Title: Glass Coffin
Author: Caitlin R. Kiernan
In: Silver Birch, Blood Moon (Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Retellings
Pace: Slow
Format: eBook, Short story
Year: 1999

This was a very dark and twisty contemporary retelling of Snow White. Without the happy ending. Although, there was at least, the feeling of true love. In true Kiernan fashion, this was dark and twisted. But there was something ridiculously fun about that fact. Even while you were kind of sad at the turn of events.

I love that the seven dwarves are replaced by seven urchins (I’m sure there’s a better term for this, but that’s how it works in my head). With very few words, Kieran is able to show how each of them ended up here and what their burdens are. It also makes a weird sense how their decisions at the end of the story lead to such tragic outcomes.

There is violence and death in this story. Enough that it reminds you how kind of twisted the original Snow White is. But there’s this believability to this version which somehow makes it all darker and more twisted. Seriously enjoyable and a reminder of why I enjoy Kiernan’s writing so much.

Image source: Wikipedia