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Among the Thorns
Among the Thorns, by Veronica Schanoes, is a dark fantasy taking place in seventeenth century Germany, about a young woman who is intent on avenging the brutal murder of her peddler father many years earlier, by a vagabond with a magic fiddle.
47 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 30, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 95 reviews
June 5, 2019
They made my father dance in thorns before they killed him.
I used to think that this was a metaphor, that they beat him with thorny vines, perhaps. But I was wrong about that.
They made him dance.
this free tor short is based on the grimm's tale The Jew in the Thorns , which is itself a tricky little story: the servant of a rich man is screwed over by his master, leaves, meets a magical dwarf who takes his money but gives him three wishes, and he uses those wishes to torture, rob, and kill a jew. sleep tight, kids!
it's hard to find the moral center in a story like that.
this adaptation is told from the perspective of itte, the daughter of the murdered man. she was seven when yakov died; when he had been compelled by a magical fiddle to dance in a thorn patch until he begged for mercy and offered the fiddler all his money to be released. after lodging a complaint against the fiddler for this robbery, he was hanged when the fiddler employed one of his other wish-granted powers - the more useful one where No mortal can resist his requests.
now, why this dude went through all that fiddling and thorn-dancing spectacle when he could have just requested yakov give him all his money is a mystery, but it probably has to do with 1) this is just how fairy tales roll, and 2) this story takes place in an anti-semitic world, so i suppose it was a real hoot to make the jew dance in the thorns.
even before her father's death, itte is exposed to the cruelty of the christian villagers: her doll is broken by another girl, and she hears the stories that are told of her people:
They say that in their year 1462, in the village of Pinn, several of us bought the child of a farmer and tortured it to death. They also say that in their 1267, in Pforzheim, an old woman sold her granddaughter to us, and we tortured her to death and threw her body into the River Enz.
Who are these people who trade away their children for gold?
My parents would not have given away me or any of my brothers for all the gold in Hesse. Are gentiles so depraved that at last, they cannot love even their own children?
and knowing the cruelty of the world, and the impossibility of obtaining justice for her father's death, itte knows what she has to do.
I put my hands over his and stared into his eyes intently. If my father could not bring justice to those who slandered him, I would. “I will kill them,” I told my uncle. My voice was steady and I was quite sincere.
“I will surround that town with death. I will wrap death around their hearts, and I will rip them apart.
“I will kill them all. Every one.”
so she waits. and she grows ten years stronger, older, wiser before she is visited one night by the matronit, a deity who promises to help her with her vengeance-project in exchange for itte's worship and the observance of the old rituals. not well-versed in my kabbalistic theosophy, i did a little internet exploration on the matronit; this daughter-goddess who embodies both motherhood and bloodlust, and it's a little murky, but also fascinating stuff. itte and the matronit-shekinah go through some spiritual back-and-forth haggling, but eventually reach an understanding, and then it's ON!
and it's wonderful. it perfectly balances cruelty with compassion, and the decision itte ultimately makes just bleeds with this heartbreaking resignation. it's totally fair and not a capitulation, but the compromise has thorns of its own, and it ends up being a real stunner of a story. score one more for tor!
read it for yourself here:
http://www.tor.com/stories/2014/05/am...
come to my blog!
I used to think that this was a metaphor, that they beat him with thorny vines, perhaps. But I was wrong about that.
They made him dance.
this free tor short is based on the grimm's tale The Jew in the Thorns , which is itself a tricky little story: the servant of a rich man is screwed over by his master, leaves, meets a magical dwarf who takes his money but gives him three wishes, and he uses those wishes to torture, rob, and kill a jew. sleep tight, kids!
it's hard to find the moral center in a story like that.
this adaptation is told from the perspective of itte, the daughter of the murdered man. she was seven when yakov died; when he had been compelled by a magical fiddle to dance in a thorn patch until he begged for mercy and offered the fiddler all his money to be released. after lodging a complaint against the fiddler for this robbery, he was hanged when the fiddler employed one of his other wish-granted powers - the more useful one where No mortal can resist his requests.
now, why this dude went through all that fiddling and thorn-dancing spectacle when he could have just requested yakov give him all his money is a mystery, but it probably has to do with 1) this is just how fairy tales roll, and 2) this story takes place in an anti-semitic world, so i suppose it was a real hoot to make the jew dance in the thorns.
even before her father's death, itte is exposed to the cruelty of the christian villagers: her doll is broken by another girl, and she hears the stories that are told of her people:
They say that in their year 1462, in the village of Pinn, several of us bought the child of a farmer and tortured it to death. They also say that in their 1267, in Pforzheim, an old woman sold her granddaughter to us, and we tortured her to death and threw her body into the River Enz.
