”Blow, blow, thou gentle wind I say…Until I have braided all my hair,And bound it up again.”- The Goose GirlSetting:The Kingdom of Bayern; no specific time period given.Cover Thoughts?:I like the old painting vice I’m getting from this, especiallt with the ceracks added to it. And while I do indeed like this version, I actually like the paperback version a bit better. But that may be because I’m partial to anything that has sparkles on it. Plot:Princess Anidori-Kiladra Talianna Isilee of the Bayern kingdom has a special gift; she can talk to the animals. No joke. Skills honed by her aunt, she’s able to form special bonds and connections with creatures of all sizes and shapes, particularly her beloved stallion Falada, whose name she heard when he was first born, the first word he ever spoke. Her connections with people, on the other hand leave something to be desired. So when her mother arranges a marriage between her and the crown Prince from Bayern, she’s less than thrilled. But things quickly go from bad to worse when her handmaiden Selia betrays her, turns her whole posse against her, and disguises herself as the princess so she can become queen herself. Desperate to stop her before things too far, Ani disguises herself and gets a job as a goose girl. Will she be able to stop Selia before it’s too late? Or will her cover be blown before she has the chance?What a cute read! A retelling of The Brother’s Grimm fairy tale “The Goose Girl”, I thought that this book was mainly delightful to read. It’s what I wanted from a fairy-tale retelling; just enough differences to make the story original on its own. Shannon Hale managed to take a six page story and expand and transform it to please modern audiences today, all while staying true to the original tale. Not many authors who write retellings are able to both equally well, but Mrs. Hale does just that. Characters:Poor Ani never was much of a people person. She’s one of those honey badgers that likes to do her own thing, and thinks animals are better than people. But when the time comes and she must show her courage, she does so skillfully. I will admit that there were times that her personality and those around her made her veer slightly towards being a Special Snowflake, My favorite character though was Enna. She becomes friends with Ani during her time as the goose Girl, and unlike Selia, she remain steadfastly loyal through thick and thin, even though she doesn’t get much page time. Thankfully, she’s getting a sequel, so that’s a plus! Pros:I thought the writing style was well-done, and the added details to an otherwise slight fairy tale were magnificent. Cons:I found myself skimming through the last quarter of the novel. While the writing as a whole was compulsively readable, Hale tends to be a bit overly descriptive in while writing long passages. This made for some yawn inducing moments. Another thing that I didn’t like was the fact that some of the plot lines, although they may have seemed plausible at the time, were simply not necessary for the story to move forward, I felt. The other con is not necessarily a con (if you get my meaning), but if you’re wanting to go into this book completely blind, DO NOT READ THE ORIGINAL FAIRY TALE. You’ll get spoiled for the entire story. But if you don’t mind that fact, then don’t worry about it! Love Triangle?:Nope!Instalove?:Nope!A Little Romance?: ”They finished laughing and caught their breaths, and looked at each other, and Ani thought Geric looked at her too long, as though he forgot he was looking, as though he did not wish to do anything else.” Ani and Geric’s romance is a slow burn, but that’s possibly because they don’t know who the other is in the first place. And while it’s not given a whole lot of page time (not enough to judge accurately the adorableness level), from what I read it was cute enough. Just like the book itselfConclusion:A wonderful, masterful retelling of one of the Brother’s Grimm’s lesser known tales. A strong debut, even though I thought some parts were unnecessary. If you’re looking for an enchanting, heartwarming fairy-tale retelling, I would definitely recommend this book. Read This!:Enna Burning, River Secrets, and Forest Born, if you wish to continue the series.
I really feel like I am missing something--or, at least, whatever the agents, editors, and legions of Shannon Hale fans found so fabulous about this debut novel that launched her successful career, including two sequels to this book. Given all the fanfare about Hale, I was sorely disappointed in this novel. The premise is interesting, and the opening chapters are breathtaking. No doubt about it, Hale can write some gorgeous prose, and the story sparkled with possibilities. However, the characters and plot just didn't really develop, in my opinion. It's hard to say much without creating spoilers, so I will say only that I think that, in Hale's mind, Ani (the Goose Girl) developed and grew and changed and came into her own a lot more than was apparent to me. The secondary characters, for the most part, seemed one-dimensional. I was also disappointed in the seeming lack of use of Ani's ability to talk with geese, etc. I guess it just promised a lot, and every time I'd start a chapter I would think, oh, yes, here we go, NOW we are going to flesh out so-and-so character or NOW we are going to see the fruition of Plot Point A...but, no--instead we'd get some repetition of other points. Like a flower bud, there was all the potential but then it never really blossomed. Perhaps since this was Hale's debut novel, she has honed her skills--indeed, I would suspect so since she has since won the Newbery Honor Award. This just reminded me of a first draft of a talented author's novel--it's all clear in the author's head and she thinks she is developing the points well enough, or perhaps really wants to make one point clear and then focuses on that to the point of exhausting it to the detriment of other points. It's not a bad story--I enjoyed it well enough, but I found myself bored and frustrated more times than I was pleased and engrossed. Even so, I think Hale does have a way with words and I will look forward to reading one of her more recent works to enjoy what I imagine will be a more maturely developed story.NOTE OF CAUTION: Although this story is very old-fashioned and seemingly innocent, parents and sensitive readers should be advised that there are a few passages that quite surprised me with their violence--one involving an animal killing and another a story that touches upon rape of village women. It's still a very PG-13 sort, but even so it seemed grossly out of place in this tale.
