Review: Elegant, Grand and Satisfying
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 12 28, 2013
First, some housekeeping. This "Snow Queen", (The Snow Queen (Illustrated) (Andersen's Fairy Tales)), uses the 1867 H.B. Paull translation that was first published by Scribner and Co. and is now, I believe, in the public domain. Its particular appeal is the illustrations by Edmund Dulac and Arthur Rackham, which are both helpful, (for young readers), and creepy/chilling, (for all readers).  This version is not free.A second volume, (The Snow Queen (Fairy eBooks)), is a free Kindle download. It is also based on the H.B. Paull translation, but features illustrations by T. Pym. These drawings are loaded with Victorian charm. The publisher claims that the book has been especially formatted for the Kindle Fire HD. I have a black and white Kindle Touch, and the book displayed well on that.So, you can download a Kindle freebie or step up to a classically illustrated version for a few dollars. Either way you will be well pleased.The Paull translation of this story has an elegant old-world sort of feel to it. It is not so old fashioned that it is hard to follow, but it is not like some of the modern versions that are inclined toward glibness in the service of action and narrative drive. The story line is clear enough, but the execution is dreamy and intentionally artificial. It can be too "weird" or ambiguous for some tastes, which is understandable, and the fairy tale/fable quest can be read as a simple adventure story or a parable crammed full of symbolism and deeper meaning. (This is very similar to how one reacts to a book like "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe", which coincidentally, or perhaps not so coincidentally, also features a white witch and a snow covered land.)However you look at it, this is an inventive and imaginative tale that will entertain youngsters and evoke fond memories for many adult readers.  (It's also a story that has been reworked in innumerable popular books, movies and and other forms, so it doesn't hurt to be familiar with it.) I have to admit I turned to it because it is a "classic" and because it was free, and I am very happy I acted on the temptation to download it.Please note that I found this book while browsing Amazon Kindle freebies. I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.