"Straw Into Gold" casts Rumpelstiltskin as the hero who helps the miller's daughter see things in a different light. His convoluted plan to acquire a baby doesn't take into account that maybe the miller's daughter and the kindly king aren't as stupid as he assumes they are. In "A Fairly Tale in Bad Taste," Rumpelstiltskin is the villain, a troll with a longing to taste baby flesh. The stories in this collection are her various answers.Įach story tells the same basic tale with variations. Here she describes her difficulties with the story and the questions it raises in her mind. Vande Velde begins with an author's note that is every bit as good as the stories. In six short stories, Vande Velde turns the tale inside out and upside down, and each retelling handily outstrips the original. None of the characters are particularly admirable, and the only one who keeps his word is Rumpelstiltskin himself - and he's hardly a prize.Īpparently Vivian Vande Velde shares my feelings and has even more questions about the tale than I do. Of all the fairy and folk tales in the world, I like "Rumpelstiltskin" the least. Rambles.NET: Vivian Vande Velde, The Rumpelstiltskin Problem Vivian Vande Velde,
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