felix, who ends up being Dirk's best friend and Klara's grandfather. He's bisexual, maybe gay, and is one of those gregarious characters who's basically like "We're going to be best friends, whether you like it or not!" which I have to admit is endearing. His generosity toward Dirk is maaaaaaybe a little disingenuous because he's definitely attracted to him at first, but their relationship grows into one of mutual warmth and support. I loved their scenes together, partially because Felix is constantly teasing Dirk. A beautiful character and a beautiful relationship.
Then there's the (wholly unsurprising, but still awesome) revelation that the entire plot of The Nutcracker took place inside the fever dream of a sick little girl. Dirk is wildly "fanciful," and he spins as many imaginary stories for Klara and her brother Fritz as he does carefully crafted wooden and mechanical toys. The result is the wild imagination of a child with a congenital heart disease, tossing her toys about in delirium and coming up with a wild story all her own. It's predictable, but lovely. As is the relationship between Klara and her strange godfather, who we've spent the entire book getting to know but who doesn't really grow on the reader until he becomes her godfather.
It's of course well written (can't really accuse Maguire of BAD writing), but I was still frustrated by the reading experience. Thank god it wasn't longer. To be fair, I'm likely nitpicking because of my disappointment, and while I don't regret reading it, I do wish I hadn't gone in quite as excited as I was.
Mild spoilers below.
My early enchantment with Maguire seems to be well and truly over. For while this was a decent bit of historical fiction about nineteenth century Bavaria with some great folklore elements thrown in... it was missing all the glamour of Wicked and even After Alice. The main character, Dirk, was not so much compelling as... an enigma bordering on bland. His whole deal is that his past, present, and future are a tabula rasa, and that just doesn't make him worth following.
The "magical" elements in this story are few and far between, which is fine! I definitely don't need magic dripping from every page of a real-ized fairy tale based on The Nutcracker. But what I do need is for those magical elements to make sense, or at least to have some logic within the world of the fairy tale.
Dirk Drosselmeier, our hero, is more an epitome of Brothers Grimm storytelling than an essential piece of Nutcracker lore. The foundling in the woods, raised in isolation by an old man and an old woman, kept away from civilization and brought up on the old woman's stories until some huge accident happens, forcing him to wander into a brave new world---we've all met him before. But this foundling turned wandering seeker turned quirky craftsman is in fact Klara's Godfather in The Nutcracker. And Maguire's goal is to fill in his entire backstory before we even get close to that point.
My real problem is that so much of the backstory just felt... unnecessary.
Dirk begins his story with a handful of magical totems and a Campbellian call to adventure. He has a weird little knife with a gnome carved in the handle and a crutch cut from the first tree he chopped down. It's difficult at first to see how these totems tie into the Nutcracker story, and when they do, it's rather anticlimactic. For the Nutcracker wasn't originally made for Klara, and it's kind of hard to justify why it ends up in her hands anyway.
The Campbellian call to adventure comes in the form of a vision featuring Pan (mischievous little satyr man) and Pythia (... goddess?), who appear to Dirk throughout the book... seemingly to no purpose. Their goal is only tangentially important, and Dirk spends barely any time thinking or acting upon that goal. They have literally nothing to do with the Nutcracker story and even less to do with Bavarian/Grimmian folktales so, like... why??? The conclusion to this particular strain of the plot is also wildly confusing, dissatisfying, and unclear.
Really there were only two major gems in this story.
The first is Felix, who ends up being Dirk's best friend and Klara's grandfather. He's bisexual, maybe gay, and is one of those gregarious characters who's basically like "We're going to be best friends, whether you like it or not!" which I have to admit is endearing. His generosity toward Dirk is maaaaaaybe a little disingenuous because he's definitely attracted to him at first, but their relationship grows into one of mutual warmth and support. I loved their scenes together, partially because Felix is constantly teasing Dirk. A beautiful character and a beautiful relationship.
