Sun And Moon Ice And Snow [Paperback]

As I see it, there are two different ways to adapt a fairy tale into a full-length novel. You can either reinterpret the entire shebang with a whole new spin on the formerly familiar (ala A Curse Dark as Gold or The Magic Circle) or you can take the essential parts of the original tale and just fill them out with some depth and padding (ala Beauty). "Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow" falls squarely into the latter category. Now if I was a fairy tale snob I might get all huffy that Jessica Day George's book stays so close to the original fairy tale "East of the Sun, West of the Moon". And maybe I'd even have a reason to object, if it weren't for the fact that George's text is just so enjoyable to read. Basically it all comes down to a likable heroine, a great story, wonderful Norwegian touches, and a tale that will age beautifully as the years go by. When it comes to adapting a fairy tale into a full-length novel, George writes with a steady hand.

She never had a name, this small girl, the last born in her family. The daughter of a poor woodcutter, the child's mother is so disappointed to have yet another female mouth to feed that everyone refers to the girl as simply "the pika". Not having a name can be dangerous when you live in a land of trolls who'd like nothing better than to snatch you away. Fortunately, one day the pika frees a white reindeer trapped in the wood and it gives her two gifts as thanks: a name and the ability to understand the words of animals. The second gift seems great but turns against the lass when a huge white polar bear enters her home one night and demands that she come with him to his palace in the north. If she does so for just one year then her family will be rich and she will be free to go back. But what is it about this palace that seems so odd? What do the strange inscriptions say? Why do the servants disappear when she asks questions? And why, oh why, is there a strange man sleeping next to her in bed every night?

I think that more than almost any other fairy tale "East of the Sun, West of the Moon" has always been one of my favorites. It's this bizarre amalgamation of a bunch of different stories. There's the man under a beastly spell like in Beauty and the Beast. There's the girl looking at his forbidden face at night like in the tale of Cupid and Psyche. And then there's the long journey as the girl encounters magical beings in a quest to regain the man she loves, as in The Snow Queen. Stories where girls go out and get a job done appeal to me, and George's heroine is likable while still making the requisite mistakes needed to keep the plot going.

What George does well is to take the original tale, stick with it practically to the letter, and then explain some of the moments that don't make as much sense out of context. For example, why would the troll princess love something as simple as a golden spindle or a golden carding comb? Well, trolls have an obsession with human objects and try to act as human as possible sometimes. That, in turn, reminded me of the polar bears in the book The Golden Compass, and so it goes. The pacing is also pretty good, though I was surprised that it took us to page 181 for the lass to betray the isbjorn (the other word for polar bear).

Of course, there aren't many moments of deep introspection in this novel. For example, when the heroine makes a deal with the isbjorn on the condition that her family become wealthy, he promptly forces another bear to kill itself so that her no good brother can find the corpse and become rich. You'd think the lass would think long and hard about the consequences of her choices, but I suppose she has other stuff on her mind. And for an all-powerful Troll Queen who inspires fear in her minions, the final showdown between her and the lass is accurate to the original tale but may strike some as vaguely anti-climactic when compared to contemporary fantasy face-offs.

I also would have liked it if a little more time had been spent examining the fact that no woman has ever stayed a whole year in the polar bear's frozen palace without somehow seeing his face at night. Clearly this original tale was one of those curiosity-killed-the-cat stories ala Pandora. I don't know that it's a fair criticism for a story to make these days, though. It would have been nice if George has spoken a little bit about how unfair it is to withhold the rules in a game and then blame a player for not following them to the letter. Ah well.

In terms of age appropriateness, there's no reason in the world that a fairy tale loving ten-year-old wouldn't enjoy "Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow". Yes, part of the story involves a girl who keeps finding a man coming in and sleeping in her bed, but he's always full clothed and never so much as speaks to her. Really, this is just an adventure novel couched in a great old tale. The kind of thing everyone can enjoy, and many will.

