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Jim Henson's "The Storyteller"

Anthony Minghella

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Jul 02, 2010 Christine rated it really liked it

Shelves: movie-and-tv-related, beauty-and-the-beast, childrens-fairy-tales

If you are of a certain age, you worship Jim Henson. You may not know it, but you do. Maybe The Muppets converted you (Miss Piggy, after all, taught Yoda), maybe it was Labrinyth (ah, David Bowie) or maybe, just maybe, it was The Storyteller.

Henson's Storyteller series appeared on both boardcast tv and HBO. There were two seasons. The first made up of European fairy tales and starring Sean Bean, Gaberielle Anwar, and John Hurt. The second made up of Greek myths, starring John Hurt and Gina Bellm If you are of a certain age, you worship Jim Henson. You may not know it, but you do. Maybe The Muppets converted you (Miss Piggy, after all, taught Yoda), maybe it was Labrinyth (ah, David Bowie) or maybe, just maybe, it was The Storyteller.

Henson's Storyteller series appeared on both boardcast tv and HBO. There were two seasons. The first made up of European fairy tales and starring Sean Bean, Gaberielle Anwar, and John Hurt. The second made up of Greek myths, starring John Hurt and Gina Bellman. This collection is the stories from the first season, the European Fairy Tales.

The series is very good. It involes the Storyteller telling stories to his dog. For years, I knew that the Storyteller was also the voice of Strider in the animated LOTR. Then I watched I, Claudius, and there was the Storyteller as Caliguia, prancing around.

Very strange.

The late Anthony Minghella who scripted many of the episodes wrote this collection. While there several passages taken directly from the series (and if you have seen the series, John Hurt reads the tales in your head), there are several additional passages that flesh out more from the series.

One of the good things the series had going for it was the fact that Henson and Minghella did not try to hide the darker edges of the fairy tales. It is true, they soften "Sapsorrow" (thier version of "Donkeyskin")to a degree, but then there is the Oscar Wilde inspired "Heartless Giant" whose ending is not softened.

While the collection is not a feminist collection, two of the tales have princesses rescuing princes. Instead of a traditional "Cinderella", the "Donkeyskin" variaent is used. This is a "Cinderella" crossed to a degree with "Beauty and the Beast" except the beast is female. There is a more traditional version of "Beauty and the Beast" as well with "Hans, My Hedgehog".

The art work is clearly inspired by the creature of Henson's puppet shop and clearly reflects the design of the series.

All in all, this is a good collection and a good companion book. ...more

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Oct 01, 2015 Rachel rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: children-s, fantasy

After starting the second story Hans the Hedgehog, I realized I've read this book before. It's just an altered version of other classic tales. I enjoyed the pictures and brief memory of my childhood reading this. Other than that, it was just ok.n ...more

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Jul 03, 2010 Rebecca rated it it was amazing

Shelves: faves

Jul 04, 2010 Mir marked it as to-read

Sep 09, 2014 Beth marked it as retelling-anthologies · review of another edition

Feb 23, 2015 Beth marked it as retelling-anthologies · review of another edition

Feb 26, 2020 Kirstie marked it as to-read · review of another edition

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