David Henry Wilson

The Coachman Rat is, of course, a re-telling of Cinderella from the rat's point of view, who was turned into a coachman for one night. Robert the rat had always been fascinated with humans, to the point of being estranged from his rat family, so becoming a human, even momentarily, was like a dream come true for him. After the stroke of midnight made him a rat again (but retained his human speech), his life's mission became to find the fairy godmother who could change him back again. In the show more meantime he got snatched up by men; first displayed in the market and forced to talk as a freak show to earn coins, then handed off to a scientists who wanted to study his abilities. Sadly, those who professed to be Robert's new friends only had their own interests at heart and although his quest to find Amadea (Cinderella) lead him to her again, it also made the public believe she was consorting with witches and talking animals. In one of the most horrific scenes in the story, Amadea and her prince are killed by a mob, even as Robert gets his wish and becomes human again. Embittered against humans, he turns all his conniving rat's wits against the people, working his own scheme to not only get revenge on the mob leader now in power but to destroy the whole town as well. I liked that this story has elements of not just Cinderella but also of the Pied Piper. It's not a very pretty tale. After the mob scene all the events tend to go downhill, and the ending, while dark and violent, was also fitting- considering the historical role rats have played in connection with the Black Plague. All in all a very interesting read, if you like your fairy tales with a twist.

DogEar Diary show less

Certainly as gruesome as any tale by the Brothers Grimm, maybe even more so. Filled with melancholy and misanthropy. NOT for those seeking fluffy fairy-tale retellings.

The Coachman Rat used the tale of Cinderella as a way to explore the cruelty and selfish motives of man, what is "good" and what is "evil", what it means to be human, and what differentiates man from animal and animal from man. From the beginning I had a sense of foreboding that the rat's story would not end well, and was I show more ever right! Greed, ambition, ignorance, hate and murder abound.

If you banish the notion of happily-ever-afters before reading this book and you're not picky about fairy-tale retellings that wander away from the original(s) early on in the story, you may enjoy The Coachman Rat. I just happen to like exploring the darker themes of fairy tales and nursery rhymes, especially from an otherwise overlooked character's point of view.

4 stars

Footnote: With regard to labels and tags I might consider The Coachman Rat more fantasy inspired by a fairy tale rather than a purist retelling. Perhaps even "reimagined" would be more accurate. show less

Джереми Джеймс не из тех, кто ищет неприятностей; и в том, что в спальню залетело привидение, а пираты закопали сокровища слишком глубоко, нет его вины. Только несправедливости жизни - когда, например, избалованный Тимоти получает все призы, а Дед Мороз не тот, за кого себя show more выдаёт, - заставляют его действовать решительно.Дэвид Генри Уилсон показывает смешную сторону жизни маленького мальчика (не говоря уже о его родителях), а мягкий юмор иллюстратора Акселя Шеффлера ("Груффало", "Улитка и кит") прекрасно дополняет добрую иронию автора."Это замечательное семейное чтение, одна из тех книг, которую хочется оставить дома для следующих слушателей и читателей". Times Literary SupplementОб автореДэвид Генри Уилсон родился в 1937 году в Лондоне. После окончания Даличского колледжа и Кембриджа, он преподавал в университетах Бристоля и Констанца, основав также в последнем университетский театр.... show less

This was one of those books that I read the summary and was confused by what it was really about it. Honestly for the one who enjoys fairytales, especially the darker versions, I would recommend this story to be read. Thankfully I took a chance on it and it is one of the books that I have been able to add to my higher collection.

The story is a intriguing blend of "Pied Piper" with "Cinderella", which is an unusual combination within itself but it works. The story is breathtaking and full of show more suspense while also grounding the two fairytales that even with magic it makes you wonder why you haven't thought of fairytales within backgrounds of their time.

The main characters have an intriguing life of their own although a few like the Princess Amadea were a bit flat for their secondary roles. Others were devious, kind-hearted or like our protagonist so human that it makes you wonder he was even a rat to begin with. And you can immerse yourself with the human elements of the story - emotions, motives, ambitions, etc - that you know the author had a good grasp of the human mind.

The best part of the story for me is the way that it is written for it reminds me of Felix Salten's "Bambi" - novel and philosophy combined beautifully. Will definitely be returning to read this again. show less