C. S. Evans (1883–1944)

The tale of the sleeping princess awoken by her handsome prince is a well known one. The precious child long sought after by a prosperous King and Queen is finally delivered to the great joy and delight of the kingdom. However disaster strikes when an offended fairy, not invited to the christening through her own reclusiveness that caused others to forget her existence, proceeds to curse the child to death on her fifteenth birthday. Luckily another fairy was able to alter the curse so that not death but sleep would befall the princess. And so a hundred years later the sleeping princess was awoken by her prince and they all lived happily ever after.

The Sleeping Beauty is a classic story for so many reasons; it is a tale of caution, to not offend powerful fairies or go wandering into locked towers. But more than this it demonstrates that you cannot run from your fears but must face the inevitable, come what may. A story that speaks to the romantic in all of us, that true love is worth waiting for, even if it takes a hundred years. Ultimately, though, it is about the curse of ignorance and the power of knowledge, for if someone had thought to tell the poor girl of her curse she might not have been so keen to use a spinning wheel. A much beloved classic here retold that should be reread.… (mer)

Everyone knows the story of Cinderella, a girl reduced to living amongst the cinders and ash, forced to become a servant in her father's home at the hands of her stepmother. Her stepmother and stepsisters being spiteful and mean-spirited take an instant disliking to her, but Cinderella remains kind-hearted and beautiful despite her rags and mistreatment. Then at the age of sixteen, after years of servitude, her fairy godmother appears one night to transform her into a princess and sends her off to the ball where she meets a handsome and charming prince. She and the prince fall in love and they all live happily ever after.

Cinderella's story is a classic for a reason; it is the ultimate rags to riches story combined with the ultimate romantic notion of love at first sight. Combining themes of persecution and triumph over adversity with the magic of wishes coming true and a happily ever after, this story is universal in its ability to demonstrate karma, forgiveness and finding true beauty within. This classic story has been retold, re-imagined and adapted so many times and in so many ways that it can sometimes be taken for granted, but everyone at sometime in their life should read or reread this classic fairytale.… (mer)

My copy of Arthur Rackham’s illustrated Sleeping Beauty (retold by C.S. Evans) is not a very fancy edition, being one of the cheap Dover reproductions, but since the artistic style that Rackham is employing are his signature silhouettes, so the simple style of the book does not hinder the illustrative content. Rackham’s silhouette style is put to the test to showcase this story, having to illustrate the intricate details of the spinning wheels (and the fires that destroy them), the tangle of briar roses that surround Sleeping Beauty’s castle, and the myriad of surrounding story details. With his usual aplomb, Rackham brings his characters to life throughout the story, as his simple linework expresses the anger of the slighted fairy, the grace of Sleeping Beauty, and the daring action of the prince who eventually rescues her. But where this story stands out for me, are in his more extensive scenes which depict the stage upon which his characters play. The bathing scene where the Queen meets the prophetic frog who promises her a child depicts her bathing chamber as a lush, vine encrusted grotto, which becomes reminiscent of antique Greek artwork and sculpture when paired with her nude outline. I was also impressed with the active feel of the scene where the pile of spinning wheels are set afire in the capital following the King’s decree. Rackham grounds the image with the castle and town in the background, with the flames overlapping the structures in careful white cut out sections, which I am sure were tricky to plan and execute. The final action scene of the Prince cutting through the massive briar patch was the standout moment, though, as Rackham must carefully depict the intricacies of the tangled rose branches without overwhelming his image with either dark or light spaces. He maybe went a little lighter than I would like, but the addition of the skeletal remains of the fallen princes who came before heightens the intensity of the image and clearly showcases the danger for our winning prince. I still very much want a copy of this book which matches my other Rackham fairytale publications, but for now at least I have the lovely silhouette illustrations - which are what really counts with books like these!… (mer)

Evans' retelling of the classic Cinderella story leaves much to be desired due to its simplification, but what earns this book a high rating are the enchanting illustrations by Arthur Rackham. Thusfar, most of the books I own of his consist of stories illustrated in full line art (often with colour), but the simple stylings of his silouettes that complement the story of Cinderella are equally as wonderful. For simple black and white blocks, Rackham's deft and creative use of line imbues his characters with an unexpected vibrancy and personality. You can absolutely see the fun-loving attitudes of the courtiers hitching up their skirts to dance at the ball and the equally expressive disdain from Ella's stepmother and stepsisters - both feats which seem impossible when the faces of the characters are blacked out, but which Rackham seems to accomplish with ease. For all that this book seems like a simplistic representation of the story of Cinderella, Rackham's illustrations give it a sumptuous and unique feeling that I have yet to see paralleled by any contemporary illustrator.… (mer)