The Girl With Glass Feet - Review

Strange things are happening on the remote archipelago of St Hauda's Land. Unusual winged creatures flit around icy bogland; albino animals hide in the snow-glazed woods; jellyfish glow in the ocean's depths… and Ida Maclaird is turning into glass.

The Girl With Glass Feet

The premise:
We're introduced to St. Hauda's Land in the coldest season and at first glance it seems this is a place where Winter rules all. The land is icy and snowbound, the guarded people forced together by the black sea surrounding it and the mysteries contained within. The boglands are harsh and lend themselves to ghost-sightings, though whether they're real or imaginary, most are reluctant to find out.

"Would you believe there are glass bodies here, hidden in the bog water?" Henry Fuwa says to mainlander Ida Mclaird, in a brief and very odd exchange.

It's something she dismisses as one stranger's delirious ramblings until her own feet begin to turn to glass. She returns to St. Hauda's determined to find Henry and some answers. But there's much more to the monochrome land, and it's people, than first meets the eye. Even with the reluctant help of a young local photographer named Midas, Ida finds more questions than answers, and, as the glass creeps up her ankles, it's apparent time is running out.

Illustration by Ali Shaw of St. Hauda's Land

Review:
Note: As this is a fairy tale themed blog I'll be focusing on the folk/fairy tale and mythic aspects of the novel.

Quite simply, I loved this book, not the least because it's all about transformation. It was an unexpected pleasure of magical realism interwoven with a touching and resonant love story*. The fantastical elements were so deftly handled it felt completely believable. While I was reading, the weather was cold and snow-filled and it wasn't a stretch to feel you could look out the window and catch a glimpse of the elusive creature who "turns everything she looks at pure white". Other creatures and phenomena are revealed so naturally you're drawn in to accept their reality without question, which in turn brings you to appreciate this harsh yet wondrous land. This is a story which just happens to have fantastic aspects. You don't need to like fantasy or fairy tales to enjoy this book.

A moth-winged bull by Ali Shaw

The fairy tale of this novel is very 'old world' in that it's not focused on the magic, nor on the happily-ever-after but instead on the people and the individual journeys they take - some more successful than others. A parallel could be made with Cinderella, considering the 'permanent' glass slipper and the ticking clock but I feel this fairy tale deserves it's own consideration apart from that story type. If anything, "The Girl With Glass Feet" seems to have a closer relation to Snow Maiden stories or Orpheus & Eurydice. Despite those parallels and the bleakness of the land and circumstances (for more than just Ida and Midas) there's a very real sense of hope and a blooming of life, something mirrored by the lovely little moth-winged cattle that share one of the most symbolic and touching scenes in the book.
It's apparent Mr. Shaw reads and loves the old fairy tales (something that was confirmed by visiting his blog, in which he discusses some of his favorites and shares the lovely sketches he's been inspired to draw, some of which are shown in this post). "The Girl With Glass Feet" draws on European fairy tales (as well as possibly some Inuit legends) and is infused with fantastic renderings that have as much believability as they had in the pre-mechanized past when everyday tasks and rituals allowed for the reality of such creatures and happenings.

Click Ali Shaw's sketch to go to his blog

The writing itself is lovely; an impressive debut with a wonderfully unique way of using words that's a pleasure to read. Told mainly from the point of view of Midas and Ida, the point of view changes within chapters (and sometimes paragraphs) were unexpected but I felt it worked for the most part, rarely pulling me out of the story (some were, in fact, humorous and/or wonderfully refreshing). I usually find such 'head-hopping' very distracting but the fluidity of storytelling remained in general. There are many relational intricacies between the many characters, including Midas' parents (one deceased and one not), Ida's parents and more. Overall they're well handled and interwoven. If anything bothered me it was possibly a little too much backstory on some of the more minor characters, making me impatient to get back to the ticking clock on Midas and Ida. This is forgivable though as all the characters felt very real. Even the descriptions of the locations had such variety and life, the land itself seemed alive and a character in its own right, with its own story.
There are many other reviews cropping up at present so I won't go into too much more detail except to say the book is full of deliberate contrasts which play off of each other beautifully (such as the lively Ida slowly turning to glass while Midas, who has stayed safely behind the glass lens of his camera, learns to embrace life). I love the symbolism used throughout, which doesn't feel at all heavy-handed (I'll let you to discover your own connections). The heart of the land and the hearts of the people living in it are juxtaposed to great effect while always there's the sense of water all around, moving everything and everyone along in the story. Even the prose has a very fluid feel to it with the words flowing beautifully and unpredictably, taking you to places you wouldn't expect.

