From the Bookshelf of Into the Forest…
Find A Copy At
Group Discussions About This Book
No group discussions for this book yet.
What Members Thought
This book was sort of like a double retelling -- one of Snow White, and one of the Italian Borgias family. I really liked the use of historical events and people as the backdrop of this fairy tale, particularly the use of Lucrezia Borgia as the "evil stepmother." It made me wish I knew more about the family's actual history because I think I would have enjoyed it more. But as much as I liked that aspect, the rootedness of the story in history and politics made some of the more fantastical elemen
...more
I like any historical fiction, especially if it has to do with the Borgia’s. While this wasn’t totally centered around them, they were in it, which made me happy. Besides that, the book was still good. The take on the dwarves was very interesting, really entering a magical, fantastical element into something that he could have turned into just a more historical retelling of a Snow White story that sounded more true. Which, actually, I probably would have enjoyed more, but what he did with it was
...more
Another of Gregory Maguire's fractured fairy tales, "Mirror Mirror" re-imagines Snow White in the countryside of early-16th-century Italy. Snow White is, of course, Bianca de Nevada, and when her father leaves on a quest she finds herself at the mercy of self-involved Lucrezia Borgia. Despite its magical setting, Maguire's tale is oddly disjointed, juxtaposing the mundane and the magical with little exposition and switching narrative viewpoints with abandon. His portrayal of the dwarves is stran
...more
In this funny, creepy, adult retelling of ‘Snow White and Seven Dwarves’ the stepmother is Lucrezia Borgia and she has the Huntsman take her into the forest because Borgia’s syphilitic brother (Machiavelli’s bloodthirsty model) wants the little girl and Lucrezia is jealous. Neat, delightful book, in that skin-crawling way.
This is a fairy tale adaptation for grown-ups. (I've found it in the children/YA adult section of a local book shop).
Good premise, so-so execution.
Under-developed characters, mainly Bianca (Italian for white) who is supposedly Snow White. Somehow this girl sounds boring and rather stupid. Which brought me to the question: Who is exactly the main character here? Lucrezia Borgia, or Bianca de Nevada?
However, I'd be interested to see Mirror Mirror as a play. Hence the 3 stars.
...more
Good premise, so-so execution.
Under-developed characters, mainly Bianca (Italian for white) who is supposedly Snow White. Somehow this girl sounds boring and rather stupid. Which brought me to the question: Who is exactly the main character here? Lucrezia Borgia, or Bianca de Nevada?
However, I'd be interested to see Mirror Mirror as a play. Hence the 3 stars.
...more
Apr 16, 2009
Michele
marked it as to-read
Sep 08, 2009
Reem
marked it as to-read
Oct 24, 2009
Angela Randall
marked it as to-read
Jan 22, 2011
Lisa
marked it as to-read
Feb 17, 2014
Patricia
marked it as to-read
May 14, 2015
Shannon
marked it as to-read
Sep 29, 2015
Andrea
marked it as on-my-shelf
Aug 01, 2016
Giselle
marked it as to-read
