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A young prince and his beloved Odette struggle to protect themselves and their infant daughter from the evil Von Rothbart in this adaptation of the classic ballet.Tags
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Two of my favorite artists collaborate on a retelling of the ballet "Swan Lake," inventing their own alchemical story of consecutive sets of royal parents murdered and infant daughters raised anonymously upon wooded mountainsides.
Writing, as only Helprin can do it -- describing a royal ball: "Thousands and thousands of overdressed people packed the glider hall. So much perfume was in the air that the palace bees, imprisoned in a far wing, broke loose from their confinements and came through the ventilation system to crisscross ecstatically above the dancers, reflecting the bright gas lamps as if they were golden confetti." (57)
I agree with this review taken from the Amazon site: From School Library Journal-- Visually this book is show more stunning ,.... The emperor lying with his head propped on his dog and his pen between his toes, the rider standing on a galloping horse, and the two great swans with wings raised .... The retelling and adaptation of the well-known story is more problematic. ... The writing is skillful, with verbal images so strong that the illustrations almost seem unnecessary, but the plot is overloaded with philosophical musing about the quality of life and ironic descriptions of life at a decadent court. It is much too dense and sophisticated for children, and at the same time thin fare on which to pin so much for adults. ... --Amy Kellman, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh show less
Writing, as only Helprin can do it -- describing a royal ball: "Thousands and thousands of overdressed people packed the glider hall. So much perfume was in the air that the palace bees, imprisoned in a far wing, broke loose from their confinements and came through the ventilation system to crisscross ecstatically above the dancers, reflecting the bright gas lamps as if they were golden confetti." (57)
I agree with this review taken from the Amazon site: From School Library Journal-- Visually this book is show more stunning ,.... The emperor lying with his head propped on his dog and his pen between his toes, the rider standing on a galloping horse, and the two great swans with wings raised .... The retelling and adaptation of the well-known story is more problematic. ... The writing is skillful, with verbal images so strong that the illustrations almost seem unnecessary, but the plot is overloaded with philosophical musing about the quality of life and ironic descriptions of life at a decadent court. It is much too dense and sophisticated for children, and at the same time thin fare on which to pin so much for adults. ... --Amy Kellman, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh show less
A young prince and his beloved Odette struggle against the evil Von Rothbart to protect themselves and their infant daughter in this adaptation of the classic ballet.
Lovely story and illustrations.
It's about a little girl and her gaurdian and nurse maid helper person...haven't read it in a while.Also see a city in winter and the veil of snows by the same author.
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21+ Works 13,839 Members
Mark Helprin was born in Manhattan, New York on June 28, 1947. He received degrees from Harvard College and Harvard's Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and did postgraduate work at the University of Oxford, Princeton University, and Columbia University. He has served in the British Merchant Navy, the Israeli infantry, and the Israeli Air show more Force. He is the author of numerous novels including Refiner's Fire, A Soldier of the Great War, Memoir from Antproof Case, Freddy and Fredericka, and In Sunlight and In Shadow. Winter's Tale was adapted into a movie in 2014. His short story collection, Ellis Island and Other Stories, was nominated for a National Book Award in 1981. His other short story collections include A Dove of the East and Other Stories and The Pacific and Other Stories. He also writes children's books including Swan Lake, A City in Winter, and The Veil of Snows. He has received several awards including the National Jewish Book Award, the Prix de Rome, the Peggy V. Helmerich Distinguished Author Award in 2006, and the Salvatori Prize in the American Founding in 2010. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
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Common Knowledge
- Original publication date
- 1989
- People/Characters
- Odette; Prince Siegfried
- Dedication
- For Alexandra and Olivia
M.H. - First words
- Once, the mountains held within their silvered walls a forest so high and so gracefully forgotten that it rode above the troubles of the world as easily as the blinding white clouds that sometimes catch on jagged peaks and mu... (show all)sically unfurl.
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)"I was able to reach them, on a high meadow, before dark - the woman and the infant child - and I have remained with them ever since."
Classifications
- Genres
- Children's Books, Fiction and Literature
- DDC/MDS
- 398.2 — Society, government, & culture Customs, etiquette & folklore Folklore & Folktales Folk literature
- LCC
- PZ8 .H3697 .S — Language and Literature Fiction and juvenile belles lettres Fiction and juvenile belles lettres Juvenile belles lettres
- BISAC
Statistics
- Members
- 761
- Popularity
- 36,827
- Reviews
- 6
- Rating
- (3.95)
- Languages
- English, German, Russian
- Media
- Paper
- ISBNs
- 6
- UPCs
- 2
- ASINs
- 7