Illustration by Ali Shaw for his blog post on The Nixie in the Millpond

I liked that reasons weren't given for every phenomena and that some things were left unexplained. There were enough depths and textures given that you could create your own theories if you thought about it but it also felt very fairy tale-like to have things just 'be' without dissection. I found the ending touching, completely satisfying and thought it finished with just the right amount of denouement.

If this is the only book Mr. Shaw writes**, it's a great one to have written. It's already gathering honorable mentions and being placed on the long and short lists for awards. I wouldn't be surprised if it becomes a movie one day, it has that sort of feel to it, reminding me of both Gabriel Garcia Marquez's books and "Snow Falling On Cedars".

Author Ali Shaw

Summary:
"The Girl With Glass Feet" is a magical, transformative story, full of an 'old world' fairy tale sense, contrasting wonder with bleakness, both in landscape and in circumstance. This book was such a joy to read - a true winter fairy tale that doesn't shy away from the pain and sadness of an imperfect world yet still shines with the hope of a coming sun.

Rating:
5 stars - excellent. Highly recommended.

Other reviews of "The Girl With Glass Feet" by fairy tale sites:
Folk and Fairy
Supernatural Fairy Tales
Cabinet Des Feés

* This isn't a romance per say but it is very much in keeping with how romantic love is portrayed in fairy tales - that is, truly, both in pain and in joy. There is more than one love story in this book and the others neatly serve to underscore the truth of the main, developing, love story between Ida and Midas.
** Ali Shaw is currently at work on his second novel.

Irish Fairy Tale Film "Ondine" Coming Soon - 1st Trailer

It won't be here in time for Valentine's Day but there's a fairy tale romantic movie coming our way.

The new film, "Ondine", (coming to theaters possibly as early as June this year), stars Colin Farrell and is directed by veteran director Neil Jordan. The movie's story has much in common with both "The Little Mermaid" & water nymph fairy tales as well as the ballet (which is based on the fairy tale novel "Undine" by Friedrich de la Motte Fouqué, which in turn was based on various folktales). You can read more about Motte Fouqué's story HERE, the plot of which is now usually considered a fairy tale in its own right.
From FirstShowing.net:

Written and directed by Neil Jordan (of The Crying Game, Interview with the Vampire, The Brave One), Ondine is a lyrical modern fairy tale that tells the story of Syracuse (Colin Farrell), an Irish fisherman whose life is transformed when he catches a beautiful and mysterious woman (Alicja Bachleda) in his nets. His daughter Annie comes to believe that the woman is a magical creature, while Syracuse falls helplessly in love. However, like all fairy tales, enchantment and darkness go hand in hand. A story of love, hope and the unwavering belief in the impossible. Magnolia is distributing in the US but hasn't set a release date yet.

Here's a little more about the movie (and the making of it) from TheStar.com's interview with director Neil Jordan:

The importance of imagination and the challenges of creating a fairy tale in a less than magical environment were the main themes of an afternoon press conversation for the film Ondine.

The movie, directed by Neil Jordan and starring Colin Farrell, is about an Irish fisherman who finds a young woman in his net who he believes is a mermaid.

"I went back to Ireland and just had this image of a fisherman who had caught a girl in his net and it was a very captivating image," said Jordan.

He added, "People need a sense of fantasy in their lives to be able to live."

Jordan said he wanted to make the film reflect the "reality," of working life for many people in Ireland, but still create a sense of magic.

"The fairy tale romps into peoples lives, but turns out to be based incredibly in reality," he said. "In a strange way, reality is its own fairy tale."

Here's some notes on writing the screenplay from Jordan via FlicksNews:

During the Writer's Strike a Hollywood project fell through - Heart Shaped Box. I went back to Ireland where I have a house in West Cork and wrote this fairy tale, which could shoot entirely within a radius of five miles from where I live. About a fisherman, who pulled up a living girl in his net. His disabled daughter, who invented stories about her. These stories feed on local legends - sea creatures, seal creatures, selkies. How they only have a certain time on land. How they fall in love with their rescuer. How they can make a wish come true. How the sea always calls them back.

