What do you think?
Chronicles of the Grim Peddler, Volume 1
The Grim Peddler waltzes through fairly tales, giving the stories' inhabitants their hearts' desires. But benefactors beware, for his gifts don't always turn out quite as expected! Classic fables like Sleeping Beauty, Hansel and Gretel, The Frog Prince and more are turned on their side through the unexpected reversals and terrifying twists of this all-new series.
200 pages, Paperback
First published July 23, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
October 5, 2012
The art was absolutely beautiful. I rarely find manhwa that has TERRIBLE art, but of course this didn't suffer from that hopefully rare occurence.
I loved his hat! It was so cool! The Koreans make all their guys look so pretty, moreso than the Japanese.
I love fairy tale retellings, even if they seem old-hat (no pun intended). You can only take a Grimm's Fairy Tale and retell it in so many ways before all the ways .. have been done, you know?
My favorite was the Little Mermaid. Least favorite was Hansel and Gretel. I was confused in the very beginning, but once I slowed down and read it (my tablet makes me flip pages "backwards" like a manga but I have to read the manhwa left to right! Aaah, I get so confused sometimes!) it began to make sense.
I loved his hat! It was so cool! The Koreans make all their guys look so pretty, moreso than the Japanese.
I love fairy tale retellings, even if they seem old-hat (no pun intended). You can only take a Grimm's Fairy Tale and retell it in so many ways before all the ways .. have been done, you know?
My favorite was the Little Mermaid. Least favorite was Hansel and Gretel. I was confused in the very beginning, but once I slowed down and read it (my tablet makes me flip pages "backwards" like a manga but I have to read the manhwa left to right! Aaah, I get so confused sometimes!) it began to make sense.
May 4, 2020
I've had this book for a few years now (can't even remember when or where I bought it from). Art is still unique and pretty in a typical Manhwa way, but definitely not perfect.
The stories are what get me. There is A LOT of potential with these stories. Who doesn't love a good twist on a classic fairy tale and a mysterious wizard of sorts that deals with them? The problem is the overall pacing of the stories are teeeerrribbblllleee. The best one was the Little Mermaid idea, but even then there almost seems to be pages missing in the story to make it flow all together. This could be due to translation issues, but it sounded like the author was making the story up as they went and not correcting or flowing with it as the story progressed. (Case and point was this mysterious "seed" owner).
The only reason I keep the book is just due to the creative art and the potential of greatness in the stories. I can just let my mind imagine the parts that are missing and let that inspire me with my own writing. This was also the author's debut too, so I like to keep that in mind too.
I really do wish though that I could find the author online. The website that was included doesn't work and I doubt the email will either. This could have been this author's only series... but it would have been great to find if the author did others to see how much they've grown from the debut graphic novel.
The stories are what get me. There is A LOT of potential with these stories. Who doesn't love a good twist on a classic fairy tale and a mysterious wizard of sorts that deals with them? The problem is the overall pacing of the stories are teeeerrribbblllleee. The best one was the Little Mermaid idea, but even then there almost seems to be pages missing in the story to make it flow all together. This could be due to translation issues, but it sounded like the author was making the story up as they went and not correcting or flowing with it as the story progressed. (Case and point was this mysterious "seed" owner).
The only reason I keep the book is just due to the creative art and the potential of greatness in the stories. I can just let my mind imagine the parts that are missing and let that inspire me with my own writing. This was also the author's debut too, so I like to keep that in mind too.
I really do wish though that I could find the author online. The website that was included doesn't work and I doubt the email will either. This could have been this author's only series... but it would have been great to find if the author did others to see how much they've grown from the debut graphic novel.
January 31, 2020
Magical (and tragical) reimaginings of classic fairy tales with a manhwa feel. The author comments at the end of the volume that they didn't manage to sustain the initial throughline, but it's hardly noticeable.
