Status
Available
Call number
Publication
HarperTeen (1900), Paperback, 240 pages
Description
A collection of thirteen interconnected stories that give old fairy tales a new twist.
Media reviews
It would seem impossible to retell such well-known tales in a manner that can make them fresh again, but Donaghue has done it thirteen times. More fascinating still, she's woven them together in such a way that the threads of what I've always known as disparate stories have become whole cloth.
User reviews
LibraryThing member Terpsichoreus
Donoghue combines self-righteous messages with blatantly didactic interior monologues which can only appeal to those already believing everything she says. She spurs no thought which was not already there, and in writing a book which never aspired to art, has done what your average writer does:
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increase the general volume of words in print, and nothing more. A string of random monkey-typed characters would have aided mankind as well. Show Less
LibraryThing member Citizenjoyce
These stories are fairy tales retold from a feminist, lesbian perspective. You will barely recognize Rapunzel, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, the Snow Queen or Rumpelstiltskin, and some of these folk I never heard of; but they are all fascinating. There are no happily ever after endings here, but all
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the characters learn something about life and about the way to live it without needing to be rescued by a prince. Show Less
LibraryThing member AmaliaGavea
‘’There are some tales not for telling, whether because they are too long, too precious, too laughable, too painful, too easy to need telling or too hard to explain.’’
I feel that this quote describes the essence of Donoghue's book in a poignant and clear way. This isn’t a collection of
If you read my reviews, you’ll notice that Emma Donoghue is a writer I swear by. I may sound as a fangirl, but she can do no wrong in my book. Everything I’ve read of her has left me speechless, has moved me beyond words. Her books are in my all-time top 10 and I hereby unashamedly admit I would read her shopping list. She is on a pedestal, along with Jeanette Winterson, Hannah Kent and a few selected others whose books I’d read even if they’d come without front cover, title or synopsis. ‘’Kissing the Witch’’ is a book that contains the best retellings of the most well- known and beloved fairy tales of our childhood. Yes, in Donoghue’s hands a story about 4-5 pages at most becomes better than major retellings struggling to come through out of an entire book of normal length. This is why there are authors who create sentences that enclose the world. The world Donoghue has chosen is the one of fairy tales passed down from generation to generation.
Each story bears the title ‘’The Kiss of…’’. I found the choice of the word ‘’kiss’’ particularly interesting. A kiss is an act of tenderness, affection and love. However, the kiss also carries the connotation of betrayal and treachery, bringing to mind Jesus’ betrayal by Judas with a kiss. So,a kiss is a highly ambiguous symbol. In the book, there are many ‘’kisses’’. The kiss of the Bird, the Rose (a beautiful reimagining of ‘’Beauty and the Beast’’), the Apple, the Handkerchief, the Hair, the Brother, the Spinster, the Skin (a tale as disturbing and dark as it is beautiful), the Needle, the Voice. The story named simply ‘’The Kiss’’ brings us full circle.
Cinderella, Beauty, Aurora, the Goose Girl, the Little Mermaid, Rapunzel, Rumpelstiltskin, all the fairytales we grew up with are present in a volume that talks about Otherness and Alienation. Donoghue uses the legends of the past to show how society transformed women who refused to follow the norms and the rules of patriarchy into witches, monsters, creatures that must be exiled in order not to defile the others and, especially, the younger women. Women who love women and were regarded as ‘’anomalies of nature’’, women who sought justice and revenge, equal opportunities to power and respect for their abilities, women who could heal and help others were brought to scorn, to persecution and, eventually, to a pyre or a noose because they were deemed too dangerous to the foundations of a world built by narrow mindedness and utter lack of education.
The way Donoghue writes is nothing short of astonishing. When I read one of her books, I recognise her voice in the text and yet, each one of her works is so different and so unique. ‘’Kissing the Witch’’ falls into so many categories. Fantasy, Fairytales, LGBT Literature, Feminism. These are not just retellings of the stories of princesses and witches. There are themes under the allegories relevant to the discrepancies against women in the past and in the present. Because, let’s face it. For some people, we’ll never stop being the ‘’evil witches’’ of their own little stories. Of course, they probably don’t know that many of us would carry the title proudly knowing its true meaning…
‘’This is the story you asked for. I leave it in your mouth.’’