Much of what the girl invents turns out to be true, but never in ways she expected. The whole thing develops into an impossibly romantic love story, in which real human beings insist on turning their lives into a fairy tale. Because reality is too hard, maybe. Because that is what we love to do, have to do, maybe…

Not just fairy-tale based but described as 'a fairy tale', it appears to be a story of the older, folktale type, rather than the pop-culture type and a well layered, romantic story. (Yay!)

The fairy tale of Ondine has mainly been kept in people's memory by two treatments:

1) Arthur Rackham's incredibly gorgeous illustrations of the fairy tale (see some of them below)

2) The ballet "Ondine", made even more popular by the legendary British prima ballerina assoluta Margot Fonteyn for whom it was a signature role (even when she was dancing in her 60's - see a couple of pics below).

You can also see some gorgeous images from the underwater photo shoot for a recent production by The Royal Ballet in one of my previous posts HERE.

A lesser known Broadway production also helped the story stay in the popular consciousness though - especially when Audrey Hepburn played the role of the water nymph, Ondine. Here are some promotional photos taken for the production:

The movie sounds very promising and is getting positive reviews, having been shown on the Indie film circuit. Word is, even if you're not a Colin Farrell fan, it's worth a look. It's attracting critical attention and has already garnered multiple nominations for the seventh IFTA's (Irish Film & Television Awards).

Here's the first trailer (it should be noted that the film does NOT turn into a thriller or horror as the trailer seems to imply- the film is primarily a romance and a study in hope, with a good dose of mystery):

I'm definitely looking forward to this film.

Lilliputian Brides and Grooms

NOTE: In honor of the upcoming Valentine's Day I'm going to post a few fairy tale romance related posts in the next week. There are also some blogs with wonderful fairy tale themed romance posts right now too.

1) Supernatural Fairy Tales has an awesome line-up for the month with movies, reviews, stories and more - all on the fairy tale love theme.
2) Heidi has just announced the SurLaLune Blog will be having a fairy tale romance week too and I'm really looking forward to seeing what she has to show us.

Fairy tales have a lot to teach us about true love - and I'm not talking about love-at-first-sight, though there's that too, along with consequences! - so Valentine's Day is a good time to focus on this aspect and find the good stuff normally overlooked (it's not ALL about happily-ever-after, or at least, not in the way many people think. ;)

It appears there's a new-ish trend in Asian wedding photography: using false perspective in wedding photos to turn brides into Thumbelinas and grooms into Tom Thumbs.

Via Trendhunter:

Girls are always dreaming of a fairytale wedding, and false perspective wedding photos are a way to weave a fairytale-like story through art.

Here's a different couple - the photography isn't quite as good in quality but the photos are still lovely, fun and memorable:

Stylish, sweet and humorous. I love it!

King of the Elves Canceled, Snow Queen Canceled, Rapunzel Getting A Name Change - What's Happening at Disney?

Looks like Disney Feature Animation is having second thoughts about a lot of things right now. Here's a summary:

"King of the Elves", a CG feature that's been on the Disney Animation projects' site for a while, quietly disappeared at the end of last year. (See HERE for a discussion on KotE - there's also discussion on the "Snow Queen" thread linked to below.)

Rumors of "Snow Queen" getting the axe (again) surfaced on February 3rd and seem to be confirmed now (see this enormous forum discussion - lots pages/entries - following the announcement of SQ getting greenlit, then cut HERE, as well as the TAG blog HERE, though I can't find the reference in a quick search.) This is despite a very recent public confirmation in early December 2009 by Disney Producer Peter del Vecho that "Snow Queen" was to be the next hand-drawn feature after the Pooh movie (see my post HERE).

And, also surfacing on February 3rd, it appears "Rapunzel" may be about to have (another) name change, though it should be noted, insiders are quick to say "Rapunzel" has always been a working title. See above for the initial change. (See HERE for the article.)

No official sword from the Mouse House on any of these yet but we're unlikely to hear anything official about the cancellations. Regarding the name change we should know in the next few months.

