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Peter and Max: A Fables Novel
Set in the imaginative realm of the award-winning comic book series FABLES, the book takes place long ago, in the deepest dark of The Black Forest. Two brothers — Peter Piper and his older brother Max — encounter ominous forces that change them both irreparably. Thus begins an epic tale of sibling rivalry, magic, music and revenge that spans medieval times to the present day, when their deadly conflict surfaces in the placid calm of modern day Fabletown.PETER & A FABLES NOVEL features the prose of award-winning comic book writer Bill Willingham and the lush ink drawings of FABLES artist Steve Leialoha. The novel also reveals secrets of some of the regular FABLES series cast members including Bigby Wolf, Frau Totenkinder and Bo Peep. Also included is an 8-page sequential story by Willingham and Leialoha that serves as a bridge to the FABLES titles.
400 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 13, 2009
92 people are currently reading
2921 people want to read
About the author
Bill Willingham
996 books2,816 followersIn the late 1970s to early 1980s he drew fantasy ink pictures for the Dungeons & Dragons Basic and Expert game rulebooks. He first gained attention for his 1980s comic book series Elementals published by Comico, which he both wrote and drew. However, for reasons unknown, the series had trouble maintaining an original schedule, and Willingham's position in the industry remained spotty for many years. He contributed stories to Green Lantern and started his own independent, black-and-white comics series Coventry which lasted only 3 issues. He also produced the pornographic series Ironwood for Eros Comix.
In the late 1990s Willingham reestablished himself as a prolific writer. He produced the 13-issue Pantheon for Lone Star Press and wrote a pair of short novels about the modern adventures of the hero Beowulf, published by the writer's collective, Clockwork Storybook, of which Willingham was a founding member. In the early 2000s he began writing extensively for DC Comics, including the limited series Proposition Player, a pair of limited series about the Greek witch Thessaly from The Sandman, and most notably the popular series Fables
In the late 1990s Willingham reestablished himself as a prolific writer. He produced the 13-issue Pantheon for Lone Star Press and wrote a pair of short novels about the modern adventures of the hero Beowulf, published by the writer's collective, Clockwork Storybook, of which Willingham was a founding member. In the early 2000s he began writing extensively for DC Comics, including the limited series Proposition Player, a pair of limited series about the Greek witch Thessaly from The Sandman, and most notably the popular series Fables
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 546 reviews
May 29, 2012
A quick side-story about Peter Piper and his estranged brother, Max. It's meant to be a stand-alone novel in the world of the Fables comic series. As such, it doesn't provide any information critical to understanding the series. I think it is set up well enough that a reader who hadn't read the comics would still get something out of it. Willingham is a capable writer, though at times he gets in his own way. He is stuck describing things in words rather than pictures, and a lot of his descriptions feel like notes to an artist, a strange combination of workmanlike and flowery. The plot moves along, but the language doesn't quite hold up to it. All in all it has the feel of an enjoyable exercise, unnecessary but interesting enough.
December 6, 2017
I checked out the digital copy of this through my OverDrive library app, thinking I was getting a Fables graphic novel. I was surprised to find it was a limited illustration novel, but only moderately disappointed. I am so glad that it wasn't a full graphic novel as Bill Willingham really has outdone himself with this story. The way the story lays out both the current and past time line is supremely satisfying. I appreciated the limited characters we were introduced to, but how thoroughly we were brought into their lives and hearts. Maybe I'm overstating, but I was so pleasantly surprised by overall quality of the story as it stood by itself, I was really quite taken with it.
February 10, 2010
I've never read any of the Fables comics, but Willingham makes the universe very approachable to newbies. The novel is written so that even someone who has never read Fables comics can appreciate this book.
The plot in a nutshell: The characters from our fables and fairy tales have been living in our world for hundreds of years, though their communities are hidden through magic. They escaped from various different worlds to settle on Earth.
The novel is about Peter Piper and his older brother Max. As a child, Peter receives an inheritance that Max feels is rightly his. Because of this, the brothers become very different people. Max is bent on revenge, and Peter just wants to find his childhood sweetheart, Bo Peep.
The story is told with a heavy handed narration, very similar to the fairytale/fable-esque style of storytelling. This worked for the most part, but I did feel that it was a bit simplistic and lent itself to more than its fair share of "telling". Many descriptions were strained and lacked any visceral connection. And sometimes, they were just plain ridiculous.
It was interesting to see how Willingham made one-dimensional fairy tale characters into two-dimensional novel characters. Most of the other fable characters are merely devices and are mentioned in passing, like Snow White and the "cow that jumped over the moon." The only characters that receive any depth are the Piper boys, Peter and Max, and Little Bo Peep. It was interesting to see how these characters were shaped by adapting different methods of survival. However, I was still left feeling that I didn't know the characters as well as I could have. Throughout most of the book, the characters just do things, and we hardly know them well enough to understand why they took particular actions, entertaining as they may be.
I was also a little disappointed that there wasn't more of a focus on how music affected the boys. Their musicianship mainly surfaces when one of them needs something, becoming yet another device in a device-laden story. There is mentions of practicing their instruments, but when never get to see or feel how this relationship to music affects them.
I listened to the audiobook version, which I felt was really well produced. The narrator was one of the best I've ever heard, a natural storyteller. He captured the voices quite well, and made the entire production very dramatic and varied.
Ultimately I enjoyed this book because, flawed though it was, it was an entertaining story about sibling rivalry, survival, dedication, and dueling musicians. The ending, though a bit anti-climactic, fit well with the story.
The plot in a nutshell: The characters from our fables and fairy tales have been living in our world for hundreds of years, though their communities are hidden through magic. They escaped from various different worlds to settle on Earth.
The novel is about Peter Piper and his older brother Max. As a child, Peter receives an inheritance that Max feels is rightly his. Because of this, the brothers become very different people. Max is bent on revenge, and Peter just wants to find his childhood sweetheart, Bo Peep.
The story is told with a heavy handed narration, very similar to the fairytale/fable-esque style of storytelling. This worked for the most part, but I did feel that it was a bit simplistic and lent itself to more than its fair share of "telling". Many descriptions were strained and lacked any visceral connection. And sometimes, they were just plain ridiculous.
It was interesting to see how Willingham made one-dimensional fairy tale characters into two-dimensional novel characters. Most of the other fable characters are merely devices and are mentioned in passing, like Snow White and the "cow that jumped over the moon." The only characters that receive any depth are the Piper boys, Peter and Max, and Little Bo Peep. It was interesting to see how these characters were shaped by adapting different methods of survival. However, I was still left feeling that I didn't know the characters as well as I could have. Throughout most of the book, the characters just do things, and we hardly know them well enough to understand why they took particular actions, entertaining as they may be.
I was also a little disappointed that there wasn't more of a focus on how music affected the boys. Their musicianship mainly surfaces when one of them needs something, becoming yet another device in a device-laden story. There is mentions of practicing their instruments, but when never get to see or feel how this relationship to music affects them.
I listened to the audiobook version, which I felt was really well produced. The narrator was one of the best I've ever heard, a natural storyteller. He captured the voices quite well, and made the entire production very dramatic and varied.
Ultimately I enjoyed this book because, flawed though it was, it was an entertaining story about sibling rivalry, survival, dedication, and dueling musicians. The ending, though a bit anti-climactic, fit well with the story.
August 6, 2014
Bill Willingham has gained a little bit of fame in the last couple of years for his Vertigo Comics series Fables. Or, unlike his previous comic book fame this time it has spread beyond comics and Fables has been optioned as television property (the next Walking Dead?). End of digression.
Peter & Max can be read without having read the comics. Willingham, having previously written two novellas, has sufficient writing chops to make the transition from one form of story telling to another. This time the story centers on the brothers Piper, Peter and Max aka the Pied Piper. The novel shows us how each became who they are now. Max truly a monster in human form. Peter, someone who tries to do the right thing, but in at least two instances harms Bo Peep, the love of his life. Arguably both times the harm was inadvertant, but it shows that the use of magic has a cost. If I was to knock Willingham for a lack of creativity it is for the names of the flutes. Peter's is Frost and Max's is Fire.
If you enjoy the retelling of fairy tales, such as authors like Patricia Wrede have done you'll most likely enjoy this book. Be cawreful though, because I consider this a somber, and at times sorrowful tale despite an upbeat ending.
Peter & Max can be read without having read the comics. Willingham, having previously written two novellas, has sufficient writing chops to make the transition from one form of story telling to another. This time the story centers on the brothers Piper, Peter and Max aka the Pied Piper. The novel shows us how each became who they are now. Max truly a monster in human form. Peter, someone who tries to do the right thing, but in at least two instances harms Bo Peep, the love of his life. Arguably both times the harm was inadvertant, but it shows that the use of magic has a cost. If I was to knock Willingham for a lack of creativity it is for the names of the flutes. Peter's is Frost and Max's is Fire.
If you enjoy the retelling of fairy tales, such as authors like Patricia Wrede have done you'll most likely enjoy this book. Be cawreful though, because I consider this a somber, and at times sorrowful tale despite an upbeat ending.
March 30, 2024
Now that Fables is in the 'Public Domain', I thought it was time I read the entire series (including all spinoffs and specials) from start to finish in sequential tpb reading order. Here we go!
Fables First-to-Finale reading #17
Fables: Peter and Max
Two Brothers. It's just about two brothers. Ok, so we've reached the one Fables novel in the reading order. The format allowed for Willingham, the writer, to shine, but this is where most of the books flaws are. Willingham spends a lot of words and does more telling than showing. Some of the reveals aren't as suspenseful due to the back and forth between the past and the present. Characters never have time to develop, and in the end, the payoffs aren't as big. Enjoyable as an entry in the Fables universe but not essential reading in the Mundy world.
Fables First-to-Finale reading #17
Fables: Peter and Max
Two Brothers. It's just about two brothers. Ok, so we've reached the one Fables novel in the reading order. The format allowed for Willingham, the writer, to shine, but this is where most of the books flaws are. Willingham spends a lot of words and does more telling than showing. Some of the reveals aren't as suspenseful due to the back and forth between the past and the present. Characters never have time to develop, and in the end, the payoffs aren't as big. Enjoyable as an entry in the Fables universe but not essential reading in the Mundy world.
June 11, 2024
I have read most of the Fables series and now I have read it in prose. The villain in the novel is the epitome of evil who delights in harming others and is ruthless in pursuit of his goals. Our hero is the good brother Peter Piper who has to have a final showdown with our diabolical antagonist: The Pied Piper. The place for this final battle is Hamelin's Pied Piper festival because the bad guy has a huge ego and relishes being honored. The events of the book all led to this final confrontation that was not spectacular but ended it nicely.