I thoroughly enjoyed pre-reading this book before handing it over to my 8 yr old daughter -- I knew she would fall in love with it as well. I was right; as soon as she finished it (which only took her a few days), she declared triumphantly that it is her favorite book ever. We've recently read many fairy tales by other great authors such as Gail Carson Levine, Adrienne KressAlex and the Ironic Gentleman, Brittney Ryan The Legend of Holly Claus (Julie Andrews Collection), Dave Barry Peter and the Starcatchers Peter and the Shadow Thieves (The Starcatchers) Peter and the Secret of Rundoon (The Starcatchers), and Shannon Hale (least appropriate for younger readers and I will pre-read each one by her). My point being, I believe that Ms. George is among the best. I suppose I would have to agree with another reviewer's comment about the lack of serious depth to some of the characters, but it still deserves 5 stars because they are nonetheless interesting and the story still pulls you in and sums up as greatly satisfying. In my opinion, not every detail needs to be exposed; in fact, much of the charm of this particular fairy tale is its mystery as well as its uniqueness. The girl's family/home is rather heartwrenching and compelling; the ice palace, bear, and servants are invitingly mysterious; and the troll castle scenes are flat out amusing (although indeed rather frustrating)! The original fairy tale from which this is retold is indeed a strange one, and Ms. George did an excellent job at keeping the feeling of the original -- all while adding some enjoyable depth to it, as well as keeping it appropropriate for younger audiences. The author's snapshots of human nature accurately capture certain angles of character inherant in our species -- for better or for worse. This curious and assertive girl's attempt to solve a problem/mystery only causes worse trouble and frustration (and of course most readers familiar with the original story will be trying to warn our young "heroine" to STOP...DON'T DO IT!!! However, most of us would do the same (if not worse)-- hindsight is 20/20! So just how far will she go to attempt a happily ever after for those she seeks to help?

While my daughter and I were anxious to get a follow-up on Dragon Slippers...this far surpassed our expectations during our wait! Sun, Moon, Ice, and Snow was very difficult to put down, and while I don't re-read many books (don't have time for that), I will look forward to reading this one again -- and hopefully soon! Bravo!!!

In the fairy tale mood, I was looking for something to follow up Master Of Shadows. Jessica Day George's SUN AND MOON, ICE AND SNOW looked like just the ticket. A retelling of the East of the Sun, West of the Moon fairy tale, I was both excited and nervous. For various reasons I have a hard time getting into retellings of this fairy tale and, though I did enjoy Edith Pattou's East, I've been hoping ever since to find a version I liked better. And I found one. I first loved the cover. I like the profile shot. This girl looks like she's ready to take on the frozen tundra. The story follows a girl called "the lass." The last of nine children, she had the gall to be born a girl and, out of spite, her mother refuses to give her a name. The family refers to her as pika, or little girl. Her oldest brother Hans Peter is the one who calls her "the lass," and the two of them are the closest of all the siblings. The story follows the fairy tale pretty closely, but George manages to fit in some twists and new angles that I found very refreshing.

Many elements of this tale are a hard sell in a novel. The family who is willing to give their daughter up to a random snow bear. The girl who lets a stranger climb into bed with her every night and then falls in love with said snow bear enough to take on a troll queen to save his life. George's version of the tale addresses these issues to some extent. The girl is the unwanted ninth child (and a daughter) and therefore expendable. Particularly when the random snow bear offers wealth and opportunity in exchange for their daughter. The girl is lonely in the palace of ice where the walls smell of rotting meat and no one will answer her questions. After it becomes clear the stranger is not going to hurt her, his presence next to her at night is a comfort and a ward against loneliness. And when the lass decides to take on the troll queen, she is doing it not only for the enchanted bear, but the various servants who befriended her in the palace and then disappeared or died as a result of their kindness. I still struggle with the central relationship. It seems there's never enough of a connection for me. That said, the story desperately needed fleshing out and George rises to the challenge. Her deft touch with Norse traditions, language, and everyday life adds a welcome layer of warm reality to this icy tale.

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