The Merry Spinster

Shirley J.                Adult Fiction            New Spins on Old Tales with Fractured Endings    190 pgs

The Merry Spinster: Tales of Every Day Horrors by Mallory Ortberg

Oh my dears, these are not the tales as Disney would have told them, all these familiar classics have a little bite and venom to them.   From the little princess who goes 9ut in the woods to find her 6 brothers missing for many years with lots of story in that time to how when she is supposed to be living her happily ever after, her prince is not quite so charming and her enchanted brothers save her one day by pulling out a giant sized can of Whupass on the blaggart and his kingdome.   I especially liked the Merry spinster version of the Velveteen Rabbit when like Pinocchio once the rabbit's boy believes him to be real he becomes real and life blossoms from tragedy.    There are optional ending takes on Beauty and the Beast,  the Goose Girl, new twists on true love, ie. take the ring and vanish.  THe take on Mr. Toad's Wild Ride is more like going down the rabbit hole with Alice.turning into a when good friends go bad situation and they try to convince him he has lost his mind- Bad Friends!  Bad Friends!   A few different Mermaid stories, one with marriage, children, poison and kidnapping, there is a transgender tale of the Frog and the Princes that  has so many read between the lines moments and inuendos it almost rates a R rating and the Flounder and the Fisherman becomes a tale of no matter you just can't please some folks and end up sticking it to yourself by trying.   Very interesting spins on old tomes.   I think I would recommend this one to adults who have already been through a few jaded times in their lives and will appreciate where these stories are coming from.   All in all, I have to say I did like this book and the not entirely happy endings it delivers. 

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