Who are these people who trade away their children for gold?
My parents would not have given away me or any of my brothers for all the gold in Hesse. Are gentiles so depraved that at last, they cannot love even their own children?
and knowing the cruelty of the world, and the impossibility of obtaining justice for her father's death, itte knows what she has to do.
I put my hands over his and stared into his eyes intently. If my father could not bring justice to those who slandered him, I would. “I will kill them,” I told my uncle. My voice was steady and I was quite sincere.
“I will surround that town with death. I will wrap death around their hearts, and I will rip them apart.
“I will kill them all. Every one.”
so she waits. and she grows ten years stronger, older, wiser before she is visited one night by the matronit, a deity who promises to help her with her vengeance-project in exchange for itte's worship and the observance of the old rituals. not well-versed in my kabbalistic theosophy, i did a little internet exploration on the matronit; this daughter-goddess who embodies both motherhood and bloodlust, and it's a little murky, but also fascinating stuff. itte and the matronit-shekinah go through some spiritual back-and-forth haggling, but eventually reach an understanding, and then it's ON!
and it's wonderful. it perfectly balances cruelty with compassion, and the decision itte ultimately makes just bleeds with this heartbreaking resignation. it's totally fair and not a capitulation, but the compromise has thorns of its own, and it ends up being a real stunner of a story. score one more for tor!
read it for yourself here:
http://www.tor.com/stories/2014/05/am...
come to my blog!
July 16, 2015
Time passed, and perhaps that is the worst betrayal of all...
Another imaginative fairytale retelling from Veronica Schanoes, this time it's a retelling of The jew among thorns.This blew me away, with Schanoes' lyrical narrative and strong characterization, this is one of the most satisfying tales of vengeance I've ever read.
October 11, 2017
I guess I'd always skipped over the original Grimms tale - but all for the better, it's awful.
This story, however, is not so much awful as awe-inspiring, that is if "awe" is taken to mean "a feeling of reverential respect mixed with fear, dread, or wonder."
Yes, it's a fairytale. There's the three gifts gained from kindness to an old woman, fathers on journeys, ill-gained stepmothers, .
But (like the very best fairytales) all is not what it seems.
There's a gritty, historical realness to this that makes it almost unreadable in moments, which makes it all the more essential to read. Plus the ending is pure perfection.
This story, however, is not so much awful as awe-inspiring, that is if "awe" is taken to mean "a feeling of reverential respect mixed with fear, dread, or wonder."
Yes, it's a fairytale. There's the three gifts gained from kindness to an old woman, fathers on journeys, ill-gained stepmothers, .
But (like the very best fairytales) all is not what it seems.
There's a gritty, historical realness to this that makes it almost unreadable in moments, which makes it all the more essential to read. Plus the ending is pure perfection.
September 19, 2016
I have really enjoyed the Tor.com shorts. Some more than others. This falls into the 'more' category. It is a story of vengeance but also of family and parental love and respect. The young girl who vows to revenge the death of her father is always front and center as the heroine and the reader is right behind her, providing support. A twist on the medieval folktale of the magic fiddler, a tale which I never liked, author Veronica Schanoes has made it worth the read.
Book Season = Winter (shivery)
Book Season = Winter (shivery)
April 5, 2020
A young girl loses her father to anti-semitic violence and vows to get revenge on the people responsible for his death. There is a supernatural element that adds a twist of mythology to the story. I enjoyed reading the mythological aspects of the story (I don't want to say more in order not to spoil it).
March 12, 2022
Among the Thorns by author Veronica Schanoes is a dark fairytale retelling you could read for free on the Tor.com site, but at some point the author published the anthology Burning Girl and Other Stories which features this one (and others) and took it offline.
In this retelling of Grimm’s fairy tale The Jew Among Thorns, a daughter takes revenge for the murder on her father.
Themes: Germany, jews and gentiles, anti-Semitism, revenge, Dornburg, tricked by a vagrant fiddler, Matronit-Shekhina.
4 Stars
In this retelling of Grimm’s fairy tale The Jew Among Thorns, a daughter takes revenge for the murder on her father.
Themes: Germany, jews and gentiles, anti-Semitism, revenge, Dornburg, tricked by a vagrant fiddler, Matronit-Shekhina.
4 Stars
April 4, 2016
I asked for vengeance, I got an utterly satisfying story of a badass girl who punishes those bastard who killed her father.
September 12, 2014
We owe our children our lives
Much darker than Burning Girls, but still beautifully written and thought-provoking. I love how she uses other fairy tales in her retelling of a Grimm tale - The Jew in the thorns. Veronica Schanoes is now one of my favorite short story authors. Definitely not a bedtime story for kids though.