July 29, 2016
My admiration for Fables has been chronicled several times in this blog, as recently as last month, so I won’t go in to what the stories are, though I will talk about how this one ties in to the canon of the comic book series. This time, we follow Peter, the famous piper who picked a pickled pepper, and was really into pumpkins, as he struggles with the evil deeds of his brother, Max, the Pied Piper, while trying to win the affections of Bo, the woman who used to tend sheep when she was little. Got it? Good. Because the summary is more convoluted than the story itself.
The other question that you might be asking is how a narrative novel set in this world compares to the graphic sort that everyone already knows. And the answer is: Eh. I had some issues with the narrative itself. It seemed to be way too tell-y and not enough show-y, which makes a certain sort of sense, since the author is a guy who’s more accustomed to telling an artist what the scene will look like, instead of taking the time to build up the setting through his own words. Of course, the novel really shines when the author starts creating the characters’ dialogue, which, again, makes perfect sense, considering the medium for which he usually writes. The story is compelling and readable, but you might find yourself thinking that the narrative is a bit stilted. I know I did, at least.
I had further issues with the story, namely with the pacing. The story is one of sibling rivalry, and the crux of that rivalry — and, thus, the capstone of the entire plot — seemed fairly insignificant to me. Maybe that was intentional. Max wasn’t painted as a likable character, so he may have used that point as an excuse to create the rivalry that he needed in order to pursue Peter. It just seemed like Max was either hideously evil for the sake of being hideously evil, or he became hideously evil over something that seemed inconsequential. Either way, in relation to the story, it just didn’t work for me. I was able to accept it as it was and read on, but that point stood out to me as a potential problem.
I also had issues with the way Max’s character developed. The author went through all the motions of giving Max a motivation, a method, and a means to go from a whiny kid to a powerful, vengeful, evil character, but it happened too quickly, and the crux of that transition wasn’t enough to convince me that it was enough. It was sort of like sitting through the prequel trilogies for Star Wars, where we know that Vader is going to turn into the evil ruler of the galaxy, we just don’t know exactly how it’s going to happen. In the end, what the author dreams up to be the deciding factor in that transition falls far too short to justify a transition that large. It was hard to make the jump to accept that part of the story, since I had already been forced to make a jump to believe that the crux was significant enough to cause it.
Lastly, I had issues with the pacing of the ending. The novel builds up this tension of bringing Max and Peter together, by telling the story from Medieval times interspersed with telling the story from modern times. The author manages to do this well, enough so that you’ll find yourself getting anxious over the confrontation. Then, just as it looks like the battle is about to get started, it just ends. I read through 350+ pages of the book, and it was resolved neatly in two. There was no battle where it looked like Max might best Peter in the modern day, and there was no real sense of drama there. In most novels I’ve read, the protagonist and antagonist meet three times, once where the antagonist wins, once where the protagonist appears to win, and then once where the protagonist wins for real. This novel lacked that all together, and it was terribly disappointing.
I get the feeling that anyone who’s a fan of Fables will read this novel, and I doubt I could convince anyone not to. Truth be told, it’s not a bad novel, it’s just poorly told. In a more capable author’s hands, I think this story could have been much more interesting and have a depth that this novel lacks. I just think that the author should stick to telling the graphic novel stories, and find an accomplished narrative author to tell those stories.
The other question that you might be asking is how a narrative novel set in this world compares to the graphic sort that everyone already knows. And the answer is: Eh. I had some issues with the narrative itself. It seemed to be way too tell-y and not enough show-y, which makes a certain sort of sense, since the author is a guy who’s more accustomed to telling an artist what the scene will look like, instead of taking the time to build up the setting through his own words. Of course, the novel really shines when the author starts creating the characters’ dialogue, which, again, makes perfect sense, considering the medium for which he usually writes. The story is compelling and readable, but you might find yourself thinking that the narrative is a bit stilted. I know I did, at least.
I had further issues with the story, namely with the pacing. The story is one of sibling rivalry, and the crux of that rivalry — and, thus, the capstone of the entire plot — seemed fairly insignificant to me. Maybe that was intentional. Max wasn’t painted as a likable character, so he may have used that point as an excuse to create the rivalry that he needed in order to pursue Peter. It just seemed like Max was either hideously evil for the sake of being hideously evil, or he became hideously evil over something that seemed inconsequential. Either way, in relation to the story, it just didn’t work for me. I was able to accept it as it was and read on, but that point stood out to me as a potential problem.
I also had issues with the way Max’s character developed. The author went through all the motions of giving Max a motivation, a method, and a means to go from a whiny kid to a powerful, vengeful, evil character, but it happened too quickly, and the crux of that transition wasn’t enough to convince me that it was enough. It was sort of like sitting through the prequel trilogies for Star Wars, where we know that Vader is going to turn into the evil ruler of the galaxy, we just don’t know exactly how it’s going to happen. In the end, what the author dreams up to be the deciding factor in that transition falls far too short to justify a transition that large. It was hard to make the jump to accept that part of the story, since I had already been forced to make a jump to believe that the crux was significant enough to cause it.
Lastly, I had issues with the pacing of the ending. The novel builds up this tension of bringing Max and Peter together, by telling the story from Medieval times interspersed with telling the story from modern times. The author manages to do this well, enough so that you’ll find yourself getting anxious over the confrontation. Then, just as it looks like the battle is about to get started, it just ends. I read through 350+ pages of the book, and it was resolved neatly in two. There was no battle where it looked like Max might best Peter in the modern day, and there was no real sense of drama there. In most novels I’ve read, the protagonist and antagonist meet three times, once where the antagonist wins, once where the protagonist appears to win, and then once where the protagonist wins for real. This novel lacked that all together, and it was terribly disappointing.
I get the feeling that anyone who’s a fan of Fables will read this novel, and I doubt I could convince anyone not to. Truth be told, it’s not a bad novel, it’s just poorly told. In a more capable author’s hands, I think this story could have been much more interesting and have a depth that this novel lacks. I just think that the author should stick to telling the graphic novel stories, and find an accomplished narrative author to tell those stories.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 11, 2013
Peter And Max, a Fables Novel, in which Bill Willingham gives prose writing a shot and succeeds more serviceably than spectacularly. There are moments of grandeur and cleverness, especially the chapter that re-unites Bo (Little Bo Peep) and Peter (Peter Piper)and the final duel between Peter and his evil older brother Max Piper.
The world building is excellent, and this is something Willingham scores high on in the ongoing Fables comic published by DC/Vertigo.
The narrative goes back and forth from past to present fleshing out the main characters and their journeys thus far until the final confrontation. Willingham, like in the Fables comic and Jack Of Fables always writes about magic really well and contrives rules and internal story-telling logic that give the magic some weight and adds to the overall dramatic impact that it could have on the users of it.
You don't need to have read any of the Fables comic book collections to read and enjoy this novel (I think it has reached its 15th vol now. I have read the first 13 collections) and there is even an introductory note explaining the fables world and how this novel would fit in if you cared about fan-boy illusions like continuity and canon.
This was a fair and harmless attempt by Bill Willingham to write a prose novel but I think his strenghts as a comic book writer and artist were neglected here. Comic book panels and lay-outs challenge the creator to be economical and to really get the most out of the story and characters. In this novel the pacing was a bit off and some of the character beats were dragged out and some didn't get a chance to breathe.
Looking forward to getting back to the Fables comic books proper this year.
The world building is excellent, and this is something Willingham scores high on in the ongoing Fables comic published by DC/Vertigo.
The narrative goes back and forth from past to present fleshing out the main characters and their journeys thus far until the final confrontation. Willingham, like in the Fables comic and Jack Of Fables always writes about magic really well and contrives rules and internal story-telling logic that give the magic some weight and adds to the overall dramatic impact that it could have on the users of it.
You don't need to have read any of the Fables comic book collections to read and enjoy this novel (I think it has reached its 15th vol now. I have read the first 13 collections) and there is even an introductory note explaining the fables world and how this novel would fit in if you cared about fan-boy illusions like continuity and canon.
This was a fair and harmless attempt by Bill Willingham to write a prose novel but I think his strenghts as a comic book writer and artist were neglected here. Comic book panels and lay-outs challenge the creator to be economical and to really get the most out of the story and characters. In this novel the pacing was a bit off and some of the character beats were dragged out and some didn't get a chance to breathe.
Looking forward to getting back to the Fables comic books proper this year.
January 15, 2018
This was a great prose novel based in the world of Fables. This one explores the stories of brothers Max and Peter Piper. Peter is the pickled pepper guy with his wife in the pumpkin and all that, while Max is the Pied Piper of Hamlin who stole the children from the town. Max is also an evil psycho and Peter is the good guy.
The novel details the early days of the two when they were both traveling musicians with their family before the adversary invaded and Max became a homicidal maniac. Then we see things in the modern world where the two brothers have a final showdown. Along the we see Peter marry Little Bo Peep and become a master thief while Bo becomes a master assassin (!!!)
There's also a very brief comic story at the end that reveals a new and somewhat important part of the Fable war against the adversary. This edition is also illustrated throughout with nice drawings from Steve Leialoha.
If you're a Fables fan you really should read this.
The novel details the early days of the two when they were both traveling musicians with their family before the adversary invaded and Max became a homicidal maniac. Then we see things in the modern world where the two brothers have a final showdown. Along the we see Peter marry Little Bo Peep and become a master thief while Bo becomes a master assassin (!!!)
There's also a very brief comic story at the end that reveals a new and somewhat important part of the Fable war against the adversary. This edition is also illustrated throughout with nice drawings from Steve Leialoha.
If you're a Fables fan you really should read this.
November 9, 2009
You don’t need to be a fan of Bill Willingham’s Fables comics to like this book--you don’t even have to know what they are to understand Peter & Max. This is a re-telling of the Pied Piper of Hamelin story from a different perspective, one of those “what really happened” kind of tales. For every other character or event that might confuse the reader, Willingham explains the course of the comics in a few words and lines that, if anything, spoil crucial points of suspense that have navigated and pushed Fables over the years. But don’t let that discourage you at all if you’re a new fan. What I like the most about the comics and this book, is Willingham’s grasp of consequence and reality. To validate these fairy tales with contemporary ideas, Willingham is always examining the life of our favorite heroes and heroines in the unwritten pages after their most famous moments. Away from the storybook and our imaginations is a far removed perspective that pulls gently in our direction--here is more, it says to us; the story continues; life goes on.
