Saturday, April 16, 2011

Little Red Riding Hood by The Brothers Grimm and Daniel Egneus

I have to say that this is one of the most gorgeous books I have ever seen. I've always loved the story of Little Red Riding Hood and the imagery associated with it. Though I do have some major problems with how the story portrays women, I have to admit. Poor helpless girl goes trolloping through the woods and is fooled by a wolf, mistaking him for her grandmother and then they both get eaten only to be cut out of the wolf's stomach by the manly huntsman. Not cool brothers Grimm. And I don't excuse it because of it's time...women should never have been looked at that way. What I do love is how the imagery of Little Red Riding Hood has changed over the years and how it's now becoming a symbol of feminism. Where the woman takes control. I have a tshirt that I absolutely love of little red riding hood pulling a gun out of her picnic basket and wearing the wolf's hide as a frock. It's always refreshing to see things start to come around...though I know that our society still has a long way to go. This volume of Little Red Riding Hood just took my breath away with every page turn. The art is so amazing and I'm upset that I haven't been familiar with Daniel Egneus for longer. I bought this book from Barnes and Noble solely on the cover alone (and Heather's recommendation) and refused to look at the inside of it until I got home to read it. I wanted it all to be a surprise. And what a gorgeous surprise it is. The text comes directly from The Brothers Grimm so the story has not changed and the unfortunate events of the tale are all still there. But the imagery is gorgeous and paints the women in a beautiful, strong light. I really enjoyed that. Have a look for yourself...and enjoy.

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