New Book Release: Never After

I preordered Never After for my Kindle and downloaded it on Tuesday, its release day. I wasn't sure how well it would fit into the blog, but I discovered it fits well enough. I admit, fairy tale themes or no, I would have ordered this book just because I'm a diehard Sharon Shinn fan. Her world of Samaria hits my top ten fantasy vacation destinations from literature, even the top five, perhaps top three.

At this point, I have only read the Shinn story, more of a novella, which comprises 30-40% of the book and was worth the price of admission for me. Shinn subtly plays with fairy tale tropes--especially the princess's hand in marriage won through three tests--and then develops a story that is at times surprising considering the constraints of the premise and length. Yes, some plotting is predictable, but Shinn always throws in enough character development and plot twists to keep me guessing. She also offers up a beta male hero, something she excels at as well as alphas. Not my favorite of her works, but a nice coda after I devoured her new Quatrain earlier this month. And then reread her Twelve Houses books...but I've digressed too far, now.



Anyway, none of the stories are direct riffs on popular fairy tales, but all employ fairy tale tropes and characters on some level, from arranged marriages to selkies. Of course, bestseller Laurell K. Hamilton is the headliner author with Yasmine Galenorn and Marjorie M. Liu included.

There aren't many reviews up for the book yet--there might not be many since its being shelved under romance over fantasy, neither of which are widely reviewed--but I found one helpful one at Never After by Laurell K. Hamilton, Yasmine Galenorn, Marjorie M. Liu, and Sharon Shinn review by Elena Nola

Never After is billed as a collection of “feminist fairy tales,” basically stories that take the idea of the fairy tale wedding and explore the possibility that it might, well, not be such a fairy tale. I will confess that my eyebrows arched pretty high when I read the list of established professionals contributing stories: Laurell K. Hamilton, Marjorie M. Liu, Yasmine Galenorn, and Sharon Shinn. I have read at least one novel from each of them, and my experience was that all but Shinn write novels that are too deeply entrenched in sex to be anything like what I would label feminist writing. However. I was very willing to be pleasantly surprised by this collection, and you know what? I was.

Nola's review is much longer and more informational than mine since I decided to write before finishing the book, so be sure to click through and read it. Once again, I aim to be more news source than judge, but for a light read, this book should fill a need as the nights grow longer.

Rotkäppchen: The Blood of Red Riding Hood

Okay, I personally don't touch horror nor erotica and I have kept it off the SurLaLune site since I want it to be family friendly as much as the old tales can be. However, this film falls into the fine line category for me on the blog--as much as I know since I will never watch it--but I know it will be of interest for some readers here. So no imagery beyond the cover, but I'm providing links for those who want to know more.

Here's an article with excerpt:

'Rotkäppchen: The Blood of Red Riding Hood' Unrated On DVD This Halloween

Just in time for Halloween, "Rotkäppchen: The Blood of Red Riding Hood" , the chilling and erotic epic will make its DVD debut on October 27, 2009 in a Special Unrated Edition available at Amazon.com. Packed with non-stop chills, thrills and erotic romance, director Harry Sparks' visionary adult fairy tale was received with overwhelming enthusiasm and audience acclaim at its red carpet premiere at the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center in September.

"What makes this version of Red Riding Hood unique is that it stays faithful to the themes of the original classic story," says the movie's writer/director Harry Sparks. "Red Riding Hood has always been about sexual awakening. It's about this journey of a girl becoming a woman, and I did not water it down."

If you want to know more, here's the website: Rotkäppchen: The Blood of Red Riding Hood Official Website.

And here's the Amazon link for shopping if this is your thing.

Cinderella Shoe Champagne Flute

A champagne flute in shape of a heel? Louboutin must be over the recession

Stiletto designer Christian Louboutin has teamed up with champagne brand Piper-Heidsieck to create a luxurious holiday package, comprising a bottle of champagne and a crystal heel from which to drink it.

