My recent obsession with fairy tales has led me to different versions and origins of the same tales. These tales are much older than the Disney version dated as far back as 1st century BC. These stories evolve from folklore carrying the roots and traditions of the place. The book ‘In Their Shoes’ is a collection of these fairy tales, some in their much earlier versions. All involving shoes!
Cover page
The cover page reflects the content of the page. The shoes inside the pages come alive on the cover page with the help of beautiful illustrations. It is a simple and enchanting cover page. Definitely meant to be bought in hardback copies.
Characters
The book is a collection of fairy tales, each featuring the respective characters. These characters interestingly are completely different from the mainstream characters. Cinderella here is a child who lives in a cave and her best friend is a big fish. Hansel and Gretel’s epic tale is traced back to a tiny child who saves himself and his siblings from a child eating ogre. Such are the fascinating characters in the book.
Content
The book begins with a quote from ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’ by Harper Lee.
‘You never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them.’
The stories inside are literally, featuring shoes. In all forms. Cinderella’s dancing shoes, puss in its boots, the twelve dancing princesses and their shoes and some more of them. It may seem to be a little odd but the author has creatively picked up the stories containing the magic of shoes and traced back their origins and presented a great collectible.
Some stories are quite different from the Disney versions or even Grimm versions bordering to folklore.
The book makes an interesting read when these stories come together.
Language
The language in the book is quite simple as it happens mostly in fairy tales and folklore. These contain great narratives which is what makes it magical.
Good points
The cover page is beautiful. The collection showcasing different stories involving shoes makes a wonderful read for those who are obsessed with shoes and fairy tales alike. The language is very simple. The length is not tiresome. It is a short read.
Bad points
The collection may be a little confusing at time since it comprises of the most recent and original folklore versions, both. The explanation towards the end hardly does any justice.
Overall
It is great collection, fascinating to read.
Whom do I recommend this to
This book is for all the fairy tales enthusiasts. Those who love shoes are going to love the magic that empowers shoes in this book. Who doesn’t want to fly wearing winged sandals right?
Quotable quotes
Young men, when all is said and done, will find sharp wits and common sense worth more than an inheritance.
He was small; when he was born he was hardly bigger than a man’s thumb, for which reason Hop o’ my thumb was what he was called.
I was sent a ARC by the publisher. The views expressed here are my own, uninfluenced.