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Rating: 
Summary: Pretty good, but not her best
Review: I admit that I know Patricia C. Wrede from her Enchanted Forest Chronicles and "Book of Enchantments," which are for young adults and usually supposed to be humorous, neither of which applies to "Snow White and Rose Red." But I have glimpsed her ability to be a serious writer in such short stories as "Earthwitch" and "Stronger Than Time" (in "BoE"), and this is not Wrede at her best.Granted, the book is involving. I read far later into the night than I had planned. The plot is engaging and understandable, and the characters likable enough (well, the ones who were supposed to be likable, anyway). Wrede also does a good job of adapting the fairy tale and giving characters motivation. The problems arose after I had finished the book. I felt that the character we got to know best was John, the older Faerie prince, and not Blanche or Rosamund, the supposed main characters. In fact, I felt that the sisters, despite their supposedly different personalities, were indistinguishable; Wrede never really gave either one their own point of view. And why did they look like they were 30 on the cover, when in the book they are 16 and 18? I also wish I knew more about the Widow Arden -- Wrede could have expanded on her background just a little bit more and given us a much more complete understanding of her character. Why did she fear being accused of witchcraft so much? (Yes, yes, she didn't want to be hanged. But her dread was so deep-seated. Had she seen someone hanged when she was young? Had her mother instilled it in her?) Who was her husband? What was his downfall? Why had it left them in ruins? The rules of magic were also hard to follow. Faerie magic was clarified well (in some ways it was the most intriguing part of the story), but not "mortal magic." Why did incantations work? Why were herbs sometimes magic and sometimes not? How did their potions work? The structure of the book was confusing at the beginning. We are barraged with five different viewpoints in the first chapter! The world and characters aren't familiar enough yet for that. Later on they are handled better. Finally, the Elizabethan English, while correct, was still distracting. Yes, it put me in the world of the characters; but then Wrede's modern English narration yanked me back out again. When the reader is constantly reminded of the words s/he's reading instead of the story, it's not very smooth. For a better example of handling two cultures, multiple viewpoints, and a new twist on an old fairy tale, read Orson Scott Card's "Enchantment."
Rating: 
Summary: Snow White and Rose Red
Review: I had this book when I was a kid, and I loved it. I enjoyed the spin that this story put on the original fairy tale. I seem to remember another book that was a collection of fairy tale stories with the same type of concept. I recommend this book and, if you can find it, the collection to anyone with a child and to anyone who just wants to relive their favorite fairy tales with a twist.
Rating:
Summary: Snow White and Rose Red
Review: I had this book when I was a kid, and I loved it. I enjoyed the spin that this story put on the original fairy tale. I seem to remember another book that was a collection of fairy tale stories with the same type of concept. I recommend this book and, if you can find it, the collection to anyone with a child and to anyone who just wants to relive their favorite fairy tales with a twist.
Rating: 
Summary: I finally found it!
Review: I read this book several years ago at the library, and then could not for the life of me find it again. I've just ordered a used one, however, and couldn't be happier. I love re-told fairy tales, and this is definintly a good one. Patricia Wrede is a wonderful author when she's serious, and hysterical when she's not (ex. Enchanted Forest Chronicles), and this is a fine example of the former.
Rating:
Summary: Snow White and Red Rose
Review: I think that this is a great and enchanting book!Once I started reading it, I couldnt put it down- I definitly recomend it to those of you who havnt read it yet...
Rating:
Summary: Please, re-release this book!
Review: I was curious about this book, since I loved the Enchanted Forest Chronicles so much, and also because I had read Jane Yolen's Briar Rose, another book from the Fairy Tale series. Finally, after frantic searching online to buy it (where the cheapest copy of this book I could find was an expensive poor copy of the book, and I don't really like spending lots of money on paperbacks), I found this book in my local library, and read it. It wasn't as good as Dealing with Dragons or the other books that I have read by Patricia C. Wrede, but it was still good. I had never heard the fairy tale of Snow White AND Rose Red, so I was a little confused (I was thinking that it would be like the Disney movie of Snow White). Wrede summarized the true fairy tale bit by bit before each chapter. It wasn't really a modern-day telling of the fairy tale, like Briar Rose was, but just a retelling. Wrede tried to use archaic language (lots of thee's and thou's), and that slowed down the story. That is my only complaint about the book. I am hoping that eventually this book will be rereleased so I can add it to my collection of the Fairy Tale Series, or maybe that I'll find a copy of it used for cheap, but I'm glad I read it. It wasn't as good as I hoped, but it was still okay. If you want a better Wrede book, read the Enchanted Forest Chronicles, or try reading Briar Rose by Jane Yolen.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful retelling of old fairy tale
Review: This was the first book by Ms. Wrede that I ever read. I enjoyed the characters, setting, and use of real people. I also enjoyed the elements from the original that she kept and how she incorporated them into her version. A very satisfying read.
Rating:
Summary: A quiet tale of enchantment and faerie
Review: This was the first of Terry Windling's "Fairy Tale" series, and one of the best. It is a retelling of the Grimm tale of the same name, but set in part of Elizabethan England that borders on the realms of faerie. Its writing is quiet and unassuming, but the story and characters are enchanting. This is a perfect book for reading on a winter night, in front of a fireplace, perhaps with a cat curled up in your lap. Patricia Wrede is one of the most charming authors of modern fantasy, though she is often underappreciated.
Rating:
Summary: Enchanting!
Review: This was the first of Terry Windling's "Fairy Tale" series, and one of the best. It is a retelling of the Grimm tale of the same name, but set in part of Elizabethan England that borders on the realms of faerie. Its writing is quiet and unassuming, but the story and characters are enchanting. This is a perfect book for reading on a winter night, in front of a fireplace, perhaps with a cat curled up in your lap. Patricia Wrede is one of the most charming authors of modern fantasy, though she is often underappreciated.
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