Snow White and Rose Red
by Patricia C. Wrede
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Snow White and Rose Red live on the edge of the forest that conceals the elusive border of Faerie. They know enough about Faerie lands and mortal magic to be concerned when they find two human sorcerers setting spells near the border. And when the kindly, intelligent black bear wanders into their cottage some months later, they realize the connection between his plight and the sorcery they saw in the forest. This romantic version of the classic fairy tale features an updated introduction by show more its editor, Terri Windling.. show less
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nessreader Both traditional stories (p gard is tam lin: rose red is the one about the bear and the dwarf) told as historical novels set in tudor england. Both 5star books in my opinion.
Member Reviews
I'm a blonde and my closest sister is a redhead, so as one half of my own Snow White and Rose Red, I may have been predisposed to love this book. Still, there's something about the combination of Elizabethan England, a prince warped into bear form (and his determined brother), Faerie, selfish alchemists, and Robin Goodfellow that makes for a fantastic retelling...and one that I greatly enjoy rereading.
Say what you want about 1980s science fiction and fantasy, but some of it (like this novel) stands the test of time and the books are far better quality than those that are getting published these days! Patricia C. Wrede presents us with a tale inspired by a classic story from the Brothers Grimm, wherein two sisters (the titular Snow White and Rose Red, or in this case Blanche and Rosamund) must face a finicky foe to get their just rewards. The original is a strange little tale, but Wrede crafts a narrative that draws on a unique intersection of reality and Faerie in the London-adjacent town of Mortlak that works perfectly in the story’s Tudor setting. Sisters Blanche and Rosamund Arden live with their mother just outside of town, show more where they are easily able to traipse through the (Faerie-infested) woods for the herbs that make their mother’s healing business successful, setting the stage for some expected complications with their fae neighbours. But it is the townsfolk (namely true historical characters John Dee and Edward Kelly), who draw the ire of the fae when they cast a spell that steals the magic from one of the half-mortal princes of Faerie, Hugh, and transform him into a bear. In typical Shakespearean fashion, the bear shows up at the Arden’s cottage, and it falls to the sisters to figure out how to return Hugh to his rightful shape. Interposed are storylines which explore themes of the boundaries between the mortal and fae realms, carefully wrought magic lore, and lusciously described settings of the town and forest which work in perfect conjunction with Wrede’s lightly Elizabethan narrative style. While I may have read this novel before (years ago), it is so well written that the story remained fresh and even though I knew that both sisters would end up happily ever after I couldn’t wait to delve back into the book, chapter after chapter. And now apparently we’re accidentally rhyming, so we’ll leave Robin Goodfellow where we found him (spying for both sides and causing mischief, no matter the story in which he appears!) and bid the English forest and Mortlak adieu! show less
Still holds up after all this time. It is a re-read for me, having bought it when it first came out and devouring it as a great new way to enjoy fairy tales as an adult.
Set in Elizabethan England, that time-between-time of early years and modern years, and how the Land of Fae was also in that in-between state, this book works on several levels. First is the story of the Widow Arden and her life as an herbalist living in a time when "witch" and "herbalist" were too often synonymous. Then there is the story of the Queen of Faerie and her two sons, Hugh and John, who walk between the worlds as they are also half-mortal. Next there is the daily life in the town of Mortlak and its two learned men who also have an interest in ceremonial and show more wizard-inspired magic. Finally is the well-known tale of two sisters and the bear and his enchantment.
The dialogue is written in Elizabethan English and this time through reading it, it took a while to get used to before it began to flow for me. But Wrede has used her friends and fellow writers to have a sense of authentic to it, and as the action fits in better with an older English the world becomes more realistic. Also good in this version is the re-telling of the Grimm's tale as a chapter heading for each chapter. We get to see how Wrede has transformed the dwarf less as a comical character, and expanded the Land of Faerie to have a stronger role. There are several members of this Kingdom who are malicious against the world of mortals, rather than the usual amoral or contemptuous that is often portrayed; kudos for expanding the emotions of this often emotionless land.
And yes, the story has unexpected twists that really make one wonder if it will fit the story of the Brothers Grimm or if Wrede is going to go "there" with the story. The ending is worth it and so is the story. show less
Set in Elizabethan England, that time-between-time of early years and modern years, and how the Land of Fae was also in that in-between state, this book works on several levels. First is the story of the Widow Arden and her life as an herbalist living in a time when "witch" and "herbalist" were too often synonymous. Then there is the story of the Queen of Faerie and her two sons, Hugh and John, who walk between the worlds as they are also half-mortal. Next there is the daily life in the town of Mortlak and its two learned men who also have an interest in ceremonial and show more wizard-inspired magic. Finally is the well-known tale of two sisters and the bear and his enchantment.
