A Rotten Core by Lee Hulme (a review) and some thoughts on fairy tales

So, over the weekend I got to see Snow White and The Huntsman - a film that turned out to be a lot better than I expected it to be and it reminded me of this little collection which I reviewed on Goodreads back in February last year but seem to have missed putting up on here. That is now rectified as I am posting that review on here followed by some thoughts on fairy tales.

First, the goodreads review;

    This collection recalls the fairytales you grew up with but maybe not quite how you remember them. First and foremost of them is a version of Snow White that shows many of the characters in a different light to the one you would have expected. The seven dwarves are all in there along with the step mother, the hunter and Snow herself but this beautifully told tale actually seems more plausible than the Disney version you are most likely to recall.

Among the other stories, my personal favourites were 'Goldilocks and the Three Bears' (best last line in a story for a long time - still makes me chuckle now) and 'Elixir' a tale of the perils of eternal youth.

Also in here you'll find, among others, Narcissus, The Three Little Pigs, A fairy who owns and runs a brothel and mamy more.

A quality collection that will make you think again about the stories you grew up with

Fairy tales are the stories most of us grew up with, the first foray into fiction, the tales that shape our reading future. As a kid the tales are funny, kinda cute at times (3 little pigs building little houses) but when you go back to them as an older person many hold a much darker side. How did we not have screaming nightmares about the wolf dressed up as Grandma or the little girl being chased off by bears. I guess that's just the way the imagination of a child works.

For me, the first story I remember was The Tinderbox by Hans Christian Anderson. The book was on the shelf in our class library back in infant school and I couldn't get enough of it. Reading 'A Rotten Core' made me think about looking up The Tinderbox - and you know what? I still enjoyed it.

So, go grab yourself a copy of A Rotten Core and then, maybe, go back and visit the stories of your childhood days

4.3/10 stars