For the folks in fairy tales--Fables, they call themselves--reality is about as pragmatic and mundane for them as it is for us. Forced to flee their fairy tale homes and find refuge in an enchanted portion of New York City’s Upper West Side, the Fables remind us that we know of only a tiny period in their lives; in our world they must learn to coexist in very human ways, without magic or magical objects that would draw attention to themselves. Yanked out of context of course it’s easy to imagine all sorts of wonderful, magical settings that make romantic adventures out of very real, scary episodes. Despite still writing in “happily ever after” endings, Willingham’s come a long way to revolutionize what’s been handed down to us for so long and in the same form.
Peter & Max is about the Piper family (a band of traveling minstrels), two brothers (Peter and Max), and the innocent Peep family who gets caught in the middle of fraternal jealousy and revenge. Like all such things, a combination of skewed perspective and hurt feelings tips the scales of envy towards violence. What begins as an ominous and mysterious set of flashbacks and present-day events, the story gradually finds promise in its most haunting thread: who is the true Pied Piper? Peter or Max? Peter is a sweet boy, always managing to do what’s right and do it well; Max is his older, but less talented, brother who snaps at the slightest attempt to undermine his authority and right as the eldest Piper child. It’s almost impossible to imagine the sweet-tempered Peter luring unsuspecting children out of their beds and away from their homes, but too predictable to assume the blame lays somewhere outside, somewhere obvious.
Like always, Willingham goes a bit further, beginning and ending the fairy tale after the part we’re familiar with. The Pied Piper doesn’t just disappear mysteriously, taking all of Hamelin’s children with him. When the past and present storylines meet, so too do Peter and Max. The outcome is part of what makes the Fables comics so legendary: Willingham not only recreates fairy tales, he adds another dimension that turns into a brand new one. This revival serves the longevity of an already perpetual existence for fairy tales.
For all that he’s done and all that Peter & Max accomplishes, that’s not to say the book isn’t without its faults, if you want to look critically enough. I really enjoyed everything about it. His writing is very accessible and at times, reminiscent of the simultaneous epic grandeur of the comics and those sprawling opening illustrations with short explanatory notations. It’s also the type of writing I tried to imagine as oral; you can almost hear Willingham sitting by the fireside, reading the book aloud to you in wide range of hushed, reverential, and dramatic tones. I’ll bet you he even does the voices. Peter & Max and the Fables comics fall into the same category of “adult fairy tales” as China Miéville's King Rat (albeit less gory and graphic), and Gregory Maguire’s Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister and Mirror, Mirror. With Willingham’s version of events beginning after what we already know, it turns his fables into the late night version of the books read to children just before their bedtime. The real stories are filled with divorce, politics, and sex. Turn on your night lights and be ready for something dark and disturbing--what happens to Fables when they have to live side-by-side the rest of us in real life. As for Peter & Max? You’ll have to read that for yourself. Just remember: this is not a comic.
While Steve Leialoha has beautiful illustrations throughout the book--and a mini comic at the end--on the jacket and actual book cover (the first thing you should do if you pick this up, is to remove the jacket and look at the gorgeous cloth cover!), they only serve to tease fans who rely heavily on the colored illustrations that make comics what they are. If you find Willingham’s writing to be less charming and more awkward and grasping in places, try to imagine it as a scene in a comic book and it might help you visualize where he’s coming from. I didn’t read this for the writing and it’s not unpleasant for that, but it’s too easy to critique the book against flat, predictable, and leading descriptions or emotions that are usually better served visually. Read it for the story and you may wind up loving it as much as I did.
For the folks in fairy tales--Fables, they call themselves--reality is about as pragmatic and mundane for them as it is for us. Forced to flee their fairy tale homes and find refuge in an enchanted portion of New York City’s Upper West Side, the Fables remind us that we know of only a tiny period in their lives; in our world they must learn to coexist in very human ways, without magic or magical objects that would draw attention to themselves. Yanked out of context of course it’s easy to imagine all sorts of wonderful, magical settings that make romantic adventures out of very real, scary episodes. Despite still writing in “happily ever after” endings, Willingham’s come a long way to revolutionize what’s been handed down to us for so long and in the same form.
Peter & Max is about the Piper family (a band of traveling minstrels), two brothers (Peter and Max), and the innocent Peep family who gets caught in the middle of fraternal jealousy and revenge. Like all such things, a combination of skewed perspective and hurt feelings tips the scales of envy towards violence. What begins as an ominous and mysterious set of flashbacks and present-day events, the story gradually finds promise in its most haunting thread: who is the true Pied Piper? Peter or Max? Peter is a sweet boy, always managing to do what’s right and do it well; Max is his older, but less talented, brother who snaps at the slightest attempt to undermine his authority and right as the eldest Piper child. It’s almost impossible to imagine the sweet-tempered Peter luring unsuspecting children out of their beds and away from their homes, but too predictable to assume the blame lays somewhere outside, somewhere obvious.
Like always, Willingham goes a bit further, beginning and ending the fairy tale after the part we’re familiar with. The Pied Piper doesn’t just disappear mysteriously, taking all of Hamelin’s children with him. When the past and present storylines meet, so too do Peter and Max. The outcome is part of what makes the Fables comics so legendary: Willingham not only recreates fairy tales, he adds another dimension that turns into a brand new one. This revival serves the longevity of an already perpetual existence for fairy tales.
For all that he’s done and all that Peter & Max accomplishes, that’s not to say the book isn’t without its faults, if you want to look critically enough. I really enjoyed everything about it. His writing is very accessible and at times, reminiscent of the simultaneous epic grandeur of the comics and those sprawling opening illustrations with short explanatory notations. It’s also the type of writing I tried to imagine as oral; you can almost hear Willingham sitting by the fireside, reading the book aloud to you in wide range of hushed, reverential, and dramatic tones. I’ll bet you he even does the voices. Peter & Max and the Fables comics fall into the same category of “adult fairy tales” as China Miéville's King Rat (albeit less gory and graphic), and Gregory Maguire’s Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister and Mirror, Mirror. With Willingham’s version of events beginning after what we already know, it turns his fables into the late night version of the books read to children just before their bedtime. The real stories are filled with divorce, politics, and sex. Turn on your night lights and be ready for something dark and disturbing--what happens to Fables when they have to live side-by-side the rest of us in real life. As for Peter & Max? You’ll have to read that for yourself. Just remember: this is not a comic.
While Steve Leialoha has beautiful illustrations throughout the book--and a mini comic at the end--on the jacket and actual book cover (the first thing you should do if you pick this up, is to remove the jacket and look at the gorgeous cloth cover!), they only serve to tease fans who rely heavily on the colored illustrations that make comics what they are. If you find Willingham’s writing to be less charming and more awkward and grasping in places, try to imagine it as a scene in a comic book and it might help you visualize where he’s coming from. I didn’t read this for the writing and it’s not unpleasant for that, but it’s too easy to critique the book against flat, predictable, and leading descriptions or emotions that are usually better served visually. Read it for the story and you may wind up loving it as much as I did.
October 25, 2009
I'd assumed that being a longtime reader of Bill Willingham's "Fables" comic book would give an added boost to my enjoyment of his new Fables-related novel, "Peter & Max". In fact, I think it lessened it.
"Fables" fans are already familiar with the clever and subtle ways in which Willingham weaves together classic fairy tale characters with more modern interpretations. On a month to month basis, I never ceased to be impressed with his story-telling virtuosity. But upon reading "Peter & Max", I realized something that should have been obvious to a long-time comic reader: the visual format of the comic book makes a huge difference on how how you absorb the story.
While reading the novel, I kept thinking about how slow the novel moved as Willingham had to stop repeatedly to describe situations and characters that are pretty typical of the standard fairy tale. In the comic, all of these fairy-tale tropes are left unspoken, drifting to the background and brought to life instead through the illustrations. I kept noticing how each character was defined through clunky one-dimensional emotional tags, whether it was Peter's over-the-top earnestness or Max's over the top evilness. In the comic, the dialogue could be played straight, with the subtext for their inner thoughts and motivations being played out with their facial expressions as illustrated by talented artists such as Mark Buckingham or Russ Braun. I kept noticing how this nearly 400 pages book took me several days to read, whereas the same exact story could have been told far more succintly (and therefore have used up less of my time) in 2 or 3 issues of "Fables".
Some of the ideas on display here are quite good ones and add nicely to the overall "Fables" mythology. In the comics, we don't get to see much of the Homelands post-invasion/pre-exile, so that was nice. Peter and Max as characters are interesting in theory, even though Max's evolution into the primary villain is so abrupt as to be nonsensical. [SPOILER:] Phase 1: Max is jealous of Peter. Phase 2: He watches his brother steal away what he feels is his rightful inheritance, then gets beaten up by a thug. Phase 3: He turns evil and stupid and murders his parents.[END SPOILER:] I kept expecting there to me some malevolent influence turning him to the dark side, but in the end: not so much.
I also like seeing a little background on Frau Totenkidner, which fit in nicely with some of her backstory as presented in the far superior "1001 Nights of Snowfall". And the Prokoviev fan in me loved the brief forest encount between the Bigby of long ago and young Peter. And though it would be a massive understatement to say that the ending was abrupt, I kind of liked the unexpected simplicity of it.
Its just that I couldn't shake the notion this would have made a much better 3-issue story-arc in the comic than it made as a novel.
A final word: to those of you who are non-Fables readers, but who are interested in reading this, or already have and enjoyed it: Go read the comics! Both "Fables" and "Jack of Fables" tell similar (if more present-day) stories, but in a format that shows off the full-potential of Bill Willingham's creations!
"Fables" fans are already familiar with the clever and subtle ways in which Willingham weaves together classic fairy tale characters with more modern interpretations. On a month to month basis, I never ceased to be impressed with his story-telling virtuosity. But upon reading "Peter & Max", I realized something that should have been obvious to a long-time comic reader: the visual format of the comic book makes a huge difference on how how you absorb the story.
While reading the novel, I kept thinking about how slow the novel moved as Willingham had to stop repeatedly to describe situations and characters that are pretty typical of the standard fairy tale. In the comic, all of these fairy-tale tropes are left unspoken, drifting to the background and brought to life instead through the illustrations. I kept noticing how each character was defined through clunky one-dimensional emotional tags, whether it was Peter's over-the-top earnestness or Max's over the top evilness. In the comic, the dialogue could be played straight, with the subtext for their inner thoughts and motivations being played out with their facial expressions as illustrated by talented artists such as Mark Buckingham or Russ Braun. I kept noticing how this nearly 400 pages book took me several days to read, whereas the same exact story could have been told far more succintly (and therefore have used up less of my time) in 2 or 3 issues of "Fables".
