What do you think?
Rate this book
A Curse Dark As Gold
Great teen book
396 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2008
148 people are currently reading
13939 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth C. Bunce
14 books861 followersElizabeth C. Bunce is the Edgar Award-winning author of the Myrtle Hardcastle Mystery series, beginning with Premeditated Myrtle, an Edgar Allan Poe "Edgar" Award Winner, a Society of Midland Authors Honoree, a Library of Congress 2021 Book Festival Selection, Amazon Top 20 Children's Book of the Year, Indie Next Pick, and finalist for both the Agatha Award and Anthony Award. Her series continues in How to Get Away with Myrtle (a #1 Amazon New Release) and Cold-Blooded Myrtle, also an Edgar Award finalist, an Agatha Award finalist, and Anthony Award finalist, as well as a Kirkus Top 10 Best Book of the Year, Indie Next Pick, a Silver Falchion Award finalist, and
Wall Street Journal
holiday guide pick. The series' fourth book, In Myrtle Peril, has garnered Elizabeth's third Anthony Award nomination and third Agatha Award nomination, and in 2023 look for the fifth book in the series, Myrtle, Means, & Opportunity! Her first novel, A Curse Dark as Gold, won the inaugural William C. Morris Award for a young adult debut novel and was named a Smithsonian Notable Book and an Amelia Bloomer Project selection. Her high fantasy Thief Errant series includes the novels StarCrossed, A Chicago Public Library Best of the Best book, and Liar's Moon, one of Kirkus Blog's Favorite YA Novels of 2011. StarCrossed and A Curse Dark as Gold have appeared on Oprah's Kids Reading List. Premeditated Myrtle was named both a Best Children's/YAA BookPage Best Book and to A Mighty Girl's Books of the Year. Her novels have been named to the ALA's Best Fiction for Young Adults list, and she is a four-time Kansas Notable Book winner. An accomplished needlewoman and historical costumer, Elizabeth lives in the Midwest with her husband, her cats, and a boggart who steals books.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,652 reviews
August 25, 2007
Let’s just make this perfectly clear: I loved this book. Fairy tales retold are pretty much a sure thing with me, but this one’s a humdinger. You think you know Rumplestiltskin? Think again.
Elizabeth Bunce refers to her work as “historical fantasy” and she’s dead-on. One of the main strengths of A Curse Dark as Gold is the setting. The mill stands firmly at the center of the plot, and Elizabeth Bunce makes the place feel very real, right down to the last creaking board. But the setting is more than just the place – it’s also the whole community, the time, and the culture, which are cleverly modeled on the years near the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. The competition between tradition and technology forms a smart backdrop for the Miller sisters’ struggles. The author also knows a thing or two about the woolen industry, that much is clear. I think it’s a mark of how well done the book is that I didn’t realize how much research went into the story until I’d read the afterword. Even though the story doesn’t take place in a firm time or location, the author is very clear about what elements of industry and society are factual and what’s been altered, and that goes a long way with me – even in a fantasy.
Yes, despite the realism of the setting, this is unquestionably a fantasy. Much to my delight, the author goes about introducing the fantasy elements gradually. When an author gets me firmly entrenched in a seemingly normal world before unleashing the magic, I’m much more willing to go along for the ride. In the case of Curse, it’s hard to tell just when the magic starts, and that’s a good thing. Strange happenings abound, but they’re not blatantly otherworldly at the outset. Is it a curse, or isn’t it? Are the townsfolk onto something, or is it just country superstition? Even the heroine herself shows a good deal of uncertainty and skepticism, further helping to suspend my disbelief.
Because let’s face it: fairy tales are full of gaps. All sorts of improbable things happen with little or no explanation. Now, I’m not looking for someone to explain every inch of a tale and give me a step-by-step lesson in spinning straw into gold, but a good retelling – like this one – will have you half believing the story is possible. Fairy tale characters also seem to get pushed around like chess pieces – especially the girls A good retelling will also put a little muscle on those underdeveloped characters, and give them minds of their own. True to form, Charlotte Miller is no wishy-washy helpless heroine. This girl’s got some backbone *and* a head for business. That’s not something you find a whole lot of in the Brothers Grimm.
Of course, a good chunk of the fun of retellings is wondering how the author will weave in the familiar elements of the backstory. What will change? What stays the same? Sorry, I’m not telling. Instead, I’ll leave you with these questions, which A Curse Dark as Gold will answer for you in March:
What did Rumplestiltskin want that baby for?
Why did the miller’s daughter agree to Rumplestiltskin’s price?
And most importantly:
What’s in a name?
Elizabeth Bunce refers to her work as “historical fantasy” and she’s dead-on. One of the main strengths of A Curse Dark as Gold is the setting. The mill stands firmly at the center of the plot, and Elizabeth Bunce makes the place feel very real, right down to the last creaking board. But the setting is more than just the place – it’s also the whole community, the time, and the culture, which are cleverly modeled on the years near the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. The competition between tradition and technology forms a smart backdrop for the Miller sisters’ struggles. The author also knows a thing or two about the woolen industry, that much is clear. I think it’s a mark of how well done the book is that I didn’t realize how much research went into the story until I’d read the afterword. Even though the story doesn’t take place in a firm time or location, the author is very clear about what elements of industry and society are factual and what’s been altered, and that goes a long way with me – even in a fantasy.
Yes, despite the realism of the setting, this is unquestionably a fantasy. Much to my delight, the author goes about introducing the fantasy elements gradually. When an author gets me firmly entrenched in a seemingly normal world before unleashing the magic, I’m much more willing to go along for the ride. In the case of Curse, it’s hard to tell just when the magic starts, and that’s a good thing. Strange happenings abound, but they’re not blatantly otherworldly at the outset. Is it a curse, or isn’t it? Are the townsfolk onto something, or is it just country superstition? Even the heroine herself shows a good deal of uncertainty and skepticism, further helping to suspend my disbelief.
Because let’s face it: fairy tales are full of gaps. All sorts of improbable things happen with little or no explanation. Now, I’m not looking for someone to explain every inch of a tale and give me a step-by-step lesson in spinning straw into gold, but a good retelling – like this one – will have you half believing the story is possible. Fairy tale characters also seem to get pushed around like chess pieces – especially the girls A good retelling will also put a little muscle on those underdeveloped characters, and give them minds of their own. True to form, Charlotte Miller is no wishy-washy helpless heroine. This girl’s got some backbone *and* a head for business. That’s not something you find a whole lot of in the Brothers Grimm.
Of course, a good chunk of the fun of retellings is wondering how the author will weave in the familiar elements of the backstory. What will change? What stays the same? Sorry, I’m not telling. Instead, I’ll leave you with these questions, which A Curse Dark as Gold will answer for you in March:
What did Rumplestiltskin want that baby for?
Why did the miller’s daughter agree to Rumplestiltskin’s price?
And most importantly:
What’s in a name?
May 21, 2021
not to brag or anything, but i distinctly remember reading this book for a school project at the age of 12 and hating it so much that it had a butterfly effect on every historical fiction book i'd read for the rest of time.
and it was my own fault, because i picked it from the non-required section of the summer reading list.
i was still a pretty voracious reader at 12 (it was just before the time in my life, aged 13 to 16, where i decided i was Too Cool to read - a thing i am not and have never been), so the fact that i could not get through this was pretty new to me.
and TO DATE, i can't get through faux historical prose. i can do classics from any era, but give me even a work of fiction set in the 1940s that tries to sound like it and i'm irrevocably out.
it's a bizarre quirk that we can trace alllll the way back to the summer before seventh grade.
this is part of a project i'm doing where i review books i read forever ago. i thought i'd forgotten about this book, but no such luck.
and it was my own fault, because i picked it from the non-required section of the summer reading list.
i was still a pretty voracious reader at 12 (it was just before the time in my life, aged 13 to 16, where i decided i was Too Cool to read - a thing i am not and have never been), so the fact that i could not get through this was pretty new to me.
and TO DATE, i can't get through faux historical prose. i can do classics from any era, but give me even a work of fiction set in the 1940s that tries to sound like it and i'm irrevocably out.
it's a bizarre quirk that we can trace alllll the way back to the summer before seventh grade.
this is part of a project i'm doing where i review books i read forever ago. i thought i'd forgotten about this book, but no such luck.
December 2, 2020
I don't think I've ever read a retelling of Rumpelstiltskin before this.
The bar is now set high.
The setting is a mill run by Charlotte Miller. <--all the names are like that. Shearing is the name of the town where they shear sheep, Hart is the name of the boy who loves Rosie, etc. I thought it was charming.
Stillwater Mill is the lifeblood of the small town of Shearing. Everyone is somehow employed by or makes their money from the mill, and Charolette feels responsible for each one of them when her father passes away. She's a good person who tries very hard to do the right thing.
So even though she does stupid fairytale stuff, you don't really hold it against her.
It's a long and winding story full of family, friends, and finding love. <--so don't think you're just gonna hop right into the spinning straw into gold. You're getting some reality in this story!
Ok. Well. And magic.
There's also actually quite a bit of magic.
The gist is that there's (of course) a curse that our heroine stubbornly won't admit to until it's too late, and she's got to find a way to break it and save the day before this version of Rumpelstiltskin makes off with her kid.
This is a far more complex retelling of the story, so you don't have the traditional good vs evil storyline that you might find in the original stories. Much like real life, the bad guys aren't all bad and the good guys aren't perfect.
I don't want to give anything away, but if you're into fairytale retellings, I think you might want to give this one a shot.
The bar is now set high.
The setting is a mill run by Charlotte Miller. <--all the names are like that. Shearing is the name of the town where they shear sheep, Hart is the name of the boy who loves Rosie, etc. I thought it was charming.
Stillwater Mill is the lifeblood of the small town of Shearing. Everyone is somehow employed by or makes their money from the mill, and Charolette feels responsible for each one of them when her father passes away. She's a good person who tries very hard to do the right thing.
So even though she does stupid fairytale stuff, you don't really hold it against her.
It's a long and winding story full of family, friends, and finding love. <--so don't think you're just gonna hop right into the spinning straw into gold. You're getting some reality in this story!
Ok. Well. And magic.
There's also actually quite a bit of magic.
The gist is that there's (of course) a curse that our heroine stubbornly won't admit to until it's too late, and she's got to find a way to break it and save the day before this version of Rumpelstiltskin makes off with her kid.
This is a far more complex retelling of the story, so you don't have the traditional good vs evil storyline that you might find in the original stories. Much like real life, the bad guys aren't all bad and the good guys aren't perfect.
I don't want to give anything away, but if you're into fairytale retellings, I think you might want to give this one a shot.
May 10, 2009
I bought this book expecting to fall in love with it, and it did not let me down. It was an incredible story, and my head is spinning with everything I want to say about it.
First of all, I was touched before the story even began. In Elizabeth Bunce's acknowledgements she says "And lastly, to my husband, Christopher, for always being there. If I wrote you into a story, no one would believe you were real." I think that is lovely, and I was in love with the author from the get-go.
On that subject-make sure you read the Author's Note at the end. I thought it was a fantastic addition to the story in itself. She touches on several key points of her story, and I thought the notes were fascinating.