March 8, 2020
This short read had an intense, almost like the grimm fairytales, story to tell. It was well paced and it showed big character development for the main hero of the story. The start, though, was difficult to draw the reader in, as it went back and forth in narration time.
December 4, 2014
This was another tor shorty that left a really haunting taste in my mouth. I've never heard of Veronica Schanoes before but I need to put this lady on my radar. Her writing is really beautiful and she sucked me into her seventeenth century revenge story so forcefully with her lyrical prose. Apparently this one was based on one of Grimm's fairy tales, but I did not know that going into this. Her imagery and characterization was perfect, and I thought the story had just enough fairy tale and just enough macabre to create the perfect short story. It did not feel unfinished, and the ending left me feeling satisfied, but still left that little tail of mystique that is crucial to the tone and kept everything from feeling too neat and tidy.
The action follows Itte, a young German girl who is haunted and compelled by the brutal and unjust execution of her beloved father. She grows up with a plan to find the mysterious fiddler responsible for his death and make him pay for her pain and unhappiness. What ensues is on one level a fairy tale, and on another a beautiful story of not only revenge, but cultural identity, as Itte's family is Jewish and she grows up alongside her Christian neighbors as an "other," someone who will never be totally accepted or trusted. Her journey of revenge also awakens her knowledge and opinion of the strife of her people, and the development of her character is really brilliant, especially for a short story.
That is just one example of this author's writing style that just cut me to the core. Her prose was both raw and lyrical at the same time, and only added to the suspense and intrigue. My only criticism is that toward the middle, during Itte's cultural awakening (which throws some lovely and grotesque fairy tale elements in), it got a little long and tedious. But ultimately, I enjoyed this story immensely, and look forward to reading more of this author's work.
The action follows Itte, a young German girl who is haunted and compelled by the brutal and unjust execution of her beloved father. She grows up with a plan to find the mysterious fiddler responsible for his death and make him pay for her pain and unhappiness. What ensues is on one level a fairy tale, and on another a beautiful story of not only revenge, but cultural identity, as Itte's family is Jewish and she grows up alongside her Christian neighbors as an "other," someone who will never be totally accepted or trusted. Her journey of revenge also awakens her knowledge and opinion of the strife of her people, and the development of her character is really brilliant, especially for a short story.
I put my hands over his and stared into his eyes intently. If my father could not bring justice to those who slandered him, I would. “I will kill them,” I told my uncle. My voice was steady and I was quite sincere. “I will surround that town with death. I will wrap death around their hearts, and I will rip them apart.
“I will kill them all. Every one.”
That is just one example of this author's writing style that just cut me to the core. Her prose was both raw and lyrical at the same time, and only added to the suspense and intrigue. My only criticism is that toward the middle, during Itte's cultural awakening (which throws some lovely and grotesque fairy tale elements in), it got a little long and tedious. But ultimately, I enjoyed this story immensely, and look forward to reading more of this author's work.
December 19, 2019
Day 19 in my 24 Days of Shorts
My holiday reading has been quite grim this year!
This is based on a Grimm Fairy Tale that I was (mercifully) not familiar with. Humans can be so very awful, can’t they? The writing style was quite well done, in the style of an old folk tale. Details seem to be historically accurate, with details of the Kabbalah added in.
read it for yourself here:
https://www.tor.com/2014/05/07/among-...
My 24 Days of Shorts
1. File N°002 by Sylvain Neuvel
2. File N°247 by Sylvain Neuvel
3. Skinner Box by Carole Johnstone
4. The Weight of Memories by Liu Cixin
5. A Fist of Permutations in Lightning and Wildflowers by Alyssa Wong
6. If at First You Don't Succeed, Try, Try Again by Zen Cho
7. Meat And Salt And Sparks by Rich Larson
8. Seven Birthdays by Ken Liu
9. Where Would You Be Now? by Carrie Vaughn
10. Old Media by Annalee Newitz
11. Nine Last Days on Planet Earth by Daryl Gregory
12. Sweetlings by Lucy Taylor
13. An Unexpected Honor by Ursula Vernon
14. Hell is the Absence of God by Ted Chiang
15. A Love Story by Samantha Hunt
16. The Lake by Tananarive Due
17. Ghost Hedgehog by Nina Kiriki Hoffman
18. Finnegan's Field by Angela Slatter
19. Among the Thorns by Veronica Schanoes
20. Rag and Bone by Priya Sharma
21. The Mothers of Voorhisville by Mary Rickert
22. As Good as New by Charlie Jane Anders
23. Twixt Firelight and Water by Juliet Marillier
24. The Christmas Show by Pat Cadigan
“I will kill them,” I told my uncle. My voice was steady and I was quite sincere. “I will surround that town with death. I will wrap death around their hearts, and I will rip them apart.