Some of the ideas on display here are quite good ones and add nicely to the overall "Fables" mythology. In the comics, we don't get to see much of the Homelands post-invasion/pre-exile, so that was nice. Peter and Max as characters are interesting in theory, even though Max's evolution into the primary villain is so abrupt as to be nonsensical. [SPOILER:] Phase 1: Max is jealous of Peter. Phase 2: He watches his brother steal away what he feels is his rightful inheritance, then gets beaten up by a thug. Phase 3: He turns evil and stupid and murders his parents.[END SPOILER:] I kept expecting there to me some malevolent influence turning him to the dark side, but in the end: not so much.
I also like seeing a little background on Frau Totenkidner, which fit in nicely with some of her backstory as presented in the far superior "1001 Nights of Snowfall". And the Prokoviev fan in me loved the brief forest encount between the Bigby of long ago and young Peter. And though it would be a massive understatement to say that the ending was abrupt, I kind of liked the unexpected simplicity of it.
Its just that I couldn't shake the notion this would have made a much better 3-issue story-arc in the comic than it made as a novel.
A final word: to those of you who are non-Fables readers, but who are interested in reading this, or already have and enjoyed it: Go read the comics! Both "Fables" and "Jack of Fables" tell similar (if more present-day) stories, but in a format that shows off the full-potential of Bill Willingham's creations!
did-not-finish
March 28, 2021DNFed, so I won't be rating this one.
This was a very nice read while it lasted. The style of the narration made it feel kind of like I was sitting at a campfire having the story told to me, and the art in the book helped it come alive.
The pacing was very good and the switches between past and present were always well timed.
The plot wasn't the most unique, but it had whimsy to it and was engaging.
All of that in mind, it's a pretty good book. But there was one specific thing that brought me to DNF this. And that thing came to be through the antagonist, Max.
Max was a very well done character. The embodiment of insanity and evil in a non-appealing way (that note was refreshing, as writers tend to romanticize those things). However, it went too far for my taste.
I understand what the writer was doing, truly. He was making a villain that you couldn't have compassion for, a villain that really needs to be locked up and seek psychiatric help because he is completely, without a shadow of a doubt, unhinged. He did things that are not in any way shape or form excusable and he doesn't have the excuse of "oh he had a hard past". No, this guy is just mentally ill to a incredibly sickening point.
The way Willingham portrayed Max's thought process, the way he justified his actions at first and then descended into lunacy once he'd done it enough, was brilliant. I was very, very impressed, and watching it happen was kind of terrifying.
(Mild spoilers inbound, but I do recommend you read on to this part of the review because this may cross boundaries for some readers:)
As I said, I understand why he did showed the content that he showed. But it got to be too graphic for me, and then at one particular point Max thinks about "touching" Bo, who is a child (if I remember right, she's around nine years old), while Max is fourteen.
He doesn't "touch" her and it doesn't go into that anymore as his train wreck of a brain quickly moves on to how he could rip her and Peter to pieces. Which is also disturbing (as it is meant to be), because Peter is also a child around Bo's age.
I didn't like the graphic murder (because again, Max is literally insane and he is not fighting for survival, but for selfish purposes), the sexual references (mild and realistic as they may be for a boy his age), or the entertained thoughts of cannibalism. But the thing that got me to put this book down was that reference to sexually touching a child.
As I said, I understood what the writer was going for. But he was doing it perfectly fine without that bit there, and I really wish he'd left it out. I tried to read on and I got very close to the end, but the whole time that was nagging at the back of my mind and I couldn't read on in good conscience.
The story, writing, art, pacing, characterization, humor, and whimsy was on point. All things considered it was a good book (as I did almost read it through all the way), but crossed my personal boundaries in that area.
This was a very nice read while it lasted. The style of the narration made it feel kind of like I was sitting at a campfire having the story told to me, and the art in the book helped it come alive.
The pacing was very good and the switches between past and present were always well timed.
The plot wasn't the most unique, but it had whimsy to it and was engaging.
All of that in mind, it's a pretty good book. But there was one specific thing that brought me to DNF this. And that thing came to be through the antagonist, Max.
Max was a very well done character. The embodiment of insanity and evil in a non-appealing way (that note was refreshing, as writers tend to romanticize those things). However, it went too far for my taste.
I understand what the writer was doing, truly. He was making a villain that you couldn't have compassion for, a villain that really needs to be locked up and seek psychiatric help because he is completely, without a shadow of a doubt, unhinged. He did things that are not in any way shape or form excusable and he doesn't have the excuse of "oh he had a hard past". No, this guy is just mentally ill to a incredibly sickening point.
The way Willingham portrayed Max's thought process, the way he justified his actions at first and then descended into lunacy once he'd done it enough, was brilliant. I was very, very impressed, and watching it happen was kind of terrifying.
(Mild spoilers inbound, but I do recommend you read on to this part of the review because this may cross boundaries for some readers:)
As I said, I understand why he did showed the content that he showed. But it got to be too graphic for me, and then at one particular point Max thinks about "touching" Bo, who is a child (if I remember right, she's around nine years old), while Max is fourteen.
He doesn't "touch" her and it doesn't go into that anymore as his train wreck of a brain quickly moves on to how he could rip her and Peter to pieces. Which is also disturbing (as it is meant to be), because Peter is also a child around Bo's age.
I didn't like the graphic murder (because again, Max is literally insane and he is not fighting for survival, but for selfish purposes), the sexual references (mild and realistic as they may be for a boy his age), or the entertained thoughts of cannibalism. But the thing that got me to put this book down was that reference to sexually touching a child.
As I said, I understood what the writer was going for. But he was doing it perfectly fine without that bit there, and I really wish he'd left it out. I tried to read on and I got very close to the end, but the whole time that was nagging at the back of my mind and I couldn't read on in good conscience.
The story, writing, art, pacing, characterization, humor, and whimsy was on point. All things considered it was a good book (as I did almost read it through all the way), but crossed my personal boundaries in that area.
November 9, 2011
In many cases, novelists have difficulty making the jump to comic book writing just as comic book writers and screenwriters may have a rough time adapting to pure prose writing. I'm happy to report that Bill Willingham not only made the jump to prose writing well, but he exceeded my already lofty expectations.
Okay, I'd be remiss if I didn't offer full disclosure and admit that I am a huge Fables fan. That doesn't mean I automatically give Willingham a free pass, though. I've written some glowing Fables reviews, but I've also come down pretty hard on the title every now and again. I'm simply trying to clarify that while I may not be totally objective with Willingham, I can remain critical.
For those unfamiliar with Fables, the premise is that all of our storybook legends, nursery rhyme characters, and mythological figures are very real and lived in their own worlds. When their homelands were overrun by an evil overlord, they fled to our dimension just as New York was being founded. There they have lived among us ever since, always searching for a way to win back their own lands.
Peter & Max is a very well-written, tightly-plotted, astutely-orchestrated novel. As you know, it focuses upon Peter Piper and his brother, Max, as well as Little Bo Peep. And in true Fables fashion, Willingham is sure to deliver the scenes we'd expect from such characters, but he also makes them his own and offers some unexpected twists and turns. I also enjoyed that the chapters alternate - a chapter will focus upon Peter and Max's past, and then the next will zero in on the present. This was a great way to build suspense while slowly revealing pertinent plot points.
What I appreciate the most about Peter & Max, though, is the fact that it makes sense. Willingham lays the groundwork early on and doesn't throw any last minute plot-changers into the mix. While he still managed to catch me off guard, none of the resolutions struck me as, "No fair! That came out of nowhere!" Too many times an author plays willy-nilly with their climax and resolution, but not Willingham. He remained consistent throughout, even if we couldn't guess why he included certain bits of information early on.
Furthermore, while I believe a Fables fan will especially love this novel, by no means is Fables a necessary read in order to enjoy Peter & Max. If anything, I see the novel as a gateway to the comic book, though I'm certain the comic book fans will be frothing at the mouth to pick up this book, and rightly so.
Willingham has a captivating writing style, and I like the fact that while he gives us nuanced details, he doesn't go overboard with it. I really can't emphasize enough Willingham's skill as a prose writer.
Well-written, surprising, exciting, and carefully plotted, Peter & Max will impress and delight both Fables fans and those entering the Fables world for the first time.
Okay, I'd be remiss if I didn't offer full disclosure and admit that I am a huge Fables fan. That doesn't mean I automatically give Willingham a free pass, though. I've written some glowing Fables reviews, but I've also come down pretty hard on the title every now and again. I'm simply trying to clarify that while I may not be totally objective with Willingham, I can remain critical.
For those unfamiliar with Fables, the premise is that all of our storybook legends, nursery rhyme characters, and mythological figures are very real and lived in their own worlds. When their homelands were overrun by an evil overlord, they fled to our dimension just as New York was being founded. There they have lived among us ever since, always searching for a way to win back their own lands.
Peter & Max is a very well-written, tightly-plotted, astutely-orchestrated novel. As you know, it focuses upon Peter Piper and his brother, Max, as well as Little Bo Peep. And in true Fables fashion, Willingham is sure to deliver the scenes we'd expect from such characters, but he also makes them his own and offers some unexpected twists and turns. I also enjoyed that the chapters alternate - a chapter will focus upon Peter and Max's past, and then the next will zero in on the present. This was a great way to build suspense while slowly revealing pertinent plot points.
What I appreciate the most about Peter & Max, though, is the fact that it makes sense. Willingham lays the groundwork early on and doesn't throw any last minute plot-changers into the mix. While he still managed to catch me off guard, none of the resolutions struck me as, "No fair! That came out of nowhere!" Too many times an author plays willy-nilly with their climax and resolution, but not Willingham. He remained consistent throughout, even if we couldn't guess why he included certain bits of information early on.
Furthermore, while I believe a Fables fan will especially love this novel, by no means is Fables a necessary read in order to enjoy Peter & Max. If anything, I see the novel as a gateway to the comic book, though I'm certain the comic book fans will be frothing at the mouth to pick up this book, and rightly so.
Willingham has a captivating writing style, and I like the fact that while he gives us nuanced details, he doesn't go overboard with it. I really can't emphasize enough Willingham's skill as a prose writer.
Well-written, surprising, exciting, and carefully plotted, Peter & Max will impress and delight both Fables fans and those entering the Fables world for the first time.
