Frost, Gregory. Fitcher's brides; the tale of Bluebeard, re-envisioned as a dark fable of faith and truth.(The Fairy Tale fairy tale Simple narrative typically of folk origin dealing with supernatural beings. Fairy tales may be written or told for the amusement of children or may have a more sophisticated narrative containing supernatural or obviously improbable events, scenes, and personages Series). Tor. 398p. c2002. 0-765-30195-4. $15.95. SA * Frost retells a variant of "Bluebeard Bluebeard, nickname of the chevalier Raoul in a story by Charles Perrault. In the story Bluebeard's seventh wife, Fatima, yielding to curiosity, opens a locked door and discovers the slain bodies of her predecessors. " in this entry in Terri Windling's Fairy Tale Series. Transplanting the tale from its European roots, Frost sets it just north of the Finger Lakes Finger Lakes, group of 11 narrow glacial lakes in north to south valleys, W central N.Y. Cayuga and Seneca lakes, both more than 35 mi (56 km) long, are the largest and deepest. Keuka Lake is the center of the area's wine industry, the largest in New York. in central New York Central New York is a term used to broadly describe the central region of New York State, roughly including the following counties and cities: Cayuga County – Auburn Cortland County – Cortland Madison County – Oneida in 1843. Vernelia, Amy and Catherine (Kate) Carter arrive in the town of Jeckyll's Glen with their father and stepmother, both followers of the preacher Elias Fitcher. They believe Fitcher's prophecy that the world will come to end in 1843, and that only those who belong to his community called Harbinger will be spared. Mr. Carter is especially honored when Fitcher, declaring that he wishes to enter into Eternity as a married man, chooses Vernelia For a bride. But there's more to Fitcher and his community beneath the surface as Vernelia and subsequently her sisters are to learn. Frost builds his tale in carefully crafted layers, taking the time to find just the right details to create his convincing narrative. He slowly heightens the tension to an almost unbearable pitch; it is all one can do not to turn to the end to see what happens. The sisters are especially well developed characters with distinct personalities; still, as in any Family, they also mesh together in a family bond. Fitcher is dashing, larger than life larg·er than life adj. Very impressive or imposing: "This is a person of surpassing integrity; a man of the utmost sincerity; somewhat larger than life" Joyce Carol Oates. yet not without subtleties so that he both lures and lulls his brides to their doom. Not only will this title appeal to fans of the series, but also horror fans will appreciate the dark fantasy For the fantasy subgenre, see Dark fantasy Dark Fantasy was an American old-time radio show featuring horror and suspense stories. It had a short run of 31 episodes, debuting on November 14, 1941 and ending on June 19, 1942. elements. Donna Scanlon, Children's Libn., County Lib., Lancaster, PA |
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