Now: the story. I thought it began a tad slow, although I was in love with Charlotte Miller from the beginning. From the first paragraph, she easily takes on the "strong female lead" role. There are so many lovely characters in this story...everyone from the "witchy midwife" Biddy Tom to the wool dyer Mr. Mordant added such rich life to the story.
Usually when a book begins too "fairy tale-like" I get annoyed, but Curse has such a great mix of reality and fairy tale that it works. The things that would normally seem like quite a stretch just work in this case.
I love reading a book with a constant cloud of suspense. Through this entire book, you get the "something is just not RIGHT" feeling, and it intensifies as Charlotte uncovers just exactly what it is that isn't right. She falls in love with Randall. At first, he seems like a knight in shining armor, then his character begins to look a bit weak (I wonder if that was on purpose? I hope so), then at the end he really does help save the day.
Anyway...I'm rambling. Suffice it to say that I LOVED this story, and I highly recommend it to anyone that loves YA, fantasy, or fairy-tale retellings.
First of all, I was touched before the story even began. In Elizabeth Bunce's acknowledgements she says "And lastly, to my husband, Christopher, for always being there. If I wrote you into a story, no one would believe you were real." I think that is lovely, and I was in love with the author from the get-go.
On that subject-make sure you read the Author's Note at the end. I thought it was a fantastic addition to the story in itself. She touches on several key points of her story, and I thought the notes were fascinating.
Now: the story. I thought it began a tad slow, although I was in love with Charlotte Miller from the beginning. From the first paragraph, she easily takes on the "strong female lead" role. There are so many lovely characters in this story...everyone from the "witchy midwife" Biddy Tom to the wool dyer Mr. Mordant added such rich life to the story.
Usually when a book begins too "fairy tale-like" I get annoyed, but Curse has such a great mix of reality and fairy tale that it works. The things that would normally seem like quite a stretch just work in this case.
I love reading a book with a constant cloud of suspense. Through this entire book, you get the "something is just not RIGHT" feeling, and it intensifies as Charlotte uncovers just exactly what it is that isn't right. She falls in love with Randall. At first, he seems like a knight in shining armor, then his character begins to look a bit weak (I wonder if that was on purpose? I hope so), then at the end he really does help save the day.
Anyway...I'm rambling. Suffice it to say that I LOVED this story, and I highly recommend it to anyone that loves YA, fantasy, or fairy-tale retellings.
July 7, 2025
Well, it only took me fifteen years, but I finally read the book everyone told me to read in (checks notes) 2009!
And everyone? THEY WERE SO RIGHT! This is the perfect mix of historical fiction and fairy tale, just charming me from the first page! I loved Charlotte. I loved her sassy, clever sister Rosie. I loved all the people of their village, and her fight to keep the mill running, so much!
Just so, so good!
And everyone? THEY WERE SO RIGHT! This is the perfect mix of historical fiction and fairy tale, just charming me from the first page! I loved Charlotte. I loved her sassy, clever sister Rosie. I loved all the people of their village, and her fight to keep the mill running, so much!
Just so, so good!
September 10, 2013
If you, like me, are hard-pressed to find truly chilling gothic fiction, then A Curse Dark as Gold is not one to pass up. As a re-telling of “Rumplestiltskin,” this novel is haunting, poetic, and – most importantly – whole. Out of all the fairy tales in the world, “Rumplestiltskin” is easily my least favorite. After all, who really wants to read the story of a nameless heroine who later betrays the only character who helps her and winds up marrying the man who threatened to ruin her? It simply doesn’t make for good literature and, moreover, there is something grotesque about the dark underbelly of human nature that it manages to expose. With A Curse Dark as Gold, however, Bunce has taken this flawed – and largely unlikable – tale and crafted it into a believable story, one full of human flaws, but also realistic virtues.
A Curse Dark as Gold is, as many readers will undoubtedly rush to admit, slow. And yet, it is never cumbersome. Bunce’s writing is beautiful and as she builds for us the mythical village of Shearing, she also slowly writes the creeping tale of ill luck and curses that have followed the Miller family for ages. Charlotte and Rosie, the two sisters of Stirwaters, are orphaned when this novel begins, but quickly take up the difficult mantle of running their late father’s business. As can be expected, a slew of new changes is in store for them, from their little-seen Uncle Wheeler making an appearance to the discovery of thousands of pounds of debt their father hasn’t paid and – my favorite – the introduction of Randall Woodstone, a banker. As Bunce throws multiple hurdles at these two sisters, she also peels back the layers of rumors and superstitions that surround Stirwaters and the Miller family.
One of the only reasons this novel excels is because of Charlotte. Not only is Charlotte a headstrong, self-sufficient, and reliable heroine – one who doesn’t shirk responsibility and embraces hard work – but she’s also extremely pragmatic. Charlotte refuses to believe in the Curse of Stirwaters, meeting challenge after challenge with a clear mind. And yet, as this novel progresses, as misfortune presses down upon her, Charlotte slowly begins to fall back upon the hidden mysteries of her home that she has refused to acknowledge. Where Bunce truly shines in her portrayal of Charlotte is in displaying the dual nature of her personality. Every trait of Charlotte’s that is one to be applauded – her stubborn nature, her commitment to the mill, her loyalty to her family – are all slowly spun in such a way to become her downfall and revealed to truly be flaws. A Curse Dark as Gold is, as I mentioned earlier, a very slow, creeping read, one that builds its gothic atmosphere as the curse becomes more and more actualized in our minds. As Bunce writes this atmosphere, though, she perfectly captures its effects upon her protagonist, rendering her a far more three-dimensional character than the nameless heroine she was originally based off of.
Bunce continues to strengthen the original tale of “Rumplestiltskin” through her interpretation of the dwarf himself. Jack Spinner, a mysterious man who appears whenever Charlotte and Stirwaters are nearing their ends, is one of the best villains I’ve come across. I am relieved to announce that Bunce does, in fact, tie-up all loose ends concerning Spinner’s character by the end of the novel, and she does so brilliantly, instilling a level of history, sorrow, and depth to a villain we formerly may have thought to be forgettable. And yet, what makes Spinner such a brilliant character is his ability to bring out the worst in the best people. I love that Bunce took an innocuous device from “Rumplestiltskin” – the dwarf’s ability to prey upon helpless individuals, gradually increasing his payments and forcing their own hand at evil to stop him – and brought it to life, even more encompassing than before, to drive home the extent of gray matter that exists within everyone’s hearts.
Nevertheless, A Curse Dark as Gold would fall seriously short of its mark of brilliance without its cast of secondary characters. First and foremost, the village of Shearing is a force to be reckoned with. Bunce makes this fictional environment come to life, with her accurate descriptions of the Industrial Age – how I love a well-written historical fiction novel – in England and her lyrical prose. More than that, though, her vision of Stirwaters – a mill that provides for the livelihood of an entire village – is given breath and air as these workers become just as dear to us as they are to Charlotte. Stirwaters, not to be outdone by Shearing, comes with its own ghostly atmosphere, from hexes that refuse to be erased to equipment that won’t work without the presence of a charm to ward off evil nearby. Its owners, Charlotte and Rosie, are family that worm their way into your heart. Rosie, though lacking the extent of responsibility that Charlotte faces, is no less admirable, courageous, and intelligent. I particularly loved watching the relationship arc between these siblings, from their arguments to small gestures of love.
I would do this book an injustice, however, without mentioned my absolutely favorite character, Randall Woodstone. Randall arrives in Shearing to collect the many pounds that Charlotte’s father borrowed on loan from the bank. Although he is easily dismissible at first glance, Randall soon continues to makes re-appearances in Charlotte’s life and their romance, though brief, is fitting for this time period. What I truly loved about his character, though, is that he embodies the qualities that I seek in a worthy romantic interest – loyal, intelligent, and respectful. Randall allows Charlotte free rein of her business, never interfering and only seeking to support her. Although my heart broke at the multiple hurdles they faced – not always together – I loved the progression of their relationship, from their realistic stumbles to their messy patch-ups. Bunce never allows us to view this couple through rose-tinted glasses, showing us the stark reality of their relationship and the strain of both the curse and hidden secrets, but our patience and love for these two pays off by the end.
A Curse Dark as Gold, if it isn’t already obvious, is simply not one to miss. Although this novel firmly remains a re-telling of “Rumplestiltskin” – and a brilliant one, at that – it goes on to encompass so much more than merely that, from its history to its characters. It reminded me, very much, of Jennifer Donnelly’s A Northern Light. If you’re a fan of strong heroines, one who can’t necessarily fight to the death but ones who can stand up for what they believe in and fight – in any way they know how – for their families, then this book is for you. If you’re a fan of fairy tale re-tellings, especially re-imagined ones that only serve to better the original tale, then this book is for you. And, most importantly, if you’re a fan of courage, especially found in dark times, then this book is most definitely for you. Just take my word for it – Stirwaters is worth the visit; very much so.
A Curse Dark as Gold is, as many readers will undoubtedly rush to admit, slow. And yet, it is never cumbersome. Bunce’s writing is beautiful and as she builds for us the mythical village of Shearing, she also slowly writes the creeping tale of ill luck and curses that have followed the Miller family for ages. Charlotte and Rosie, the two sisters of Stirwaters, are orphaned when this novel begins, but quickly take up the difficult mantle of running their late father’s business. As can be expected, a slew of new changes is in store for them, from their little-seen Uncle Wheeler making an appearance to the discovery of thousands of pounds of debt their father hasn’t paid and – my favorite – the introduction of Randall Woodstone, a banker. As Bunce throws multiple hurdles at these two sisters, she also peels back the layers of rumors and superstitions that surround Stirwaters and the Miller family.
One of the only reasons this novel excels is because of Charlotte. Not only is Charlotte a headstrong, self-sufficient, and reliable heroine – one who doesn’t shirk responsibility and embraces hard work – but she’s also extremely pragmatic. Charlotte refuses to believe in the Curse of Stirwaters, meeting challenge after challenge with a clear mind. And yet, as this novel progresses, as misfortune presses down upon her, Charlotte slowly begins to fall back upon the hidden mysteries of her home that she has refused to acknowledge. Where Bunce truly shines in her portrayal of Charlotte is in displaying the dual nature of her personality. Every trait of Charlotte’s that is one to be applauded – her stubborn nature, her commitment to the mill, her loyalty to her family – are all slowly spun in such a way to become her downfall and revealed to truly be flaws. A Curse Dark as Gold is, as I mentioned earlier, a very slow, creeping read, one that builds its gothic atmosphere as the curse becomes more and more actualized in our minds. As Bunce writes this atmosphere, though, she perfectly captures its effects upon her protagonist, rendering her a far more three-dimensional character than the nameless heroine she was originally based off of.
Bunce continues to strengthen the original tale of “Rumplestiltskin” through her interpretation of the dwarf himself. Jack Spinner, a mysterious man who appears whenever Charlotte and Stirwaters are nearing their ends, is one of the best villains I’ve come across. I am relieved to announce that Bunce does, in fact, tie-up all loose ends concerning Spinner’s character by the end of the novel, and she does so brilliantly, instilling a level of history, sorrow, and depth to a villain we formerly may have thought to be forgettable. And yet, what makes Spinner such a brilliant character is his ability to bring out the worst in the best people. I love that Bunce took an innocuous device from “Rumplestiltskin” – the dwarf’s ability to prey upon helpless individuals, gradually increasing his payments and forcing their own hand at evil to stop him – and brought it to life, even more encompassing than before, to drive home the extent of gray matter that exists within everyone’s hearts.
