Neil Gaiman's Snow, Glass, Apples

I’ve started reading some Neil Gaiman stuff recently and thus read the collaboration of Gaiman/Doran in the book Troll Bridge. Colleen Doran is an incredibly talented artist and I checked out her web site and saw she was illustrating another Gaiman story, this one, and her posting of the cover was enough to get me to preorder. I currently have both the physical book and the E-Books edition and recommend both highly as this 5 star review would indicate.Based on a few negative comments I’ve seen here, let me say this: if all you want is the Gaiman story it is easily available elsewhere. It is a short story, included with the aforementioned Troll Bridge and a couple of dozen other short stories in a book titled “Smoke and Mirrors (and available here on Amazon). It has also been released as a “radio play” which you can find on the internet for free. The “radio play” version stars Bebe Neuwirth, the actress who played Lilith, Frazier’s wife on Cheers. It is quite good and I recommend seeking it out.So the reason to purchase this book is Colleen Doran’s art. Ms Doran says her inspiration for the art style in which she illustrated this story is a book illustrator and stained glass artist named Harry Clarke, a man who worked in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries. If you Google the name you will see that this is no doubt so, though I have to say that when I first saw her cover for this book my immediate thought was “Kay Nielsen”, another artist of that period who illustrated in (to me) a similar style. (Nielsen also worked for Walt Disney as an inspirational artist and is responsible for much of the look and feel of The Night on Bald Mountain sequence in Fantasia.). In any event, were this another time, I think Ms Doran would easily fit in with Clarke, Nielsen, Arthur Rackham, Edmund Dulac, and the other great “children’s book” illustrators. Note that while Ms Doran was inspired by Clarke the art here is her own, original and superlative in every way.We are warned that this is not a “children’s book”, and indeed this is not something I would want to read to my 6 and 4 year old grandkids. On the other hand, I probably wouldn’t want to read the original version of Snow White to them either. As you might know in that original version the evil Queen eats what she thinks are Snow White’s liver and lungs and in the end of the story she is killed at the the Prince’s orders, by torture. So, while this story isn’t suitable for pre-teens it’s not really so far in spirit from the original. When I was young I loved comic books. As I grew older I found that I still loved the form but I found the content somewhat childish. I longed for illustrated stories that I could read as an adult without feeling like I was reading a story meant for pre-teen boys. In short, I wanted the comics to grow up with me. I must not have been the only one, and during the 80’s there was a revolution in comics. Odd that nowadays it’s difficult to find, except in reprints, comics of the type I remember from my childhood. This is the type of story and art I wished for in those days. Based on this and Troll Bridge I hope there will be other Neil Gaiman stories illustrated by Colleen Doran.

Beautifully illustrated.Anything Neil Gaimain publishes is wonderful.

I can’t even describe how gorgeous this was! And the story was so well thought out. And is it wrong of me to still like Snow White, even as a villain? I mean she could not have been more beautiful and strange

This book is definitely not for children, as it's an adult themed Snow White horror story. But the writing is superb, as always. And the illustrations are jaw-droppingly gorgeous.

Gaiman’s dark retelling of Snow White meets Doran’s stained glass, intricate artwork. At once a horror story from the Witch’s point of view, it’s also something of an erotic thriller. It’s a clever update and it feels disturbing while still playing out the tropes of the story. We do also get an explanation for why the Prince is so interested in a lady encased in glass.

a seriously beautifully illustrated book . Gaimen is my favorite author so this was a win win for me !

This was a chillingly poetic retelling of Snow White, reversing the villain as the victim. The art was captivating. It was short and I was able to finish it in 30 minutes. It's truly a piece of art though.

A beautiful and haunting adult variant of Snow White. Note that this is not a long story (like most fairy tales). The final pages are from illustrator Colleen Doran with sketches and notes detailing the progression of creating the finished art.Some reviewers felt cheated by this, but I found it very interesting - similar to listening to a song being created, the original inspiration goes through a series of changes and refinements before its creator is satisfied.If you love art books of any genre, I recommend this book for your enjoyment.

A unique version with a horror twist. Told from the perspective of Snow White's stepmother it is a plausible and chilling retelling of the classic story.

Achei muito interessante a ilustração, perfeito o livro, pra quem gosta desse conteúdo super indico.

Amo questo autore e questa illustratrice. In coppia hanno dato vita a un capolavoro insuperabile. Più che una riscrittura della nota Biancaneve, Gaiman e Doreen ti portano dentro una cronaca terribile dove a regnare sono le leggende celtiche dai toni cupi e affascinanti. La storia è un tesoretto gotico.

I would love it if this version became mainstream. Maybe one of Neil's next projects, to make a show/movie with this storyline? Cheering for it :)

What an incredible work!We all know the story of Snow White and seven dwarves. But have we ever, EVER, thought that the story can be told from the perspective of someone else?Like, from that of the so-called evil stepmother?THIS is that story. And what a punch it packs!Gaiman has written a haunting, lyrical, minimal, highly evocative tale. Told entirely in first person, its soul is that of a twisted fairy, but the heart is of ice.And the art? Doran has caught the erotic, sensuous, hungry and yet beautiful nature of the tale perfectly. I can't remember the last time I came across such stylised and yet exquisite renderings in a fairy tale for mature readers.Overall, if you believe that fairytales deserve a fresh look to see if there were other tales between the louder lines, then you ought to read this one.Highly recommended.