Briar Rose

Rating:
Summary: Fiction-Fact-Fairy Tail
Review: Jane Yolen's Briar Rose is an intriguing story of a woman who lived through a traumatic event during the Holocaust. When I first started reading this book, I was somewhat confused with the way the story bounced back and forth from the present, to a time in the past where as the grandmother (Gemma) was telling her own version of the fairy tale: "Sleeping Beauty." Gemma seemed infatuated with her version of "Sleeping Beauty" as it was the only story she told her grandchildren.
Every odd numbered chapter in this book was devoted to portions of Gemma telling her story, while the even numbered chapters reflected the present day lives of the family that surrounded Gemma. When Gemma died, the family realized that no one knew her real name or her history. As a deathbed promise to Gemma, Becca (one of the granddaughters), set out to find the story behind the mysterious grandmother.
In her search for the truth Becca found herself in Poland. She found an older (homosexual) gentleman whom knew her grandmother and told Becca about the holocaust and the part Gemma played in it. In reality Gemmas version of "Sleeping Beauty" was her own version of being put to sleep by the Nazis and re-awakened by a kiss (mouth to mouth resuscitation).
Jane Yolen splendidly intertwined fact, fiction, and fairy tale in this story. I did not read the back cover of this book until I had completed it. This story was so well written and descriptive, that one could almost visualize the events. Had I not read the back cover, I wouldn't have realized it was a fiction, but instead a traumatic experience uncovered. I would love to see this story as a movie!
I highly recommend this book to young and older adults!

Rating:
Summary: Holocaust Fairytale
Review: "Briar Rose" was a captivating fairytale that Becca and her sisters used to listen to their Gemma tell over and over again as little girls. Becca was completely in love with the story and loved the passion that her Gemma used to tell it with. She would have no idea that this fairytale would have such a impact on finding out who her Gemma really was.
This story incorporates such a vivid image of what life was like for the prisoners of the holocaust and yet adds an element of romance and imagination. "Briar Rose" had me anticipating the next page and the next spin in the plot. In reading this book it gave me a whole new perspective into fairytales and how they are incorporated into real everyday life.It also proves that sometimes fairytales do come true.

Rating:
Summary: Rose
Review: I thought this book was pretty good but not my favorite. I think it's more for teenagers although it does give a lot of info one The Warsaw Ghetto.

Rating:
Summary: An unexpected fairy tale
Review: I have read the fairy tale Sleeping Beauty but never like this. The story Briar Rose combines the fairy tale sleeping beauty with the worrifying story of the Holocaust. The grandmother in the story (Gemma), tells the story of sleeping beauty to her three grandchildren named Sylvia, Shanna, and Becca. When Gemma dies, Becca, youngest of the three, promises to her grandmother before she died that she would look for the sleeping beauty. Not really sure what her grandmother meant on her death bed, Becca goes in search of her grandmothers death in a camp in Poland. There Becca finds a man named Josef who tells Becca the story of her grandmothers trials and tribulations as a jewish person living back during the Holocaust. Becca realizes her roots and just what Gemma went through before she died. The author Jane Yolen did a great job twinning together such opposites. I learned a lot from this book and had a good time reading it. I would recommend this book to everyone.

Rating:
Summary: An emotional tale of survival.....
Review: I feel that this is a well written book and a very educational book for anyone to read. Being that I am a young man and wasn't alive during the times of the Second World War, I wasn't aware of all the ghastly details of the German concentration camps. While reading the book I was able to get an almost real world experience through the eyes of the characters in the concentration camps. I feel the book starts out kind of slow, being that I am not a romantic type, but the further into the book I got, the more interesting it became. Jane Yolen did a great job of putting an ironic twist to the tale told my Gemma in the story, it definitely isn't what I was expecting and it made the book that much more interesting to read. I would recommend this book be read by anyone ages 14 and up. This isn't an upbeat type of reading and it can be very sad in most parts, but if you are looking for an experience of the Holocaust and a tale of survival then this is the book for you. It truly is a great example of a human beings ability to make good of any bad situation.

Rating:
Summary: Review of Briar Rose
Review: The book, Briar Rose, by Jane Yolan is an excellent book that I would recommend to anyone that can read. The book keeps you interested from the beginning to the end. I was surprised of how good of a book it was. I gained a great love for the book and the main character Becca. Becca is so intrigued by the fairy tale that her grandmother as a child. When her grandmother dies and says she is the princess from the story, Becca is determined to find out the truth. Her passion to find out the truth of her grandmother leads her all the way to Poland where she meets Josef Potocki. As you read when Josef tells Becca the tragic story of his past and her grandmother's past, you will become wrapped up in the story. The pain that Josef feels, you will feel as you read. The ending isn't happily ever after like I thought it was going to be. Becca did find out the truth of her grandmother, but she also had to learn about the horror that her grandmother went through. The book Briar Rose is an excellent book that ties the great fairy tale, Sleeping Beauty, and the horror of the Holocaust into a great literary piece.