“I will kill them all. Every one.”
My holiday reading has been quite grim this year!
This is based on a Grimm Fairy Tale that I was (mercifully) not familiar with. Humans can be so very awful, can’t they? The writing style was quite well done, in the style of an old folk tale. Details seem to be historically accurate, with details of the Kabbalah added in.
read it for yourself here:
https://www.tor.com/2014/05/07/among-...
My 24 Days of Shorts
1. File N°002 by Sylvain Neuvel
2. File N°247 by Sylvain Neuvel
3. Skinner Box by Carole Johnstone
4. The Weight of Memories by Liu Cixin
5. A Fist of Permutations in Lightning and Wildflowers by Alyssa Wong
6. If at First You Don't Succeed, Try, Try Again by Zen Cho
7. Meat And Salt And Sparks by Rich Larson
8. Seven Birthdays by Ken Liu
9. Where Would You Be Now? by Carrie Vaughn
10. Old Media by Annalee Newitz
11. Nine Last Days on Planet Earth by Daryl Gregory
12. Sweetlings by Lucy Taylor
13. An Unexpected Honor by Ursula Vernon
14. Hell is the Absence of God by Ted Chiang
15. A Love Story by Samantha Hunt
16. The Lake by Tananarive Due
17. Ghost Hedgehog by Nina Kiriki Hoffman
18. Finnegan's Field by Angela Slatter
19. Among the Thorns by Veronica Schanoes
20. Rag and Bone by Priya Sharma
21. The Mothers of Voorhisville by Mary Rickert
22. As Good as New by Charlie Jane Anders
23. Twixt Firelight and Water by Juliet Marillier
24. The Christmas Show by Pat Cadigan
May 5, 2020
"They made my father dance in thorns before they killed him.
I used to think that this was a metaphor, that they beat him with thorny vines, perhaps. But I was wrong about that.
They made him dance."
This is in the Top 10 interesting opening lines of a story that I have ever read.
Being a sort of sequel to the antisemitic fairytale by The Brothers Grimm, I read their original fairytale" A Jew among thorns". The fairytale made zero sense, and the hatred towards Jews is apparent. I don't understand how a person can write something so hateful targeted to children. There were many ways to end that fairytale and not get the tragic ending for anybody but it seems like The Brothers Grimm hadn't thought about that, or they have but chose this ending instead. Either way a shitty fairytale.
Anyway, I was completely satisfied with this fairytale.
-Strong heroine ✔
-Good character build/psychology ✔
-Revenge story ✔
-Taking a look at all sides of morality and what moral means to an individual ✔
-Carrying a strong and positive message ✔
-A perfect ending, if I have ever heard of one ✔
These points along with beautiful but simplistic writing made this fairytale very dear to me. If you are up for all of the abovementioned, check it out.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
This was so good and empowering. Give me more fairytales like this one. Review to come.
August 13, 2015
This story was beautiful in every way. I can surely say that Veronica Schanoes is as masterful writer of short stories as my favourite Leigh Bardugo is. The writing style is amazing, the story is heartbreaking and with a wonderful end. I`ve got so many favourite quotes that it is hard to list them....
1.) Who are these people who trade away their children for gold?
My parents would not have given away me or any of my brothers for all the gold in Hesse. Are gentiles so depraved that at last, they cannot love even their own children?
2.) Some feel there is safety in numbers and in closeness, but my mother thought differently. “Too many of us, too close together,” she said, “and they think we’re plotting against them. Of course, they don’t like it when we move too far into their places, either. I do what I can to strike the right balance, liebchen,” she said.
3.) I put my hands over his and stared into his eyes intently. If my father could not bring justice to those who slandered him, I would. “I will kill them,” I told my uncle. My voice was steady and I was quite sincere. “I will surround that town with death. I will wrap death around their hearts, and I will rip them apart.
“I will kill them all. Every one.”
4.) I wonder, sometimes, if the fiddler, Herr Geiger, as he was called in Dornburg, felt that way about his daughter. He always seemed uncertain around her, as if he wished to love her but did not know how to begin. Once he told me he would love her better when she was older and had a true personality. But she has always seemed to have quite a strong character to me, right from the very beginning, even in her suckling.
5.) To put myself at great risk—that was my choice, my prerogative. But if I’d had children—it is not right for parents to abandon their children, never.
6.) “I do not yet know, Uncle. It depends on how I find him. But I must do this. I have known ever since I was a child. The knowledge has lodged like . . . like . . .” I fumbled for words.
“Like a thorn in your heart, my child?” finished my uncle.
I nodded.
7.) Do you not understand? I will bring your vengeance to pass.