October 21, 2009
I am a big fan of fairy tale retellings. I learned how to read from fables and fairy tales when I was a child, and have retained a fascination for them since. In this book, Bill Willingham introduces a bold choice in the remaking of fairy tales. Peter & Max is his first novel novel, but as I haven't read any of his graphic novels, I
can't really offer much insight on the background of his idea. Peter & Max are the two Piper brothers, one responsible for the Pied Piper legend, the other for the pickled pepper tongue twister. In this book, Willingham tells of the beginnings of these two brothers, both armed with magical flutes, a relationship rife with jealousy, betrayal, and murder. Willingham also introduces the Fables, a group of fantasy creatures and characters who live in modern-day America, under the radar of the mundane people. Beauty & the Beast, Snow White & Rose Red are among some of the famous Fabled few. In the modern part of the story, Peter and his wife, Bo Peep, are living peacefully with the Fables, until Beast's brother brings them news that Max has returned to this world. Through a series of flips between flashbacks and the present, Peter & Max's story is told and it's a dark tale.
However, there are a few things that prevents this book from being truly amazing. First of all, nothing is very developed in the story. Everything exists as if it is only 2-D. Neither the present Fables world, nor the worlds they came from is very rich, they exist only as a backdrop, which is disappointing because I found myself kind of searching for a place for these people. The characters are really lacking as well. Peter & Max have no other personalities other than good and bad. This is frustrating in the fact that somewhere, halfway through the story, I realized, I had no sympathy for Peter! He started out as a charming and resourceful child, but as an adult, Peter lacks any real life. Max is just your typical twirling mustached villain.
With such dull characters, Willingham really fails to build any sort of tension. I wasn't worried for Peter or fearful of what Max would do. The book took on a robotic feeling and I began reading just to get to the ending. There was no climax, no OH! moment, not even any sort of surprise during their final showdown. And the book just ends. Just like that.
It's really disappointing because Willingham led me to believe I was entering a world full of rich characters. The book was really tame and I just felt that he started out so great....but ultimately failed to deliver.
can't really offer much insight on the background of his idea. Peter & Max are the two Piper brothers, one responsible for the Pied Piper legend, the other for the pickled pepper tongue twister. In this book, Willingham tells of the beginnings of these two brothers, both armed with magical flutes, a relationship rife with jealousy, betrayal, and murder. Willingham also introduces the Fables, a group of fantasy creatures and characters who live in modern-day America, under the radar of the mundane people. Beauty & the Beast, Snow White & Rose Red are among some of the famous Fabled few. In the modern part of the story, Peter and his wife, Bo Peep, are living peacefully with the Fables, until Beast's brother brings them news that Max has returned to this world. Through a series of flips between flashbacks and the present, Peter & Max's story is told and it's a dark tale.
However, there are a few things that prevents this book from being truly amazing. First of all, nothing is very developed in the story. Everything exists as if it is only 2-D. Neither the present Fables world, nor the worlds they came from is very rich, they exist only as a backdrop, which is disappointing because I found myself kind of searching for a place for these people. The characters are really lacking as well. Peter & Max have no other personalities other than good and bad. This is frustrating in the fact that somewhere, halfway through the story, I realized, I had no sympathy for Peter! He started out as a charming and resourceful child, but as an adult, Peter lacks any real life. Max is just your typical twirling mustached villain.
With such dull characters, Willingham really fails to build any sort of tension. I wasn't worried for Peter or fearful of what Max would do. The book took on a robotic feeling and I began reading just to get to the ending. There was no climax, no OH! moment, not even any sort of surprise during their final showdown. And the book just ends. Just like that.
It's really disappointing because Willingham led me to believe I was entering a world full of rich characters. The book was really tame and I just felt that he started out so great....but ultimately failed to deliver.
April 23, 2010
I'm so caught between giving this book a 3 or a 4. I ended up with four because I'm a rabid Fables fan and this took me deeper into the world I love so much, but it really deserves a 3.5--for several reasons.
Don't get me wrong, I did really, really like it--it was Bill Willingham, one of my heroes, and most of the book left me heartily entertained and happy. But at the end, all I could really muster for this book was a sort of positive sounding "Meh."
As I see it, there were three flaws in this book that kept me from gushing happily about it.
1) The prose. Willingham has this tendency to be wordy that you don't notice as much when he's writing comics. It was first evident in that short story "A Wolf in the Fold," which outlined Bigby's origins. While Peter and Max wasn't nearly that forced or flowery sounding, it still got in the way somewhat. The book's more high-tension scenes tended to mask this by their sheer engaging action, but portions that were in the modern Fabletown era tended to show this more.
2) Max. I really didn't like the fact that so much of his cracked diabolical mania was explained by him simply "being evil". Yes, there are parts in the beginning that try to explain his tranisition from moody teen into the terrifying Pied Piper of legend, but they seemed too flimsy. He was much more two-dimensional and gave a 'disney villain' vibe at times, and when you have such a limited cast of characters you can't hide this well.
3) The end. It seemed far too simple after hyping up the sibling rivalry for that long. One of my favorite parts of the book was the musical duel between Max and Peter--it was inventive, exciting, dramatic--and here I was thinking it would be a dry run for the real ending battle between the two. Not even close. It's over in what--five minutes? And there's not even a single note played on either flute--Peter stabs Max with Frost and leaves. That's it. No magical music, no real fight, even--it was unsatisfying.
Also, this book has a very young-adult feel, where Fables, the parent series, is definitely meant for a mature audience. When Max finally says the one swear word in the entire novel "shit", I was like, woah--hold on a second there--did he just say shit? In the normal series, I wouldn't have blinked an eye at a couple of f-bombs.
Don't get me wrong, I did really, really like it--it was Bill Willingham, one of my heroes, and most of the book left me heartily entertained and happy. But at the end, all I could really muster for this book was a sort of positive sounding "Meh."
As I see it, there were three flaws in this book that kept me from gushing happily about it.
1) The prose. Willingham has this tendency to be wordy that you don't notice as much when he's writing comics. It was first evident in that short story "A Wolf in the Fold," which outlined Bigby's origins. While Peter and Max wasn't nearly that forced or flowery sounding, it still got in the way somewhat. The book's more high-tension scenes tended to mask this by their sheer engaging action, but portions that were in the modern Fabletown era tended to show this more.
2) Max. I really didn't like the fact that so much of his cracked diabolical mania was explained by him simply "being evil". Yes, there are parts in the beginning that try to explain his tranisition from moody teen into the terrifying Pied Piper of legend, but they seemed too flimsy. He was much more two-dimensional and gave a 'disney villain' vibe at times, and when you have such a limited cast of characters you can't hide this well.
3) The end. It seemed far too simple after hyping up the sibling rivalry for that long. One of my favorite parts of the book was the musical duel between Max and Peter--it was inventive, exciting, dramatic--and here I was thinking it would be a dry run for the real ending battle between the two. Not even close. It's over in what--five minutes? And there's not even a single note played on either flute--Peter stabs Max with Frost and leaves. That's it. No magical music, no real fight, even--it was unsatisfying.
Also, this book has a very young-adult feel, where Fables, the parent series, is definitely meant for a mature audience. When Max finally says the one swear word in the entire novel "shit", I was like, woah--hold on a second there--did he just say shit? In the normal series, I wouldn't have blinked an eye at a couple of f-bombs.
February 26, 2010
Two things you should know going into this review. The first is that this novel is based on a comic series called Fables, which tells stories about characters from fairy tales living in the real world. The second is that, while you don't need to read Fables in order to enjoy this novel, if you line up ten comic fans, only one of which reads Fables, Fables is still going to be the best continuing series any of them have ever read. Hands down.
Alright, now that that's out of the way; Peter and Max tells the story of Peter Piper (of pickled pepper-picking fame) and his brother Max (the Pied Piper of Hamelin). Max is a bad guy, you see, and Peter finally has the chance to rid the world of him. The fairly straightforward story of Peter's travel to Germany to find and defeat Max would be a rather uninteresting short story by itself (though the conflict is resolved ingeniously), but is interspersed throughout a narrative that tells the story of Max and Peter as children, their flight into the Black Forest during the Emperor's occupation of the Homelands, their time in Hamelin and growth to adulthood, their first epic battle, and Max's first encounter with Fabletown in the new world. Basically, by the time the Piper brothers fight to the finish, you've gotten their whole history (I won't spoil it for you, but there's a couple of magic flutes and a crippled lover involved), and you're as ready to see justice done as Peter (and Max, in his own twisted way) is.
Mr. Willingham's expert storytelling should come as no surprise to fans of the comic; no one else could tell a Fables story like Bill, and the book is filled with rich detail and excitement that moves the 368-page novel along at a pretty good clip. Illustrations by Steve Leialoha (the inker on the comic series) are scattered throughout and the book includes a short comic at the end, starring Peter Piper and his wife, Bo Peep. I could have done without the comic; the idea covered in the eight-or-so pages could have been developed into a great issue of Fables, but instead was rather half-assed and seemed to be done as an afterthought. The novel, though, was excellent, and I really hope Bill sees fit to produce a few more of these. 9/10.
Alright, now that that's out of the way; Peter and Max tells the story of Peter Piper (of pickled pepper-picking fame) and his brother Max (the Pied Piper of Hamelin). Max is a bad guy, you see, and Peter finally has the chance to rid the world of him. The fairly straightforward story of Peter's travel to Germany to find and defeat Max would be a rather uninteresting short story by itself (though the conflict is resolved ingeniously), but is interspersed throughout a narrative that tells the story of Max and Peter as children, their flight into the Black Forest during the Emperor's occupation of the Homelands, their time in Hamelin and growth to adulthood, their first epic battle, and Max's first encounter with Fabletown in the new world. Basically, by the time the Piper brothers fight to the finish, you've gotten their whole history (I won't spoil it for you, but there's a couple of magic flutes and a crippled lover involved), and you're as ready to see justice done as Peter (and Max, in his own twisted way) is.
Mr. Willingham's expert storytelling should come as no surprise to fans of the comic; no one else could tell a Fables story like Bill, and the book is filled with rich detail and excitement that moves the 368-page novel along at a pretty good clip. Illustrations by Steve Leialoha (the inker on the comic series) are scattered throughout and the book includes a short comic at the end, starring Peter Piper and his wife, Bo Peep. I could have done without the comic; the idea covered in the eight-or-so pages could have been developed into a great issue of Fables, but instead was rather half-assed and seemed to be done as an afterthought. The novel, though, was excellent, and I really hope Bill sees fit to produce a few more of these. 9/10.
