Trail of stones

A beautiful, slightly dark book that reinterprets the plots of well-known fairy tales, with authentic illustrations by Anthony Brown that rhythmically fit the poetry of Gwen Strauss. The characters familiar to us from childhood find themselves in a metaphorical dark forest, where they face their fears, experiencing moments of love, loneliness, shame, grief, jealousy or despair…

Strauss reveals the theme of metamorphosis in fairy tales in the form of twelve poetic monologues of famous fairy tale characters who find themselves in a situation of crisis and confrontation. The difficult topics they explore – shame, fear, jealousy, loneliness – are in tune with the eloquent black and white illustrations by Anthony Brown. The artist here does not empathize, but observes, dispassionately sketching the hidden fears and experiences of the heroes, exposing their souls.

We see Hansel and Gretel’s frozen father sitting under Munch’s painting and telling us how the pebbles he gave his son rattle in his dreams. Next door, Snow White’s Stepmother reflects in front of a cracked mirror, the Seventh Dwarf yearns with a portrait in her hands, and the Wolf remembers Little Red Riding Hood, mourning his little lie, which has settled like a heavy stone in his belly.

Strauss’s poetry shows familiar territory in a completely new light, revealing unexpected facets of familiar plots. And Brown – completely unusual, slightly grotesque, gloomy, even a little frightening – echoes the author with his extraordinary graphics.