The Magic Circle

Rating:
Summary: Well Written but Badly Researched
Review: Although I enjoyed reading this book for its twist on the folktale of "Hansel and Gretel" I couldn't quite stomach Ms. Napoli's misuse of vocabulary. In this book the Ugly One begins as a midwife and then becomes a healer of all types of sickness&pain. Napoli uses the term "sorceress" to define the character at this point in the story, yet later when "Ugly One" is tricked by demons into being in their power she is called a "witch." In the ancient times, as well as currently, a Witch was a healer- not a demonic figure. The term "sorceress" was used for those who delved in the black arts and summoned demons (or were summoned by them as in Napoli's book). I enjoyed the dark imagery that Donna Jo Napoli used to evoke her scenes and the attention she paid to details. I think it is her attention to detail in all other aspects of this book which make her misusage of terminology so disturbing to me.

Rating:
Summary: No children eaten here!
Review: Donna Jo Napoli writes tasty little morsels derived from myths, legends and fairy tales. Here the Grimm's HANSEL AND GRETEL provides her a magical springboard for a short, but pithy essay on the extraordinary strife the human spirit will endure for the sake of doing what's right. The witch here is not inherently evil, but is herself a victim of simple ignorance and substantial bad advice. As mentioned elsewhere, this reviewer always enjoys new and imaginative explanations for all those fairy tale elements which are as familiar as gingerbread houses and wicked stepmothers, but never are quite entirely elucidated in the classic tales. Napoli's take on the candy house, while entirely logical and appropriate for the story, is nevertheless a bit bizarre and unsettling, descriptors most apt for this short novel. As another reader said, you'll never again see this tale in quite the same manner. Napoli is generally considered a young adult author; this reviewer is not so certain that this would be much help for those average "troubled teen readers." Still, Napoli's style is like a thread-dense Egyptian cotton bedsheet for smoothness and comfort, even if, again like those bedclothes, it feels a bit chilly to the touch.

Rating:
Summary: No children eaten here!
Review: Donna Jo Napoli writes tasty little morsels derived from myths, legends and fairy tales. Here the Grimm's HANSEL AND GRETEL provides her a magical springboard for a short, but pithy essay on the extraordinary strife the human spirit will endure for the sake of doing what's right. The witch here is not inherently evil, but is herself a victim of simple ignorance and substantial bad advice. As mentioned elsewhere, this reviewer always enjoys new and imaginative explanations for all those fairy tale elements which are as familiar as gingerbread houses and wicked stepmothers, but never are quite entirely elucidated in the classic tales. Napoli's take on the candy house, while entirely logical and appropriate for the story, is nevertheless a bit bizarre and unsettling, descriptors most apt for this short novel. As another reader said, you'll never again see this tale in quite the same manner. Napoli is generally considered a young adult author; this reviewer is not so certain that this would be much help for those average "troubled teen readers." Still, Napoli's style is like a thread-dense Egyptian cotton bedsheet for smoothness and comfort, even if, again like those bedclothes, it feels a bit chilly to the touch.

Rating:
Summary: magic retelling
Review: Fans of retold fairy tales, such as those by Angela Carter and Tanith Lee, should order this book immediately. It's marketed as a children's book; whether it's entirely appropriate for that age level, parents will have to decide for themselves, but I can definitely say from one adult to another that this book isn't just for children. It's the Hansel and Gretel story from the witch's point of view. The story of how she came to be a witch is moving and satisfying. Ironically, I had just previously read Max Luthi's EUROPEAN FOLKTALE, which argues that part of the power of fairy tales is the one-dimensionality of the characters. Napoli adds dimensions to the witch, and it only enriches the character and the story.

Rating:
Summary: Better than most of napoli's books.
Review: I'm a devoted fan of fairy tales, and this one does not disappoint me. It has a deep, intriguing story line, undeparted from the original plot, polished with simple, yet powerful, prose. I am quite certain that everyone is familiar with the story of Hansel, Gretal, and their visit to the candy cottage. In this amazing retelling, we are priviledged to see the tale from the *witch*'s side, and the torment she suffered through. It is extremely phsycological, yet is not overbearing. The Ugly One, otherwise known as the Witch, is a kind, God-fearing midwife in a small village in medieval Europe. Through her innocence and good heart, she is slowly, unwillingly, lead down a dark path, where she is finally under the power of demons. Yet through it all, her good heart manages to keep her out of trouble. She hides from human contact, fearing the demon presence would become too powerful. That is, until two children become lost in her woods. This is a finely crafted novel about a poor soul who is tortured, and I shall never be able to look at "Hansel and Gretal" the same way ever again. It is beautiful, delightfully creepy, and sprinkled with symbolism. Napoli, as stated at the beginning of the book, researched medieval European culture, spirituality, and superstition before writing this book. While I really wouldn't recommend this for children, it is deeply satisfying for anyone else.