What do You think about The Goose Girl (2005)?
I thought that this was a sweet book. I learned from this book that often times it's easier for people to be their best self if unrealistic expectations aren't on them.Ani was born the first princess of Kildenree. She didn't open her eyes for 3 days until her Aunt came and sung songs and told stories of the old days when people could talk with the animals and some even with the elements. She spends her time with her Aunt and learns to speak with the swans and other birds. Her mother dislikes thi
—Jamie
While I have read a few books by Shannon Hale before (Book of a Thousand Days and Austenland), I was truly blown away by The Goose Girl. Hale took a simple Brothers Grimm fairy tale, and created a fully realized world around that structure, truly making it her own.Shannon Hale's writing is lush and gorgeous, filled with stunning, vivid descriptions. Both Kildenree and Bayern become vivid, real places under her pen, and the simplest descriptions of forest trees or flowers bloom to life. On multiple occasions through the course of this audiobook, I actually stopped, paused my iPod, and thought over the phrase that I had just heard, marveling how a simple decision of word choice and word order managed to paint such a scene in my mind.I wish I had read this book when I was in middle school. Ani is a strong, determined female character, one who saves two kingdoms from war and also manages to thwart a cadre of men and a devious 'friend' scheming to take her life. Yet she's unsure of herself, shaky in her self-belief, and not at all confident that her meager powers are enough to allow her to either fit in or triumph over the forces pushing against her. It is quite refreshing to witness a character express that lack of confidence and to see a loner gradually opening up to people around her and finding a place in a world that welcomes her, exactly as she is. The fourteen year old me who was so anxious about acceptance would have found a kindred spirit in Ani.One of Hale's strengths in this book is pacing, as the action never drags, yet we still witness quiet moments of Ani settling in, exploring, and finding her place in her new environment and new role as a Goose Girl. On the surface, the plot of this books seems as if it should be so simple: Mutiny occurs, Ani becomes a Goose Girl, Ani regains her crown. As easy as one, two, three. Yet so much more happens within the lines of this novel, as twists and turns, complications and missteps occur, leading Ani to test her strength in new ways and to form new relationships. In addition to Ani, the supporting characters are quite well-developed and three-dimensional. I was especially impressed with the character of Conrad, the Goose Boy whose jealousy of Ani's popularity with the fellow child laborers leads to unforeseen consequences. This character could so easily have slipped into the token antagonist role, yet Hale managed to make his motives complex and relatable. The villians, most notably Selia and Ungolad, are menacing, yet appear in the flesh rarely. Hale uses the threat of their plots and Ani's fear to great effect, creating a sense of foreboding throughout the story.The Goose Girl was my first experience with an audiobook produced by Full Cast Audio, which used multiple actors to play various roles, rather than just one narrator taking on the voices of all the novel's characters. The result is a lush, fully realized production that feels more like hearing a stage production of a story than listening to an audiobook. The music is interspersed at the perfect moments, with lilting tunes accompanying Ani's communion with nature and animals, and tones of foreboding announcing the approach of danger. The main narrator Cynthia Bishop's voice is authoritative and commanding, grabbing the listener's attention and blazing a path through Hale's tale. Erica Lustig, the voice of Ani, has a sweet, melodious voice, one that seems ideal for communication with both nature and animals. Her intonation, while slightly timid, is able to gain enough strength to depict Ani's transformation in the last half of the novel. I was also impressed with the work of Emily Holgate, the voice of Enna. Holgate perfectly portrays the strong, assertive character whose support and friendship gives Ani the courage to forge ahead and the acceptance to be herself.I am looking forward to continuing with the next book in Shannon Hale's Books of Bayern series, Enna Burning. I would hand this to fans of Robin McKinley, Tamora Pierce, or Gail Carson Levine.
—Jen Petro-Roy
Ronyell wrote: "Glad you enjoyed this book! I loved the Goose Girl too! I got to read the next books in this series!"I did enjoy it. All I have left is the last book now.
—Stephanie