Nevertheless, A Curse Dark as Gold would fall seriously short of its mark of brilliance without its cast of secondary characters. First and foremost, the village of Shearing is a force to be reckoned with. Bunce makes this fictional environment come to life, with her accurate descriptions of the Industrial Age – how I love a well-written historical fiction novel – in England and her lyrical prose. More than that, though, her vision of Stirwaters – a mill that provides for the livelihood of an entire village – is given breath and air as these workers become just as dear to us as they are to Charlotte. Stirwaters, not to be outdone by Shearing, comes with its own ghostly atmosphere, from hexes that refuse to be erased to equipment that won’t work without the presence of a charm to ward off evil nearby. Its owners, Charlotte and Rosie, are family that worm their way into your heart. Rosie, though lacking the extent of responsibility that Charlotte faces, is no less admirable, courageous, and intelligent. I particularly loved watching the relationship arc between these siblings, from their arguments to small gestures of love.
I would do this book an injustice, however, without mentioned my absolutely favorite character, Randall Woodstone. Randall arrives in Shearing to collect the many pounds that Charlotte’s father borrowed on loan from the bank. Although he is easily dismissible at first glance, Randall soon continues to makes re-appearances in Charlotte’s life and their romance, though brief, is fitting for this time period. What I truly loved about his character, though, is that he embodies the qualities that I seek in a worthy romantic interest – loyal, intelligent, and respectful. Randall allows Charlotte free rein of her business, never interfering and only seeking to support her. Although my heart broke at the multiple hurdles they faced – not always together – I loved the progression of their relationship, from their realistic stumbles to their messy patch-ups. Bunce never allows us to view this couple through rose-tinted glasses, showing us the stark reality of their relationship and the strain of both the curse and hidden secrets, but our patience and love for these two pays off by the end.
A Curse Dark as Gold, if it isn’t already obvious, is simply not one to miss. Although this novel firmly remains a re-telling of “Rumplestiltskin” – and a brilliant one, at that – it goes on to encompass so much more than merely that, from its history to its characters. It reminded me, very much, of Jennifer Donnelly’s A Northern Light. If you’re a fan of strong heroines, one who can’t necessarily fight to the death but ones who can stand up for what they believe in and fight – in any way they know how – for their families, then this book is for you. If you’re a fan of fairy tale re-tellings, especially re-imagined ones that only serve to better the original tale, then this book is for you. And, most importantly, if you’re a fan of courage, especially found in dark times, then this book is most definitely for you. Just take my word for it – Stirwaters is worth the visit; very much so.
January 26, 2009
I LOVED this book! Loved the way this retelling of Rumplestilskin was fit into a real setting, loved the way even despicable characters had their moments when we felt sorry for them, loved the magic and the mystery. I loved the words, too. I'm living in a non-English speaking country and sometimes I feel starved for words, and by the time I got to page 2 it was all I could do not to stuff the whole book in my mouth and devour it. Lovely!
AND IT JUST WON THE WILLIAM MORRIS AWARD FOR BEST FIRST YA!
AND IT JUST WON THE WILLIAM MORRIS AWARD FOR BEST FIRST YA!
March 11, 2008
I've been savoring this one. I mean, I read a chunk every day, don't get me wrong. But if something happened to come up at night during my normal reading time, instead of muttering, "Vital point," like I usually do, I was up for it.
Watch a movie? Sure.
Clean out a few more boxes from the study? Let's do it!
Because I just didn't want this book to end. It more than lived up to the expectations I had, having heard such wonderful early reviews. And I was so pleased that it did because the initial prospect of a Rumpelstiltskin retelling was not all that attractive.
Let's face it, in its original form it's an awful fairy tale. Awful Dad sells his nameless daughter to Awful King in exchange for money. Awful King threatens nameless daughter with death unless she is able to spin straw into gold. Otherwise he'll marry her. Then to top it all off, creepily Awful Dwarf appears and saves nameless daughter's bacon....in exchange for her potential first-born child. And she's willing to make this Awful Bargain because she really doesn't want to die and can see no other way out. So she marries Awful King, makes a baby with him (shocker!), and, when Awful Dwarf comes to claim his due, is only able to save her baby by guessing his Awful Name. Yeah. Not my favorite fairy tale.
Turns out it wasn't Elizabeth C. Bunce's favorite either. I love that she rewrote it because it bothered her. And she did such a splendid job filling in the cracks, reworking the plot, carefully shaping it into a lovely tale of courage and ill luck, curses and redemption. The setting was a perfect choice: eighteenth century England, just on the cusp of the Industrial Revolution. And the beautiful names. Charlotte Miller, Randall Woodstone, Shearing, Stirwaters, Jack Spinner. The names truly belong to their characters and places. I could tell each one was carefully chosen for effect, like a Dickens cast. And I was drawn to them, the animate and inanimate alike. For the mill, the mansion, and the curse itself are characters in their own right. Bunce's beautiful, unselfconscious writing propels the story forward to its climactic conclusion. This is a dark, drafty, remarkably real tale and, like Jack Spinner, it will spin its golden thread around you.
Watch a movie? Sure.
Clean out a few more boxes from the study? Let's do it!
Because I just didn't want this book to end. It more than lived up to the expectations I had, having heard such wonderful early reviews. And I was so pleased that it did because the initial prospect of a Rumpelstiltskin retelling was not all that attractive.
Let's face it, in its original form it's an awful fairy tale. Awful Dad sells his nameless daughter to Awful King in exchange for money. Awful King threatens nameless daughter with death unless she is able to spin straw into gold. Otherwise he'll marry her. Then to top it all off, creepily Awful Dwarf appears and saves nameless daughter's bacon....in exchange for her potential first-born child. And she's willing to make this Awful Bargain because she really doesn't want to die and can see no other way out. So she marries Awful King, makes a baby with him (shocker!), and, when Awful Dwarf comes to claim his due, is only able to save her baby by guessing his Awful Name. Yeah. Not my favorite fairy tale.
Turns out it wasn't Elizabeth C. Bunce's favorite either. I love that she rewrote it because it bothered her. And she did such a splendid job filling in the cracks, reworking the plot, carefully shaping it into a lovely tale of courage and ill luck, curses and redemption. The setting was a perfect choice: eighteenth century England, just on the cusp of the Industrial Revolution. And the beautiful names. Charlotte Miller, Randall Woodstone, Shearing, Stirwaters, Jack Spinner. The names truly belong to their characters and places. I could tell each one was carefully chosen for effect, like a Dickens cast. And I was drawn to them, the animate and inanimate alike. For the mill, the mansion, and the curse itself are characters in their own right. Bunce's beautiful, unselfconscious writing propels the story forward to its climactic conclusion. This is a dark, drafty, remarkably real tale and, like Jack Spinner, it will spin its golden thread around you.
April 5, 2009
This is a good book - but I didn't enjoy reading it.
Good writing, good dialogue, tightly woven plot, good research - BUT for 90% of the book neither the reader nor the narrator know what's going on, which is 1) incredibly frustrating and 2) leads to a big info dump at the end.
The time and place is unspecified - which being a fairy tale, should be ok, but here I was slightly maddened that the writer tried to put such a real world context to it, especially all the information about the early Industrial Revolution, yet refused to give so much as the current monarch's name.
What I did like was here the Rumpelstiltskin character was both menacing and sympathetic. I've seen versions where he is one or the other - but the combination here was a new twist, although it took forever and a day to clarify who he was, and how he got all his powers in the first place was too vague.
It was pretty horrifying to learn that generations of the Miller family had been willing to choose a pile of timber over their own sons - and considering how dangerously schizophrenic the mill itself was, I was cheering on for its demise the whole book, despite the supposedly positive role model of the main character being a girl in man's world proving she could too run a business.
I didn't like the main character - she really failed to elicit my sympathy, especially her tendency to be so practical as to ignore all evidence pointing towards the supernatural, and then, AND THEN!, when she jumps on board the S.S. Witchcraft, full steam ahead, damn the torpedoes, she promises - without being tricked into saying it - "Anything" as the payment. Never promise "anything"! - next thing you known, John the Baptist's head is on a sliver plate, the sun chariot gets crashed, and , surprise, surprise, you're asked to hand over your own baby. What rock was she living under?
Good writing, good dialogue, tightly woven plot, good research - BUT for 90% of the book neither the reader nor the narrator know what's going on, which is 1) incredibly frustrating and 2) leads to a big info dump at the end.
The time and place is unspecified - which being a fairy tale, should be ok, but here I was slightly maddened that the writer tried to put such a real world context to it, especially all the information about the early Industrial Revolution, yet refused to give so much as the current monarch's name.
What I did like was here the Rumpelstiltskin character was both menacing and sympathetic. I've seen versions where he is one or the other - but the combination here was a new twist, although it took forever and a day to clarify who he was, and how he got all his powers in the first place was too vague.
It was pretty horrifying to learn that generations of the Miller family had been willing to choose a pile of timber over their own sons - and considering how dangerously schizophrenic the mill itself was, I was cheering on for its demise the whole book, despite the supposedly positive role model of the main character being a girl in man's world proving she could too run a business.
I didn't like the main character - she really failed to elicit my sympathy, especially her tendency to be so practical as to ignore all evidence pointing towards the supernatural, and then, AND THEN!, when she jumps on board the S.S. Witchcraft, full steam ahead, damn the torpedoes, she promises - without being tricked into saying it - "Anything" as the payment. Never promise "anything"! - next thing you known, John the Baptist's head is on a sliver plate, the sun chariot gets crashed, and , surprise, surprise, you're asked to hand over your own baby. What rock was she living under?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 21, 2009
Every possible fairytale is eventually hunted down and stripped of its elements for middle grade and YA novel reinterpretation. This is not an unusual thing. For centuries humans have been fascinated with such tales, telling them, retelling them, and changing them to suit current needs. Nowandays, when contemporary authors take a tale it becomes the skeleton for a larger story to come. Cinderella becomes Donna Jo Napoli’s Bound. East of the Sun, West of the Moon becomes Sun and Moon Ice and Snow by Jessica Day George or East by Edith Pattou. Nothing against the titles I’ve already mentioned, but my favorite reinterpretations are always the ones that aren’t considered princess tales. The Magic Circle, which took the Hansel and Gretel tale and turned it into a story of mental illness. Or this book, A Curse Dark as Gold which reimagines the Rumpelstiltskin story with cleverness and style. Though I feel some judicious pruning was probably in order, Bunce’s debut binds together a strong story with characters that make you believe. Few books are lucky enough to do so much.
It’s so much simpler to live your life when you know what you want. When Charlotte Miller’s father dies and leaves his mill, Stirwaters, to his daughters Charlotte knows that all she wants is keep the place running. Tragedy after bad luck, however, sees to it that unless Charlotte wants very much to see Stirwaters survive she must seek the help of a stranger. Named Jack Spinner, the man promises to give Charlotte the things she wants the most. But at what price?