October 11, 2009
In a similar vein to Gregory Maguire's Wicked, Bill Willingham's Peter & Max: A Fables Novel takes a well-known story and characters, and imbues them with a rich history and fleshed-out present. But unlike Wicked, which was a political allegory, Peter & Max is all fairytale -- dark, disturbing and solely for adults.
In the Fables universe, characters from fairytales, nursery rhymes and other legendary stories have all come together in our world after theirs was taken over by an invading army known as the Empire, controlled by a madman called the Adversary. They live together in relative harmony, hidden from the so-called "mundys" -- us. It has been this way for centuries (Fables never age), and will likely be so until the end of time.
Peter Piper is one of the Fable refugees, living with his wife, Bo Peep (now a wheelchair bound cripple) in a house outside of town. One day, he gets word that his older brother, Max, has been spotted in the mundy world, and sets off to hunt him. When the story flashes back to the Piper brothers' childhood, the story of Peter & Max begins in earnest.
Willingham manages to work familiar childhood characters into very grown-up stories. Max, the story's villain, is a homicidal sociopathic megalomaniac, who doesn't discriminate when it comes to picking his victims. He's a chilling, frightening character, all the more so because his rampage begins when he's just fourteen.
I loved this book, so much more than I even expected to. It managed to be written with a tone that was both charming and threatening all at once, and it painted clear images in my head as it progressed. That, of course, was helped along by the wonderful illustrations provided by Steve Leialoha, which lended an ominous tone throughout.
Although this was Willingham's first prose novel (he normally writes the Fables characters in comic form), I am hoping it's not the last. He's a skilled writer who knows how to craft a tightly woven story, and I can't wait to see what else he has in store!
In the Fables universe, characters from fairytales, nursery rhymes and other legendary stories have all come together in our world after theirs was taken over by an invading army known as the Empire, controlled by a madman called the Adversary. They live together in relative harmony, hidden from the so-called "mundys" -- us. It has been this way for centuries (Fables never age), and will likely be so until the end of time.
Peter Piper is one of the Fable refugees, living with his wife, Bo Peep (now a wheelchair bound cripple) in a house outside of town. One day, he gets word that his older brother, Max, has been spotted in the mundy world, and sets off to hunt him. When the story flashes back to the Piper brothers' childhood, the story of Peter & Max begins in earnest.
Willingham manages to work familiar childhood characters into very grown-up stories. Max, the story's villain, is a homicidal sociopathic megalomaniac, who doesn't discriminate when it comes to picking his victims. He's a chilling, frightening character, all the more so because his rampage begins when he's just fourteen.
I loved this book, so much more than I even expected to. It managed to be written with a tone that was both charming and threatening all at once, and it painted clear images in my head as it progressed. That, of course, was helped along by the wonderful illustrations provided by Steve Leialoha, which lended an ominous tone throughout.
Although this was Willingham's first prose novel (he normally writes the Fables characters in comic form), I am hoping it's not the last. He's a skilled writer who knows how to craft a tightly woven story, and I can't wait to see what else he has in store!
January 12, 2010
Really, my rating for this book is about 3 and a half stars. The book is good, and a very easy read. I don't know how appealing it would be to someone who isn't a Fables fan. In short, if you enjoy reworking of fairy tales, it's worth a read. It builds on the darkness of the original faeiy tale (The Pipe Piper of Hamelin) without changing it radically like Wicked does the Wizard of Oz.
For Fables fans, the question is whether or not Bill Willingham has potential as a novel writer. His writing here is competent but nothing special. The book feels like a Neil Gaiman novel more then it does something by Bill Willingham. There is a certain sarcastic tone in the Fables comic that I felt was missing from the novel. Willingham went more for the pure fairy tale then his usual deconstruction.
Also, while Fables is definitely for an adult audience, this book felt like young adult fiction. There is a darker tone present, I don't feel the book carried a tone that's any more mature then alot of young adult fiction. Plus, the way the book was written just had that young adult feel to it.
One flaw I find with Willingham is I often feel his villains are outmatched by his heroes. I really never felt the good guys in Fables were threatened by the Adversary. Here, the main villain feels more dangerous, more evil. It is definitely one of the better badguys in the Fables world.
In short, if you are a Fables fan or really into modern fairy tales read it. If not, maybe give it a try simply because since it's such an easy read that it could be finished quick. However, if this genre isn't your style, probably a safe book to pass up.
For Fables fans, the question is whether or not Bill Willingham has potential as a novel writer. His writing here is competent but nothing special. The book feels like a Neil Gaiman novel more then it does something by Bill Willingham. There is a certain sarcastic tone in the Fables comic that I felt was missing from the novel. Willingham went more for the pure fairy tale then his usual deconstruction.
Also, while Fables is definitely for an adult audience, this book felt like young adult fiction. There is a darker tone present, I don't feel the book carried a tone that's any more mature then alot of young adult fiction. Plus, the way the book was written just had that young adult feel to it.
One flaw I find with Willingham is I often feel his villains are outmatched by his heroes. I really never felt the good guys in Fables were threatened by the Adversary. Here, the main villain feels more dangerous, more evil. It is definitely one of the better badguys in the Fables world.
In short, if you are a Fables fan or really into modern fairy tales read it. If not, maybe give it a try simply because since it's such an easy read that it could be finished quick. However, if this genre isn't your style, probably a safe book to pass up.
November 16, 2009
Peter and Max Piper are brothers. But aside from the same mother and father and musical giftedness, the two have little in common. Their story opens in the present in the recondite part of New York known as Fabletown with Peter learning of his brother's return. Peter lives in Fabletown with his paraplegic wife Bo Peep and other characters of fantasy and fairy lore such as Snow White, the Beast, and the Big Bad Wolf.
Despite Bo's protests and concern for Peter's safety, Peter resolves to find Max and put an end to his evil doings once and for all. From there, the story is told alternating from the present to the past. Willingham masterfully parcels out the back story, slowly building the brother's history until the present enmity between them becomes clearer.
Long, long ago the boys' father, Johannes Piper, passed on his magical flute named Frost to his younger son, Peter, because Peter is a better musician than Max. This decision creates a rift between the brothers that quickly turns deadly.
Willingham packs many more events and characters into Peter and Max's story. Like fairy tales of old, the story lacks depth of characterization as characters are largely one dimensional (all good or all bad), and this may detract from some readers' enjoyment of the story. Still, for readers who enjoy the fairy tale mold and stories that ooze with intertextuality, Peter and Max will be a fast and fun read. Peter and Max is a standalone novel based on Willingham's esteemed Fables comic book series.
Despite Bo's protests and concern for Peter's safety, Peter resolves to find Max and put an end to his evil doings once and for all. From there, the story is told alternating from the present to the past. Willingham masterfully parcels out the back story, slowly building the brother's history until the present enmity between them becomes clearer.
Long, long ago the boys' father, Johannes Piper, passed on his magical flute named Frost to his younger son, Peter, because Peter is a better musician than Max. This decision creates a rift between the brothers that quickly turns deadly.
Willingham packs many more events and characters into Peter and Max's story. Like fairy tales of old, the story lacks depth of characterization as characters are largely one dimensional (all good or all bad), and this may detract from some readers' enjoyment of the story. Still, for readers who enjoy the fairy tale mold and stories that ooze with intertextuality, Peter and Max will be a fast and fun read. Peter and Max is a standalone novel based on Willingham's esteemed Fables comic book series.
January 14, 2010
I was/am a very happy reader of Willingham's Fables graphic novels, and was thrilled to learn about this book, a novel set within the same world, contemporaneous to the story in the graphic novels, but independent of them as well. It was a fantastic romp and I marvel at the creativity and respectful license that the author takes with well known fairy tale characters.
The eponymous protagonists are brothers, and are based on several familiar tales. Peter is both Peter Piper of pickled pepper fame, as well as the Peter who tucked his wife into a pumpkin shell. Max is non other then the Pied Piper of Hamelin; in this version of the tale, an evil, sociopathic force to be reckoned with. Little Bo Peep is featured and does a lot more then tend sheep, as is the "the Black Forest Witch," who is the archetypal Witch of many fairy tales. She is a very interesting character to me, and features prominently in both the graphic novels and this book.
I have a strong affinity for fairy tales, and am especially delighted when modern authors re-tell the old tales in interesting ways. Bill Willingham is one of our best thinkers in this regard, and I really hope to read more stories from the Fables universe.
The eponymous protagonists are brothers, and are based on several familiar tales. Peter is both Peter Piper of pickled pepper fame, as well as the Peter who tucked his wife into a pumpkin shell. Max is non other then the Pied Piper of Hamelin; in this version of the tale, an evil, sociopathic force to be reckoned with. Little Bo Peep is featured and does a lot more then tend sheep, as is the "the Black Forest Witch," who is the archetypal Witch of many fairy tales. She is a very interesting character to me, and features prominently in both the graphic novels and this book.
I have a strong affinity for fairy tales, and am especially delighted when modern authors re-tell the old tales in interesting ways. Bill Willingham is one of our best thinkers in this regard, and I really hope to read more stories from the Fables universe.
May 24, 2011
I credit the finding of this book to my wife. I was only slightly familiar with the Fables comic. My wife, being the lovely person she is, went to the comic store to buy my valentines gift (that is love ladies and gentlemen) and the guy there told her about this book and thought I might enjoy it. As it turned out, he was right. There definitely is no need to have read any of the Fables comics to have an understanding of what is going on in this novel, as the author states. It stands alone by itself. If you want to read a book with a fun twist on all the old nursery rhyme characters you grew up hearing about, this book is it. This is not a Shrek play of the character either.....this is a fantasy novel with a darker edge to it. Relax and enjoy because you will be finished with it before you know it.
September 20, 2009
Thanks to my friend Ron, I received an advance copy of this book, which hits shelves quite soon. I must say, I was always relatively lukewarm about Fables, the comic: I read the issues when they were first published, then switched to the trades after I lost my job at the comic store, and then fell behind in those as well--I've missed out on the last several volumes now, and haven't started the spin-off (Jack of Fables?) yet.
That said, I picked up this book thinking it would help to pass the time, but I wound up devouring it. It's fantastic, which I mean in the literal as well as the descriptive sense. I don't know why exactly I found it so captivating when I was never this enthused by the comic, but I will say that I intend to catch up on the comic trades, now.
That said, I picked up this book thinking it would help to pass the time, but I wound up devouring it. It's fantastic, which I mean in the literal as well as the descriptive sense. I don't know why exactly I found it so captivating when I was never this enthused by the comic, but I will say that I intend to catch up on the comic trades, now.
