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Spindle's End (School & Library Binding)

by Robin McKinley (Author) "The magic in that country was so thick and tenacious that it settled over the land like chalk-dust and over floors and shelves like slightly..." (more)

4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (113 customer reviews)

Price:	CDN$ 19.80 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over CDN$ 39. Details
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Beauty: A Retelling Of The Story Of Beauty And The Beast by Robin Mckinley
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Rose Daughter by Robin Mckinley
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Product Details

School & Library Binding: 422 pages
Publisher: San Val (May 2002)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0613734777
ISBN-13: 978-0613734776
Product Dimensions: 19.8 x 13.2 x 3.5 cm
Shipping Weight: 422 g

Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (113 customer reviews)

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Product Description

From Amazon.com

Renowned fantasy writer Robin McKinley, author of the lush "Beauty and the Beast" retellings Beauty and Rose Daughter, has produced another re-mastered fairy tale, this time about the dreamy Sleeping Beauty. Much like in the original story, the infant princess, here named Rosie, is cursed by an evil fairy to die on her 21st birthday by pricking her finger on a spindle. That same day, Rosie is whisked away into hiding by a peasant fairy who raises her and conceals her royal identity. From that point on, McKinley's plot and characterization become wildly inventive. She imagines Rosie growing up into a strapping young woman who despises her golden hair, prefers leather breeches to ball gowns, and can communicate with animals. And on that fateful birthday, with no help from a prince, Rosie saves herself and her entire sleeping village from destruction, although she pays a realistic price. In a final master stroke, McKinley cleverly takes creative license when the spell-breaking kiss (made famous in "Sleeping Beauty") comes from a surprising source and is bestowed upon the character least expected.

Although the entire novel is well written, McKinley's characterization of Rosie's animal friends is exceptionally fine. Observations such as "...foxes generally wanted to talk about butterflies and grasses and weather for a long time while they sized you up," will spark reader's imaginations. It won't be hard to persuade readers of any age to become lost in this marvelous tale; the difficult part will be convincing them to come back from McKinley's country, where "the magic... was so thick and tenacious that it settled over the land like chalk dust...." Highly recommended. (Ages 12 and older) --Jennifer Hubert --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly

With a protagonist known mostly for being gorgeous and drowsy, Sleeping Beauty may seem an odd choice for a retelling by the author responsible for inventing the staunch, action-oriented heroines of Beauty and The Hero and the Crown. But as Newbery-medalist McKinley embroiders and expands upon this tale, readers quickly will see that she has created a character (indeed, a cast of characters) worthy of these fictional predecessors. When the evil fairy Pernicia lays her seemingly fatal curse upon the infant princess, the royal child's nanny entrusts the baby to Katriona--an orphan brought up by her powerful fairy aunt--to rear in the safety of her distant, cloistered village. In one of the many sequences that endow this novel with mythic grandeur, Katriona and her charge travel surreptitiously through the fields and woods, while the female animals of the countryside (vixens, a she-bear and countless others) suckle the royal baby to keep her alive. This unorthodox diet may be the reason the princess--whom Katriona and her aunt call Rosie--can communicate with all creatures. Unaware of her royal heritage (and bored by fairy-tale fripperies), Rosie makes a best friend of Peony, the wainwright's niece, and becomes an apprentice to Narl, the kind but uncommunicative village blacksmith. When the princess's true identity is finally revealed, and the fate of the realm hangs in the balance, Rosie, Narl and Peony fight a true battle royal to defeat Pernicia's schemes. Dense with magical detail and all-too-human feeling, this luscious, lengthy novel is almost impossible to rush through. Additional treats include a vast array of believable, authentically animal-like characters, complete with inventive, evocative names (a cat called Flinx, dogs that answer to Zogdob and Throstle, and so forth). By the end of this journey through Rosie and Katriona's enchanted land--so thick with magic dust that good housekeeping remains a constant challenge--readers will feel that they know it as well as their own backyards. Ages 12-up. (May)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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The magic in that country was so thick and tenacious that it settled over the land like chalk-dust and over floors and shelves like slightly sticky plaster-dust. Read the first page

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	58% buy the item featured on this page: Spindle's End 4.1 out of 5 stars (113) CDN$ 19.80
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	5% buy The Enchanted Forest Chronicle: Boxed Set 4.8 out of 5 stars (15) CDN$ 18.87

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Customer Reviews

113 Reviews

5 star:		(49)
4 star:		(36)
3 star:		(22)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(0)