Then there's the (wholly unsurprising, but still awesome) revelation that the entire plot of The Nutcracker took place inside the fever dream of a sick little girl. Dirk is wildly "fanciful," and he spins as many imaginary stories for Klara and her brother Fritz as he does carefully crafted wooden and mechanical toys. The result is the wild imagination of a child with a congenital heart disease, tossing her toys about in delirium and coming up with a wild story all her own. It's predictable, but lovely. As is the relationship between Klara and her strange godfather, who we've spent the entire book getting to know but who doesn't really grow on the reader until he becomes her godfather.
It's of course well written (can't really accuse Maguire of BAD writing), but I was still frustrated by the reading experience. Thank god it wasn't longer. To be fair, I'm likely nitpicking because of my disappointment, and while I don't regret reading it, I do wish I hadn't gone in quite as excited as I was.
January 20, 2018
In order to enjoy a Gregory Maguire novel, I believe you have to firmly enjoy his writing style. He is overly-adorned, writing with extravagant words and dripping with baroque prose. His words are sophisticated, but extra; elegant, but glitzy. He expels a sort of literary kitsch, and in order to enjoy the content, you have to be okay with this delivery.
As he did in his previous novels, he positions his fairy tale against a context of societal, political, and realistic settings.
Maguire uses this novel to not only retell a fairy tale, but to ask huge questions of the universe. He examines death and the afterward of dying; he ponders over the links between Greek mythology and German storytelling; he discusses the magic of youth, and the nature of growing old.
His questions are a lot to digest in just 283 pages of the mass hardcover edition. In hindsight I would've liked to hear more about Drosselmeier's mysterious and magical experiences in the Lost Forest with his gods of Pan and Pythia, who are oft mentioned but never really dealt with. However, he weaves the magic of the fairy tale into his realism quite effortlessly, and while I miss the magic, I can appreciate the stern direction Maguire usually takes.
Ultimately, you can never fault Maguire for lack of originality. It takes quite a skill of imagination to take an existing piece of work and twist it so entirely far into what Hiddensee is. At its core, the book is based on Drosselmeier's loves, losses, growth, and beliefs. He is a lively, distinct, and interesting character, and the people he meets along the way are, too. The characters and their development are the foundation of the novel, more so than any fairy tale.
Hiddensee is not The Nutcracker. It is a prequel to the beloved story we all know and love, but even at that, it is entirely its own story with a fiercely independent purpose. Maguire's elaborate words lay industrial amounts of glitter over a serious imagining of a magical plot. If you want to enjoy this book, know what you are getting yourself into. It is not a fairy tale, it is barely magical, and it doesn't ring out with holiday cheer. However, it does ask resonance questions about complex concepts. Where does the passion of youth go as we grow old? Are nostalgias and memories more painful than letting go? What are loneliness, and magic, and death, and mysticism? Like I said: Maguire is asking the big questions here, and he may not give us all the answers here, but he's sure made me think.
Maguire uses this novel to not only retell a fairy tale, but to ask huge questions of the universe. He examines death and the afterward of dying; he ponders over the links between Greek mythology and German storytelling; he discusses the magic of youth, and the nature of growing old.
His questions are a lot to digest in just 283 pages of the mass hardcover edition. In hindsight I would've liked to hear more about Drosselmeier's mysterious and magical experiences in the Lost Forest with his gods of Pan and Pythia, who are oft mentioned but never really dealt with. However, he weaves the magic of the fairy tale into his realism quite effortlessly, and while I miss the magic, I can appreciate the stern direction Maguire usually takes.
Ultimately, you can never fault Maguire for lack of originality. It takes quite a skill of imagination to take an existing piece of work and twist it so entirely far into what Hiddensee is. At its core, the book is based on Drosselmeier's loves, losses, growth, and beliefs. He is a lively, distinct, and interesting character, and the people he meets along the way are, too. The characters and their development are the foundation of the novel, more so than any fairy tale.