December 5, 2011
I love Bill Willingham's Fables comics, and was really looking forward to this first novel set in the Fables universe. It did not disappoint. I listened to the audiobook narrated by Wil Wheaton, who was surprisingly good on Agent to the Stars. Peter & Max is a great little tale, full of funny bits, genuinely frightening moments, and a very satisfying and believable finale. Bravo.
December 2, 2018
This story was fun and enjoyable but nothing like the Fables comics. The descriptions of things were far too long and the story, at times, seemed too slow. Bill should just stick with Graphic Novels.
January 25, 2024
Read this review and hundreds more at The Quill To Live.
Imagine asking for pink lemonade and only getting regular. Sure, it’s kinda what you asked for, but not quite right. There’s the rub with Bill Willingham’s Peter & Max, the author’s first and only (insofar as I can tell) prose entry in the Fables universe. It gave me something close to what I wanted, but it didn’t hit my palate right once I tested the final product.
Peter & Max follows Peter and Max Piper, siblings with a years-long conflict brewing between them. No matter how much time passes or how much distance separates them, they’re at odds. Max, a brother spurned, seeks to kill Peter and steal Frost, the magical flute he believes was his rightful inheritance. Peter, settled down in the Farm—an upstate New York haven for Fables who fled the homelands—with his wife Bo Peep, wishes for the feud to end. When he hears Max has once again entered the Mundy world (our world, as opposed to the Fables’ homelands), he sets out to demolish his brother.
If only a smidgen of that paragraph made sense to you, then you’ll understand precisely my first issue with Peter & Max. Author Bill Willingham is famous for the incredible Fables saga. I’ve got all 15 deluxe sets sitting on my shelves, and it remains one of the most influential series in my life as a reader. In a brief note before the book proper, Willingham assures readers that Peter & Max is meant to stand on its own, though core Fables readers will enjoy what it offers. He then spends the greater part of 30 pages setting the scene, explaining to new readers what Fabletown is, why these fairy-tale beings live in our world, and what has happened up to this point in the larger narrative. All of this would be fine and dandy in theory. I don’t mind a summary for the uninitiated. However, so much of the book hinges on a greater understanding of the core comic series that I can only imagine a new reader will feel jerked around.
Say for speculation’s sake, that a new reader is completely fine with the lack of context and simply wants to enjoy a story about two flute-playing brothers who want to kill each other. Or, say you’re already a Fables fan. Either way, that’s one hurdle surmounted! But then we approached another. Peter & Max feels like one story—the beefier of the two—constantly being nagged by its smaller, more annoying sibling. Willingham ushers us on a fairy-tale-style journey through the pasts of his titular pair. It has a whimsical, fluffy feel to it despite darkness lurking around every corner, like any fairy tale of yore. However, this is juxtaposed with the modern-day story of Peter traveling to Germany to confront Max. These sections are fewer than their past counterparts and significantly shorter. They lead to the book’s denouement, and it’s good, but it had no reason to take place in modern times. Peter and Max’s tale felt at home in the twisted and magical world of fairy tales, and to yank it out in favor of the real world was completely jarring and unnecessary.
This issue also magnifies the problem with Max’s character. He commits some foul deeds early on after his brother receives Frost from their father. Max, the older brother, believes it was rightfully his. This starts him on a journey of self-destruction and outright evil, but it feels like we’ve crossed a bridge only to turn around and realize it never existed in the first place. Max goes from a mischievous little boy to a murderous villain in an instant. Had the modern-day sections not taken up so much space, maybe Willingham could have added some connective tissue to Max’s tale.
While I’ve spent the majority of this review railing on the book, I did enjoy Peter & Max to an extent. Willingham’s prose has a lilting quality to it that feels right at home in a fairy tale. A few of the setpieces and chapters were truly riveting, even if (again like a fairy tale) they skipped over action in favor of character dialogue or omniscient narration. I was entertained, which of course counts for something.
Peter & Max was a fine extension of Fables lore, but its problems far outweigh its entertainment value. I recommend sticking to the comics and letting this particular melody fade away.
Imagine asking for pink lemonade and only getting regular. Sure, it’s kinda what you asked for, but not quite right. There’s the rub with Bill Willingham’s Peter & Max, the author’s first and only (insofar as I can tell) prose entry in the Fables universe. It gave me something close to what I wanted, but it didn’t hit my palate right once I tested the final product.
Peter & Max follows Peter and Max Piper, siblings with a years-long conflict brewing between them. No matter how much time passes or how much distance separates them, they’re at odds. Max, a brother spurned, seeks to kill Peter and steal Frost, the magical flute he believes was his rightful inheritance. Peter, settled down in the Farm—an upstate New York haven for Fables who fled the homelands—with his wife Bo Peep, wishes for the feud to end. When he hears Max has once again entered the Mundy world (our world, as opposed to the Fables’ homelands), he sets out to demolish his brother.
If only a smidgen of that paragraph made sense to you, then you’ll understand precisely my first issue with Peter & Max. Author Bill Willingham is famous for the incredible Fables saga. I’ve got all 15 deluxe sets sitting on my shelves, and it remains one of the most influential series in my life as a reader. In a brief note before the book proper, Willingham assures readers that Peter & Max is meant to stand on its own, though core Fables readers will enjoy what it offers. He then spends the greater part of 30 pages setting the scene, explaining to new readers what Fabletown is, why these fairy-tale beings live in our world, and what has happened up to this point in the larger narrative. All of this would be fine and dandy in theory. I don’t mind a summary for the uninitiated. However, so much of the book hinges on a greater understanding of the core comic series that I can only imagine a new reader will feel jerked around.
Say for speculation’s sake, that a new reader is completely fine with the lack of context and simply wants to enjoy a story about two flute-playing brothers who want to kill each other. Or, say you’re already a Fables fan. Either way, that’s one hurdle surmounted! But then we approached another. Peter & Max feels like one story—the beefier of the two—constantly being nagged by its smaller, more annoying sibling. Willingham ushers us on a fairy-tale-style journey through the pasts of his titular pair. It has a whimsical, fluffy feel to it despite darkness lurking around every corner, like any fairy tale of yore. However, this is juxtaposed with the modern-day story of Peter traveling to Germany to confront Max. These sections are fewer than their past counterparts and significantly shorter. They lead to the book’s denouement, and it’s good, but it had no reason to take place in modern times. Peter and Max’s tale felt at home in the twisted and magical world of fairy tales, and to yank it out in favor of the real world was completely jarring and unnecessary.
This issue also magnifies the problem with Max’s character. He commits some foul deeds early on after his brother receives Frost from their father. Max, the older brother, believes it was rightfully his. This starts him on a journey of self-destruction and outright evil, but it feels like we’ve crossed a bridge only to turn around and realize it never existed in the first place. Max goes from a mischievous little boy to a murderous villain in an instant. Had the modern-day sections not taken up so much space, maybe Willingham could have added some connective tissue to Max’s tale.
While I’ve spent the majority of this review railing on the book, I did enjoy Peter & Max to an extent. Willingham’s prose has a lilting quality to it that feels right at home in a fairy tale. A few of the setpieces and chapters were truly riveting, even if (again like a fairy tale) they skipped over action in favor of character dialogue or omniscient narration. I was entertained, which of course counts for something.
Peter & Max was a fine extension of Fables lore, but its problems far outweigh its entertainment value. I recommend sticking to the comics and letting this particular melody fade away.
October 28, 2009
It was alright.
The story follows Peter Piper, who you practiced getting tongue-tied talking about. He didn’t just pick o peck of peppers he survived an invasion of a conquering army and found his way in to the reality you and I know and live. In a seclude part of upstate New York, he lives with other fables you may know such as Rose Red, Snow White, the Big Bad Wolf, and Boy Blue. I love the series in which these stories and characters are reinvented by author Bill Willingham The Fables graphic novels by Vertigo have a mixture of epic adventure, romance, caper thrillers, and who dunnits. It’s been fascinating watching this ensemble cast of intriguing characters be reinterpreted for modern day experiences. For instance, Snow White is no longer a wilting damsel in distress. She has had to learn to appear hard and unbending as a working woman to protect her heart from being further broken. Most know of how her step mother tried to kill her, but Willingham’s stories go further to tell unique stories about how Prince Charming and her divorced, and how she had to rebuild her image in the fast paced city of New York among other fables in exile. She even finds love with a certain Big Bad Wolf in human’s clothing and skins. There’ no better ongoing series in comics right now. That said… didn’t care much for the spin off novel.
At the heart of the story is how Peter lost his brother, Max to sibling rivalry. The two grow up as traveling performers in a troupe also consisting of their parents. Peter is the best player in the family. Thus, he is bequeath a magical flute passed down through the generations. The flute was won by his ancestor in a legendary magical battle and has the ability to play fiction into reality. Specifically, Peter inherits the three boons to have danger pass him by. Max sees his younger brother as undeserving of the attention and covets the flute for himself. Well when war claims their family, the boys separate. Peter wants his brother back and has to put his love for the brother he knew aside in order to recognize him for the monster Max became. Because the book opens up when they are grown and immortal with a pledge to end Max for good, we know there’s no hope for them to forgive.
My biggest issue is I don’t like Max. Willingham seems to build sympathy for him at first when we get to know him as an awkward adolescent looking for his father’s admiration. Max wants to become a man in a time of war. Clearly it’s easier to externalize his failings onto Peter by deeming Peter a thief. His brother steals everything that is his including the respect of the other men, the love of his father, and the flute that’s his birthright. But, then Willingham throws all that away by making Max flat out bananas! Max just goes coo coo, and never looks back. He becomes a cold murder, and literally is described as a beast of the forest. Well so much for sympathy. And without the sympathy he’s a cardboard villain for the rest of the book. Worse! Before, when he was still an unsure teen, Max maybe had a point about Peter. But once he’s a demon, flute-playing lunatic he’s just… whining. The whining was unbearable to read! But it takes up nearly all the mid portion of the book.
My next biggest issue is I don’t completely like Peter. When Peter was a kid having to transition form childhood friendship to budding romance with Bo Peep, or when he was a slightly older kid having to use his wits to survive on the streets of Hamelin alone, he was still interesting. But whenever adult Peter in the forefront, he’s bland and forgettable. There’s considerable amount of adult Peter at the forefront.
Max changes. Peter is a constant. Neither works well for the character development as far as the reader is concerned.