There is much to be said for a story that knows what it’s about from page one onward. Sometimes you’ll read a novel and as the plot progresses it feels as if the author is realizing where the story goes alongside their reader. Such books tend to be disappointing. Curse, however, has no such internal weaknesses. No gaps in the narrative or flaws in the work. I can see some young readers becoming confused with Bunce’s mechanical take on the old Rumpelstiltskin tale. They might wonder for some time where the spinning comes in. Of course, all is cleared up when Charlotte mentions to a visitor, “Spinning is at the heart of our operation here.” It is the machines that spin, of a fashion. And like Paul Zelinsky’s version of Rumpelstiltskin, Bunce understands the technical aspects of this fairy tale. When the gold is created it doesn’t lie in bushels but rather as “Gleaming reels of thread . . . stacked chest-high all along one wall, like rows of corncobs.” Sometimes the more technical the text, the better the read.
The romantic element, I must admit, is fairly forgettable. Having read this book about a year ago I’d entirely forgotten that Charlotte even had a beau until I reread it again recently. What sticks far more clearly in the mind is Charlotte’s personality, her love of her sister, her uncle’s attempts to become World’s Greatest Cad, and Jack Spinner. I even remembered the reason why Spinner does the things he does, but I could not remember Charlotte's beau Randall to save my soul. He’s a steady fellow, but not at the heart of the piece. As such, I wouldn’t sell this book to kids with the lure of romance. Rather, I’d fashion it as a gripping mystery and a book where magic is at its most duplicitous. This is a book too slippery to slot in the standard lovey-dovey romance aisle. Give it a little more respect.
The KLIATT review of this book said that it takes place in “the nonspecific past of the Industrial Revolution.” That’s fair. Bunce basically says as much at the beginning of her Author’s Note. The School Library Journal review said, “A rich opening to Jane Austen's world for teens.” That’s bizarre. Surely if you had to compare this book to something then it would be far more of a George Eliot piece, yes? Bunce’s talent at putting a smart sentence together is commendable as well. One such example might be when Charlotte is compelled to tell the truth against her instincts. “I sat in stony silence – a crack in my foundations growing wider and wider by the moment.” I love that kind of stuff.
The slow and steady tone of the piece is not in and of itself a problem. Not every novel has to interrupt itself with car chases and fight scenes, after all. Magic isn’t even hinted at, in fact, until page 100 or so. More difficult is the sheer length of the novel. At 400+ pages there are times when the reader wonders if every scene here is absolutely necessary. Working at more of a clip the length of the book would be less noticeable. As it stands, the weight sometimes drags the reader down.
Kirkus suggested in their review that Charlotte was possessed of an “infuriating secretiveness”, which normally drives me bonkers in books. There is no type of story that disturbs me more than one where the protagonist constantly goes against the will of the reader. But Bunce’s tale didn’t have that affect on me. Maybe it was because she put us so effectively into the head of her heroine. Maybe it had to do with the fact that we understood her motivations. And maybe it also had something to do with the fact that when Charlotte is surprised by something, we the readers are surprised as well. Bunce does us the honor of not pulling her punches and we respect her in turn.
All first-time novelists are usually marketed as that; first time novelists. This is both a blessing and a curse. If they do supremely well then people will marvel over their so-called “luck”. Inevitably, they will then write their second novel and no matter how good it is, someone somewhere will be disappointed in it. However if the first novel is well done but has a few areas that deserved tightening up, critics will smile patronizingly and murmur, “That’s all right. She’s clearly a debut novelist. Give her a few books and I’m sure she’ll straighten right up.” I don’t particularly want to say that about this book, but I do honestly believe that this is a strong start straight out of the gate with a few areas that could have been helped. Do not let this put you off, however. Bunce has clearly defined herself as “one to watch” and I’ll be first in line to see whatever it may be that she has hidden up her sleeve next. A good start to an authorial career.
Ages 10 and up.
It’s so much simpler to live your life when you know what you want. When Charlotte Miller’s father dies and leaves his mill, Stirwaters, to his daughters Charlotte knows that all she wants is keep the place running. Tragedy after bad luck, however, sees to it that unless Charlotte wants very much to see Stirwaters survive she must seek the help of a stranger. Named Jack Spinner, the man promises to give Charlotte the things she wants the most. But at what price?
There is much to be said for a story that knows what it’s about from page one onward. Sometimes you’ll read a novel and as the plot progresses it feels as if the author is realizing where the story goes alongside their reader. Such books tend to be disappointing. Curse, however, has no such internal weaknesses. No gaps in the narrative or flaws in the work. I can see some young readers becoming confused with Bunce’s mechanical take on the old Rumpelstiltskin tale. They might wonder for some time where the spinning comes in. Of course, all is cleared up when Charlotte mentions to a visitor, “Spinning is at the heart of our operation here.” It is the machines that spin, of a fashion. And like Paul Zelinsky’s version of Rumpelstiltskin, Bunce understands the technical aspects of this fairy tale. When the gold is created it doesn’t lie in bushels but rather as “Gleaming reels of thread . . . stacked chest-high all along one wall, like rows of corncobs.” Sometimes the more technical the text, the better the read.
The romantic element, I must admit, is fairly forgettable. Having read this book about a year ago I’d entirely forgotten that Charlotte even had a beau until I reread it again recently. What sticks far more clearly in the mind is Charlotte’s personality, her love of her sister, her uncle’s attempts to become World’s Greatest Cad, and Jack Spinner. I even remembered the reason why Spinner does the things he does, but I could not remember Charlotte's beau Randall to save my soul. He’s a steady fellow, but not at the heart of the piece. As such, I wouldn’t sell this book to kids with the lure of romance. Rather, I’d fashion it as a gripping mystery and a book where magic is at its most duplicitous. This is a book too slippery to slot in the standard lovey-dovey romance aisle. Give it a little more respect.
The KLIATT review of this book said that it takes place in “the nonspecific past of the Industrial Revolution.” That’s fair. Bunce basically says as much at the beginning of her Author’s Note. The School Library Journal review said, “A rich opening to Jane Austen's world for teens.” That’s bizarre. Surely if you had to compare this book to something then it would be far more of a George Eliot piece, yes? Bunce’s talent at putting a smart sentence together is commendable as well. One such example might be when Charlotte is compelled to tell the truth against her instincts. “I sat in stony silence – a crack in my foundations growing wider and wider by the moment.” I love that kind of stuff.
The slow and steady tone of the piece is not in and of itself a problem. Not every novel has to interrupt itself with car chases and fight scenes, after all. Magic isn’t even hinted at, in fact, until page 100 or so. More difficult is the sheer length of the novel. At 400+ pages there are times when the reader wonders if every scene here is absolutely necessary. Working at more of a clip the length of the book would be less noticeable. As it stands, the weight sometimes drags the reader down.
Kirkus suggested in their review that Charlotte was possessed of an “infuriating secretiveness”, which normally drives me bonkers in books. There is no type of story that disturbs me more than one where the protagonist constantly goes against the will of the reader. But Bunce’s tale didn’t have that affect on me. Maybe it was because she put us so effectively into the head of her heroine. Maybe it had to do with the fact that we understood her motivations. And maybe it also had something to do with the fact that when Charlotte is surprised by something, we the readers are surprised as well. Bunce does us the honor of not pulling her punches and we respect her in turn.
All first-time novelists are usually marketed as that; first time novelists. This is both a blessing and a curse. If they do supremely well then people will marvel over their so-called “luck”. Inevitably, they will then write their second novel and no matter how good it is, someone somewhere will be disappointed in it. However if the first novel is well done but has a few areas that deserved tightening up, critics will smile patronizingly and murmur, “That’s all right. She’s clearly a debut novelist. Give her a few books and I’m sure she’ll straighten right up.” I don’t particularly want to say that about this book, but I do honestly believe that this is a strong start straight out of the gate with a few areas that could have been helped. Do not let this put you off, however. Bunce has clearly defined herself as “one to watch” and I’ll be first in line to see whatever it may be that she has hidden up her sleeve next. A good start to an authorial career.
Ages 10 and up.
July 19, 2008
Not a bad book, really, just...a book that had some aspects to it that kept me from enjoying it enough to give it more stars.
A pet peeve of mine in fiction is when a protagonist constantly makes the wrong decision in situations that might have brought about a sooner resolution. Specifically, when other characters who want to (and can) help ask her what's wrong, and she keeps her secret bottled up, dealing with the problems on her own. This especially seems ridiculous when the character keeps her secret from characters she should trust. The whole idea of Charlotte marrying a man, and then refusing to let him help her one ounce...until he is so frustrated he leaves her....just....seemed rather frustrating and far-fetched.
One thing I did notice and appreciate, however, was that the author put the emphasis on the emotions and the plot, and not on the descriptions of the two girls. In fact, I ended the story not quite clear whether the girls were blonde, brunette, or redhead, actually pretty or plain. In an age of storytelling where the female protagonist is usually described within the first few pages as "uniquely pretty" or "plain compared to her sisters, with long red hair" etc, it was actually refreshing to have an author focus on substance rather than physique (although I'll admit, I do love a story with a pretty protagonist too!).
A pet peeve of mine in fiction is when a protagonist constantly makes the wrong decision in situations that might have brought about a sooner resolution. Specifically, when other characters who want to (and can) help ask her what's wrong, and she keeps her secret bottled up, dealing with the problems on her own. This especially seems ridiculous when the character keeps her secret from characters she should trust. The whole idea of Charlotte marrying a man, and then refusing to let him help her one ounce...until he is so frustrated he leaves her....just....seemed rather frustrating and far-fetched.
One thing I did notice and appreciate, however, was that the author put the emphasis on the emotions and the plot, and not on the descriptions of the two girls. In fact, I ended the story not quite clear whether the girls were blonde, brunette, or redhead, actually pretty or plain. In an age of storytelling where the female protagonist is usually described within the first few pages as "uniquely pretty" or "plain compared to her sisters, with long red hair" etc, it was actually refreshing to have an author focus on substance rather than physique (although I'll admit, I do love a story with a pretty protagonist too!).
Read
January 27, 2023I was hoping for a bit more romance:/ The first half 5 amazing stars , the second half of this book was definitely a clever twist on Rumple's tale, but the direction it took lost me (even if it made sense, I just tend to get bored once characters get together -the whole get married, have babies, focus on the baby and Rumple storyline -while basically throwing love interest out of picture- isn't really my kind of read, it's not that it was bad, just I tend to prefer YA and less adult protagonists).
April 23, 2017
I really wanted to love A Curse as Dark as Gold. A historical fantasy set in a mill during the Industrial Revolution - what a perfect setting for a retelling of Rumpelstiltskin.
Unfortunately, it was really hard work to get through this and I skimmed a lot. The writing is tedious, the details of running the mill too thorough and dry. Plus, I was expecting something a bit more industrial out of the setting with a more Dickensian or Gaskellian feel - a mill in a place like Manchester, not in a superstitious village.
The story itself is extremely slow to take off. A hundred pages of mill management could have been chopped out easily. I didn't really like any of the characters either. Most of them remained fairytale remote the whole time. The ending was decent, at least, but a haunted mill with a generational curse should have been much more interesting.
Unfortunately, it was really hard work to get through this and I skimmed a lot. The writing is tedious, the details of running the mill too thorough and dry. Plus, I was expecting something a bit more industrial out of the setting with a more Dickensian or Gaskellian feel - a mill in a place like Manchester, not in a superstitious village.
