Swan Lake

by Anthea Bell, Chihiro Iwasaki (Illustrator)

A prince's love for a swan queen overcomes an evil sorcerer's spell in this fairy tale adaptation of the classic ballet.

Genres: Picture Books, Fantasy, Childrens, Romance, Magic, Fiction

28 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 1986

About the author

Anthea Bell OBE (born 1936) was an English translator who has translated numerous literary works, especially children's literature, from French, German and Danish to English. She was known for her numerous translations, including Austerlitz, one of the most significant German language works of fiction for the period since World War II, and of the French Asterix comics along with co-translator Derek Hockridge

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Reviews

[Mir · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this because I was interested in the Chihiro Iwasaki illustrations. They were nice and different, an interesting mix of ink and swirling colors (water color?). The prince looked like a petulant child (not inaccurate, I guess) and Odile* and Odette looked nothing alike, but otherwise fine.

The story was a bit different from the ballet one I know, but there is a note explaining the source material, J.K.A. Musaeus' Der Graubte Schleier, which I will look up later. Narratively it felt a bit thin, but not more so that many fairytales.


*Maybe the magic spell only made the prince think she looked like Odette?

[**the True Snow Queen** · Rating 4 out of 5]

Iwasaki's illustrations are magical. Like her rendition of The Little Mermaid, her unique style is both evocative and beautiful.