Inspired by a Russian 'ritual' after ballet performances, where the bubbly-filled slipper of the prima ballerina was raised to a toast by her admirers -- a ritual that was adopted in an even more frivolous way in Parisian cabarets during the Belle Epoque period -- the crystal stiletto comes with a translucent sole and heel, saturated with Louboutin's signature red.

The designer is currently on a promotional tour for the package and has directed a mini-movie that plays on the Cinderella theme, with actors Elisa Sednaoui and Rossif Sutherland playing a couple falling in love and having to part at midnight. Just as in the fairy tale, he finds the crystal shoe she lost hurrying down the steps, and holds on to it as the only memory of the evening.

Here's a link to the website: Le Rituel. This is the site that lets you order. Or there is a "watch only" link to this site which didn't work for me. It requires a birthdate but just freezes right now for me. So, of course, trusty YouTube has the video which I will embed here:



Here's a making of video which discusses Cinderella just a little bit. And, hey, Cinderella isn't a blonde!



Fascinating...This has been a popular theme this year if one remembers the Maison Martin Margiela Glass Slippers.

Disney's Книга Мастеров [Book of Masters]

Here are some links and trailers for Disney's first foray into Russian filmmaking. Not too surprisingly, the movie uses Russian folklore for its inspiration.

Disney is aiming for a fairytale start in Russia

Disney releases Book of Masters, its first Russian film, this week as it ramps up its interest in one of the world's fastest growing cinema markets.

Based on a Russian fairy tale and produced in Russia using local talent, the film is the latest step in Disney's broad push into local language production.

First Russian Movie Made at Disney Studio Goes on General Release

The first Disney Studio’s Russian movie, namely the fairy tale The Book of Masters featuring Liya Akhedzhakova, Leonid Kuravlyov, Aleksandr Lenkov and other stars of Russian cinema goes on general release in Russia from October 29.

The Director General of Disney Studio in Russia Marina Zhigalova-Ozkan says that though it is the first Russian film by Disney Studio, it is “absolutely Russian”.

The Book of Masters is a sort of a potpourri, where characters from Russian folklore, and Pushkin’s and Bazhov’s fairy tales are brought together.

The action is ironical, supplemented with modern interpretation and, according to Disney’s requirements, changing the characters for the better.

Disney’s Russian Fantasy Film ‘Kniga Masterov’ Looks Impressive

Did the title throw you off a little? Don’t worry, it through me off as well. Yes, it would appear that Disney has produced a Russian-only fantasy movie called Kniga Masterov or in its native Russian Книга мастеров. The English translation is Book of Masters and it’s the first Russian movie Disney has made. It stars an all Russian cast and dang if it doesn’t look brilliant.

I could easily throw out the names of the director, writer, actors and producers but honestly, I doubt you have ever heard of them and they are all Russian. Even IMDB doesn’t have pictures to go with their names. The film is based on Russian folklore and fairy tales but the imagery from the trailer and video clip lean heavily on the Lord of the Rings films. That’s not a bad thing though. I’m all for a good fantasy film, in whatever language it may be in.

Here are some trailers:

Waterville Valley Resort's Russian Fairy Tale Art Exhibit

Waterville Valley Resort's Russian Fairy Tale Art Exhibit

Master artists will bring magic of The Snow Maiden to Waterville Valley Resort this fall. Master decorative artists/teachers Tricia Joiner (Waterville Valley, NH) and Slava Letkov (Zhostovo, Russia), will demonstrate the creation of a series of fine art panels depicting episodes of the Russian fairy tale, "The Snow Maiden."

The panels are being painted by a group of Joiner's students from around the U.S. and Canada. The work is being done over the next month in the Town Square and the public is invited to stop by and observe the progress. The finished works will be unveiled at the Margret and H.A. Rey Center during the Thanksgiving weekend and on display during the winter holiday season in the Town Square shop windows. The panels will be featured at the Cookies, Snow, and Fairy Tales festival on December 12, 2009.