Rating:
Summary: A dark, psychological take on a classic tale
Review: I'm a devoted fan of fairy tales, and this one does not disappoint me. It has a deep, intriguing story line, undeparted from the original plot, polished with simple, yet powerful, prose. I am quite certain that everyone is familiar with the story of Hansel, Gretal, and their visit to the candy cottage. In this amazing retelling, we are priviledged to see the tale from the *witch*'s side, and the torment she suffered through. It is extremely phsycological, yet is not overbearing. The Ugly One, otherwise known as the Witch, is a kind, God-fearing midwife in a small village in medieval Europe. Through her innocence and good heart, she is slowly, unwillingly, lead down a dark path, where she is finally under the power of demons. Yet through it all, her good heart manages to keep her out of trouble. She hides from human contact, fearing the demon presence would become too powerful. That is, until two children become lost in her woods. This is a finely crafted novel about a poor soul who is tortured, and I shall never be able to look at "Hansel and Gretal" the same way ever again. It is beautiful, delightfully creepy, and sprinkled with symbolism. Napoli, as stated at the beginning of the book, researched medieval European culture, spirituality, and superstition before writing this book. While I really wouldn't recommend this for children, it is deeply satisfying for anyone else.

Rating:
Summary: Not my favorite by Napoli...
Review: Knowing that it was Napoli's take on the Hansel and Gretel fairy tale I was really excited to read this book. And, don't get me wrong, "The Magic Circle" started off great. Napoli is an amazingly talented author, however, I couldn't help but feel that "The Magic Circle" was lacking towards the end of the book. As soon as Hansel and Gretel were introduced into the book, I felt that Napoli was in a rush all the way to the ending. I did not really get a good insight into the caracters of Hansel and Gretel and their relationship with the Witch. In the end, I was just disappointed that a book that started off so amazing could be such a let down. I have not read all of Napoli's books yet, and the neutral feeling for "The Magic Circle" will not prevent me from doing so. However, I prefer "Crazy Jack" over this particular Napoli work.

Rating:
Summary: Not my favorite by Napoli...
Review: Knowing that it was Napoli's take on the Hansel and Gretel fairy tale I was really excited to read this book. And, don't get me wrong, "The Magic Circle" started off great. Napoli is an amazingly talented author, however, I couldn't help but feel that "The Magic Circle" was lacking towards the end of the book. As soon as Hansel and Gretel were introduced into the book, I felt that Napoli was in a rush all the way to the ending. I did not really get a good insight into the caracters of Hansel and Gretel and their relationship with the Witch. In the end, I was just disappointed that a book that started off so amazing could be such a let down. I have not read all of Napoli's books yet, and the neutral feeling for "The Magic Circle" will not prevent me from doing so. However, I prefer "Crazy Jack" over this particular Napoli work.

Rating:
Summary: You'll never look at "Hansel and Gretel" the same way again.
Review: Now, every time I read another version of this story (Hansel and Gretel), I think "No! That's wrong! It wasn't like that!" You might be a little surprised at the fact that devils and demons and hell are all accepted as true in this story, but you have to realize that it is a story based on the beliefs of the time. Although it is very short in length, it is only appropriate for ages 13 and up. (I was 13 when I first read it and am now 15.) This is on my list of my favorite books of all time. It is simply INCREDIBLE. Read it!

Rating:
Summary: A work of great strenght and powerful emotion!
Review: The Magic Circle, written by Donna Jo Napoli is a book filled with beauty and terror, and a sense of compassion. This is a story of a poor midwife in a midevil times, how is convinced by her neighbor, bala, to become a healer. It is a sort of twist off of the folktale "Hansel and Gretel ". Just like many other of the finest horror novels, this chilling tales looks at another side of the well-known story of two children and a candy house. Although I liked her great attention to detail and discription describing the physical features of the characters in the book. In the story a good healer is turned bad, because of greed and trickery by the devils. She then runs off to a fairytail forest where she lives alone as a witch. After 9 years suddenly two children show up unexpectedly. Despite all of her efforts the devils still seem to find out they are living with her. All in all i think this book was good and worth reading.