I feel that this quote describes the essence of Donoghue's book in a poignant and clear way. This isn’t a collection of
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short stories in the traditional sense of the word. It is a series of tales closely linked to each other. The stories of women who loved, yearned, who were hurt by others, who sought revenge, justice, comfort. Each story is narrated by a woman to the female protagonist of the previous tale and the legends pass from one woman to another. If nothing else, this shows that those we have come to regard as the ‘’good’’ or the ‘’bad’’ characters of a tale are not very different from each other.If you read my reviews, you’ll notice that Emma Donoghue is a writer I swear by. I may sound as a fangirl, but she can do no wrong in my book. Everything I’ve read of her has left me speechless, has moved me beyond words. Her books are in my all-time top 10 and I hereby unashamedly admit I would read her shopping list. She is on a pedestal, along with Jeanette Winterson, Hannah Kent and a few selected others whose books I’d read even if they’d come without front cover, title or synopsis. ‘’Kissing the Witch’’ is a book that contains the best retellings of the most well- known and beloved fairy tales of our childhood. Yes, in Donoghue’s hands a story about 4-5 pages at most becomes better than major retellings struggling to come through out of an entire book of normal length. This is why there are authors who create sentences that enclose the world. The world Donoghue has chosen is the one of fairy tales passed down from generation to generation.
Each story bears the title ‘’The Kiss of…’’. I found the choice of the word ‘’kiss’’ particularly interesting. A kiss is an act of tenderness, affection and love. However, the kiss also carries the connotation of betrayal and treachery, bringing to mind Jesus’ betrayal by Judas with a kiss. So,a kiss is a highly ambiguous symbol. In the book, there are many ‘’kisses’’. The kiss of the Bird, the Rose (a beautiful reimagining of ‘’Beauty and the Beast’’), the Apple, the Handkerchief, the Hair, the Brother, the Spinster, the Skin (a tale as disturbing and dark as it is beautiful), the Needle, the Voice. The story named simply ‘’The Kiss’’ brings us full circle.
Cinderella, Beauty, Aurora, the Goose Girl, the Little Mermaid, Rapunzel, Rumpelstiltskin, all the fairytales we grew up with are present in a volume that talks about Otherness and Alienation. Donoghue uses the legends of the past to show how society transformed women who refused to follow the norms and the rules of patriarchy into witches, monsters, creatures that must be exiled in order not to defile the others and, especially, the younger women. Women who love women and were regarded as ‘’anomalies of nature’’, women who sought justice and revenge, equal opportunities to power and respect for their abilities, women who could heal and help others were brought to scorn, to persecution and, eventually, to a pyre or a noose because they were deemed too dangerous to the foundations of a world built by narrow mindedness and utter lack of education.
The way Donoghue writes is nothing short of astonishing. When I read one of her books, I recognise her voice in the text and yet, each one of her works is so different and so unique. ‘’Kissing the Witch’’ falls into so many categories. Fantasy, Fairytales, LGBT Literature, Feminism. These are not just retellings of the stories of princesses and witches. There are themes under the allegories relevant to the discrepancies against women in the past and in the present. Because, let’s face it. For some people, we’ll never stop being the ‘’evil witches’’ of their own little stories. Of course, they probably don’t know that many of us would carry the title proudly knowing its true meaning…
‘’This is the story you asked for. I leave it in your mouth.’’
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LibraryThing member Redon
I went into this book expecting to thoroughly enjoy it - anything that can be described as a feminist deconstruction of fairy tale tropes is pretty much an automatic purchase for me. Unfortunately, I found myself skimming rather than than reading before long. While Donoghue certainly does twist the
Some of the stories did work for me - I liked The Little Mermaid, which did a better job of weaving its changes through the entire story instead of saving it up for the end, as well as the last story, which was original, I think. Still, while Donoghue has some good observations to make, I would say that this book is mostly for people willing to cover a lot of old ground in getting to the new.