You, like many others, may be asking why? (Or: "WHY?!") Because there's no official, announcement reasons are vague and can only be considered rumors at this stage (even when information seems to be coming from the inside).King of the Elves disappeared very quietly and as not much information was released about the project in the first place there doesn't seem to be much discussion on the subject.

Snow Queen, on the other hand, has been getting a lot of attention by Disney watchers. From what I'm reading, many people picked up Hans Christian Andersen's story to read for the first time when Disney announced it was the next 2D project less than two months ago. Skepticism turned to excitement in the potential of the story, especially for animation, so the main rumor that Disney couldn't settle on a story approach have left people with their jaws dropped in shock. (Stay tuned for some glimpses at past attempts in the next few posts.)

The "Rapunzel" name change seems to be a reaction to 'too many girly pictures' and an attempt to attract more boys to the film/Disney product. Initially titled "Rapunzel Unbraided" then changed to just "Rapunzel" the proposed names take a different approach. The current possibilities are: "The Thief and the Tower", "The Hidden Tower" or perhaps even "Tangle" or "The Switch", though the last name may something else altogether.
There seems to be concern about Disney only being about fairy tales (again) and that there are already too many 'Princess pictures' in a row. The other factor, especially in SQ's cancellation, seems to be how "Princess and the Frog" 'underperformed' at the box office (read, it wasn't a blockbuster like "Avatar", though the current earnings would be considered an outstanding success by most film companies).

So what's next?

The answer to that is barely anything. "Rapunzel" will still be released and after that is a "Winnie the Pooh" feature. "Ramayana" has been bandied about for a while as a possible project and I read that it's mentioned in the introduction of the book "The Art of the Princess and the Frog", something I can't confirm as I haven't read the book yet myself. After that, nothing is confirmed or even rumored anymore. "The Ballad of Nessie" still remains on the shorts project list but this means not only are no more fairy tales planned and no more 2D but that a whole lot of people just lost their jobs. If Enchanted 2 wants animators (see my post earlier in the week HERE) there are a LOT to choose from this week!

Ramayana Concept Art
by Hans Bacher

Regarding the future of animated fairy tale films, not just by Disney, the response to "Rapunzel" will be telling but possibly not as much as when Pixar release their first fairy tale "The Bear and the Bow" (see my post on the exciting sounding movie HERE), which has a very different approach (ie. not a musical princess film).

If I find out any updates you can be certain I will post them.

Sequel to Disney's Enchanted In The Works

The big news yesterday, courtesy of Variety, was that Disney has finally* greenlit a sequel to the animation/live action combo hit "Enchanted" AND that they'd like it to hit theaters as early as next year. (Can I get a yikes from anyone who's worked in Production?)

Choreographer-turned-director Anne Fletcher is confirmed as attached to the project (she's been busy with successful films such as "27 Dresses", "Step Up" and "The Proposal") with the writer, Jessie Nelson, already reportedly working on penning the next chapter in Giselle's life as wife and mother (Giselle was the animated heroine who was banished from Andalasia to present-day New York and became real, played by Amy Adams).
The plan is to bring back the entire cast for the sequel, though it seems the challenge will be working around Amy Adams (who is popularly considered to be the crucial cast member in making the sequel work) as she's getting ready to have her first baby. To get the film into theaters next year they'll need to begin filming as soon as possible this year. No word on whether there will be any animation, though I can't imagine they could include very much, if any, on this current schedule (though there are plenty of out-of-work animators to choose from right now if they needed to assemble a crew - hint, hint Disney!).
* I say 'finally' because it was a huge box office/financial success in 2007 so a sequel has been expected ever since.

Hermés Dresses Karlie Kloss in Fairy Tales

For their Spring 2010 collection Hermés Paris have chosen a fairy tale theme. Photographer Paolo Roversi shot the currently 'hot' model, Karlie Kloss, in what appears to be Greece (or the Greek Islands) with quite a fresh approach to the theme. The men's campaign also draws on fairy tales (a couple of pics of which you can see HERE if you scroll down the page).Karlie is dressed as Cinderella, Alice (having tea), the Genie of the lamp, the Little Mermaid and the Princess (who managed to sleep despite the pea!). I'm not sure about the headshot with the flowers but it puts me in mind of Tinkerbell.

What a lovely campaign.