The story itself is extremely slow to take off. A hundred pages of mill management could have been chopped out easily. I didn't really like any of the characters either. Most of them remained fairytale remote the whole time. The ending was decent, at least, but a haunted mill with a generational curse should have been much more interesting.
February 18, 2008
This book arrived Thursday, but I didn’t get a chance to read it until Friday. We were out at the dentist when it arrived, and didn’t see it when we got back because it was lodging between our doors. Friday morning, my Mom was driving me to school, and we noticed something on our front steps. It was a package… I brought it in the car, unwrapped it, and found A Curse Dark as Gold. The book was frozen- literally. The pages cracked when I turned them. It was quite an experience. I didn’t think that our weather had been too cold, but I guess it had gone into the negatives during the night. My copy of the book is completely normal now…
Charlotte Miller’s father passed away, and now she is in charge of the Miller woolen mill, which she won’t give up. The Miller woolen mill has its ways, and always is unpredictable. Doors won’t open, and nothing will ever stay fixed for too long. Charlotte and Rosie, her younger sister, are determined to keep the mill in the family, but when their Uncle Wheeler comes and insists they sell it, Charlotte wonders how long they can fight him. She then learns of her father’s enormous debt, which they in no way could possibly pay. But when short Jack Spinner offers to spin them a thousand spools of thread, Charlotte Miller forgets the fabled “Miller Curse”…
A Curse Dark as Gold retells Rumpelstiltskin (You can read the original tale on Sur La Lune.) It differs from the original tale, so if you already know Rumpelstiltskin, A Curse Dark as Gold will still be surprising. I would enjoy reading other versions of Rumpelstiltskin, since I know so little about the tale. I don’t know if there are any other retellings, but I am going to look into it.
I absolutely loved this book. I’m not that into fantasy, but A Curse Dark as Gold contained beautiful writing and a very accurate picture of the industrial revolution. I love history, and we studied the IR this year. I really enjoyed reading about it in a book instead of my textbook, though I do enjoy textbooks as well.
I adored the romance in A Curse Dark as Gold. I don’t want to spoil it, because it isn’t too obvious right away, but the romantic character had me gripping my seat. I got so angry at Charlotte at times… but in the end, it was definitely worth it. Uncle Wheeler, however conniving, was a very well written character as well. I don’t know what I think of him, and I have little sympathy for his decisions.
Fab book, please read it. I don’t like fantasy too much, and I am so glad that I bought A Curse Dark as Gold.
Charlotte Miller’s father passed away, and now she is in charge of the Miller woolen mill, which she won’t give up. The Miller woolen mill has its ways, and always is unpredictable. Doors won’t open, and nothing will ever stay fixed for too long. Charlotte and Rosie, her younger sister, are determined to keep the mill in the family, but when their Uncle Wheeler comes and insists they sell it, Charlotte wonders how long they can fight him. She then learns of her father’s enormous debt, which they in no way could possibly pay. But when short Jack Spinner offers to spin them a thousand spools of thread, Charlotte Miller forgets the fabled “Miller Curse”…
A Curse Dark as Gold retells Rumpelstiltskin (You can read the original tale on Sur La Lune.) It differs from the original tale, so if you already know Rumpelstiltskin, A Curse Dark as Gold will still be surprising. I would enjoy reading other versions of Rumpelstiltskin, since I know so little about the tale. I don’t know if there are any other retellings, but I am going to look into it.
I absolutely loved this book. I’m not that into fantasy, but A Curse Dark as Gold contained beautiful writing and a very accurate picture of the industrial revolution. I love history, and we studied the IR this year. I really enjoyed reading about it in a book instead of my textbook, though I do enjoy textbooks as well.
I adored the romance in A Curse Dark as Gold. I don’t want to spoil it, because it isn’t too obvious right away, but the romantic character had me gripping my seat. I got so angry at Charlotte at times… but in the end, it was definitely worth it. Uncle Wheeler, however conniving, was a very well written character as well. I don’t know what I think of him, and I have little sympathy for his decisions.
Fab book, please read it. I don’t like fantasy too much, and I am so glad that I bought A Curse Dark as Gold.
August 25, 2016
If there is one word that I would use to sum up this book it's intricate. I was floored to find out that this was the author's debut novel. Ms. Bunce is up there with the best veterans of the fantasy genre.
Charlotte Miller knows her share of hardships. Her mother and baby brother died, and the book starts with the reader witnessing Charlotte and her sister burying their father. Too bad for Charlotte that this is not the last she is going to see of bad luck. With her father gone she has to shoulder the responsibility of being in charge of the mill. Stirwaters is everything to their town, and she can not and will not let it fall. She literally will do anything to keep the mill going. When things start to get rough a mysterious man who calls himself Jack Spinner comes in to save the day. Charlotte being the level-headed young woman she is doesn't buy it at first, but Jack Spinner proves himself to be reliable. Of course everything always comes at a price. Will Charlotte be willing to pay the highest price of all?
In the beginning of the book you feel like Charlotte, that everything is rooted in reality. As the story progresses though you can feel that the lines of reality begin to blur into this magical world around them. Not even once did I think this world was not real. The historical background of the story gives the reader a sense of realness and helps to make the magic more believable.
Charlotte at times could be stubborn beyond comprehension, but I understood her even though I didn't always agree with her. She always did everything to protect the people she cared about, and you really can't be mad at someone who has that quality. The plot is done superbly. Every character and every bit of info comes back around to show what had been hiding in plain sight all along. The right person just had to be willing to look. Characters are always the heart of the story and this particular cast of characters were true to form and kept the book pulsating. Randall was my favorite, but I'd say the most interesting was Uncle Wheeler. Uncle Wheeler I'd say is the one who really hits the theme of what a name truly means, and what it doesn't.
A brilliantly crafted story of love, mystery, and magic.
Charlotte Miller knows her share of hardships. Her mother and baby brother died, and the book starts with the reader witnessing Charlotte and her sister burying their father. Too bad for Charlotte that this is not the last she is going to see of bad luck. With her father gone she has to shoulder the responsibility of being in charge of the mill. Stirwaters is everything to their town, and she can not and will not let it fall. She literally will do anything to keep the mill going. When things start to get rough a mysterious man who calls himself Jack Spinner comes in to save the day. Charlotte being the level-headed young woman she is doesn't buy it at first, but Jack Spinner proves himself to be reliable. Of course everything always comes at a price. Will Charlotte be willing to pay the highest price of all?
In the beginning of the book you feel like Charlotte, that everything is rooted in reality. As the story progresses though you can feel that the lines of reality begin to blur into this magical world around them. Not even once did I think this world was not real. The historical background of the story gives the reader a sense of realness and helps to make the magic more believable.
Charlotte at times could be stubborn beyond comprehension, but I understood her even though I didn't always agree with her. She always did everything to protect the people she cared about, and you really can't be mad at someone who has that quality. The plot is done superbly. Every character and every bit of info comes back around to show what had been hiding in plain sight all along. The right person just had to be willing to look. Characters are always the heart of the story and this particular cast of characters were true to form and kept the book pulsating. Randall was my favorite, but I'd say the most interesting was Uncle Wheeler. Uncle Wheeler I'd say is the one who really hits the theme of what a name truly means, and what it doesn't.
A brilliantly crafted story of love, mystery, and magic.
December 12, 2007
I could probably write a lengthy review about the many things I admired about this debut YA (#1 on that list - the skill with which the curse was woven all through the novel, with the mill itself becoming a creepy almost-character), but I think it boils down to one statement really. I simply can't decide which I wish more: that I'd been the one to edit this book, or the one to write this book! Alas, since neither were options, I'll settle for being a fan and waiting eagerly to see what Elizabeth Bunce does next.
October 20, 2014
I have to say that I am amazed by all the five star reviews of this book. I'm not sure we read the same tedious tome, but wow, five stars?
This book reads as if Jane Austen's Dashwood or Bennett sisters suddenly inherited a haunted woolen mill. And I love Jane Austen books, but still, I didn't like this one. This feels like a style of writing common to that era in which it was believed that it was dangerous for people to get too excited while reading so books were written in such a way as to not let readers get overwrought with too much fright. Yes, people did believe this once upon a time. So, reading a mystery in that style isn't much fun. I'm not sure if this is what this author was attempting, but it sure feels like it.
The story plods along and even though it should be suspenseful and spine-tingling, it is more stupefying and mind-numbing.
The problems begin on page two. Really, page two, when Charlotte describes herself and her sister as "just two half-grown orphaned daughters" with no further description of either of them. So, why is this a problem? Well, within a year, one of them is married and expecting a child. If they are half-grown, what the heck age is that? If adults are sixteen, then half is eight? If adults are twenty, then half is ten? And the boy she marries is a banker, supposedly a few years older so what, he would be twelve? I know people married younger in the eighteenth century, but I have trouble thinking that a banker is fourteen. The author could have easily clarified this with simply saying how old the girls were. Why put it this way?
So, that's the first problem and sadly, for me, it goes downhill from there.
Charlotte is too stubborn to see that she is only hurting herself by her insistence, first, that the mill that she knows is "odd" to say the least, isn't haunted and then, second, to accept this magical spinning straw into gold without hesitation. She won't believe in this magic, but that one, sure, makes sense.
And her inability to let anyone in on anything just made me want to haul off and smack her one. Her reasons for not telling her nice, young husband about her problems was too far-fetched to be believed. She cannot tell him because he is too good and pure and wonderful to sully himself with her problems, even when he is all but begging her to let him help. I have trouble with any plot that hinges on the fact that someone knows something, but won't tell it.
Plus the character of the shady uncle was a huge problem for me. Neither of the girls ever considered that a lot of their problems began when he arrived and the big info-dump near the end of just exactly how he fits into everything was just that; big info dump which added nothing really to the plot. In fact, the big reveal/info-dumps should have been somehow integrated into the plot somewhere along the line. Here you have the plot winding up and what's going to happen next. Finally, some tension, some action, but instead we'll sit here and chat about our lives and families while my son gets stolen away forever. Sure, okay.
So, all of that aside, there were good things here, too. I did like the feel of the little mill village, the villagers names being from their tasks; Weavers, Millers, Wheelers, etc. That holds historically true which is how many surnames came into existence. The characters are well drawn(other than not knowing how old they are or what they actually look like) with distinct personalities.
I didn't feel anything between Charlotte and Randall, sad to say. It feels as if Charlotte had to have a baby to fit the plot so she was given a baby in the least engaging way. We get no anticipation of the birth, no excitement, no scene where she tells Randall he's going to be a father. Where is the love between these two? She is so cold about everything that how could I feel how desperate she is to save her child when nothing but that dang mill seems to matter to her? I get that the whole village was dependent on the mill so on her, or so she feels, but a choice between a child and a mill? No. Just no.
The only heart that, for me, comes into play, is John Simple's, his feelings I understood and felt, and his son as well. That was well done.
This one won an award for debut author and does that mean we look the other way and say, oh, well, it's their first book so it's okay that it isn't very good?
I wish I liked this one.
This book reads as if Jane Austen's Dashwood or Bennett sisters suddenly inherited a haunted woolen mill. And I love Jane Austen books, but still, I didn't like this one. This feels like a style of writing common to that era in which it was believed that it was dangerous for people to get too excited while reading so books were written in such a way as to not let readers get overwrought with too much fright. Yes, people did believe this once upon a time. So, reading a mystery in that style isn't much fun. I'm not sure if this is what this author was attempting, but it sure feels like it.