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stories around to address a variety of feminist issues, there's a lot of tedious retreading of the familiar before you get to that point. Donoghue's version of Donkeyskin (also known as Catskin) only deviates from the original in the last two pages or so, and while Cinderella had some differences here and there, the storyline proceeded as always, and it wasn't until the very end that anything really significant occurred. If you're a dedicated fairy tale fan, that's fine, but as for me, I've heard Cinderella so many times that it barely registers any more; it's pretty much the literary equivalent of white noise, and my attention kept wandering. A few of the stories were also too ambiguous for my taste; I really don't know what I was supposed to take away from this rendition of Rumpelstiltskin, for example. Some of the stories did work for me - I liked The Little Mermaid, which did a better job of weaving its changes through the entire story instead of saving it up for the end, as well as the last story, which was original, I think. Still, while Donoghue has some good observations to make, I would say that this book is mostly for people willing to cover a lot of old ground in getting to the new.
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LibraryThing member klack128
I would probably give this 3.5 stars overall. I bumped it up since I couldn't give a half star and the last couple of stories in particular were really excellent. I also really loved the transitions in between each story, linking the woman from the current story to the woman telling the next. It
I really loved this book. I loved the twists on familiar fairy tales, and trying to figure out which story correlated to which fairy tale. I also really appreciated the honesty of each character who told her story. Each of the women telling her tale was flawed--not all good not all evil--and they were all perceived very differently by outsiders than they saw themselves. This was a really refreshing take on fairy tales, full of empowered, real women.
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highlighted this interweaving of lives and the interconnectedness of the female experience, despite the vastly different tales being told. I really loved this book. I loved the twists on familiar fairy tales, and trying to figure out which story correlated to which fairy tale. I also really appreciated the honesty of each character who told her story. Each of the women telling her tale was flawed--not all good not all evil--and they were all perceived very differently by outsiders than they saw themselves. This was a really refreshing take on fairy tales, full of empowered, real women.
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LibraryThing member veevoxvoom
Even though most fairy tales are about women, they are rarely about women. Princesses in fairy tales wait to be rescued and feel passion only for their prince. Even rarer are there complex relationships between women. Emma Donoghue sets out to change this in Kissing the Witch, a collection of
It’s a slim book, easily read in one sitting. But it packs a lot of power. I’m a huge fan of fairy tales and I love to see them redone like this. Donoghue’s writing reminds me of Francesca Lia Block’s; if you like Block and her otherworldly prose, especially in The Rose and the Beast, you will enjoy this. Donoghue’s stories are short and sparse but every word is carefully chosen for its potential. The stories are interwoven too, with one woman calling out to another, asking each other questions, telling each other stories.
There are also lesbian aspects to these stories. Instead of the princess finding the prince, women find each other. I think that’s where Donoghue truly makes her mark. Feminist fairy tales aren’t so uncommon these days but it’s rare to see relationships between women explored like this as opposed to the will and strength of a sole female protagonist. It’s kind of strange to think that by changing the genitals of a few characters one can add such new depth, but Donoghue does. If only by making you realize that a woman can be both Beauty and the Beast.
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thirteen stories that draw on the rhythm and beauty of traditional fairy tales. Except Donoghue takes the age-old stories and reworks them so that the women in them are bright, clever, sad, vicious, real.It’s a slim book, easily read in one sitting. But it packs a lot of power. I’m a huge fan of fairy tales and I love to see them redone like this. Donoghue’s writing reminds me of Francesca Lia Block’s; if you like Block and her otherworldly prose, especially in The Rose and the Beast, you will enjoy this. Donoghue’s stories are short and sparse but every word is carefully chosen for its potential. The stories are interwoven too, with one woman calling out to another, asking each other questions, telling each other stories.
There are also lesbian aspects to these stories. Instead of the princess finding the prince, women find each other. I think that’s where Donoghue truly makes her mark. Feminist fairy tales aren’t so uncommon these days but it’s rare to see relationships between women explored like this as opposed to the will and strength of a sole female protagonist. It’s kind of strange to think that by changing the genitals of a few characters one can add such new depth, but Donoghue does. If only by making you realize that a woman can be both Beauty and the Beast.
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LibraryThing member the_awesome_opossum
The lyrical, simple writing of Kissing the Witch does capture the essence of the oral tradition of the fairy tale, but Donoghue recreates them with a focus on the women. Male characters fade into the background, and it is the women who connect and speak and matter in these stories.