Hiddensee is not The Nutcracker. It is a prequel to the beloved story we all know and love, but even at that, it is entirely its own story with a fiercely independent purpose. Maguire's elaborate words lay industrial amounts of glitter over a serious imagining of a magical plot. If you want to enjoy this book, know what you are getting yourself into. It is not a fairy tale, it is barely magical, and it doesn't ring out with holiday cheer. However, it does ask resonance questions about complex concepts. Where does the passion of youth go as we grow old? Are nostalgias and memories more painful than letting go? What are loneliness, and magic, and death, and mysticism? Like I said: Maguire is asking the big questions here, and he may not give us all the answers here, but he's sure made me think.
September 20, 2018
Este libro es un pequeño tesoro. Escondido tras la fachada de 'origen del cuento del cascanueces' Maguire nos habla de la historia de Dirk y traza un relato complejo sobre la pérdida de la infancia y la búsqueda de la propia identidad.
Reseña completa: https://cafedetinta.com/2018/09/05/hi...
Reseña completa: https://cafedetinta.com/2018/09/05/hi...
December 9, 2017
My experience with Maguire is that basically leave your conception of the favorite fairytale or folk tale because the book won't give you the same feelings. I am a Nutcracker fan and was eagerly looking forward to this book. This book was original, full of Old World magic and lore, and interesting... yet, it failed to capture the magical feeling I get when I experience the Nutcracker. It's slightly darker, matter of fact, and quite fitting with the capriciousness of the old gods/goddesses. I can say "I liked it" but wasn't left with that warm holiday entrancement that I love.
December 16, 2025
Hiddensee by Gregory Maguire. A retelling of the story of Drosselmeier from the Nutracker ballet. Maguire should have brought some of the same fantasy as his great work, Wicked. Unfortunately, he only achieved above average. See why in the link.
https://youtu.be/iB21jadbf7Q?si=eRRoQ...
https://youtu.be/iB21jadbf7Q?si=eRRoQ...
November 14, 2017
You have to go into reading a book by Gregory Maguire with an open mind. I didn’t know that when I read my first book authored by him but it’s apparent pretty quickly that you are entering a different kind of world. His books are not going to be for everyone and I’ve run into people that love them as I do and just as many that don’t get them. I find it surprising that I enjoy them as much as I do as I am such a literal thinker. To me that is a testament to Mr. Maguire’s ability to create a reality within his fantasy worlds. To somehow ground them in enough that is believable for a person to accept animals that talk or worlds beyond the type we inhabit.
Hiddensee is not the Nutcracker’s story but rather his creator’s. Like most I suspect, I had never given much thought to this aspect of the tale, but rather only to the more familiar; the young girl, the Sugar Plum Fairy and the Nutcracker. Tchaikovsky’s music is familiar to most and calls to mind the happy children skipping along and of course that famous dancing fairy.
This book, though goes to dark places. The godfather who sets the tale in motion bringing the Nutcracker to little Klara is the focus of Hiddensee and his back story is not really a happy one. It’s this tale that Maguire mines for his book. He takes his reader through a rather dark childhood through the use of the German fairytales that most of us grew up on and the author assumes his reader has at least a general knowledge of these tales. I don’t know if they are still told to children but some of the first stories I was read included Grimm’s fairy tales. Seemingly happy for children but far more threatening when read through the eyes of an adult, eh?
The godfather’s origins were not happy and this book explores that and at times it can get a little slow but overall the magic that is Mr. Maguire’s writing pulls you out of those sections and the overall reading experience is like eating a sugar plum.
4.5
Hiddensee is not the Nutcracker’s story but rather his creator’s. Like most I suspect, I had never given much thought to this aspect of the tale, but rather only to the more familiar; the young girl, the Sugar Plum Fairy and the Nutcracker. Tchaikovsky’s music is familiar to most and calls to mind the happy children skipping along and of course that famous dancing fairy.
