Leah's Reviews > A Wild Swan: And Other Tales

A Wild Swan: And Other Tales offered more hits than misses, which, for a collection of short stories, equals a successful reading experience for me. This was my first time reading anything by Michael Cunningham and I quite enjoyed how deep he took me inside the characters' minds, hearts and souls. I always say one thing I like retellings to do is add depth to the originals' characters -- Cunningham did exactly that! He also chose the somewhat darker path of the originals -- another favorite of mine.

The retellings were modernized but they weren't drastically different from their originals. So if you're someone who prefers the author make a lot of changes or add a lot of new stuff you may be better off with another collection; for example, The Witch And Other Tales Re-Told by Jean Thompson.

Hmm, if I were threatened with a poisoned apple, I'd have to pick "A Wild Swan" as my favorite of the collection. It retold tales classified within The Maiden Who Seeks Her Brothers such as "The Six Swans" and "The Twelve Brothers," but told from the POV of the twelfth brother who was left with a wing instead of an arm after the enchantment was lifted.

"Little Man," a retelling of Rumpelstiltskin, tugged at my heartstrings. "Steadfast; Tin" offered an honest portrayal of marriage and true happy endings. That one was a tearjerker. "Beasts" had a twist ending. Finally, "Ever/After" was a fitting close to the collection and another story that choked me up with its depiction of real love, family, and happily ever after.

4 stars