The title implies
The title implies
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that these are all lesbian fairy tales. Technically, they are, but I felt that was just an undertone, not the purpose of the stories. Some of the fairy tales can be a little hit-or-miss, but it was at least an interesting effort. Show Less
LibraryThing member calmclam
Donoghue retells fairy tales with a feminist and lesbian twist: all the stories are about women and female/female relationships of all flavors. It's a quick read and pretty light, but I found it very enjoyable.
LibraryThing member JeremyPreacher
Fairytale retellings with a lesbian slant - not a hard sell for me. Well-written and often thought-provoking, although each story is rather too short and slight to have a great deal of emotional weight.
LibraryThing member JackieCraven
I picked this book up because I was blown away by Donoghue's best-seller, The Room. Of course, this book is something altogether different -- It's a funny, quirky, provocative retelling of traditional fairy tales. I'm stunned by Donoghue's versatility.
LibraryThing member lycomayflower
A collection of stories retelling fairy tales, all with a feminist and/or lesbian theme. Quite well written, though without the wow-factor of, say, Angela Carter's [The Bloody Chamber]. I did really like the way the stories were linked together, with each one picking up the tale of a character
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(often the antagonist) from the previous tale. Mostly the collection makes me want to read other things by Donoghue. Show Less
LibraryThing member the_hag
Kissing the Witch is billed as a collection of “revisionist” fairy tales and I’d say that is pretty accurate. Donoghue gives the reader 13 interconnected stores based on classic fairy stories (Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzel, etc.), each of which as a lesbian twist to each story, which
It’s billed as a young adult selection, but I definitely think Kissing the Witch has broader appeal than that…after all, I thoroughly enjoyed it and I’m 36! Kissing the Witch would make a fine discussion book selection, especially for young women (or young people) dealing with their emerging sexuality…though again, being geared toward the YA audience shouldn’t limit this book as I think adults and especially those who enjoy fairy tale retellings would get a kick out of discussing the stories here with a group, comparing and contrasting to others in this book and to other retellings as well as taking this ripe opportunity to discuss the books message about cultural expectations of women and sexuality. That would be marvelous! This is definitely a keeper and I give it four stars and a round of applause, I’d recommend this in a heartbeat!
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I actually didn’t know when I ordered it (it was recommend to me because I love fairy tale retellings). I particularly liked the way each story led into the next…each with a little poem or ditty that provides some clues to what story you are about to read and gives an glimpse into the woman and who or what she was before the current story! It’s a really nice touch to the retelling of these stories! Besides…who wouldn’t love to read a version of Cinderella where she runs off her fairy godmother at the close of the story? I have to admit, I was a bit concerned when I found out that this book had “lesbian leanings,” but as it runs out, there was not reason to worry at all. The stories are well written, simple clean prose with a dark-erotic tinge, but very little that is overtly sexual and certainly not anything that is vulgar. It’s billed as a young adult selection, but I definitely think Kissing the Witch has broader appeal than that…after all, I thoroughly enjoyed it and I’m 36! Kissing the Witch would make a fine discussion book selection, especially for young women (or young people) dealing with their emerging sexuality…though again, being geared toward the YA audience shouldn’t limit this book as I think adults and especially those who enjoy fairy tale retellings would get a kick out of discussing the stories here with a group, comparing and contrasting to others in this book and to other retellings as well as taking this ripe opportunity to discuss the books message about cultural expectations of women and sexuality. That would be marvelous! This is definitely a keeper and I give it four stars and a round of applause, I’d recommend this in a heartbeat!
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LibraryThing member BrokenTune
"Climbing to the witch’s cave one day, I called out,
Who were you
before you came to live here?
And she said, Will I tell you my own story?
It is a tale of a kiss."
I had heard of Emma Donoghue mostly because people kept talking about her novel Room. This, however, was the first encounter I have had
Kissing the Witch is a clever little book that takes well known fairy tales and tells them from the perspective of different women involved in the stories. Each story is then linked through the characters who each tell their own story.