The story plods along and even though it should be suspenseful and spine-tingling, it is more stupefying and mind-numbing.
The problems begin on page two. Really, page two, when Charlotte describes herself and her sister as "just two half-grown orphaned daughters" with no further description of either of them. So, why is this a problem? Well, within a year, one of them is married and expecting a child. If they are half-grown, what the heck age is that? If adults are sixteen, then half is eight? If adults are twenty, then half is ten? And the boy she marries is a banker, supposedly a few years older so what, he would be twelve? I know people married younger in the eighteenth century, but I have trouble thinking that a banker is fourteen. The author could have easily clarified this with simply saying how old the girls were. Why put it this way?
So, that's the first problem and sadly, for me, it goes downhill from there.
Charlotte is too stubborn to see that she is only hurting herself by her insistence, first, that the mill that she knows is "odd" to say the least, isn't haunted and then, second, to accept this magical spinning straw into gold without hesitation. She won't believe in this magic, but that one, sure, makes sense.
And her inability to let anyone in on anything just made me want to haul off and smack her one. Her reasons for not telling her nice, young husband about her problems was too far-fetched to be believed. She cannot tell him because he is too good and pure and wonderful to sully himself with her problems, even when he is all but begging her to let him help. I have trouble with any plot that hinges on the fact that someone knows something, but won't tell it.
Plus the character of the shady uncle was a huge problem for me. Neither of the girls ever considered that a lot of their problems began when he arrived and the big info-dump near the end of just exactly how he fits into everything was just that; big info dump which added nothing really to the plot. In fact, the big reveal/info-dumps should have been somehow integrated into the plot somewhere along the line. Here you have the plot winding up and what's going to happen next. Finally, some tension, some action, but instead we'll sit here and chat about our lives and families while my son gets stolen away forever. Sure, okay.
So, all of that aside, there were good things here, too. I did like the feel of the little mill village, the villagers names being from their tasks; Weavers, Millers, Wheelers, etc. That holds historically true which is how many surnames came into existence. The characters are well drawn(other than not knowing how old they are or what they actually look like) with distinct personalities.
I didn't feel anything between Charlotte and Randall, sad to say. It feels as if Charlotte had to have a baby to fit the plot so she was given a baby in the least engaging way. We get no anticipation of the birth, no excitement, no scene where she tells Randall he's going to be a father. Where is the love between these two? She is so cold about everything that how could I feel how desperate she is to save her child when nothing but that dang mill seems to matter to her? I get that the whole village was dependent on the mill so on her, or so she feels, but a choice between a child and a mill? No. Just no.
The only heart that, for me, comes into play, is John Simple's, his feelings I understood and felt, and his son as well. That was well done.
This one won an award for debut author and does that mean we look the other way and say, oh, well, it's their first book so it's okay that it isn't very good?
I wish I liked this one.
October 5, 2011
I always look forward to fairy tale retellings, and with this one winning the Morris Award for Best Debut YA, I eagerly picked up A CURSE DARK AS GOLD after two years of having this in my TBR pile. Unfortunately, it was pretty much an all-around disappointment, and in rather unexpected ways: for some reason, the way the story was written, and the way it unfolded, really frustrated and repelled me.
A CURSE DARK AS GOLD theoretically had all the elements I like in a story: a unique spin on a fairy tale, a strong female protagonist, and a compelling plot with only the subtly appreciated undertones of romance. However, I wasn’t far into the book before the way the story was playing out began to irk me. Charlotte’s vehement insistence that there was no such thing as a curse soon characterized her as blindly stubborn to me: I like my fair share of headstrong and independent females, but not when they are stubborn in a maddeningly close-minded way. Hints about the malignance of the curse were dropped in the book from here to kingdom come, but it was not until the last fifth of the book that things began to be explained, and I can’t help but think that all stories that are carried forward by the “mysterious and pervasive influence” of a “shocking secret” are kind of gimmicky. The absolute lack of forward progression in the plot regarding the understanding of Stirwaters, the Miller history, and the curse made me so frustrated that I was tempted to put the book down forever and not bother to find out how it ended.
As Charlotte insisted on pulling away from her loved ones in a misguided effort to protect everyone and shoulder the burden herself, I just couldn’t bring myself to empathize with her decisions. There’s a difference between being admirably independent and dumbly mule-headed, and I’m afraid that Charlotte fell on the wrong side of that line.
All in all, A CURSE DARK AS GOLD was actually too light on the Rumpelstiltskin retellings, rendering itself more just a supposedly spooky and tense story of desperation and redemption that turned out not to be my thing, mainly because of my dislike of the main character for her mule-headedness and the way the plot unfolded. These criticisms I have, of course, are far more subjective than my usual ones, and so if you think that these two points won’t bother you as much as they did me, then I encourage you to give this award-winning book a try. Many important people obviously thought it was a great work, so there is the likelihood that I am in the minority on this one.
A CURSE DARK AS GOLD theoretically had all the elements I like in a story: a unique spin on a fairy tale, a strong female protagonist, and a compelling plot with only the subtly appreciated undertones of romance. However, I wasn’t far into the book before the way the story was playing out began to irk me. Charlotte’s vehement insistence that there was no such thing as a curse soon characterized her as blindly stubborn to me: I like my fair share of headstrong and independent females, but not when they are stubborn in a maddeningly close-minded way. Hints about the malignance of the curse were dropped in the book from here to kingdom come, but it was not until the last fifth of the book that things began to be explained, and I can’t help but think that all stories that are carried forward by the “mysterious and pervasive influence” of a “shocking secret” are kind of gimmicky. The absolute lack of forward progression in the plot regarding the understanding of Stirwaters, the Miller history, and the curse made me so frustrated that I was tempted to put the book down forever and not bother to find out how it ended.
As Charlotte insisted on pulling away from her loved ones in a misguided effort to protect everyone and shoulder the burden herself, I just couldn’t bring myself to empathize with her decisions. There’s a difference between being admirably independent and dumbly mule-headed, and I’m afraid that Charlotte fell on the wrong side of that line.
All in all, A CURSE DARK AS GOLD was actually too light on the Rumpelstiltskin retellings, rendering itself more just a supposedly spooky and tense story of desperation and redemption that turned out not to be my thing, mainly because of my dislike of the main character for her mule-headedness and the way the plot unfolded. These criticisms I have, of course, are far more subjective than my usual ones, and so if you think that these two points won’t bother you as much as they did me, then I encourage you to give this award-winning book a try. Many important people obviously thought it was a great work, so there is the likelihood that I am in the minority on this one.
did-not-finish
September 22, 2019With a heavy heart, I have to give this one a DNF at 40%. I don't know what was wrong that I just couldn't get into the book. I tried...so many times I wanted to stop but I kept giving another chance.
I honestly thought with all of the 5 Stars that this would be the book for me...so, again I'll have chalk this one up to it was probably me and the mood I was in for what interests me.
I honestly thought with all of the 5 Stars that this would be the book for me...so, again I'll have chalk this one up to it was probably me and the mood I was in for what interests me.
November 14, 2008
Charlotte Miller is my new hero.
Not because she refuses to let a man solve her problems. Not because she tries so hard to save her family's woolen mill. Not even because she steps forward with courage in terrifying circumstances. She's my hero because she finds herself in a situation that is, by all accounts, dire, and never once whines about it being unfair. Though her story is a take on the classic Rumpelstiltskin story, Charlotte is no typical fairy tale girl.
When her father is buried in the first pages of A CURSE DARK AS GOLD, Charlotte is plunged into a world of hard work, broken down machinery, troubled finances, and ancient curses. Does she complain? Does she say, "How come I have to answer for the mistakes of all these men?" Nope. With pluck and courage, compassion and commitment, Charlotte forges ahead to set things right - no matter whose fault it all was in the first place.
We could use more heroines like Charlotte Miller - and more authors like Elizabeth Bunce, who weaves Charlotte's harrowing story into a rich, colorful tapestry that's difficult to let go of when the last page is turned.
I originally read this ARC back in October, when I was preparing to give a teacher workshop on historical fiction & historical fantasy at the NYS Reading Association Conference. As I read, I had planned to note examples of how writers of historical fantasy weave factual details into their novels. When I finished reading CURSE, though, my notepad was blank. Not because there weren't examples. There were plenty of them - from the details of the woolen mills of the early Industrial Revolution to the country folklore of that time. I simply got so wrapped up in Charlotte's life that I forgot to write them down.
That, my friends, is the mark of a great story. Pick this one up when you have a nice long stretch of time available for reading. You won't want to put it down.
Not because she refuses to let a man solve her problems. Not because she tries so hard to save her family's woolen mill. Not even because she steps forward with courage in terrifying circumstances. She's my hero because she finds herself in a situation that is, by all accounts, dire, and never once whines about it being unfair. Though her story is a take on the classic Rumpelstiltskin story, Charlotte is no typical fairy tale girl.
When her father is buried in the first pages of A CURSE DARK AS GOLD, Charlotte is plunged into a world of hard work, broken down machinery, troubled finances, and ancient curses. Does she complain? Does she say, "How come I have to answer for the mistakes of all these men?" Nope. With pluck and courage, compassion and commitment, Charlotte forges ahead to set things right - no matter whose fault it all was in the first place.
We could use more heroines like Charlotte Miller - and more authors like Elizabeth Bunce, who weaves Charlotte's harrowing story into a rich, colorful tapestry that's difficult to let go of when the last page is turned.
I originally read this ARC back in October, when I was preparing to give a teacher workshop on historical fiction & historical fantasy at the NYS Reading Association Conference. As I read, I had planned to note examples of how writers of historical fantasy weave factual details into their novels. When I finished reading CURSE, though, my notepad was blank. Not because there weren't examples. There were plenty of them - from the details of the woolen mills of the early Industrial Revolution to the country folklore of that time. I simply got so wrapped up in Charlotte's life that I forgot to write them down.
That, my friends, is the mark of a great story. Pick this one up when you have a nice long stretch of time available for reading. You won't want to put it down.
July 21, 2010
It's a retelling and historical fiction. Such a great combination. It's a great retake on the Rumpelstiltskin tale, set in the Industrial Revolution.
Charlotte Miller and her sister Rosie are the last of the Miller thread that make quality cloths. The whole process of making the wool was pretty nice. It didn't seem like it was teaching me anything but I still learned a little about the time period and cloth making.
I was frustrated with Charlotte a number of times. She is so responsible and carries so much on her shoulders. These are good attributes but really it's all about the mill, and Rosie, and the mill, and her workers, and the mill. Why does the mill have to be the end all be all choice? But Charlotte is also very kind, though stubborn, and forgiving (more than me anyway). She and her 14 year old sister Rosie are both strong young women though in different ways.
I wanted to see more of the romance but was happy with it anyways.
The plot consists of close calls in losing the mill over and over again and finding ways to save it. Jack Spinner (our Rumpelstiltskin) pops up every once in a while. I really did like the plot. The desperation to keep the mill that Charolette, Rosie, and the workers felt was tangible. Some of the parts I thought were drawn out more than I believe they needed to be but it also gave the book more suspense. The ending was satisfying and it gave the Rumpelstiltskin tale more depth. They didn't just need to find out his name but his story too.
