Great dark fairytale

A very good story although I felt that the narrator left to many long dramatic pauses so I listen to it at 1.10 speed and that fixed it.

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3 people found this helpful

Reads like a fairy tail, stings like only real life can.

This was a beautifully haunting experience, with both dark old fashioned fairy tale motifs and all the hallmarks of a great coming of age story with moments both emotional, occasionally funny and often existentially terrifying. Highly recommend for any age, but will likely especially hit home for older children and teenagers. Solid performance from the narrator as well, with great range and command of characters.

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Not a fairy story, fantastic though.

Although this story features a young boy as it’s main protagonist it is not a child’s tale. It starts with building his “normal” life and that is uncomfortable as he struggles with the loss of his mother, the war and his father’s new companion.
As the tale proceeds there instances of antiquated attitudes to same sex relationships but these are shown in a negative light and I think that the same sex relationship in the story is handled beautifully. There is no carnality or explicit behaviour described.
There are also references to exploitation of children, although as a child the character David does not understand the full implications.
Later in the narrative are elements of terror and horror. But it is handled well with a convincing level of fear and peril and balanced with humour and affection.
The narration is measured and clear. Accents to differentiate characters are used well. Other reviews found them inappropriate, but if taken as representing how a child would imagine the character to speak I think that they work well.

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A Dark and Scary Fairytale

I've loved Fairytales since my childhood, where every book I took out from the library and read, transported me into different worlds of wonder, magic and mystery. I lived for the next book and the next and would become so engrossed in the tales, my imagination working overtime, conjuring up all the magical places and characters and leave me gasping for more. I've never really grown out of Fairytales as an adult and have returned to them in many different guises. As adult fiction, young adult fiction, supernatural, fantasy and sometimes, even delving back, into childhood stories from long ago.
This Fairytale was dark and gruesome, frightening and shocking. A grown up Fairytale with adult themes. I found it very dark and sometimes zoned out of the gloom, wishing for daylight to reappear. It did eventually in a grown up way. But it didn't leave me with that euphoric feeling of good having won over evil, that I used to feel when coming to the end of a Fairytale as a child. Have I become too old and lost my imagination or become cynical and sceptical with age. I don't really know. All I know is this book was too dark for my liking and really did scare me in places with it's graphic horror scenes. What I did enjoy was spotting all my favourite fairytales popping up throughout the book, retold and re-imagined, but still true to life and legend.

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What a surprise this book was

A wonderful book, well written with surprises all the way through to the end, sand what a lovely ending. The narrator was excellent and kept me enthralled throughout.

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Great fairytale

Loved this story - I didn’t know it was a fairytale but it’s so beautifully written and narrated!

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The darkest of fairy tales

I have just bought the land of lost things and the book of lost things and both are wondrous. I like best the continuous encounters with the grimmest of tales but each leave a nugget of hope. The ending of the book of lost things is absolutely pitch perfect and having lost a brother called David I cannot but hope that someday in a wondrous country he might be found again. Both books are wonderful but I found the slow and at times slightly ponderous tone of the narrator slightly off putting. The west coast accent of the woodsman, well, no thank you. But I am quibbling because I still fell under the spell of both books. Amazing.

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What a wonderful book.

This is a wonderful book that explores the nature of mankind. It contains both dark and light aspects of all humanity, both young and old. It has a chilling edge to it, coupled with humour that is almost silly at times.

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A fantastic tale. Couldn't put it down.

What a wonderful story which encapsulates fairytales, but not in the Disney sense, The book draws you and stirs the imagination. The feelings of grief and jealousy felt by a young boy and his anger is used to drag him into another world where his adventures cause him to grow up and deal with his emotions and realise his mistakes.The ending is wonderful.
Brilliantly narrated, great character definitions and very emotive.

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Narrator was incredible

Not usually my cup of tea but gave it a chance as I’d heard about it. I think I enjoyed this book most by how the narrator brought it so alive. Incredible job. Best narration I’v come across so far on audible

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3 people found this helpful