It's a lovely structure and the book made for captivating reading. After all, Donoghue is a great story-teller. However, if we criticise that fairy tales are in need of modernisation because of the dated stereotypes and gender inequality, then Donoghue's approach is equally flawed. It's an entertaining read but hardly any of the male characters are portrayed as decent human beings. It just doesn't do to try and fight fire with fire - or in this case sexism with sexism.
2.5* really but not rounding up.
Who were you
before you came to live here?
And she said, Will I tell you my own story?
It is a tale of a kiss."
I had heard of Emma Donoghue mostly because people kept talking about her novel Room. This, however, was the first encounter I have had
Show More
with her writing. Kissing the Witch is a clever little book that takes well known fairy tales and tells them from the perspective of different women involved in the stories. Each story is then linked through the characters who each tell their own story.
It's a lovely structure and the book made for captivating reading. After all, Donoghue is a great story-teller. However, if we criticise that fairy tales are in need of modernisation because of the dated stereotypes and gender inequality, then Donoghue's approach is equally flawed. It's an entertaining read but hardly any of the male characters are portrayed as decent human beings. It just doesn't do to try and fight fire with fire - or in this case sexism with sexism.
2.5* really but not rounding up.
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LibraryThing member Salsabrarian
Retelling of fairy tales with lesbian overtones. Suceeding stories are told from the point of view of a female character in the previous story. Variations on Cinderella, Hansel & Gretel, The Snow Witch, and Rapunzel, among others. The voice of the work is as dreamlike fantasy. A little weird at
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first, but more compelling as I went along. Only for mature, gifted readers! Show Less
LibraryThing member DanieXJ
This book by Donoghue is interesting and different. It's not quite a fictional novel with an A plot, B plot and so on, but it's not really a typical collection of short stories either. It's a bit of a combination of both the genres. There's a larger story and you can read it like a novel, but you
The stories themselves are awesome as well. Most of them are pretty recognizable as different versions (some people call them fractured) of the fairy tales we know and love. Others are less well known or barely know, but they all have the rhythm of the common fairy tale. When I read them I could easily hear someone reading the tales out loud.
The writing was great as usual, though there was one story that if I hadn't known exactly which fairy tale it was based on it wouldn't have made quite as much sense.
So far this is my favorite Donoghue book by a long shot. It is different and keeps the reader guessing while also having underlying stories and themes that we grew up with. A great read.
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don't have to, you can also read the stories individually and they're still great.The stories themselves are awesome as well. Most of them are pretty recognizable as different versions (some people call them fractured) of the fairy tales we know and love. Others are less well known or barely know, but they all have the rhythm of the common fairy tale. When I read them I could easily hear someone reading the tales out loud.
The writing was great as usual, though there was one story that if I hadn't known exactly which fairy tale it was based on it wouldn't have made quite as much sense.
So far this is my favorite Donoghue book by a long shot. It is different and keeps the reader guessing while also having underlying stories and themes that we grew up with. A great read.
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LibraryThing member chavala
I read this when it was new and it is one of my favorite books. It is a collection of retellings of well-known fairy tales, which don't always go as you expect them to, with a focus on female roles and relationships. The writing is sublime.
LibraryThing member ainjel
An absolutely phenomenal collection of retellings of various fairy tales, focusing on the feminine characters and problems in femininity they face. Highly recommend for anyone interested in fairy tales and the subversive nature of folklore.
LibraryThing member LoriFox
I enjoyed this interesting collection of fairytales turned upside down, inside out, and sideways. With 13 tales spanning from a shoe to a kiss, they are interwoven in such a way that each introduces the next one that follows. All is not how it seems nor how we’ve been told it was once upon a time
If you like Fairytales, and especially ones that swerve away from the traditional elements, characters, and tellings, then you will certainly like this book, Kissing the Witch: Old Tales in New Skins by Emma Donoghue.
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and far, far away. If you like Fairytales, and especially ones that swerve away from the traditional elements, characters, and tellings, then you will certainly like this book, Kissing the Witch: Old Tales in New Skins by Emma Donoghue.
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LibraryThing member JReynolds1959
These are engaging twists on classic fairy tales. The fun is trying to figure out which ones.