“What mother are you,” I said bitterly, “who did not protect a child of Israel ten years ago, when he was tortured and killed in Dornburg? And he is only one among many.”
Your guide, your teacher. And something more. I will possess your body, reside in your soul, yet I will not wrest control from you. I will strengthen you for what lies ahead, yet I will leave you human. And when this work is done, I will depart.
8.) The vines of thorns had almost reached the top of the town walls when I turned and did what my father had not been allowed to do. I walked away from Dornburg.
1.) Who are these people who trade away their children for gold?
My parents would not have given away me or any of my brothers for all the gold in Hesse. Are gentiles so depraved that at last, they cannot love even their own children?
2.) Some feel there is safety in numbers and in closeness, but my mother thought differently. “Too many of us, too close together,” she said, “and they think we’re plotting against them. Of course, they don’t like it when we move too far into their places, either. I do what I can to strike the right balance, liebchen,” she said.
3.) I put my hands over his and stared into his eyes intently. If my father could not bring justice to those who slandered him, I would. “I will kill them,” I told my uncle. My voice was steady and I was quite sincere. “I will surround that town with death. I will wrap death around their hearts, and I will rip them apart.
“I will kill them all. Every one.”
4.) I wonder, sometimes, if the fiddler, Herr Geiger, as he was called in Dornburg, felt that way about his daughter. He always seemed uncertain around her, as if he wished to love her but did not know how to begin. Once he told me he would love her better when she was older and had a true personality. But she has always seemed to have quite a strong character to me, right from the very beginning, even in her suckling.
5.) To put myself at great risk—that was my choice, my prerogative. But if I’d had children—it is not right for parents to abandon their children, never.
6.) “I do not yet know, Uncle. It depends on how I find him. But I must do this. I have known ever since I was a child. The knowledge has lodged like . . . like . . .” I fumbled for words.
“Like a thorn in your heart, my child?” finished my uncle.
I nodded.
7.) Do you not understand? I will bring your vengeance to pass.
“What mother are you,” I said bitterly, “who did not protect a child of Israel ten years ago, when he was tortured and killed in Dornburg? And he is only one among many.”
Your guide, your teacher. And something more. I will possess your body, reside in your soul, yet I will not wrest control from you. I will strengthen you for what lies ahead, yet I will leave you human. And when this work is done, I will depart.
8.) The vines of thorns had almost reached the top of the town walls when I turned and did what my father had not been allowed to do. I walked away from Dornburg.
June 28, 2018
A compelling revenge fantasy, Sleeping Beauty meets a brothers Grimm story I wasn't aware of, The Jew Among Thorns: https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Je...
March 15, 2016
This short story is a sequel to the Grimm Brothers' fairy tale "The Jew in the Thorns". Maybe "sequel" isn't the right word. It's not exactly a continuation of the story, even though the main events of the story take place after the original tale. It's more of a jab back at the original story, standing up against the vilification of the Jew in the story. So it's more of a revenge story following the original. A revengequel? Yeah. That sounds about right. I'm calling it. Revengequels should officially be a thing.
Among the Thorns follows the daughter of the Jewish man from the original story, as she takes revenge against the "hero" who robbed, slandered, and ultimately killed her father, and against the town that just stood by and let it happen.
It's a pretty depressing tale.
There's a light at the end of the story, however, as Itte doesn't sink to the same level as the "hero". While she does take her revenge in the end, she manages to show compassion, which is certainly more than can be said for the people in the original story.
Among the Thorns follows the daughter of the Jewish man from the original story, as she takes revenge against the "hero" who robbed, slandered, and ultimately killed her father, and against the town that just stood by and let it happen.
It's a pretty depressing tale.
There's a light at the end of the story, however, as Itte doesn't sink to the same level as the "hero". While she does take her revenge in the end, she manages to show compassion, which is certainly more than can be said for the people in the original story.
December 13, 2014
3.5 An incredibly well written short story. Retelling of "The Jew in the Thorns" by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm. It didn't end as strong as it stared, but it captivates anyway.
"We owe our children our lives"
Se me antojo leer historias cortas, y ya cheque unas en Tor.com para leer en estos días navideños.
Me gusto mas como empezó, que como termino, pero de todas formas una lectura muy rápida y buena. :D
Si están interesados en un dark fantasy corto, sencillo y disfrutable, les recomiendo Among the Thorns. Esta gratis para leer en la pagina de Tor así que no hay problema, ademas la ilustración es bellisima! (todas las ilustraciones de Tor son geniales, duh!)
"We owe our children our lives"
Se me antojo leer historias cortas, y ya cheque unas en Tor.com para leer en estos días navideños.
