Customer Reviews

The Goose Girl

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

As someone who has never heard the actual Grimm fairy tale about the goose girl/princess, I can't exactly judge this book against the original story. As a story in itself, I found it just okay. We are first introduced to Anidori-Kiladra Talianna Isilee, Crown Princess of Kildenree when she is just a young girl, and helped by her aunt, discovers she has the ability to speak to animals. As the first child born to the King and Queen, she is supposed to be first in line to the throne, but Ani (as she is called) doesn't really feel like she fits in. After her father dies, the Queen announces that Ani's younger brother will take the throne and Ani will be send to marry the prince of Bayern, a nearby country that Kildenree has only a "civil" relationship with. Ani, her guards and her lady-in-waiting, Selia, set off on the long journey to Bayern, only to find out that Selia has other plans. Ani eventually arrives in Bayern, but must be careful to blend in. She ends up taking a job as goose girl. While I think this first book by the author was good, it wasn't GREAT. Too many characters and the fact it dragged on in some spots made me not like it as much as I could have. I think I might check out the next book by Hale however, because it centers on interesting and little developed character that appeared in this book.

I heard great thing about this book and I have to say that I was somewhat disappointed. It was not bad by any means, but I didn't exactly live up to the rave reviews I've read either.

The story follows a young princess named Ani who, when she was born, did not open her eyes for three days. She opens her eyes after her aunt comes to her and this aunt raises Ani with stories of magic. More importantly, her aunt teaches Ani how to communicate with animals. She teaches her how to understand and talk to swans and tells her that there are three abilities people are capable of possessing; people talking- talking so that your words convince your listener to agree with you, animal talking- to talk with animals, and the very rare nature talking- to talk with nature itself. After a certain age, people in the castle start to notice Ani trying to talk to animals and her aunt gets sent away. Ani is penalized for trying to talk to animals and must instead train to be the next in line for the crown, which she is very horrible at. Ani is very weak-willed and timid at this point in the novel (as she remains through pretty much the entire novel) and allows people to walk all over her and feels insufficient at all she does. After her mother discovers that a much larger and more powerful neighbouring kingdom may threaten to go to war with their country over resources, the queen tries to satisfy them by Promising Ani to the heir to their throne, without consulting Ani first. So off she is sent to an unknown land to marry a complete stranger. On the journey however, an even takes place that hinders Ani on her way and she is forced into hiding and eventually comes to hold the position of goose girl for the kingdom's geese. She learns more about herself and eventually overcomes the injustice done to her.

The plot itself I rather enjoyed. I thought it progressed in a very steady and logical manner. It wasn't boring but there were no inexplicable leaps either, so overall light reading in that department. There is a supernatural element to the story as well, but it is not portrayed as magical ability. Ani's ability to talk to animals is presented as a language she is trying to learn rather than a special ability, even though she is the only one who can seem to do it. It was almost like we watch her work through translating a newly discovered lost language rather than tapping into a magical ability.

If anything bothered me about the novel it would have to be the character Ani herself. Overall I didn't mind the characters in the novel. There was a decent mix up of personality types. Actually I think one of the reasons this story is so like a fairy tale is because many important people who decide Ani's fate are in their own way cruel about it, and those who aren't cruel do nothing to really help her until she gains some self-confidence. It wasn't her weak-willed nature or lack of self-confidence that bothered me however (that is the character and in time she grows beyond her perceptions of her short comings). In fact I applaud the author for keeping Ani so timid throughout the novel, but still forces her to go on despite her timidity. What bothered me was her naiveté. The author would spell out situations that would otherwise build suspense so that the reader is very aware of the plot and is waiting for the heroine to wake up, because even though she is given many clues she is unable to suspect anything until it is actually happening to her, and that was kind of frustrating to me as a reader. I usually like experiencing the story along with the main character, not with the author or the narrator where I know ahead of time what will happen. This is personal preference of course and I'm sure there are several people who didn't mind this. The other thing that I found slightly bothersome was at the end of the novel, her big climax of coming out of her shell and telling off the king, it sounded so juvenile. I was expecting some sort of outburst from her seeing as how she was introverted for most of the novel, but I was expecting that outburst to be somewhat mature and enlightened (which can be done in a passionate way) instead it seemed more like an angsty teenaged 'so there!' which was disappointing.

Despite that however, I did enjoy the book. It was a good read and a nice adaptation of the original.

That's it,yawn. What a stuggle to get throught this book. It had the potential to be a really good story.