This book, though goes to dark places. The godfather who sets the tale in motion bringing the Nutcracker to little Klara is the focus of Hiddensee and his back story is not really a happy one. It’s this tale that Maguire mines for his book. He takes his reader through a rather dark childhood through the use of the German fairytales that most of us grew up on and the author assumes his reader has at least a general knowledge of these tales. I don’t know if they are still told to children but some of the first stories I was read included Grimm’s fairy tales. Seemingly happy for children but far more threatening when read through the eyes of an adult, eh?
The godfather’s origins were not happy and this book explores that and at times it can get a little slow but overall the magic that is Mr. Maguire’s writing pulls you out of those sections and the overall reading experience is like eating a sugar plum.
4.5
November 15, 2017
The story begins in 1808 Bavaria and has little in common with Tchaikovsky's famous
ballet.
There is an over whelming bias against Catholicism, with the story being extreamly muddled
with obscure hints towards Ibsen's: "Peer Gynt."
The references to Homosexuality are awkward and have little effect on the weakly written
main story line.
I would skip this book and find a local production of the Nutcracker instead.
ballet.
There is an over whelming bias against Catholicism, with the story being extreamly muddled
with obscure hints towards Ibsen's: "Peer Gynt."
The references to Homosexuality are awkward and have little effect on the weakly written
main story line.
I would skip this book and find a local production of the Nutcracker instead.
December 17, 2017
I really do hate to give a one star to any book but this just was not for me.
It had so little to do with the Nutcracker (a book I dearly love) that it wasn't recognizable as a telling of it until the last 40 pages.
I really had to work to get through this book.
Gregory Maguire always has just wonderful sounding books that just never live up to them for me.
It had so little to do with the Nutcracker (a book I dearly love) that it wasn't recognizable as a telling of it until the last 40 pages.
I really had to work to get through this book.
Gregory Maguire always has just wonderful sounding books that just never live up to them for me.
Want to read
February 11, 2024I dont know if im just not interested in his books anymore or if he put so much of himself into Wicked and his earlier books but im just not into him like i used to be. This is going back on the shelf. Maybe next Xmas
"Do you know what it's like to live someplace that loves you back?"- Danez Smith, "summer, somewhere " wow I need this poem in my life. True life bipolar feelings
"Do you know what it's like to live someplace that loves you back?"- Danez Smith, "summer, somewhere " wow I need this poem in my life. True life bipolar feelings
December 24, 2024
That was, without a shred of exaggeration or drama, the worst book I have ever read in my life.
I actually cannot believe this is a published piece of literature.
If I didn’t have clinical OCD that makes it basically impossible to DNF anything I could never have mustered up the immense willpower and fortitude necessary to finish this absolute travesty.
anyways. merry christmas yall.
I actually cannot believe this is a published piece of literature.
If I didn’t have clinical OCD that makes it basically impossible to DNF anything I could never have mustered up the immense willpower and fortitude necessary to finish this absolute travesty.
anyways. merry christmas yall.
November 27, 2020
What a slog! Ugh.
March 18, 2018
A very beautifully told story, about the reimagining of the nutcracker. Not exactly the story of the nutcracker itself, but instead about the creator of the nutcracker, Heir Dirk Drosselmeier. I completely enjoyed listening to the entire audiobook, and about this guy’s life. I found it fascinating. I recommend it to others who might enjoy this story as well.
For a much better written review, please read this one:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Recommended, and 4 stars.
For a much better written review, please read this one:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Recommended, and 4 stars.
December 13, 2021
Herr Drosselmeier’s origin story - an interesting premise with underwhelming execution. It started strong, but quickly fizzled. Total slog. If this hadn’t been for book club, I would’ve bailed. Maguire can absolutely turn a phrase, but good writing can’t save a dull story, unfortunately. I wasn’t a great fan of Wicked either. He’s just not for me.