Me gusto mas como empezó, que como termino, pero de todas formas una lectura muy rápida y buena. :D
Si están interesados en un dark fantasy corto, sencillo y disfrutable, les recomiendo Among the Thorns. Esta gratis para leer en la pagina de Tor así que no hay problema, ademas la ilustración es bellisima! (todas las ilustraciones de Tor son geniales, duh!)
June 2, 2016
Among the Thorns by Veronica Schanoes
3 stars
Cover Thoughts: Gorgeous. Even though it's not for an official book it's a pretty amazing cover.
P.S. This is free on Tor.com so go read it: here
3 stars
You know what I’ve noticed lately in literature? When kids say they are going to do something they usually keep it. This little girl definitely does. She vows to destroy the village that killed her father. *maniacal laughter* The plot thickens and not all is what it seems in this story. I quite enjoyed it. It’s a quick, chilling read that Karen recommended and I read it because it’s what I do when free things that sound good stumble my way.
Cover Thoughts: Gorgeous. Even though it's not for an official book it's a pretty amazing cover.
P.S. This is free on Tor.com so go read it: here
October 26, 2018
This seems to be written in answer to the brothers' Grimm tale, The Jew Among Thorns, as a story of the titular Jew's daughter who seeks vengeance for her father's murder. While the subject matter is dark, Among the Thorns is beautifully crafted, drawing the reader into immediate sympathy with the heroine. Threaded through with mysticism and the warmth of familial love, this story strikes a masterful balance, telling of terrible things, while not losing sight of the goodness and magic in life.
July 20, 2016
Really a fantastic response to an old story by the Grimm brothers, The Jew in the Thorn. I actually ended up reading them in reverse order, but the Grimm tale is short enough it didn't matter. I kind of wish I knew more about Jewish culture, there were some interesting tidbits in this that some broader context could have really helped. Still, an engrossing story.
December 6, 2018
“I will surround that town with death. I will wrap death around their hearts, and I will rip them apart.
“I will kill them all. Every one.”
My uncle did not laugh at me, or ruffle my hair, or tell me to run along. Instead, he met my gaze and nodded. Then he took my hands in his and said “So be it.”
He said it almost reverently.
“I will kill them all. Every one.”
My uncle did not laugh at me, or ruffle my hair, or tell me to run along. Instead, he met my gaze and nodded. Then he took my hands in his and said “So be it.”
He said it almost reverently.
March 28, 2017
As strong and dark as a classic fairytale.
February 25, 2020
Wow.
I've read a number of upsetting fairy tales in my time, one of the most upsetting being the Brothers Grimm story, "The Jew Among Thorns," which recalls the assault and execution of a crudely stereotypical Jewish man whose death is celebrated as a lesson learned in miserliness. This story takes that old fable and transforms it into something worth reading: a beautiful and exciting tale about faith, endurance, and ultimate vengeance.
Young Itte is left heartbroken and angry by the public murder of her father, a Jewish merchant accosted by a man with a magic fiddle. Following a decade of desolation and poverty, she decides the time has come to track down the man responsible and to make him pay. This journey toward revenge is not only about the pain felt by her own family, but also about the pain felt by the Jewish people at the hands of gentiles during the 15th century. Poetic justice.
A short but moving read. If you are a fan of the retold classic fairy tale than this one is a must.
I've read a number of upsetting fairy tales in my time, one of the most upsetting being the Brothers Grimm story, "The Jew Among Thorns," which recalls the assault and execution of a crudely stereotypical Jewish man whose death is celebrated as a lesson learned in miserliness. This story takes that old fable and transforms it into something worth reading: a beautiful and exciting tale about faith, endurance, and ultimate vengeance.
Young Itte is left heartbroken and angry by the public murder of her father, a Jewish merchant accosted by a man with a magic fiddle. Following a decade of desolation and poverty, she decides the time has come to track down the man responsible and to make him pay. This journey toward revenge is not only about the pain felt by her own family, but also about the pain felt by the Jewish people at the hands of gentiles during the 15th century. Poetic justice.
A short but moving read. If you are a fan of the retold classic fairy tale than this one is a must.
March 7, 2020
Speaking of revenge stories ... I loved this one. It was desperately sad with a long future of sadness ahead, regardless of the triumph our main character ended with. This is a story of a girl who loses her father to the selfish people of a village eager to buy wares from a Jewish man, but equally eager to see him tortured. It happened on the say-so of a wandering gentile, who was as "grasping and vindictive" as he proclaimed the Jewish people to be.
“I will kill them,” I told my uncle. My voice was steady and I was quite sincere. “I will surround that town with death. I will wrap death around their hearts, and I will rip them apart.
“I will kill them all. Every one.”