Charlotte Miller and her sister Rosie are the last of the Miller thread that make quality cloths. The whole process of making the wool was pretty nice. It didn't seem like it was teaching me anything but I still learned a little about the time period and cloth making.
I was frustrated with Charlotte a number of times. She is so responsible and carries so much on her shoulders. These are good attributes but really it's all about the mill, and Rosie, and the mill, and her workers, and the mill. Why does the mill have to be the end all be all choice? But Charlotte is also very kind, though stubborn, and forgiving (more than me anyway). She and her 14 year old sister Rosie are both strong young women though in different ways.
I wanted to see more of the romance but was happy with it anyways.
The plot consists of close calls in losing the mill over and over again and finding ways to save it. Jack Spinner (our Rumpelstiltskin) pops up every once in a while. I really did like the plot. The desperation to keep the mill that Charolette, Rosie, and the workers felt was tangible. Some of the parts I thought were drawn out more than I believe they needed to be but it also gave the book more suspense. The ending was satisfying and it gave the Rumpelstiltskin tale more depth. They didn't just need to find out his name but his story too.
January 17, 2014
I don't understand why people loved the story. I was bored with the story and the only thing I ask for In a story is for it to be enjoyable.
I despised Charlotte for being this obstinate and I think that underneath all that strong outside she was really a stupid heroine. Mostly I despised her for holding this strong onto stirwaters. I don't know why, it's just that why couldn't Charlotte give up the mill when spinner asked for her baby? I don't care for all her agonies and wailings....wind roaring in her ears....the world spun around...blablabla. She endangered her marriage by holding onto the mill all the while and couldn't decide if her child was more important than the mill. I thought that she brought on all the suffering onto herself. Maybe I hold justice too strong over mercy, but when Charlotte wanted both the mill and her baby back, I thought that I ve never met such an obstinate, argh, despicable heroine.
Anyways,why couldn't Charlotte give up the bloody mill and move on to another mill in her life?
I despised Charlotte for being this obstinate and I think that underneath all that strong outside she was really a stupid heroine. Mostly I despised her for holding this strong onto stirwaters. I don't know why, it's just that why couldn't Charlotte give up the mill when spinner asked for her baby? I don't care for all her agonies and wailings....wind roaring in her ears....the world spun around...blablabla. She endangered her marriage by holding onto the mill all the while and couldn't decide if her child was more important than the mill. I thought that she brought on all the suffering onto herself. Maybe I hold justice too strong over mercy, but when Charlotte wanted both the mill and her baby back, I thought that I ve never met such an obstinate, argh, despicable heroine.
Anyways,why couldn't Charlotte give up the bloody mill and move on to another mill in her life?
December 4, 2011
Elizabeth Bunce’s A Curse Dark As Gold is a retelling of the Rumpelstiltskin myth set in an England-like world on the cusp of an Industrial Revolution, and it’s a wonderful book. The story centers round the village of Shearing and the millhouse of Stirwaters where Charlotte and Rosie Miller have been left orphaned by the death of their father. For five generations, Stirwaters has been in the Miller family despite the fact that no son has survived childhood and a curse seems keep the operation from enjoying any lasting success; every year is a struggle to make enough money to keep the mill afloat and provide the work Shearing’s inhabitants depend upon to survive. Now that these young women are left to fend for themselves, peril immediately looms as the modern, industrial weaving practices of the Pinchfields mills threatens to undersell their business. The daughters then learn that their father has taken out a mortgage on the mill that’s coming due. And – if those dangers weren’t enough – someone is sabotaging the mill’s work. Into this situation steps the mysterious figure of “Jack Spinner,” who saves the mill but keeps asking a higher and higher price until he demands a sacrifice from Charlotte that drives her to discover the source of Stillwaters’ curse and finally break it.
Two things make A Curse a four-star read. The first is Bunce’s evocation of the Golden Valley and the village of Shearing, particularly the life of the millhouse. You may learn more about shearing and weaving than you’ll ever use but it makes the story come alive and reinforces you’re acceptance of Charlotte’s (and other’s) devotion to the mill. The second factor is Charlotte Miller. The story is told from her point of view so you come to know and understand her intimately. She’s a proud, stubborn and independent young woman but her heart’s in the right place and everything she does, she does to protect the mill and the people who depend upon it for their livelihoods. Though there are many instances where I wanted to whack her upside the head with one of her cloth bolts because she often acts too prideful, stubbornly and independently, in the end she realizes that she’s not alone and manages to balance those things that she alone must do and those things where she can rely on the support of her family and friends. And she learns when pride has gone too far, as she explains to Rosie:
I also enjoyed Bunce’s writing style. Some reviews have characterized it as “too slow” or “boring” but a better descriptive would be “measured”: It builds up a picture of Shearing and the lives of the characters without interfering with the story, and where it needs to move at a trot, it does so. I think many writers could take lessons from the author’s style. (One author who doesn’t but whose writing Bunce’s reminds me of is Jeffrey E. Barlough in his Western Lights series – both are set in England-like worlds of similar eras, and both call up an ambiance of quixotic characters and settings where Faerie and magic lurk at the peripheries of ordinary life.)
Bunce’s also – thankfully – doesn’t strain to make figurative analogies but often succeeds in creating just the right image for you to “see” the scene, e.g.:
It will be with a good deal of pleasure and enthusiasm that I pass this novel along to my nieces this Xmas, and I’m looking forward to acquiring Bunce’s second novel, Starcrossed, soon.
Two things make A Curse a four-star read. The first is Bunce’s evocation of the Golden Valley and the village of Shearing, particularly the life of the millhouse. You may learn more about shearing and weaving than you’ll ever use but it makes the story come alive and reinforces you’re acceptance of Charlotte’s (and other’s) devotion to the mill. The second factor is Charlotte Miller. The story is told from her point of view so you come to know and understand her intimately. She’s a proud, stubborn and independent young woman but her heart’s in the right place and everything she does, she does to protect the mill and the people who depend upon it for their livelihoods. Though there are many instances where I wanted to whack her upside the head with one of her cloth bolts because she often acts too prideful, stubbornly and independently, in the end she realizes that she’s not alone and manages to balance those things that she alone must do and those things where she can rely on the support of her family and friends. And she learns when pride has gone too far, as she explains to Rosie:
I pulled her closer. Her hands were cold; she must be as weary as I. “I’ve seen what comes of an unwillingness to forgive, and I’ll not pass that legacy on to William. And nor will you.” (p. 387)
I also enjoyed Bunce’s writing style. Some reviews have characterized it as “too slow” or “boring” but a better descriptive would be “measured”: It builds up a picture of Shearing and the lives of the characters without interfering with the story, and where it needs to move at a trot, it does so. I think many writers could take lessons from the author’s style. (One author who doesn’t but whose writing Bunce’s reminds me of is Jeffrey E. Barlough in his Western Lights series – both are set in England-like worlds of similar eras, and both call up an ambiance of quixotic characters and settings where Faerie and magic lurk at the peripheries of ordinary life.)
Bunce’s also – thankfully – doesn’t strain to make figurative analogies but often succeeds in creating just the right image for you to “see” the scene, e.g.:
That day we had two of Mrs. Hopewell’s pieces stretched out, dove grey satinette and a blue flannel, running along the river like its reflection. (p. 53)
It will be with a good deal of pleasure and enthusiasm that I pass this novel along to my nieces this Xmas, and I’m looking forward to acquiring Bunce’s second novel, Starcrossed, soon.
November 6, 2012
Reviewed by Julie M. Prince for TeensReadToo.com
Since her father's death, the fate of the Miller family woolen mill and that of the Shearing village rests on Charlotte's shoulders. An unexpected and seemingly insurmountable debt leads to a difficult choice for the normally practical and levelheaded miller's daughter.
Must she take the offer of the strange little man who can weave straw into gold, or can she make her own way through the maze of ill luck and deceit that seems her family legacy?
Elizabeth C. Bunce's A CURSE DARK AS GOLD is worth its own weight in gold and then some. A folkloric re-telling beyond Rumpelstiltskin proportions, this tale weaves the best storytelling techniques into a fine tapestry of intrigue, drama, and romance.
The tight writing never wavers. Gorgeous, consistent language abounds, like, "I sank to my knees in a sea of crumpled flannel and pressed my hands into the sharp shale of the yard, as if bites from the stones could remind me of who I was."
And just who is Charlotte Miller? Certainly one of the most fascinating characters I've come across of late. If not self-confident at the beginning of our story, she is at least confident in what she knows: the mill cannot go under and the families of Shearing cannot be allowed to starve or scatter to the winds. As she is the only one around to prevent these happenings, Charlotte will do what she must to prevent them. And so she does.
As time goes on, and with Pinchfields Mill of Harrowgate nipping at her heels, Charlotte's choices become ever more difficult and the stakes are raised as she struggles through crisis after crisis. Charlotte's resolve to dismiss the very idea of the Miller Curse crumbles into a pile of wasted wishes as the harsh reality of the unreal comes to be. She is forced to play the hand that's dealt, facing sinister forces she once easily dismissed.
A strong protagonist indeed.
Every word counts in this amazing book. The language, while assuredly stunning and appealing, is never frivolous. It's hard to believe this is a debut novel, and I eagerly await whatever Ms. Bunce wishes to put in front of me next, as it's sure to be delightful and satisfying if it's near the quality of A CURSE DARK AS GOLD.
It's only fitting that this novel be recommended for the Gold Star Award for Excellence and admittance to the TeensReadToo Hall of Fame.
Since her father's death, the fate of the Miller family woolen mill and that of the Shearing village rests on Charlotte's shoulders. An unexpected and seemingly insurmountable debt leads to a difficult choice for the normally practical and levelheaded miller's daughter.
Must she take the offer of the strange little man who can weave straw into gold, or can she make her own way through the maze of ill luck and deceit that seems her family legacy?
Elizabeth C. Bunce's A CURSE DARK AS GOLD is worth its own weight in gold and then some. A folkloric re-telling beyond Rumpelstiltskin proportions, this tale weaves the best storytelling techniques into a fine tapestry of intrigue, drama, and romance.
The tight writing never wavers. Gorgeous, consistent language abounds, like, "I sank to my knees in a sea of crumpled flannel and pressed my hands into the sharp shale of the yard, as if bites from the stones could remind me of who I was."
And just who is Charlotte Miller? Certainly one of the most fascinating characters I've come across of late. If not self-confident at the beginning of our story, she is at least confident in what she knows: the mill cannot go under and the families of Shearing cannot be allowed to starve or scatter to the winds. As she is the only one around to prevent these happenings, Charlotte will do what she must to prevent them. And so she does.
As time goes on, and with Pinchfields Mill of Harrowgate nipping at her heels, Charlotte's choices become ever more difficult and the stakes are raised as she struggles through crisis after crisis. Charlotte's resolve to dismiss the very idea of the Miller Curse crumbles into a pile of wasted wishes as the harsh reality of the unreal comes to be. She is forced to play the hand that's dealt, facing sinister forces she once easily dismissed.
A strong protagonist indeed.
