Kära Mili : en gammal saga (1988)

Fine condition

Fine condition

Fine condition

398.2

This book contains a long unknown work by fabulist Wilhelm Grimm (of "Grimm brothers" fame) written in a letter to a little girl. When it was rediscovered in the 1980s, it was published with illustrations by beloved children's author Maurice Sendak.

Dear Mili is the story of a young girl (no name is ever given for her) who is told by her mother (also unnamed) to go hide in the woods for three days when a war breaks out near them. She is guided by a guardian angel to a woodland cottage inhabited by Saint Joseph who feeds and cares for her the three days. However, when she returns home to her mother, she discovers that actually 30 years have passed by while she was in the woods. Her mother, now an old woman, dies that night ... as does the little girl.

I've mentioned plenty of times before how I'm not really a fan of fairy tales. This one is no exception. If there was supposed to be a moral, I have no idea what it could possibly be. The shallow characterizations (including the lack of names) doesn't help. There's also a fair amount of religious overtones, which is not my cup of tea.

However, Sendak's illustrations really are quite beautiful. They are rich and detailed; one can only image how much time must have been spent on each one. Still, that's not enough to make up for a story that's lackluster. ( )