March 2, 2019
I bloody love the tor short fictions, I do. So, y’all know that super popular fairytale, The Jew Among Thorns? Well, this True Grit-esque follow on tale told from the perspective of the daughter of said Jew in thorns is full of typical fairytale atmosphere, suspense, and payoffs. A wonderful bitseize literary snack.
March 31, 2017
It was a good story with very bad writing. The plot was interesting and compelling, but the author's writing style is horrendous.
This same idea in better hands would have been excellent, with Schanoes, its only just okay.
Thankfully, it's a free read and it's very short, only 32 pages.
This same idea in better hands would have been excellent, with Schanoes, its only just okay.
Thankfully, it's a free read and it's very short, only 32 pages.
October 15, 2022
A quick, easy read full of magic and cruelty. Heavy on the heart with everything you know happens in the future.
August 19, 2024
3.5 Very cool just didn’t vibe with it completely
July 8, 2014
ORIGINAL REVIEW: http://acidfreepulp.com/2014/05/14/am...
A couple of months ago, I reviewed Veronica Schanoes’ novella, Burning Girls. She has a knack for reinventing folktales, giving them a fresh note while still retaining their centuries’ old roots. She does it again in her new short story, Among the Thorns. The story is a clear rebuttal to the Brothers Grimm’s most overwhelmingly antisemitic story, “The Jew in the Thorn” (Der Jude im Dorn).
As a child, Itte’s father never returns home. The family finds out that he has been murdered in the German village of Dornburg (this name literally means thorn castle in DE).
“They made my father dance in thorns before they killed him. I used to think that this was a metaphor, that they beat him with thorny vines, perhaps. But I was wrong about that. They made him dance.”
Itte, her family, and the rest of the Jews are persecuted now in their seventeenth century village just as the Jews have been in the past centuries as well. Ten years pass and with her mother dead and her brothers off, Itte decides to take revenge on Herr Geiger, the man who is responsible for her father’s death. Herr Geiger, like his name suggests, is a fiddler, whose instrument when played will make anyone dance, even until they are worn out; he also has the extraordinary ability to make people do what he wants. Itte’s father was made to dance in the thorns until he was bloodied. As Itte sets off on her quest, she is accompanied by the disembodied presence of Matronit to assist her with her travels and, finally, to “watch the fiddler’s last breath.”
Although rooted in sadness, I do love a good revenge tale. Itte is determined and plain-spoken. Her narration is direct, which I think works quite well for Schanoes, who is portraying both a developed character and a reference to an older story. She is reinterpreting the straightforward voice that is often used in old Märchen.* The imagery is strong in this story. An especially vivid moment is when Itte’s braided hair unravels, stretching out into giant thorn vines (see cover image above). It takes her whole body to exact revenge on Herr Geiger, something that Itte imagined would be the case, albeit, not entirely as she expected before she set out on her journey. We can read the Grimms’ tale in its historical context, but Schanoes’ new story is one to be relished in as each spiky thorn grows from Itte’s head.
Like Burning Girls, I found this story to be wholly gripping. Once you start, you better clear your schedule, because you’ll want to finish it in one sitting and then probably read it again for any details missed the first go around. I don’t know what Veronica Schanoes is up to, but I hope her plans include writing a fabulous collection of tales with stellar illustrations by Anna & Elena Balbusso.
A couple of months ago, I reviewed Veronica Schanoes’ novella, Burning Girls. She has a knack for reinventing folktales, giving them a fresh note while still retaining their centuries’ old roots. She does it again in her new short story, Among the Thorns. The story is a clear rebuttal to the Brothers Grimm’s most overwhelmingly antisemitic story, “The Jew in the Thorn” (Der Jude im Dorn).
As a child, Itte’s father never returns home. The family finds out that he has been murdered in the German village of Dornburg (this name literally means thorn castle in DE).
“They made my father dance in thorns before they killed him. I used to think that this was a metaphor, that they beat him with thorny vines, perhaps. But I was wrong about that. They made him dance.”
Itte, her family, and the rest of the Jews are persecuted now in their seventeenth century village just as the Jews have been in the past centuries as well. Ten years pass and with her mother dead and her brothers off, Itte decides to take revenge on Herr Geiger, the man who is responsible for her father’s death. Herr Geiger, like his name suggests, is a fiddler, whose instrument when played will make anyone dance, even until they are worn out; he also has the extraordinary ability to make people do what he wants. Itte’s father was made to dance in the thorns until he was bloodied. As Itte sets off on her quest, she is accompanied by the disembodied presence of Matronit to assist her with her travels and, finally, to “watch the fiddler’s last breath.”