Every word counts in this amazing book. The language, while assuredly stunning and appealing, is never frivolous. It's hard to believe this is a debut novel, and I eagerly await whatever Ms. Bunce wishes to put in front of me next, as it's sure to be delightful and satisfying if it's near the quality of A CURSE DARK AS GOLD.
It's only fitting that this novel be recommended for the Gold Star Award for Excellence and admittance to the TeensReadToo Hall of Fame.
November 14, 2008
Wow. This book took my breath away! An original, multi-layered, exquisitely written retelling of the Rumplestiltzkin story. Compelling characters who wrestle with painful ethical dilemmas, make mistakes, and ultimately gain a personal understanding of choice and accountability, repentance, and forgiveness. One word of caution--it's a ghost story--don't read it alone late on a windy night!
April 19, 2021
It is very hard to love a book when you spend half your time wanting to strangle the main character. Full review to come.
February 20, 2009
When Charlotte Miller's father dies, her world feels flipped on its head, but she knows what she has to do: what she always has. The Stirwaters Mill has been in her family for generations, and it has always been at the center of the town of Shearing. All of the townsfolk work in and around the Mill--it provides livelihood for all of them.
And so Charlotte knows that she must pick up where her father left off, and, with the help of her sister Rosie, run the Mill and keep the town afloat.
But one spate of bad luck after another foul all of Charlotte's plans and labors, until she must face the terrible possibility of failure. And that's when the mysterious Jack Spinner shows up, with the power to spin straw into gold, and the ability to rescue Charlotte and Shearing from despair.
Accepting his help is tantalizing and impossible to refuse. But is it worth the cost? Charlotte is sure that she will sacrifice anything to keep her family and friends afloat, but when she learns the true price of Jack Spinner's aid, Charlotte will have to fight to protect her town, her home and her family.
Where do I begin with what I loved about this book? I loved everything. I loved the way that marriage is presented as imperfect, as flawed, as not the happy ending, but instead as merely the middle of someone's story. I loved the strong female characters, Charlotte and Rosie both, and I loved their flaws. I loved the very creepy ghost story.
This book is gut-wrenching. There were a few spots that were so awful I needed to literally close the book and stop reading for a little while, because it was too much for me. I was so pained for the characters that it hurt to read--I turned the pages with great gasping breaths.
It starts slow, but once you get into it is sucks you in and steals your will to do anything but find out what happens, how the story evolves and how the characters grow. It's utterly compelling.
It's a lovely story that shares some similarities with Sharon Shinn's Truth Teller's Tale series--vivid descriptions of country life, and a plot that is small in stature--it's not the fate of the world on the line, just the fate of one family and one small town--but the danger and terror and overwhelming price of failure is heavy nonetheless.
This is a beautiful book, all around. It's a little slow in the starting, but once you get sucked into the narrative, you won't be able to get it out of your mind until long after you turn the last page.
And so Charlotte knows that she must pick up where her father left off, and, with the help of her sister Rosie, run the Mill and keep the town afloat.
But one spate of bad luck after another foul all of Charlotte's plans and labors, until she must face the terrible possibility of failure. And that's when the mysterious Jack Spinner shows up, with the power to spin straw into gold, and the ability to rescue Charlotte and Shearing from despair.
Accepting his help is tantalizing and impossible to refuse. But is it worth the cost? Charlotte is sure that she will sacrifice anything to keep her family and friends afloat, but when she learns the true price of Jack Spinner's aid, Charlotte will have to fight to protect her town, her home and her family.
Where do I begin with what I loved about this book? I loved everything. I loved the way that marriage is presented as imperfect, as flawed, as not the happy ending, but instead as merely the middle of someone's story. I loved the strong female characters, Charlotte and Rosie both, and I loved their flaws. I loved the very creepy ghost story.
This book is gut-wrenching. There were a few spots that were so awful I needed to literally close the book and stop reading for a little while, because it was too much for me. I was so pained for the characters that it hurt to read--I turned the pages with great gasping breaths.
It starts slow, but once you get into it is sucks you in and steals your will to do anything but find out what happens, how the story evolves and how the characters grow. It's utterly compelling.
It's a lovely story that shares some similarities with Sharon Shinn's Truth Teller's Tale series--vivid descriptions of country life, and a plot that is small in stature--it's not the fate of the world on the line, just the fate of one family and one small town--but the danger and terror and overwhelming price of failure is heavy nonetheless.
This is a beautiful book, all around. It's a little slow in the starting, but once you get sucked into the narrative, you won't be able to get it out of your mind until long after you turn the last page.
July 7, 2017
Charlotte Miller and her sister Rosie have problems. Their father has just died, leaving their family mill in deep debt. Their long-lost uncle has arrived and is pushing them to sell. But their small community relies on the mill for its residents' livelihoods, and Charlotte isn't willing to give up her life and her friends' lives so easily. When Jack Spinner shows up and promises a way out, Charlotte makes a bargain with him to save the mill, but she gets far more than she bargained for and must figure out the mysterious connections of the past, between Jack Spinner, her mill, and her family. The book starts out in a solid, historical-feeling kind of way; only slowly does Bunce introduce the fantastic elements and thus the real impetus of the plot. It's a little too slow in the beginning, yet it builds up to real tension by the end.
Charlotte is an intelligent and dedicated heroine, and I appreciated that, but I have to admit that by the end, I was a little impatient with her unwillingness to share her burdens and her increasing knowledge of the situation with anyone. This dimmed the charm of the main romance for me: I couldn't quite believe in how quickly it started and how it could have been maintained in the face of Charlotte's pigheadedness. I rather preferred the secondary romance, a very understated one between Charlotte's sister Rosie and one of the millworkers, and I'd have liked to see more of that.
By now, I'm sure you've figured out which fairy tale this is a retelling of. I love fairy tale retellings and have read a lot of them, and I thought this was a very good one, adding a lot of depth to the tale of "Rumpelstiltskin". I especially liked the setting, which is based on Bunce's research into English and American wool mills in the late 1700s, on the cusp of the Industrial Revolution, which provides some conflict in the plot, as Charlotte must face competition from mills with more efficient, automated systems. Bunce creates a tightly knit neighborhood around the mill, showing how one business can nurture an entire community.
Barring the small issues with pacing and characterization I've noted, I really enjoyed A Curse Dark as Gold and will be looking for more from Bunce.
Charlotte is an intelligent and dedicated heroine, and I appreciated that, but I have to admit that by the end, I was a little impatient with her unwillingness to share her burdens and her increasing knowledge of the situation with anyone. This dimmed the charm of the main romance for me: I couldn't quite believe in how quickly it started and how it could have been maintained in the face of Charlotte's pigheadedness. I rather preferred the secondary romance, a very understated one between Charlotte's sister Rosie and one of the millworkers, and I'd have liked to see more of that.
By now, I'm sure you've figured out which fairy tale this is a retelling of. I love fairy tale retellings and have read a lot of them, and I thought this was a very good one, adding a lot of depth to the tale of "Rumpelstiltskin". I especially liked the setting, which is based on Bunce's research into English and American wool mills in the late 1700s, on the cusp of the Industrial Revolution, which provides some conflict in the plot, as Charlotte must face competition from mills with more efficient, automated systems. Bunce creates a tightly knit neighborhood around the mill, showing how one business can nurture an entire community.
Barring the small issues with pacing and characterization I've noted, I really enjoyed A Curse Dark as Gold and will be looking for more from Bunce.
February 19, 2017
What a beautiful tale!
I haven't read many books of such kind (of this genre) because I am always afraid that would be just a romance mixed with dragons and fairies, and so on. When I find such gem I am simply happy.
The strongest part of this novel is the world and the narration. Elizabeth C. Bunce created not only the gripping world. I can imagine that one could dream up a fascinating world but it is not enough. One must also be able to show it to a reader. Bunce did it perfectly. I have lived in Stirwater for the last days. There wasn't important if there were pages about everyday life and work of weavers or about big events and mysteries. It was equally interesting and exciting.
As for a plot and a main story (based on the story about Rumpelstiltskin) it was also great. I don't know tale about Rumpelstiltskin, so I don't know how much it was changed here. But this version is beautiful. At the end I was really touched.
So, it is simply a masterpiece of the genre. It will be my favorite (modern written) fairy tale next to Enchanted (here why) and Ella Enchanted (here why).
For more I recommend a comprehensive review of Sarah.
I haven't read many books of such kind (of this genre) because I am always afraid that would be just a romance mixed with dragons and fairies, and so on. When I find such gem I am simply happy.
The strongest part of this novel is the world and the narration. Elizabeth C. Bunce created not only the gripping world. I can imagine that one could dream up a fascinating world but it is not enough. One must also be able to show it to a reader. Bunce did it perfectly. I have lived in Stirwater for the last days. There wasn't important if there were pages about everyday life and work of weavers or about big events and mysteries. It was equally interesting and exciting.
As for a plot and a main story (based on the story about Rumpelstiltskin) it was also great. I don't know tale about Rumpelstiltskin, so I don't know how much it was changed here. But this version is beautiful. At the end I was really touched.
So, it is simply a masterpiece of the genre. It will be my favorite (modern written) fairy tale next to Enchanted (here why) and Ella Enchanted (here why).
For more I recommend a comprehensive review of Sarah.
May 5, 2008
One of the best elements of this book was that I didn’t feel like I was reading a fairytale retelling. Now I should explain what I mean by that, because it’s pretty obvious I love a fairytale retelling. Ella Enchanted is one of my favorite books of all time. But in A Curse Dark as Gold, the Rumpelstiltskin elements were woven in with so much care that it was easy to imagine this was a story completely on its own. In fact, I’d compare this more to a ghost story/mystery more than I would a fairytale. I found the mystery elements to be the most compelling, and they kept me hooked page after page.
In fact, if it hadn’t been pointed out to me that this was a Rumpelstiltskin retelling, it probably would have taken me quite a few chapters to realize it. Sure, the golden thread shows up, as well as the taking of the baby, but we never see Rumpelstiltskin (who isn’t named that in the book) dancing around a fire, singing silly songs, and Charlotte has far more personality and control than the Miller’s Daughter (her name in the original) is ever given. Bunce did a good job of using the original fairytale as a starting point, but didn’t force the story to conform to our preconceived notions about the tale.
The setting was also well done, taking place at the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, in a small town caught between new and old. We have the competing ideas of old folk legends and Christianity, new steam powered machines and old hand run mills, and a girl on the edge of womanhood. These ideas complement each other very well, completing the story and bringing it all together.
Read the rest of my review on Bookwyrm Chrysalis
In fact, if it hadn’t been pointed out to me that this was a Rumpelstiltskin retelling, it probably would have taken me quite a few chapters to realize it. Sure, the golden thread shows up, as well as the taking of the baby, but we never see Rumpelstiltskin (who isn’t named that in the book) dancing around a fire, singing silly songs, and Charlotte has far more personality and control than the Miller’s Daughter (her name in the original) is ever given. Bunce did a good job of using the original fairytale as a starting point, but didn’t force the story to conform to our preconceived notions about the tale.
The setting was also well done, taking place at the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, in a small town caught between new and old. We have the competing ideas of old folk legends and Christianity, new steam powered machines and old hand run mills, and a girl on the edge of womanhood. These ideas complement each other very well, completing the story and bringing it all together.
Read the rest of my review on Bookwyrm Chrysalis
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,652 reviews