LibraryThing member rosienotrose
I seem to have a tumultuous relationship with Emma Donoghue. I recently read The Pull of the Stars (review of that to follow) and I felt it was time to delve back into her past catalogue. (I read both Room and Astray a number of years ago and enjoyed both).
Kissing The Witch pieces together and
I really enjoyed the first few stories and the twists Donoghue puts on them. The magic she uses is very much earthly bound rather than fantastical and harkens back to traditional folk tales than any Disney version. The stories have a strong feminist slant. I particularly liked in a later story how a witch explains the ‘trick’ behind taking a girl’s voice away. Rather than them being standalone stories the end of one leads to the telling of the next so there is a sense of how all the female protagonists are linked.
However after a while it felt a bit repetitive and I longed for something with a bit more bite to get my teeth into.
This would be a great book to pick up and read each story when you have a few minutes without feeling like you were missing out but you can definitely see how Donoghue’s writing has progressed since this was published in the late 90s.
That said I do very much look forward to getting my hands on her new book Haven.
Kissing The Witch pieces together and
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retells fairytales with a decidedly feminist and often queer take, seemed to be right up my street.I really enjoyed the first few stories and the twists Donoghue puts on them. The magic she uses is very much earthly bound rather than fantastical and harkens back to traditional folk tales than any Disney version. The stories have a strong feminist slant. I particularly liked in a later story how a witch explains the ‘trick’ behind taking a girl’s voice away. Rather than them being standalone stories the end of one leads to the telling of the next so there is a sense of how all the female protagonists are linked.
However after a while it felt a bit repetitive and I longed for something with a bit more bite to get my teeth into.
This would be a great book to pick up and read each story when you have a few minutes without feeling like you were missing out but you can definitely see how Donoghue’s writing has progressed since this was published in the late 90s.
That said I do very much look forward to getting my hands on her new book Haven.
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LibraryThing member wealhtheowwylfing
The book begins with "The Tale of the Shoe," told by Cinderella. Her fairy godmother gives her everything she needs to dance with a prince--but in the end, she realizes she'd rather have the fairy godmother. At Cinderella's urging, the godmother tells her own story, which prompts the next story,
Donoghue's descriptions are sublime, but don't overtake her stories. Probably my favorite of them all is "The Tale of the Kiss," told by the witch from the Little Mermaid story. I love the idea of magic as a social construct!
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and so on. Each short tale is inspired by a fairy tale; each is told by a woman (although some have become birds and horses and witches since then). Some are more revolutionary than ohers: Hansel and Gretel's is great, but Donkeyskin's is almost the same as the original. Donkeyskin's tale is also part of the problem, because the ending of each of these is just a bit too happy for me. Each princess and serving girl comes to contentment in the end, generally with each other. I'd have liked to see a little more dialog and negotiation between each pair (and some pairings are a bit too cross-generational for me, like Snow White and her stepmother, or Rapunzel and her adopted mother), but ah well. It's still a nice change from usual trope in which being queer means you die or go mad. Donoghue's descriptions are sublime, but don't overtake her stories. Probably my favorite of them all is "The Tale of the Kiss," told by the witch from the Little Mermaid story. I love the idea of magic as a social construct!
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LibraryThing member ChicGeekGirl21
It's hard to describe why exactly I love this book so much. The writing is beautiful: simple and dark. The characters merge into one another--mostly women who find a way to save themselves without the help of a handsome prince. Kissing the Witch is completely unpretentious and not very well known,
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but when I read it, something clicked inside me and it's been my favorite book ever since. Show Less
LibraryThing member ZeljanaMaricFerli
I loved the concept of this book much more than the execution. Old fairy tales are weaved one into another, each one with a significant modern twist. However, the novelty got old really quickly and I felt cheated.
It was almost as Donoghue tried too hard to make these stories work. No, just because
It was almost as Donoghue tried too hard to make these stories work. No, just because
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you make a character lesbian doesn't give a story any value. The writing is often too simplistic and the power of the original fairy tales is lost. Show Less
Subjects
Awards
Otherwise Award (Shortlist — 1997)
Language
Original publication date
1997
Physical description
240 p.; 8.13 inches
ISBN
0064407721 / 9780064407724
Local notes
OCLC = 637
Google Books
Google Books