February 28, 2013
The Grim Peddler steps through fairy tales, touching them all, influencing them behind the scenes, giving their characters the things they think they want. I'm actually not sure about the gender of the Peddler. The back of the book says "his," but the pictures look like a woman, and at one point she's referred to as a witch, so I'm going to call her a woman. She has "seeds," which she gives to women who can't have children. The seeds become the children the women dream of...black hair, red lips, white skin, etc., but return to the Peddler if they are unhappy with their lives. The Peddler plays a game with a mermaid in which she has to get a prince to fall in love with her without her voice. If the Peddler wins, she gets the mermaid's voice and the mermaid turns to foam. If the mermaid wins, the Peddler will grant her one wish. She's the witch of Hansel and Gretel's story, and if there's another volume, it probably shows the Peddler touching other stories as well.
I usually like new takes on fairy tales, but this one felt really disjointed. I like my stories to have some sense, and this one didn't. It shows you what happens, but it doesn't show you why. What does the Grim Peddler get out of all this? What's the price of the magic she provides? Who is she, anyway? The author was thinking about including an ongoing subplot in the book but later decided not to. The problem with this is that there were little things that were clearly meant to link to the subplot but don't, so they're like little threads hanging off a finished garment. They stick out and don't do anything but distract from the story. The whole thing feels incomplete with its little subplot hints sticking out everywhere but nothing for them to connect to.
As for the art, it was pretty, but also disappointing. I was really put off by the fact that when a character turns his or her head partially, the far eye disappears. Seriously. It disappears. There's just blank skin where an eye should be. Not every time, but very frequently. The characters' faces also all looked the same, which is probably part of what contributed to the confusion about the Peddler's gender. There is an adult face and a child face, and the only differences are hair - facial and head hair. Again, disappointment. If you know of some manga you think I'd like, please send the titles my way. I'm definitely open to trying out something else!
I usually like new takes on fairy tales, but this one felt really disjointed. I like my stories to have some sense, and this one didn't. It shows you what happens, but it doesn't show you why. What does the Grim Peddler get out of all this? What's the price of the magic she provides? Who is she, anyway? The author was thinking about including an ongoing subplot in the book but later decided not to. The problem with this is that there were little things that were clearly meant to link to the subplot but don't, so they're like little threads hanging off a finished garment. They stick out and don't do anything but distract from the story. The whole thing feels incomplete with its little subplot hints sticking out everywhere but nothing for them to connect to.
As for the art, it was pretty, but also disappointing. I was really put off by the fact that when a character turns his or her head partially, the far eye disappears. Seriously. It disappears. There's just blank skin where an eye should be. Not every time, but very frequently. The characters' faces also all looked the same, which is probably part of what contributed to the confusion about the Peddler's gender. There is an adult face and a child face, and the only differences are hair - facial and head hair. Again, disappointment. If you know of some manga you think I'd like, please send the titles my way. I'm definitely open to trying out something else!
August 30, 2016
Oh boy what a mess this was.
The storyline was all over the place, the mini stories made no sense. Frames would jump around and I couldn't tell what was happening to any of the characters. I still have no idea really what this story was all about. Such a shame.
But...the art work was stunningly beautiful!
December 25, 2018
I was interested with this because of its chapter's title such as The Sleeping Beauty, so I thought this was some kind of a retelling. I like the idea of it, but I didn't really enjoy this manhwa. Its graphic was kinda weird, in some chapter, it was good, but for some it was so weird and ugly, just inconsistent.
September 22, 2019
I enjoyed the artwork and the delightfully twisted take on the traditional stories. Not everyone is as innocent as we were led to believe in the originals. I would like to have seen the Peddler's motivation for why he makes these terrible agreements/bets/etc that he knows won't end well. He doesn't seem to get anything out of it.
January 8, 2019
Lovely art, interesting interpretations of traditional fairy tales. I wish the 2nd volume wasn't so hard to find!
December 11, 2019
The art is amazing but the translation is terrible.