Rating:
Summary: Emotional Thrill Ride
Review: After finishing the last chapter only moments ago, I am taken back by a mixture of emotional stimuli as I sit and contemplate the novel. Saddness and despair are my intial feelings. Both of these conditions are triggered by my re-realization of the horrific conditions through which so many normal, innocent people suffered and perished. These sorrowful feelings are then followed by an overwhelming gratefulness and appreciation for the freedom, the sparing of such an experience, and way of life that my family, friends, government and the lord have provided. At the same time I also feel a sense satisfaction, completion or accomplishment. I feel almost relieved to find out the truth about Gemma's fairy tale past, as it is revealed by Josef, and the unimaginable events that lead her through the holocaust and over to Fort Oswego. I take pleasure in finally being able to connect the fairy tale of Sleeping Beauty to the real life situation surrounding Gemma's "resurrection" and her lifestory thereafter. In just a few moments of contempaltion and ponderment regarding the completion of this novel, I have experienced an emotional mixture equivalent to the ups and downs and loops of a rollercoaster. However, one cannot fully experience the emotional journey I have underwent until one completely indulges themself in the legend of Briar Rose.

Rating:
Summary: Wildly Realistic
Review: When beginning Jane Yolen's Briar Rose I was somewhat confused. I soon caught on to the pattern of the tale, and quickly fell in love. It is a fairy tale wrapped inside a novel. Throughout her childhood, Becca is mesmerized by her grandmother Gemma's story of Sleeping Beauty. As a young adult, Becca is still captivated by the tale. Just before her death, Gemma whispers to Becca that she is Briar Rose. With only a few photographs and papers in addition to a fairy tale to guide her, Becca works to uncover a mystery that surrounds her grandmother's life. Becca's journey takes her to Josef Potocki, a partisan in the war. It is through Josef that the tale of Briar Rose is revealed as the horror of the Holocaust. By alternating between the fairy tale and the story of a Becca's voyage, Jane Yolen keeps even adult readers craving more. I especially enjoy this book because of the way it is beautifully written and astonishingly realistic. Jane Yolen vividly describes every detail as if it actually occurred. Briar Rose tells of mystery, courage, and romance. Although this is not a fairy tale made for children, it certainly ends happily ever after.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent book
Review: The novel "Briar Rose" was one of the few novels I could not drop until I finished reading it. I must admit that it was a bit confusing when I was reading the first few chapters but as I kept reading I began to understan the plot. Yolen did a good job in using fairy tell to explain how horrible Holocaust was how it affected people . Though the novel is ment to entertain but I learned a lot from reading it than I had known.
There are many great characters in the novel but my best charater is Becca. When her grandmother died, she did everything (that most people her age will not do) possible to find out why her grandmother insisted that she was the real Briar Rose. Her only drive was simly to keep the promise she made to her grandmother on her deathbed. Everyone in her family did not care much about the secret behind the fairy tell but she took it upon her self to find out their "root"
My fevorite part the book was when Becca found out the entire story. What a great felling to know how her grama survived Chelmno and how she got married in the wood.
To make the book more complete and interesting, Stan and Becca got back together at the end of the book.

Rating:
Summary: Interesting twist on an old tale
Review: "Briar Rose" is not a book I would have generally chosen to read. Therefore, it was a shock to find myself completely wrapped up in the story. Jane Yolen puts an amazing twist on the old fairy tale "Sleeping Beauty." Becca, the main character, is enchanted by the classic story of Briar Rose or Sleeping Beauty - a tale she had heard so often as a child - told by her grandmother Gemma. As she becomes older she begins to realize that this story is much more significant than she thought as a child. When Gemma dies, Becca becomes devoted to unraveling the mystery of Briar Rose which she comes to realize is actually the story of her grandmother's life. What happens here is truly amazing. The story captivated me as Josef Potocki, a man from Gemma's past took me on a journey through the Holocaust - sharing his memories of such a horrifying time and giving the details of Gemma's past. The castles and princes I had envisioned of the fairy tale "Sleeping Beauty" from my past take on a totally different meaning in this story. Yolen does a terrific job of combining a classic fairy tale with the horrifying reality of the Holocaust. Even if this is not the type of book you would normally read, you may be as surprised as me to have enjoyed it so much!