October 2009: Fairy Tales on Stage Part 2

Once again, a mix of interesting productions of fairy tales around the world. This is not exhaustive, but representative of some of the more interesting productions.

CBT's 'Snow White' is in black and white

With the company’s opening shows this weekend, the contrast will be represented with “Snow White: An Unlikely Tale of Lasting Love and Friendship,” designed for afternoon performances, and “Mirror Mirror: A Wicked Take on the Classic Snow White,” the evening fare.

North Carolina Dance Theatre choreographer Mark Diamond says his “Snow White” is a family friendly take he originated for his Charlotte audiences. “It is the basic fairy tale what we’re used to,” says Diamond, who sprinkled his traditional version with lots of laughter and color – in two acts.

Justo’s choreography sets the tale – “Mirror Mirror” – in the highly competitive modern-day fashion industry (think “The Devil Wears Prada”). It’s a story that takes the audience into the mind of the wicked, narcissistic queen.

Children's theatre: Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Wimbledon

Polka Theatre will be turned into fairy tale central from Wednesday as they perform a new multi-sensory reworking of the classic story, Goldilocks and the Three Bears.

The venues adventure theatre space is to be magically transformed with leaves growing up from the floor and a stove glowing quietly in the corner, with lots of different sized houses for children to peer into.

With lots of exciting and familiar smells for audiences to enjoy, from damp leaves in the forest to the aroma of actual porridge being cooked, the show is a treat for all the senses and is particularly suitable for visually impaired children.

There will also be two versions of the show, the standard one for children between three and five and other special performances for toddlers between one and two years-old which will be shorter in length and much more tactile.

Theatre: Once Upon a Fairy Tale at Colour House Theatre, Colliers Wood

Disaster has struck in fairy tale land. The characters have escaped and if they don't return to their books by midnight they will be lost forever!

"It's a modern fairy tale about a little boy called Billy who wants to spend all his time on his computer and not read any books," says the company's owner and producer of the show Laura Page, who also stars in it alongside Orla Mullan and Craig Gordan.

"His mum sends him to his room and he knocks the bookshelf over and all the characters escape.

"The fairy godmother then comes to him and tells him he has to get them all back by midnight or the books will be erased from the shelves.

"He gives in and travels with her to fairy tale land and meets lots of the characters and tries to get them back."

Thursday in Vancouver: Fallen Princesses

They are fairy-tale princesses like you’ve never seen before: Snow White is juggling two babies while her Prince Charming watches television - or Rapunzel sitting forlornly in a hospital room with her long blond wig lying desolate in her lap. Dina Goldstein pokes fun at our love affair with Disney's princesses in Fallen Princesses – poor ladies, it looks like the fairy godmother just up and ditched you… Fallen Princesses at the Buschlen Mowatt Gallery opens tonight (Thursday, October 22) More on Fallen Princesses here.

The Olde World Theatre's Hansel and Gretel

The production also features thunder and lightning, dancing skeletons, atmospheric use of a black light and a general nod in the direction of Halloween by which audience members are encouraged to arrive in costume. Beneath the cottage-industry SFX is the essential tale of two kiddies lost in the woods, which Steine has expanded to include a back-story, plus a focus on family values and a “green” sensitivity about the balance of nature. Lest anyone think Steine’s gone soft on his penchant for tongue-in-cheek humor, he comes through himself in the original role of Baron von Lumber (aka Herr Schnitzel), and there are comic fillips in the script that recall the fun of PeeWee’s Playhouse.

Take a Ride in My Pumpkin

Pumpkins, pumpkins everywhere. It's the season for them, so I thought I'd share some pumpkin carriages, Cinderella-style for a lighthearted Monday entry. This was a quick entry, so no editorials, just imagery. Clicking on an image should take you to the origin sites, all of which I thank for the images.