December 17, 2021
I vividly remember the first time my mom took me to see The Nutcracker. We dressed in our Sunday best and made our way to downtown San Antonio. I remember walking the streets of the city, weaving amidst the riverwalk as we made our way into the elegant theater. Once the show began, I was transported by Tchaikovsky's music, mesmerized by the sheer fantasy unfolding upon the stage. That year, I opened the gift of my very own nutcracker, a single emblem that would begin a collection that grew throughout my childhood. My brother and I would play with the toy soldiers, reenacting the story as it was told in the ballet. Years later I would find myself in the serendipitous position as a music teacher for the Houston Ballet Academy, a role that gave me the opportunity to work with students who performed in the very work that had enchanted me as a child. It is safe to say that the endearing story of The Nutcracker has been an ever-present part of my holiday traditions.
In Hiddensee: A Tale of the Once and Future Nutcracker, author Gregory Maguire attempts to capture the origins of the endearing classic. There's probably no author better suited in tackling such a monumental story. Maguire has delved into the worlds of Alice in Wonderland, Snow White, Cinderella, and most famously The Wizard of Oz. If you've heard of the hit musical Wicked, then you are at least tangentially aware of his work. This novel imagines the origins of the mysterious Drosselmeier, the eye-patched godfather of Klara, the girl transported to the land of the sugar plum fairies. As we first encounter the famed toymaker, he is but an orphaned boy, living in the woods with an elderly couple. He learns the art of storytelling from the old woman who tells fanciful tales of fantastic worlds. The old man is more practical, teaching the boy the value of hard work and living off of the land. A tragedy at the start of this tale sets into motion a coming-of-age journey twinged with ever-growing magic, one that sees the boy grow into the famed man of the classic Christmas narrative.
For a novel based in the same world as the spectacular Nutcracker, Hiddensee is a surprisingly subdued affair. Sure, there are glimmers of the same magic and wonder that permeate the classic story, but Maguire's take on the tale is much more firmly planted in reality. Much of the drama and action that takes up the pages of the book is built around a young man growing up without the benefit of someone guiding him through adolescence. His coming to terms with religion, art, and love would be perfectly fine if they were combined with the dazzling mystical elements of the original story. Absent these moments, the story reads as much more ordinary than it should. This combined with Maguire's penchant for classically formal language makes the short novel drag on endlessly. By the time the timeline of this origin story intersects with the tale we've come to know, it is simply too little too late. Simply put, Hiddensee is a valiant effort at an origin story that never truly lives up to the magic of the story it attempts to precede.
In Hiddensee: A Tale of the Once and Future Nutcracker, author Gregory Maguire attempts to capture the origins of the endearing classic. There's probably no author better suited in tackling such a monumental story. Maguire has delved into the worlds of Alice in Wonderland, Snow White, Cinderella, and most famously The Wizard of Oz. If you've heard of the hit musical Wicked, then you are at least tangentially aware of his work. This novel imagines the origins of the mysterious Drosselmeier, the eye-patched godfather of Klara, the girl transported to the land of the sugar plum fairies. As we first encounter the famed toymaker, he is but an orphaned boy, living in the woods with an elderly couple. He learns the art of storytelling from the old woman who tells fanciful tales of fantastic worlds. The old man is more practical, teaching the boy the value of hard work and living off of the land. A tragedy at the start of this tale sets into motion a coming-of-age journey twinged with ever-growing magic, one that sees the boy grow into the famed man of the classic Christmas narrative.
For a novel based in the same world as the spectacular Nutcracker, Hiddensee is a surprisingly subdued affair. Sure, there are glimmers of the same magic and wonder that permeate the classic story, but Maguire's take on the tale is much more firmly planted in reality. Much of the drama and action that takes up the pages of the book is built around a young man growing up without the benefit of someone guiding him through adolescence. His coming to terms with religion, art, and love would be perfectly fine if they were combined with the dazzling mystical elements of the original story. Absent these moments, the story reads as much more ordinary than it should. This combined with Maguire's penchant for classically formal language makes the short novel drag on endlessly. By the time the timeline of this origin story intersects with the tale we've come to know, it is simply too little too late. Simply put, Hiddensee is a valiant effort at an origin story that never truly lives up to the magic of the story it attempts to precede.