Average Customer Review

4.1 out of 5 stars (113 customer reviews)

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Fleshed out, but sometimes overly so., Aug 5 2008

By	H. Deng "Dork" (Calgary, AB) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Spindle's End (Mass Market Paperback)

This book has a very well developed world. That is one of its strengths and one of its weaknesses. I really enjoyed reading the little details like the differences in how butterflies and robins speak. But all the information in the parenthesis added up into a very long read. At times I felt as if I was bogged down in details. Especially when every other sentence has a parenthesis containing a particular detail in the world. This gives you a greater understanding of the world that the book is set in, but at the same time it destroys the flow. Sometimes you'd get so lost in reading a parenthesis and have to go back and re-read the sentence before the parenthesis to refresh yourself about what she was writing about.

But overall, if you have the patience, it's definitely worth the read. Especially how the main character solves her problem in the end.

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4.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining, Jun 29 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Spindle's End (Mass Market Paperback)

This book is one step away from becoming a masterpiece. While highly entertaining and inventive, there are parts that drag. And the conclusion is so thick with description that it's hard to keep track of just what is going on with the castle. Still, it's a delicious twist on Sleeping Beauty, with a likeable heroine. The characters are well done, though they're outclassed by the animals. And the central theme--of making our own choices despite prophecies, is magnificently done. It's not a book I could read over and over again, but it's still a great book definitely worth reading.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Not like the Damar books, but still a Masterpiece!, Jun 20 2004

By	Damarian Dreamer "nowhere_gurl2" (South Dakota, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Spindle's End (Mass Market Paperback)

McKinley is a writer of world-class status. You can see this from other reviews that other people have written. So many of us look up to and applaud her! And it is true, as others have said, that no one else writes quite like McKinley does. Her characters are real, they have thoughts (often many at a time), emotions, decisions to make, motivation, struggles, hardship, victories, sorrow and joy.

You feel that these characters could just walk right out of the book and into real life and not be out of place. McKinley has a great sense of human nature. She also has a great grasp on language. She has both interesting wording and a feel for telling a story that captivates your attention and keeps you wanting for more. McKinley's characters and stories will stay with you long after you have finished reading. Personally, I wish that she had written more about Damar and Rosie's country. It really is no wonder that Robin McKinley won a Newberry Medal for "The Hero and the Crown". Which leads me to the next point.

McKinley's books are listed in a children and young adult catagory. This confounds me utterly. I am in my 20's and a college student and I still glean knowledge, hope and encouragement from these books! I believe that any of Robin McKinley's books, particularly "The Blue Sword" "The Hero and the Crown" and "Spindle's End" should be mandatory reading for people ages 10-110.

Now for the story, it seems a little boring at first. Almost as though it were a fairy tale for children. But stick with the story! Once Katrina gets to the Naming of the Princess, things start to pick up. I can't tell you any more because then that would reveal too much of the plot of what happens at the Naming. But what you need to know is that this is NOT the traditional Sleeping Beauty story. Only a few elements are taken from it (spinning wheel, evil fairy, etc.) But the rest of the plot, characters, animals and actions are straight from McKinley's imagination.

She is an author for all time, a true storyteller with the gift of imagination and originality. Once the plot gets going, it never dulls. There is not always a ton of action and hopeless quest and the story is all the better for it! There are humerous scenes, touching, brave, adventurous and joyful. The characters are heartening, close-knit and full of believability.

So, buy this book! You'll get much more than your money's worth and will be inspired to get even MORE McKinley books!

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Most recent customer reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Charming to the last digression.
This is Robin McKinley's take on one our favorite tales, "Sleeping Beauty". Rosie, McKinley's Princess, is as far from the original character as we have come to expect. Read more

Published on Jun 7 2004 by Anna Balasi

5.0 out of 5 stars Loved it!
I just had to get Spindle's End...I love retellings of fairy-tales and I love Robin McKinley. I loved her descriptions of the magic, baby magic and so on. Read more

Published on May 31 2004 by Rachel

2.0 out of 5 stars I couldn't even finish it...really
I was looking forward to reading this novel (it being my first Robin Mckinley book), because I love Sleeping Beauty, and this book recieved so much praise, and was an NY Times... Read more

Published on April 7 2004 by J

5.0 out of 5 stars A Sleeping Beauty Retelling.
Once again, I'm proud of Mckinley for compleating another success story of Sleeping Beauty known as (Spindle's End). Read more