Member Reviews
This was amazing. These poems felt more like short stories of what happened to the princesses after they stopped dancing. It talks about how girls are trapped in a society of innocence and purity created just for women.
This collection is powerful, funny, sensual and so eye-opening to those who do not understand the woman experience. It comments on the way women are treating not directly but symbolically and I think that is so much more powerful.
Blythe really took the story of the twelve princesses' and created a whole new realm.
This is a fascinating read- both illuminating and dark as fairy tales were often written to be.
There are tales by the Brothers Grimm that are rarely found in publication and which parents would be aghast at their children reading. This would fit that category if it had indeed been written by them.
Andrea Blythe's take on "The Twelve Dancing Princesses" brings the princesses to the forefront of their own story. As each sister makes her bold choice as to how she will dance away her shoes in the realms of the dark, the tellings of the stories are inventive, surprising, sometimes shocking and totally fascinating.
Blythe is bold: her notes and conclusions on the writing of this book are a valuable and eye-opening addition, and very necessary to tying her approach and content together for the reader's opinion to be both emotional and analytical.
Not for kids. It’s a quick read with a lot of morbid details in one chapter. Do read it if you’re into fairytales and the description of different sisters.
Short and sweet, Twelve re-imagined the lives of the twelve dancing princesses from the Grimm's fairy tale of the same name giving them fully-developed stories beyond simply twelve beautiful princesses.
I loved the variety of the lives that they princesses had, each one feeling more powerful than the last.
The poetry was much freer than I am accustomed to but that made it all the easier to read and devour.
I will look forward to reading more from Blythe in the future.
I thoroughly enjoyed this collection as it retold what happened after the 12 dancing princesses were found out and their dancing had been stopped. Each sister experienced the loss of their nightly adventures differently - some escape, some take revenge and some find their new normal. All of them react very differently and each of their stories is a little vignette into how they survive.
I would hesitate to call this poetry, I would call it flash fiction or vignette type stories, but it was beautifully written and each look into the sisters' lives was unique and varied. It's a quick read that flies and is a great example of retellings with a twist.
I really enjoyed this book! It was really interesting to see the aftermath of the classic tale. I have always loved the story of the Twelve Dancing Princesses and I enjoyed this one just as much.
I liked how short and easy this book was to read. I also enjoyed how each chapter left on a sort of cliffhanger. It was also cool to see how different each sister was.
Overall I really liked reading this. I would recommend it to anyone who loves classics and the Brothers Grimm stories.
"Twelve: Poems Inspired by the Brothers Grimm Fairy Tale" is a retelling of the classic tale "The Twelve Dancing Princesses". This book does a really good job of exploring the "after" and how the experience of getting caught travelling to a fairy realm effects all twelve princesses. As the reader we get a god look at the lives of the princesses and every one of them was effected and dealt with the experience differently. I like that not every story had a happy ending and some of them did, it made it feel believable. The story definitely felt more narrative to me, and less poetic. It's definitely not poetry in the traditional sense, it is very much narrative poetry. I just felt that some of the poems were more of full on short stories while other poems were more narrative poems. The constancy in poems was really there for me but that being said, I still really enjoyed reading about each sister and gaining a new perspective on the original tale.
Thank you to Interstellar Flight Press and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of "Twelve: Poems Inspired by the Brothers Grimm Fairy Tale" by: Andrea Blythe in exchange for an honest review.
Being a lover of Grimm's fairy tales, I was very intrigued by the concept that this book promised. Although classed as poems, I would refer to them more as short stories that retell the tale of the twelve dancing princesses.
Each chapter encaptures the life of one of the princesses from first to last and how they deal with being unable to dance as they so wish to do.
Some of the tales are dark and twisted while others like the tenth sister are a joy to read. The imagery and insinuation of princesses knitting the dead away so she can fold it up and the possibility of one growing a tree rather than baby in her stomach was engaging and quick to read.
A huge thank you to NetGalley, the publishers and the author of this book for the chance to read this arc. I only wish that some of the tales provided more knowledge and dedication to the different sisters and magic to tie it in with the other tales.
Grimm's Fairy Tales are well known as a different kind of story, loved by adults as well as children. This is most definitely targeted at adults and older children. Some of the references would be lost on younger children. Twelve refers to the 12 women who assume their beings from nature to become a powerful presence. Told in poetry and short story form, it's a really different take on a well known fairy tale. Unique is only one of the many descriptive words you could use for this book. Lets hope their is another twisted tale to follow. Andrea Blythe stirred up a winner this time. What's next?
Name: Twelve
Author: Andrea Blythe
Genre: Children Fiction, Fairytale, Fantasy, Magic
Review:
A beautiful, lyrical and feminist retelling of the Twelve Dancing Sisters from The Brother Grimm's Fairytale. It tells the story of Twelve sisters who are forced to lived in the ordinary world after being discovered by their father.