August 11, 2018
Ah, los escritores que tienen su marca. Pegan un home run y lo más lógico es que sigan intentando batear de esa manera. Es normal, porque así se lo pedirán sus lectores. Se lo pedirán sus agentes. Su editorial. Los reseñadores. Y así, es muy fácil encasillarse. Puedo pensar en un par, independientemente de los méritos de sus historias. Creo yo, que entre los escritores que se han encasillado hay unos cuantos que sin la valentía de salirse de lo suyo desarrollan lo que saben hacer de una forma competente.
Entra Gregory Maguire. Por eso es interesante leerlo. Porque fue el pionero en el perezoso arte de recontar cuentos de hadas y dentro de él, sigue siendo un exponente talentoso (muy probablemente el más).
No fui fan de Wicked. Me pareció desenfocado, largo y accidentado, y muy poco directo en el mensaje que quería contar. Esto, por supuesto, sabiendo que el famoso musical era más ligero de tono y un poco más optimista. El meter la mano y expandir a golpe de worlbuilding la novela de Baum le salió bastante bien, pero con una historia que se habría beneficiado de más claridad.
En Hiddensee no tuvo que expandir un worldbuilding ya creado. Tuvo que investigar y conjuntar con su mano diferentes tradiciones para explicar la historia de uno de los personajes más misterioros del Cascanueces. La investigación le salió impecable, pues la era del romanticismo alemán y sus semillas de nacionalismo que habrían de ir in crescendo hasta la conclusión que todos conocemos es retratada a la perfección, junto con apariciones y menciones oblicuas a los cuentos de hadas clásicos que fueron recolectados en esta época. En este mundo, como señala la reseña de Tor, el joven Dirk vive un cuento de hadas en reversa, saliendo de un mundo de fantasía para enfrentarse a una vida en el mundo real. Así, la novela es completamente moderna en este sentido. Y lo mejor es que no eviscera ni reexamina el famoso cuento originario.
Aquí, las motivaciones del trasfondo del libro son más claras. Tal vez porque nos lo dicen en la sinopsis, pero allá van la melancólica vida de Dirk Drosselmeier en su lucha por encontrarse a sí mismo y por tocar la vida de aquellas personas desdichadas con las que se encuentra en su camino. Una a una, hasta culminar con Clarita, la historia de Dirk es una historia de fallas, de melancolía y de añoranzas. Me temo que no es una historia feliz, ni una que dé esperanzas o que maraville. Es una historia muy moderna, muy adulta y en este sentido, una que niega la redención por medio de la fantasía.
Hay algo que no me termina de convencer de Maguire. No sé si sea mi propia indisposición a los retellings. No sé si sea su estilo danzarín a través de la trama con hechos fantásticos que, incluso con un poco de mejora en el enfoque, me siguen pareciendo desperdigados y dislocados por todas partes.
Me pareció curioso que la novela haya tenido tan poco eco, pese a las entusiastas reseñas en Kirkus y en el Washington Post. No sé si la gente se haya cansado del estilo de Maguire o hayan sido de aquellos que fueron a maravillarse al teatro y salieron cantando Defying Gravity y en los libros se encontraron con algo muy distinto. Es un craso error, porque la valía de Maguire está ahí, a lo mejor para incomodarnos y para traernos a rastras a las realidades más desagradables de la vida. Y quién sabe, pero es muy probable que la historia de Dirk sea la historia de todos nosotros.
Entra Gregory Maguire. Por eso es interesante leerlo. Porque fue el pionero en el perezoso arte de recontar cuentos de hadas y dentro de él, sigue siendo un exponente talentoso (muy probablemente el más).
No fui fan de Wicked. Me pareció desenfocado, largo y accidentado, y muy poco directo en el mensaje que quería contar. Esto, por supuesto, sabiendo que el famoso musical era más ligero de tono y un poco más optimista. El meter la mano y expandir a golpe de worlbuilding la novela de Baum le salió bastante bien, pero con una historia que se habría beneficiado de más claridad.