Then I felt underwhelmed by the romance story of how Bo Peep and Peter Piper became lovers that lived for centuries together. What is it that kept them together for so long? Seems to be guilt, but I won’t spoil it. The problem is that there’s missed opportunity to develop their romance when they were young. When they reunite its feels less like two lost lovers that Fate recognizes can’t be without each other and more like two people trying to get out of recent oaths in order to return to simpler times. I wont go into details about what those oaths are, but both Bo and Peter are committed in other ways when they find each other later. Marriage and running away together is the only option. That said, their exchanges as fugitive on the run are sexy and clever. I think they have chemistry
I expected a lot considering the caliber of the novels graphic novels, Fables, from which Peter and Max Fables is drawn. As an old reader of the comic series, this novel does not expand the world. Already we’ve seen much of the fantasy world called the Homelands and so bumping into the Black Forest Witch, or the Big Bad Wolf in the German forests doesn’t lend much excitement. I imagine for new readers, it still does not expand the world! The readers are introduced to the forces of the empire through some minor villains who are never heard from in the course of the ongoing series and aren’t very memorable personality wise. They’re plot devises. This is unfortunate because Willingham does reinvent fascinating fairy tale characters for his main Adversary’s legions, including the Snow Queen, Hansel from the Hansel and Gretel story, and Baba Yaga. However, I would have to insist new readers pick up the paperback trades to know what I mean. And the world is vast but we only even really see Bo Peep’s family house, a forest, and a small town. Perhaps it would have been interesting if we followed Peter through the many lands and over run by the adversary and minions. Unfortunately, the setting feels smaller than it is.
As far as plot goes, I like that Peter knows he can’t win against his brother in an inevitable showdown. Max has become powerful over the years, and the approaching doom as Peter goes to meet Max for the final surrender really builds the tension! But that’s about it. The book lags a bit in the middles in the forest and the journey to Hamelin. Then Peter meets a band of thieves and I felt we didn’t spend enough time there! Finally the climax by the water fountain left me unsatisfied. I was hoping to see a more impressive display of Max’s power. Before the climax the reader witnesses Max in a great battle and after seeing what he did to Hamelin (won’t ruin it!) you were expecting him to make a bit more of a spectacle of Peter before it ended. Bummer.
In the end, I wouldn’t start new readers off on this one. I’d give them 1000 Nights of Snowfall if they like phenomenal art and drama, or Who Killed Rose Red? If they like whimsy and humor. Otherwise, hold off until you are a big fan of the graphic novels and reserve your opinion on the series if no one warned you in time to postpone reading this novel.
I applaud Bill’s prose writing style. He uses “fell” bit too often. But I love the flow of his words and the dialogue of the olden times. I hope he releases another Fables novel one day, because I do like the medium for the story. Too bad we loose the brilliant pencils of Buckingham, the ongoing artist for the comics.
The story follows Peter Piper, who you practiced getting tongue-tied talking about. He didn’t just pick o peck of peppers he survived an invasion of a conquering army and found his way in to the reality you and I know and live. In a seclude part of upstate New York, he lives with other fables you may know such as Rose Red, Snow White, the Big Bad Wolf, and Boy Blue. I love the series in which these stories and characters are reinvented by author Bill Willingham The Fables graphic novels by Vertigo have a mixture of epic adventure, romance, caper thrillers, and who dunnits. It’s been fascinating watching this ensemble cast of intriguing characters be reinterpreted for modern day experiences. For instance, Snow White is no longer a wilting damsel in distress. She has had to learn to appear hard and unbending as a working woman to protect her heart from being further broken. Most know of how her step mother tried to kill her, but Willingham’s stories go further to tell unique stories about how Prince Charming and her divorced, and how she had to rebuild her image in the fast paced city of New York among other fables in exile. She even finds love with a certain Big Bad Wolf in human’s clothing and skins. There’ no better ongoing series in comics right now. That said… didn’t care much for the spin off novel.
At the heart of the story is how Peter lost his brother, Max to sibling rivalry. The two grow up as traveling performers in a troupe also consisting of their parents. Peter is the best player in the family. Thus, he is bequeath a magical flute passed down through the generations. The flute was won by his ancestor in a legendary magical battle and has the ability to play fiction into reality. Specifically, Peter inherits the three boons to have danger pass him by. Max sees his younger brother as undeserving of the attention and covets the flute for himself. Well when war claims their family, the boys separate. Peter wants his brother back and has to put his love for the brother he knew aside in order to recognize him for the monster Max became. Because the book opens up when they are grown and immortal with a pledge to end Max for good, we know there’s no hope for them to forgive.
My biggest issue is I don’t like Max. Willingham seems to build sympathy for him at first when we get to know him as an awkward adolescent looking for his father’s admiration. Max wants to become a man in a time of war. Clearly it’s easier to externalize his failings onto Peter by deeming Peter a thief. His brother steals everything that is his including the respect of the other men, the love of his father, and the flute that’s his birthright. But, then Willingham throws all that away by making Max flat out bananas! Max just goes coo coo, and never looks back. He becomes a cold murder, and literally is described as a beast of the forest. Well so much for sympathy. And without the sympathy he’s a cardboard villain for the rest of the book. Worse! Before, when he was still an unsure teen, Max maybe had a point about Peter. But once he’s a demon, flute-playing lunatic he’s just… whining. The whining was unbearable to read! But it takes up nearly all the mid portion of the book.
My next biggest issue is I don’t completely like Peter. When Peter was a kid having to transition form childhood friendship to budding romance with Bo Peep, or when he was a slightly older kid having to use his wits to survive on the streets of Hamelin alone, he was still interesting. But whenever adult Peter in the forefront, he’s bland and forgettable. There’s considerable amount of adult Peter at the forefront.
Max changes. Peter is a constant. Neither works well for the character development as far as the reader is concerned.
Then I felt underwhelmed by the romance story of how Bo Peep and Peter Piper became lovers that lived for centuries together. What is it that kept them together for so long? Seems to be guilt, but I won’t spoil it. The problem is that there’s missed opportunity to develop their romance when they were young. When they reunite its feels less like two lost lovers that Fate recognizes can’t be without each other and more like two people trying to get out of recent oaths in order to return to simpler times. I wont go into details about what those oaths are, but both Bo and Peter are committed in other ways when they find each other later. Marriage and running away together is the only option. That said, their exchanges as fugitive on the run are sexy and clever. I think they have chemistry
I expected a lot considering the caliber of the novels graphic novels, Fables, from which Peter and Max Fables is drawn. As an old reader of the comic series, this novel does not expand the world. Already we’ve seen much of the fantasy world called the Homelands and so bumping into the Black Forest Witch, or the Big Bad Wolf in the German forests doesn’t lend much excitement. I imagine for new readers, it still does not expand the world! The readers are introduced to the forces of the empire through some minor villains who are never heard from in the course of the ongoing series and aren’t very memorable personality wise. They’re plot devises. This is unfortunate because Willingham does reinvent fascinating fairy tale characters for his main Adversary’s legions, including the Snow Queen, Hansel from the Hansel and Gretel story, and Baba Yaga. However, I would have to insist new readers pick up the paperback trades to know what I mean. And the world is vast but we only even really see Bo Peep’s family house, a forest, and a small town. Perhaps it would have been interesting if we followed Peter through the many lands and over run by the adversary and minions. Unfortunately, the setting feels smaller than it is.
As far as plot goes, I like that Peter knows he can’t win against his brother in an inevitable showdown. Max has become powerful over the years, and the approaching doom as Peter goes to meet Max for the final surrender really builds the tension! But that’s about it. The book lags a bit in the middles in the forest and the journey to Hamelin. Then Peter meets a band of thieves and I felt we didn’t spend enough time there! Finally the climax by the water fountain left me unsatisfied. I was hoping to see a more impressive display of Max’s power. Before the climax the reader witnesses Max in a great battle and after seeing what he did to Hamelin (won’t ruin it!) you were expecting him to make a bit more of a spectacle of Peter before it ended. Bummer.
In the end, I wouldn’t start new readers off on this one. I’d give them 1000 Nights of Snowfall if they like phenomenal art and drama, or Who Killed Rose Red? If they like whimsy and humor. Otherwise, hold off until you are a big fan of the graphic novels and reserve your opinion on the series if no one warned you in time to postpone reading this novel.
I applaud Bill’s prose writing style. He uses “fell” bit too often. But I love the flow of his words and the dialogue of the olden times. I hope he releases another Fables novel one day, because I do like the medium for the story. Too bad we loose the brilliant pencils of Buckingham, the ongoing artist for the comics.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 21, 2018
The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is because I didn't love the writing. The author tended to tell about things rather than show them. Which makes sense, because he usually writes comics and doesn't have to describe things. I've never read the comics, but I really liked this book.
January 16, 2025
If you've ever wanted to read a story about a psychopathic pied piper and his mostly innocent brother doing musical battle over a magical flute made of giant's finger, boy do I have the story for you
September 24, 2019
The Fables series has been a pleasure to have read. When I found a novel based upon previously unelaborated characters from the series, I gladly picked this book up. Great backstory, I always have enjoyed a well thought out novel that incorporates both past tense and present storylines. Peter and Max is a classic good versus evil; the evil is developed from a small slight to become a full blown inferno of rage, hatred, psychopathic, murderous need for revenge that causes grief and pain for millions until it has to be settled between the brothers. A great addition to the Fables universe, I will have to look for more books to add to my to-read list.
October 24, 2022
I absolutely adore the Fables graphic novel series. I've been reading them almost from the beginning, and have reread enough times that I can pick up any volume and dive in for a bit without any disorientation. I attended the Vertigo panels every year at ComicCon and even have a lovely signed print in my bathroom (the colors match!) by Buckingham. so when my daughter gave me this beautiful book as a gift I was very excited to read it.
I don't want my three stars to make it seem as if I didn't enjoy this. I definitely did. But I was expecting to be blown away and that just didn't happen. There were illustrations, and they were beautiful, but I really missed Buckingham's contribution to the series. That's no reflection on Willingham. He's an awesome story teller, and when I inevitably reread I will probably bump it up.
Anyone who fell in love with the series in 2002 (or later) and stayed on that magnificent train until the end, should definitely look for this. It gives you a glimpse between the issues and allows you to catch up with old friends,
I don't want my three stars to make it seem as if I didn't enjoy this. I definitely did. But I was expecting to be blown away and that just didn't happen. There were illustrations, and they were beautiful, but I really missed Buckingham's contribution to the series. That's no reflection on Willingham. He's an awesome story teller, and when I inevitably reread I will probably bump it up.
Anyone who fell in love with the series in 2002 (or later) and stayed on that magnificent train until the end, should definitely look for this. It gives you a glimpse between the issues and allows you to catch up with old friends,
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