Imagine a rush of sweet, warm air washing over you, tingling your senses and flowing into a smile. 'The Goose Girl', by Shannon Hale, is like that soft breeze, a story of a girl of winds and birds. Crown princess Anidori-Kiladra was born with a mysterious love for the birds of her palace, especially the graceful swans. Encouraged and guided by her aunt, she quickly learns the tongue of her most beloved friends. But another friend awaits her. Falada, the colt who she saw taking his first breath, speaking his first word, talks to her and loves her even more than the swans did. Yet with the death of her aunt and her mother keeping her away from the swan pond, young Ani strugles to fit the mold of a princess.
Years later, with her father dead and her mother as cold as ever, Ani learns that she is betrothed to a prince in the next kingdom, Bayern. Ani, her lady in-waiting Selia, and all of her guard embark on a perilous journey through the Forest. Never having left her sheltered palace in Kildenree, Ani is easily amazed by everything she encounters, but soon the unthinkable happens.
Selia and half of her guard revolt, attacking the others and chasing Ani until she is lost in the Forest, thirsty, hungry, and mourning for her lost friends and Falada. Worst of all, she knows that Selia, whose plan is to pretend she is the princess and become queen of Bayern, will reach the kingdom before her. And even if Ani does make it to the king alive, how will she ever produce the evidence to prove that Selia and her band of murderous guards are frauds?
Ani makes it to Bayern alive, but she must hide. She knows if she reveals herself without protection and witnesses Selia's lover, Ungolad, will kill her, so she takes a job as the palace's goose girl.
A story of a confused girl with unexpected love and the struggle to find herself, this novel is a masterpiece. Each and every detail is beautifully woven and stitched into a magical, enchanting story.I loved it and it instantly became my favorite book. It keeps you thinking, wondering about the way the world works, wondering if everything has its own tongue...
When the wind whispers, can you hear it?

Goose Girl is a exciting book. Ani is a princess, who is knocked off her post by her lady-in-waiting and the soldiers who support her.When she finally gets to the kingdom where her betrothed husband, is her lady-in-waiting is already there acting as her in her place.Then she lives as a goose girl to make money.While she is doing that she meets a guard named Gridic. As for the rest u will have to find out for u'r self. i recommend this book for everyone.

I absolutely loved this book, so much so that I didn't put it down. (Fortunately I was sick that day and didn't have to worry about doing anything else than moan/read). It is one of the best books I've ever read and gave such life to the old fairy tale of the goosegirl. The author did a great job of combining the well-known story with politics, intrigues, social status, and romance. The writing was beautiful, the characters extremely well developed, and the ending was perfect.

The story follows the crown princess Ani of Kilendree, who is painfully shy and has, or had, a secret gift of talking with animals. After her father's untimely death she is ceremoniously disposed of to make way for her brother to become an heir, for she is too shy and unsure of herself to properly lead the country, or so her mother thinks. For this, she is shipped off to Bayern, a neighboring kingdom, to ensure peace between the two kingdoms. However, a plot had been boiling, and while traveling to Bayern there is a mutiny. Ani is almost killed, but she manages to flee. The party that tried to kill her still continues to hunt for her while carrying out her plan, disgusing another woman as Ani and planning to have her marry the crown prince of Bayern.

Ani manages to find work in Bayern, pretending she is another Bayern girl, hiding her blonde hair beneath a scarf and darkening her eyebrows to hide their fairness. She takes a job as a goosegirl for the king, all the while trying to decide what she should do about thsoe that overthrew her. She knows they plan no good and she fears for her home kingdom.
Eventually she meets a young man with whom she begins to talk for many days. They develop a romance, but this is interrupted by her being discovered by the leader of the men that want her dead so that they can fulfill their plan. She has to flee again, but ends up finding some old friends. Together they manage to do great and wonderful things, and the story ends with a romance, which was quite pleasant.

This book was so good, I've even preordered the next book by Ms. Hale and I have absolutely no idea what it's about.(Generally speaking, I don't do that.) If you like fairy tale remakes, your time won't be wasted on this.

Good fantasy has the power to take you to a place of wonder via beautiful words and images. This book succeeds in doing that! There are many exceptionally beautiful passages to enjoy in it. I found the ending rather "hurried" and prosaic, but the rest of the book was marvelous.

I love this book. The plot constantly changes throughout the book. Hale keeps you spellbound with her retelling of the fairy tale.

Shannon Hale has the gift of writing. The Goose Girl is the best book I have read in a long time. Readers will not be disappointed in this book. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to read a book that will stay with them for a long long time. Don't wait...read it today!

This is one of the top ten best young adult fairy tale retellings I have read, and I thought it was excellent. Other versions of the Goose Girl fairytale have disappointed me, but Shannon Hale's book succeeded. Princess Anidori, Ani, is the Crown princess to the throne of Kildenree until her mother (the queen) announces that her younger brother will claim the throne and she will be married to the prince of Bayern, a country bordering Kildenree. Ani, weak and indecisive, is on her way to the country when half her honor guard massacres all those loyal to her and try to kill her in an attempt to make Selia, her lady-in-waiting, the queen.
Ani runs, and through the kindness of a few good people, survives and ends up as a goose girl in Bayern. She must find a way to reclaim her name, though, and soon--for the prince's marraige to Selia/Anidori is fast approaching and war is on the verge of breaking loose.