En Hiddensee no tuvo que expandir un worldbuilding ya creado. Tuvo que investigar y conjuntar con su mano diferentes tradiciones para explicar la historia de uno de los personajes más misterioros del Cascanueces. La investigación le salió impecable, pues la era del romanticismo alemán y sus semillas de nacionalismo que habrían de ir in crescendo hasta la conclusión que todos conocemos es retratada a la perfección, junto con apariciones y menciones oblicuas a los cuentos de hadas clásicos que fueron recolectados en esta época. En este mundo, como señala la reseña de Tor, el joven Dirk vive un cuento de hadas en reversa, saliendo de un mundo de fantasía para enfrentarse a una vida en el mundo real. Así, la novela es completamente moderna en este sentido. Y lo mejor es que no eviscera ni reexamina el famoso cuento originario.
Aquí, las motivaciones del trasfondo del libro son más claras. Tal vez porque nos lo dicen en la sinopsis, pero allá van la melancólica vida de Dirk Drosselmeier en su lucha por encontrarse a sí mismo y por tocar la vida de aquellas personas desdichadas con las que se encuentra en su camino. Una a una, hasta culminar con Clarita, la historia de Dirk es una historia de fallas, de melancolía y de añoranzas. Me temo que no es una historia feliz, ni una que dé esperanzas o que maraville. Es una historia muy moderna, muy adulta y en este sentido, una que niega la redención por medio de la fantasía.
Hay algo que no me termina de convencer de Maguire. No sé si sea mi propia indisposición a los retellings. No sé si sea su estilo danzarín a través de la trama con hechos fantásticos que, incluso con un poco de mejora en el enfoque, me siguen pareciendo desperdigados y dislocados por todas partes.
Me pareció curioso que la novela haya tenido tan poco eco, pese a las entusiastas reseñas en Kirkus y en el Washington Post. No sé si la gente se haya cansado del estilo de Maguire o hayan sido de aquellos que fueron a maravillarse al teatro y salieron cantando Defying Gravity y en los libros se encontraron con algo muy distinto. Es un craso error, porque la valía de Maguire está ahí, a lo mejor para incomodarnos y para traernos a rastras a las realidades más desagradables de la vida. Y quién sabe, pero es muy probable que la historia de Dirk sea la historia de todos nosotros.
August 29, 2018
Hiddensee is yet another fun re-telling/back story by the author of Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West Gregory Maguire. It tells the story of how the Nutcracker came to be, with some fabulous twists along the way. Have you ever wondered about the creation of the Nutcracker, made famous by Tchaikovsky's beloved ballet? Have you ever wondered what the story behind the legendary Nutcracker is, who exactly made him and why?
The story begins
"Once there was a boy who lived in a cabin in the deep woods with no one for company but an old woman and an old man"
We learn the story of Dirk, whom the old woman and old man find in the woods as a young child, knowing not where he came from. The reclusive couple decide to raise the child until one day, years later, they decide they can no longer care for him. The old woodcutter takes him out into the deep forest, where things take a turn, for the better or worse, or perhaps neither or both. Thus truly begins Dirk's story, his remarkable yet unremarkable life.
I mostly loved Hiddensee though occasionally it was slow-moving, which is why I gave it 4 stars instead of 5. It is a terrific adult fairy tale, magical and whimsical, and a must-read for Maguire fans and lovers of story re-tellings.
The story begins
"Once there was a boy who lived in a cabin in the deep woods with no one for company but an old woman and an old man"
We learn the story of Dirk, whom the old woman and old man find in the woods as a young child, knowing not where he came from. The reclusive couple decide to raise the child until one day, years later, they decide they can no longer care for him. The old woodcutter takes him out into the deep forest, where things take a turn, for the better or worse, or perhaps neither or both. Thus truly begins Dirk's story, his remarkable yet unremarkable life.
I mostly loved Hiddensee though occasionally it was slow-moving, which is why I gave it 4 stars instead of 5. It is a terrific adult fairy tale, magical and whimsical, and a must-read for Maguire fans and lovers of story re-tellings.
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