Although rooted in sadness, I do love a good revenge tale. Itte is determined and plain-spoken. Her narration is direct, which I think works quite well for Schanoes, who is portraying both a developed character and a reference to an older story. She is reinterpreting the straightforward voice that is often used in old Märchen.* The imagery is strong in this story. An especially vivid moment is when Itte’s braided hair unravels, stretching out into giant thorn vines (see cover image above). It takes her whole body to exact revenge on Herr Geiger, something that Itte imagined would be the case, albeit, not entirely as she expected before she set out on her journey. We can read the Grimms’ tale in its historical context, but Schanoes’ new story is one to be relished in as each spiky thorn grows from Itte’s head.
Like Burning Girls, I found this story to be wholly gripping. Once you start, you better clear your schedule, because you’ll want to finish it in one sitting and then probably read it again for any details missed the first go around. I don’t know what Veronica Schanoes is up to, but I hope her plans include writing a fabulous collection of tales with stellar illustrations by Anna & Elena Balbusso.
December 6, 2021
Among the Thorns (Giữa những bụi gai): Đức, thế kỷ 17. Một tiểu thương Do Thái bỏ mạng oan khốc dưới tay một gã lang thang sở hữu cây vĩ cầm ma thuật. Con gái ông ta vừa nung nấu ý định trả thù cho cha, vừa đau đáu suy ngẫm về số phận dân tộc khi phải sống trong môi trường bài Do Thái.
Điểm: 7/10
"Among the Thorns" được viết như phần hậu truyện của truyện cổ Grimm "The Jew among Thorns". Một trong những tác phẩm thiểu số đề cập đến chủ nghĩa bài Do Thái mà không lấy bối cảnh Thế chiến thứ hai.
Người tiểu thương Do Thái trút bỏ vai trò kẻ xấu trong câu chuyện gốc để hiện ra nguyên hình là nạn nhân của những định kiến bất công. Ông ta bán buôn trung thực và chỉ vừa đủ kiếm sống. Ông ta là người đàn ông của gia đình và một công dân lương thiện. Ông ta ý thức được sự nghi kị chung với dân tộc mình nên luôn cố gắng giao hảo với mọi người. Vậy mà sau tất cả, những người quen mặt ông ta lại quyết định tin lời một gã lạ mặt thay vì con người tội nghiệp kia. Cái chết bi thảm của người tiểu thương là đòn sét đánh giáng xuống gia đình ông, ấn định số phận của họ sẽ phải sống trong đau buồn và luôn bị nỗi lo sợ đeo bám thường trực. Đó là lúc nhân vật chính bước lên và từ chối số phận ấy. Góc nhìn và trải nghiệm cá nhân của cô đem lại sắc thái mới cho câu chuyện, khiến nó có chiều sâu và thú vị hơn hẳn.
Tuy vậy, theo ý mình, cách giải quyết vấn đề của tác giả hơi ảo. Phần cuối truyện chưa được kịch tính và cái kết không bùng nổ như mình mong chờ. Nhìn chung, "Among the Thorns" là một truyện ngắn ổn dù có hơi bị hụt về cuối.
Điểm: 7/10
"Among the Thorns" được viết như phần hậu truyện của truyện cổ Grimm "The Jew among Thorns". Một trong những tác phẩm thiểu số đề cập đến chủ nghĩa bài Do Thái mà không lấy bối cảnh Thế chiến thứ hai.
Người tiểu thương Do Thái trút bỏ vai trò kẻ xấu trong câu chuyện gốc để hiện ra nguyên hình là nạn nhân của những định kiến bất công. Ông ta bán buôn trung thực và chỉ vừa đủ kiếm sống. Ông ta là người đàn ông của gia đình và một công dân lương thiện. Ông ta ý thức được sự nghi kị chung với dân tộc mình nên luôn cố gắng giao hảo với mọi người. Vậy mà sau tất cả, những người quen mặt ông ta lại quyết định tin lời một gã lạ mặt thay vì con người tội nghiệp kia. Cái chết bi thảm của người tiểu thương là đòn sét đánh giáng xuống gia đình ông, ấn định số phận của họ sẽ phải sống trong đau buồn và luôn bị nỗi lo sợ đeo bám thường trực. Đó là lúc nhân vật chính bước lên và từ chối số phận ấy. Góc nhìn và trải nghiệm cá nhân của cô đem lại sắc thái mới cho câu chuyện, khiến nó có chiều sâu và thú vị hơn hẳn.
Tuy vậy, theo ý mình, cách giải quyết vấn đề của tác giả hơi ảo. Phần cuối truyện chưa được kịch tính và cái kết không bùng nổ như mình mong chờ. Nhìn chung, "Among the Thorns" là một truyện ngắn ổn dù có hơi bị hụt về cuối.
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