Zel by Donna Jo Napoli Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Zel
Book Review: Beautiful!
Summary: 5 Stars
Zel was an absolutely beautiful story. I could not put it down. I was rereading it for weeks. Donna Jo Napoli is a master at her craft.Book Review: Deceptively Simple - Deep and Evocative
Summary: 4 Stars
For readers who simply glance over the words and do no reading between the lines, this book will simply read as a fleshed-out fairytale, in which the characters, settings and storylines are given more background and details. For those who take the time to read more luxeriously and deeply, they will find layer upon layer of meaning, symbolism, motivations and psychological breakdown that is simply intoxicating to discover. Underlying all of this is the concept of deep and powerful love, and its conflicting abilities to both nourish and destroy.Set in the mountains of Switzerland in the mid-1500s, Rapunzel "Zel" lives an isolated and innocent existence with her mother in their small farm, finding joy in such simple pleasures as visits into town and her birthday celebrations. But when her mother leaves her at the smithy, Zel comes into contact with her first male influence - the Prince Konrad who is immediatly captivated by her golden hair and pretty face. But if there is one thing that her mother will never allow it is for her most beloved daughter to be taken away from her. As Konrad anguishes away in a hopeless search for his heart's desire, Zel is whisked away from all contact from the human world - to a stone tower deep in the forest, with no way of escape.
The story is told through three viewpoints, that of Rapunzel and the Prince (told in third-person narrative) and of Zel's mother, made more intimate through her speaking directly to the reader. The three stories intertwine in a braid as tight as Rapunzel's hair as they struggle against their own personal desires and the conflicting emotions of those closet to them, and Donna Jo Napoli lays bare the original tale remarkably loyally, while delving deeper into the depths of what makes the three protagonists tick: Konrad's helpless obession with Zel, Zel's desire to please her mother yet follow her own path, and (most fascinating and frightening of all) Zel's mother's terror of loosing that which she loved most, and indeed gave up her very soul for. All the questions that you had when you first heard the 'Rapunzel' fairytale are answered: (how did Rapunzel's hair get so long? Why did the witch lock Rapunzel away? What were the witch's real motivations?), and at the same time we get a deeper look at the tale that we do not expect. I was not entirely fond of the fact that the book was written in present tense (ie - "she goes to the well" instead of "she went to the well"), but I concede it is necessary to pull one right up close to the characters and the decisions/actions they make.
Donna Jo Napoli is a remarkable author, enriching and illuminating this particular fairytale, making each fantasy element seem not quite as impossible as one might think. The glimpses into the nature of love, the abuse of children, the gift of free spirit and the reality of faith are thought-provoking and set off all kinds of discussions. I would also recommend Paul Zelinsky's picture book of "Rapunzel" as a wonderful accomplice to this book - although his is set in Italy, it too creates a deep and beautiful retelling of "Rapunzel" that we have not heard before.
Book Review: Disapionting
Summary: 3 Stars
After reading so many takes on different fairy tales, this one was disapionting. This book is probably ment for early teens and I do not believe anyone older than 14 would enjoy it. I found that this book did not go into much depth and since this is my favorite story I guess I could be slightly prejudice. Even though very well written, there was not enough creativity and I was looking for more.Book Review: Enchanting
Summary: 4 Stars
I respect Ms. Napoli for her incredible and stunning ability to recreate fairy tales, and she does another marvelous job of it here in this story of the familiar tale of "Rapunzel". Napoli turns stories on her head without shifting the plot, and it is fascinating to see the multiple perspectives of the fairy tale's multiple characters. I know it's the in-thing to disect fairy tale heroes' characteristics, but it never ceases to fascinate me, and Napolie makes sure the usual flat citizens of Grimm are given full, understandable personalities and motives--even if we don't like them or agree them. Hey, that is a good chunck of the charm.
Each character's point of view almost becomes a story in itself, intertwining with the others until we have a completed picture of the events of Rapunzel. Incidents and themes bounce across lives and are echoed in the tale of another. Napoli painted a marvelous medieval world that still has a proper sense of fairy tale fantasy with the psycholgy to flesh it out.
I'm mostly a fan of Napoli's writing. It is soft, observant, and always focuses on the characters rather than the setting--or at least makes the setting a character as well.
This is a great read for all fairy tale fans.
Book Review: Enchanting and unique
Summary: 5 Stars
I just finished this book yesterday and I thought it was very good! The researched setting is realistic yet with magical elements, and the characters have strong, vivid emotions. There was no rambling, the sentences were to the point. This retelling of Rapunzel is very unique, and I loved the character Zel. You can see Zel mature as the book progresses, the words and emotions change beautifully. There were some odd moments, but overall I loved this book.