This book is divided into eleven parts which tells the tale of each sister after their magic is closed, and their dancing expedition with the fairy princes came to an end. Each part has a unique perspective and shows their own ways of coping with their lives after losing their power.
Intriguing, bewitching and enthralling, it explores the lives of those twelve sisters, one who fell in despair, one who was haunted by ghost, one who cooked, one who fell in love with alchemy and the one who was forced to marry a soldier against her wishes.
What happens to the twelve princesses? Those women who spent magical nights dancing with fairies and sprites. What happens to them after the door is is barred and they are forced back to the obligations of the court and the expectations of society? Why was this even the end of the story? That wasn't a happily-ever-after ending for anyone but the King.
Andrea Blythe gives each princess a voice, a story and their own ending (not necessarily happy). It is brilliant and uplifting and such a great idea. I hope she writes a whole series.
This was a lovely little read. I’m not sure why it’s categorized as poetry, though. Each chapter is one of the twelve sisters and her outcome written in pretty, but not poetic, prose. Some sisters felt more fully developed than others, and I’d have loved to see each of them fleshed out consistently. My favorite was the twelfth sister, and I could honestly see that story becoming its own book. I loved the imaginative care, and Blythe’s voice encourages the reader to open more doors – whether in writing or art. I love fiction that inspires, and Blythe’s work here does just that.
Thank you to NetGalley and Interstellar Flight Press for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I received an advanced reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.
This is a beautifully put together book of poems told in a story type format about the brothers grimm fairy tale about the twelve dancing princesses.
This book is very well thought out and poetically written to tell a version of the fairy tale after the music stops.
This is a retelling in poetry form and I thought it was very beautifully written.
What a crazy twist on the fairy tales! Super twisted as expected. Super enjoyed it and would suggest to anyone who enjoys the fairy tales. Super quick read! I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I love retellings and this retelling of the Twelve Dancing Princesses did not disappoint. Any fan of retellings will enjoy this.
Twelve is a poetic retelling of the Brothers Grimm fairytale "The Twelve Dancing Princesses." I enjoy when retellings breathe new life into a fairy tale. Twelve presents a fresh take by exploring the question of what happened after the magic dancing came to an end.
After the entrance to the underworld was sealed by an iron door, the princesses began to live vastly different lives back in the ordinary world. Each claimed a power and embodied it -- all told through beautiful, yet haunting vivid imagery. We find the eldest daughter’s quiet fury at being wed to a stranger as she fights back with poisons and alchemy. We find another princess choosing a life of stillness and solitude surrounded by ink-splotched pages and the smell of leather bound books. Another princess finds comfort in the tangle of cloth and warm kisses while another is haunted by the souls of the dead and begins stitching all their sorrows into cloth hoping to collect and contain and mend through needle and thread. Twelve packs a lot of emotion into so few pages. This is the sort of idea that I would love to see expanded into a full length novel and/or series.
Twelve is a good place to start for the novice of poetry. Before I begin reading a retelling, I will pull out my Brothers Grimm and Andrew Lang’s books that I own so that I can read the actual fairy tale and have the original tale fresh in my mind. Most fairy tales have multiple variations and this is no exception. It’s fascinating to learn how different editors made subtle changes which were inspired by the era they were living in.
5 stars
I received an e-arc from NetGalley for review.
OBSESSED.
I loved this now I need to read other retellings of one of my favorite fairy tales. Nostalgia but at the same time so new and her own. I cannot rave and recommend this more.
And Blythe’s author note at the end I would not mind just reading a book where she talks about fairy tales honestly. She is very poignant and I appreciate the look into the sister's thoughts and feelings individually Like she said what happened after the wedding and the supposedly “happy ever after”
This a great way to introduce poems to readers that expect and do not like the verses and rhyme. The wording is easy, so readers can concentrate on the images it provokes. I liked the Forth Sister is probably my favorite. I can see myself reading that poem aloud and sharing my thoughts about it. I think the whole book can be a great addition to a book club, there is a lot of things to discuss here. I just want to mention the book’s illustrations, I thought they went well for each of the poems and they do not overwhelm the stories. I very much recommend it for lovers of poetry, or fairy tales, or classics. Just read one poem (the 4th sister) and you will want to read the rest.
I love fairytales. Since I was a kid I loved the kind of magic, and sometimes happy, thoughts that they evoke. As the title implies, 'Twelve' is a poetic retelling inspired by the famous Brothers Grimm fairytale called 'The Twelve Dancing Princesses'. Before the book, I was barely aware of what the fairytale talked about - only my fault. But during the read I could understand better about the princesses and their story. Another great fairytale on my list of favorites.
An interesting structure inspired by old folklore — always a favorite of mine — that has some really wonderful gems. There’s imagery of a pregnant princess perhaps growing not a baby but an apple tree in her belly; another princess sewing her ghosts into a quilt so the pain can be folded up and put away. These fragments are strong and lovely, and I so wish the entire work was as memorable and compelling. I like where the author seemed to be going on a number of occasions - I just wish it went the entire way.