January 1, 2021
Some great art work. Interesting reworking of faurystorys linked by the main character.
Somewhat choppy & a little confusing making me check k to see if I had missed a page.
Somewhat choppy & a little confusing making me check k to see if I had missed a page.
February 23, 2023
Absolutely beautiful artwork, but the stories kinda felt flat. Still enjoyable!
July 6, 2009
A mixed, but mostly positive, feeling toward this book. I liked it enough that I'm looking forward to vol. 2.
What I liked: The art is lovely; it would be great to see more full colored pictures of the characters, but there are obviously limitations to that. I also enjoy the constant characters (the black cat, the Peddler, and I'm guessing the Medicine Man may be one). Those parts of the story are the ones I enjoyed the most. I haven't seen much of him, but I'm kind of taken with the Medicine Man.
I enjoyed the stories, for the most part, although the Little Mermaid was my favorite. Having recently been reading more original Grimms, I realize how crazy fairy tales are and how often their stories don't make very clear sense.
What I didn't like: Sometimes the dialogue was choppy, which may have been a fault of translation/editing. Sometimes I felt like pages were out of place, which may have been connected to the translation or just awkwardly constructed story telling.
I'll be back for more, but hopefully the author will pick up her game and impress me more.
What I liked: The art is lovely; it would be great to see more full colored pictures of the characters, but there are obviously limitations to that. I also enjoy the constant characters (the black cat, the Peddler, and I'm guessing the Medicine Man may be one). Those parts of the story are the ones I enjoyed the most. I haven't seen much of him, but I'm kind of taken with the Medicine Man.
I enjoyed the stories, for the most part, although the Little Mermaid was my favorite. Having recently been reading more original Grimms, I realize how crazy fairy tales are and how often their stories don't make very clear sense.
What I didn't like: Sometimes the dialogue was choppy, which may have been a fault of translation/editing. Sometimes I felt like pages were out of place, which may have been connected to the translation or just awkwardly constructed story telling.
I'll be back for more, but hopefully the author will pick up her game and impress me more.
March 27, 2011
I really wanted to like this. Korean artists have a real gift for lush, beautiful drawings - and I love fairy tales, both in traditional form and when writers put a modern spin on the tales. The art work in this manhwa was of course beautiful (as I expected), but the storylines themselves felt a bit disjointed and under-developed. The three fairy tales "re-imagined" in this chronicle are Sleeping Beauty, Hansel and Gretel, and The Little Mermaid. My favorite in the bunch was probably Hansel and Gretel, because the two children were nice and creepy and it was a pretty twisted spin to the traditional story. I feel like the overall volume would have been better served if the the author chose to focus on just one fairy tale (like Hansel and Gretel), and thus allowed for a better developed twisted fairy tale itself AS WELL AS the backbone story about the Grim Peddler.
May 9, 2009
As a fan of fantasy as well as growing up with some of these fairytales from my childhood I was really drawn to this, the artwork of course is a huge factor but I like the fact that Lee Joung-A takes these fairy tales and twists them.
They arent exactly the fairytales as I knew them but I enjoy her twist as well as the main storyline that she threads throughout the manga. The Peddler is twisted yes but at the same time the fact that we dont know mucha bout him makes his venturing into different tales all the more interesting, I am deffinately drawn into this manga and interested to know where she takes the Peddlers storyline as he continues throughout the different fairy tales.
They arent exactly the fairytales as I knew them but I enjoy her twist as well as the main storyline that she threads throughout the manga. The Peddler is twisted yes but at the same time the fact that we dont know mucha bout him makes his venturing into different tales all the more interesting, I am deffinately drawn into this manga and interested to know where she takes the Peddlers storyline as he continues throughout the different fairy tales.