The dialogue is written in Elizabethan English and this time through reading it, it took a while to get used to before it began to flow for me. But Wrede has used her friends and fellow writers to have a sense of authentic to it, and as the action fits in better with an older English the world becomes more realistic. Also good in this version is the re-telling of the Grimm's tale as a chapter heading for each chapter. We get to see how Wrede has transformed the dwarf less as a comical character, and expanded the Land of Faerie to have a stronger role. There are several members of this Kingdom who are malicious against the world of mortals, rather than the usual amoral or contemptuous that is often portrayed; kudos for expanding the emotions of this often emotionless land.
And yes, the story has unexpected twists that really make one wonder if it will fit the story of the Brothers Grimm or if Wrede is going to go "there" with the story. The ending is worth it and so is the story. show less
I kept expecting all of the villagers to die in bloody massacres or profane rituals and was pleasantly disappointed.
This was such a *cozy* fairy tale I didn't know what to do with it but I want to cuddle it forever. There was still plenty of risk and danger and curses and tricksy Fae to keep things interesting.
This was such a *cozy* fairy tale I didn't know what to do with it but I want to cuddle it forever. There was still plenty of risk and danger and curses and tricksy Fae to keep things interesting.
I kept expecting all of the villagers to die in bloody massacres or profane rituals and was pleasantly disappointed.
This was such a *cozy* fairy tale I didn't know what to do with it but I want to cuddle it forever. There was still plenty of risk and danger and curses and tricksy Fae to keep things interesting.
This was such a *cozy* fairy tale I didn't know what to do with it but I want to cuddle it forever. There was still plenty of risk and danger and curses and tricksy Fae to keep things interesting.
I've always loved the story of Snow White and Rose Red, so when I came across this book, I was ecstatic. It started out slowly, and I was a little put off by the "thee's" and "thou's," but the further I got into this book, the more I was drawn into the story.
Picture a quiet village: common people terrified of magic, a duo of sorcerers longing for power, a trio of faeries who hate mortals, two half-breed boys cursed and exiled from their mother's lands, and the Widow Arden and her daughters caught up in the middle of it all, just trying to save their new friends and avoid the suspicious townspeople's gaze. That is this book.
The only problem is that if you are at all familiar with the tale of Snow White and Rose Red, you will know what show more basically will happen, but the rewritten plot will keep you from figuring out everything before it is time.
This is probably one of my all time favorite fairytale retellings, and the ending was so sweet! Snow White and Rose Red 2.0. show less
Picture a quiet village: common people terrified of magic, a duo of sorcerers longing for power, a trio of faeries who hate mortals, two half-breed boys cursed and exiled from their mother's lands, and the Widow Arden and her daughters caught up in the middle of it all, just trying to save their new friends and avoid the suspicious townspeople's gaze. That is this book.
The only problem is that if you are at all familiar with the tale of Snow White and Rose Red, you will know what show more basically will happen, but the rewritten plot will keep you from figuring out everything before it is time.
This is probably one of my all time favorite fairytale retellings, and the ending was so sweet! Snow White and Rose Red 2.0. show less
An amazing retelling of The Grimm Brothers' fairy tale. Beautifully-crafted, great characterizations and a twisty plot that was very engaging. A much more intricately-plotted tale compared to the Grimm Brother's telling.
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Author Information
42+ Works 41,446 Members
Patricia Collins Wrede is an American fantasy writer, born 1953 in Chicago, Illinois; she is the eldest of five children. She graduated from Carleton College in 1974 with a BA in Biology. She earned an MBA from University of Minnesota in 1977. She finished her first book in 1978. She is a full-time writer. She is a vegetarian and lives in show more Minneapolis, Minnesota with her three cats. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
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Has as a commentary on the text
Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- Snow White and Rose Red
- Original publication date
- 1989
- People/Characters
- Widow Arden; Blanche Arden; Rosamund Arden; John Dee; John Rimer (a.k.a. Thomas); Hugh (show all 11); Madini; Bochad-Bec; Furgen; Edward Kelley (as Edward Kelly); Fairy Queen
- Important places
- Mortlake, London, England, UK; Fairyland
- Epigraph
- Once upon a time there was a poor widow who lived in a tiny cottage near a lonely forest. In front of the cottage were two rosebushes, one white and the other red. The widow had two girls who were like the two rosebushes; ... (show all)one was called Snow White and the other Rose Red.
- Dedication
- This book is for Terri and Val,
because without them it would never have happened. - First words
- The Widow Arden and her two daughters lived in a one-room cottage just outside the village of Mortlak, less than a mile from the river Thames.
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)In time, most of Mortlak forgot that she and Rosamund and Blanche had ever lived in the tiny cottage at the edge of the forest.
- Original language
- English
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Statistics
- Members
- 1,273
- Popularity
- 19,010
- Reviews
- 20
- Rating
- (3.69)
- Languages
- English, Russian
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 10
- ASINs
- 2