Lisa’s Comments (group member since Aug 16, 2014)

Lisa’s comments from the Once Upon a Time... group.

Gem, you are speeding right through! I think I am only on page 152, chapter 57. I am reading it somewhat slowly, but think that is OK since I am actually thinking about a lot of the things while reading. This isn't one I can just read quickly and enjoy.
I noticed the reference to the story teller as well, and am positive it is a reference to the Grimm brothers, since the one that visited the hut to get stories from the old woman said he was excited to go back to town to share the story with his brother.
As for the shrieking, I laughed too. I am the same way. In fact, all the children in my life have been taught at a young age that screaming is simply not allowed as it hurts my ears so much. No kid playing in my yard is allowed to scream either. They get one warning and if it continues they must leave. I know I'm mean, but it really is painful to me.

Sorry! I was just kind of making comments on Hiddensee in The Nutcracker discussion.

So cool that two of your groups could read the same thing this month, Gem! Thanks for the link. I agree that in this day and age it is definitely not for young children, at least not without guidance, or depending on the child.
It is my intention to finish Hiddensee this week, and will gladly continue the discussion even into January. Please don't feel obligated to read it. December is such a busy month and honestly, The Nutcracker turned out to be a deeper discussion than expected, but has been very enjoyable!

One of the themes of Hiddensee is reincarnation, which was kind of part of the original in a way if you think that the nutcracker turned into the actual Drossermeir nephew. In my version it seemed more like that was part of the dream since at the end the mother was having the children put all the toys away.

Exactly. The whole marriage thing to me was kind of confusing. I kept wondering if it was supposed to be real, like the nutcracker actually did turn into the nephew or if it was still part of the dream.

Hard to be a good influence if they are rarely seen. But this godfather definitely gave them gifts - very elaborate gifts. I think he was also someone expected to financially take care of the children if something happened to the father.

I can see the comparison to Alice in Wonderland in some of the oddities and dream scope, but I personally find Alice in Wonderland much more enjoyable. To me it is more whimsical. Alice has always been one of Shanna's favorites.
I noticed the room the children were waiting in being dark too and thought it somewhat odd. However, the children were together and once they started talking about what gifts they thought they would get, their fear seemed to diminish. I think it was because when the story was written, there wasn't electricity in homes like we are used to. Most lighting was in the form of lanterns and candles still. So having the children in a darkened room really increased their awe factor when the doors were opened up to reveal the lit up tree.

I didn't get any vibes of inappropriate behavior from the godfather either, just grumpiness and odd stories. The fact that he is the children's godfather made me consider the different ways godparents are chosen. Generally, now it seems to be the one or ones you would want to be your child's guardian if something would happen to you as the parent, and a person to help influence the child morally as they grow. In the case of the godfather in The Nutcracker, I got the opinion that he was possibly just a wealthy relative or friend (although the mother definitely seemed to have reservations about him).

Wow, Adriel! You are pretty far into the book for them now to just be mentioning the sister. She wasn't a central character by any means, but was there from the beginning in my version. The sisters had matching special dresses hanging on the Christmas tree (which I thought was odd) and Marie decided not to put hers on until later because she enjoyed watching her sister in the dress.

Gem, I hope you get to feeling better!
I didn't know The Nutcracker itself was available on audiobook, and if so, which version might be interesting.
I do know that Hiddensee is on Hoopla.
The past pages 70-97) of Hiddensee were interesting and nothing to be cautious about, but I have a feeling that it is about to take another odd turn.

Cheryl, Trust me - Adriel is completely against book banning. However, parents do need to be aware of certain content that their children, especially tweens and younger teens, are reading as those are very impressionable ages.
I agree that kids spend a ridiculous amount of time on media, but at least most of the video games are age rated. I wish more parents would pay attention to the social media content their children are watching, but it is difficult to do that I know.

I haven't read Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister yet, but keep thinking I want to eventually. I did really like Wicked. I also want to read his book about the cowardly lion (don't remember the title right now). Wicked definitely had some sexual content in it, but it wasn't out of context and didn't bother me at all. The part from Hiddensee that I read just seemed a little too graphic for what it was, but maybe I am just being picky.
Adriel, I definitely think you wouldn't like Hiddensee.

I am only on page 60 or so of Hiddensee, but feel that I must issue a warning to you. At first I was quite intrigued, thinking it would be a very interesting read as it drew me in with the introduction. Then it got weird, but that was expected, since The Nutcracker itself is quite weird. However, the last bit I read had what I consider totally unnecessary sexual content. So if that is something you find offensive, you might want to be aware and maybe even skip the book entirely. I am going to continue reading more of it over the next few days to see if it improves, but if not, to be honest this is one I will want to abandon myself.

So sad that you library is lacking, Gem! We also have the ability to borrow from libraries throughout our state, especially bordering counties which get the books here within two days, so I adore my library system.
These variations are exactly what I have been talking about! My version was similar to Cheryl's in that there are definitely three children. The older daughter isn't mentioned that much, but she is very clearly described in the beginning and shows up several other times. Her age isn't stated clearly, but it is evident that she is a good bit older, definitely in her early teens.
It's also funny how the children's names change. In mine it is Marie, Fritz, and Luise. I distinctly recall reading versions that the younger daughter was named Klara, though.

I look up words when I don't know them too, Gem. I'm surprised you couldn't find a copy from your library. The variety at my library is kind of astounding. Everything from short very juvenile picture books to beautifully illustrated versions to the archaic non illustrated one I got (n purpose).
What is the age of the younger daughter (the main character) in your version and what is her name?

Enjoy your trip, Cheryl!
Gem, just curious as to which version you chose. There are so many! It still amazes me that even though the core story is the same, each version is slightly different due to the illustrator/translator's take on the original version. The fact that the girl's name and age changes is kind of bizarre.

Has anyone else started Hiddensee yet? I should be farther along in it, but had a bad week last week and just couldn't concentrate much.

I totally agree that was a very weird ending. The whole story seemed to read like it was written much before 1816.
Odd that they would make Marie look so much older and call the chapter "Marie's Sweetheart". It does bother our modern sensibilities. I honestly kind of found it interesting that the whole "relationship" with the nutcracker was with the younger sister who is 7, instead of the older sister who was 12 or 13.

I'm interested in seeing the perceptions you each get from the version you read.

Cheryl, one of the things I found surprising was that in the version I read, the girl's name is Marie, not Clara!
She is also only 7 years old, and there isn't any hints of pedophilia, although the godfather is very creepy in my opinion. I mean it's like he wants the kids to have nightmares. Who would tell children a story of a 7 headed mouse as a bedtime story?!