February 24, 2010
Product Description
The Grim Peddler waltzes through fairly tales, giving the stories' inhabitants their hearts' desires. But benefactors beware, for his gifts don't always turn out quite as expected! Classic fables like Sleeping Beauty, Hansel and Gretel, The Frog Prince and more are turned on their side through the unexpected reversals and terrifying twists of this all-new series.
This was kind of a strange take on familiar fairy tales, but I did not like it as well as Nightmares & Fairy Tales: 1140 Rue Royale. Still, probably worth a read.
The Grim Peddler waltzes through fairly tales, giving the stories' inhabitants their hearts' desires. But benefactors beware, for his gifts don't always turn out quite as expected! Classic fables like Sleeping Beauty, Hansel and Gretel, The Frog Prince and more are turned on their side through the unexpected reversals and terrifying twists of this all-new series.
This was kind of a strange take on familiar fairy tales, but I did not like it as well as Nightmares & Fairy Tales: 1140 Rue Royale. Still, probably worth a read.
February 8, 2011
... I hate to say "this could have been better" but it could have.
The idea of a roving salesman, interjecting the sale of wishes (usually children) into the lives of fairy tale parents seems like rich fodder for fairy tale retelling.
It's basically a "Pet Shop of Horrors" for fairy tales, but no where near as good.
Even most of the M. Night Shyamalan 'twists' are pretty lame.
The only reason I marked it 3 stars is because the art is beautiful.
I'll read the other volume, but I won't be keeping either.
The idea of a roving salesman, interjecting the sale of wishes (usually children) into the lives of fairy tale parents seems like rich fodder for fairy tale retelling.
It's basically a "Pet Shop of Horrors" for fairy tales, but no where near as good.
Even most of the M. Night Shyamalan 'twists' are pretty lame.
The only reason I marked it 3 stars is because the art is beautiful.
I'll read the other volume, but I won't be keeping either.
February 20, 2011
After reading this manga a second time, I stand by my original review: I think I liked the idea of this manga more than I liked the final result. I felt like some of the stories were confusing in the way they were presented or drawn, and that not all of them were different enough from the original to be interesting. There were some good twists and I did like the manga overall, as well as the twist on the Grimm brothers, but I thought it could have been better. It was good enough that I might grab the second one to look over, but not so good that I want to run out and grab it now.
January 6, 2009
The first few pages before the actual fairy tale that the author is going to twist were a bit confusing because I wasn't sure how it connected with the story lines. As I became engrossed into the twisted fairy tales (Hansel and Gretel, the little mermaid, sleeping beauty), however, I got used to the author's storytelling style very quickly. Really looking forward to what will happen in the next volume.
July 10, 2011
This book put a new twist on classic fairy tales. This peddler has what people want, and can give to them,. but sets the conditions for that. Through the first book, we see the Little Mermaid, Hansel and Gretal, and Sleeping Beauty all retold with a sinister flair, one that I think originally belonged to fairy tales.
April 28, 2014
Como siempre, la imagen de los manhwas es impecable, estilizada, los personajes hermosos...
Me gusta la idea de versionar alternativamente un cuento clásico.
Igual hay detalles que quedan sueltos, ¿quien es el vendedor de deseos? ¿el gato amigo? ¿cuál es su propia historia?
Mi favorito: la sirenita.
El último cuento ni siquiera pude reconocerlo de tan cambiado que quedó
Me gusta la idea de versionar alternativamente un cuento clásico.
Igual hay detalles que quedan sueltos, ¿quien es el vendedor de deseos? ¿el gato amigo? ¿cuál es su propia historia?
Mi favorito: la sirenita.
El último cuento ni siquiera pude reconocerlo de tan cambiado que quedó
April 12, 2009
I'm not much for manwha, but this title blew me away with the content and the art. It's a gorgeous volume in every single way. I totally need to buy it next time I see a copy.
February 22, 2010
Clever twists to your favorite classic fairytales.
January 26, 2011
Gorgeous art, mediocre writing.
April 19, 2013
My first manga and I wouldn't say it converted me
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews