The Sleeper and the Spindle by Neil Gaiman, illustrated by Chris Riddell is fantastic! It was part of my Christmas gift prom my husband and I absolutely love it. It is gorgeous and just flicking through it makes me happy.
I love Neil Gaiman’s writing and Chris Riddell is my favourite illustrator. They have perfect collaboration on creating something amazing. I already have their editions of The Graveyard Book and Coraline, but this book is a masterpiece of aesthetic pleasure. The cover has no writing on it, just a picture of the Sleeping Beauty, but the semi-transparent dust cover has the thorns and the credits on it. Unfortunately, I discovered that my pet ferret Loki poured a full glass of water on my dust cover and it got ruined. I tried to save it, but it will never be the same again. Nonetheless, the illustrations are made in just three colours – black, white and gold. Every detail, every wrinkle, every facial expression looks great. Pictures complement the writing in the best possible way.
I am a fan of Neil Gaiman and love the way he can tell a story. This book is his version of Snow White and Sleeping Beauty coming together in one story. It is not exactly like the we heard before. The story has a twist and a girl-kissing-girl moment (not conventional, but also not as naughty as you might think). Neil Gaiman is a great story teller and even though this book is only 68 pages short, he manages to put a lot of events, character and emotions in it. I find it a true quality mark of an excellent writer, as some can’t achieve this much even in 500 pages. Fairy tale is a hard genre for writers but Gaiman masters it gracefully.
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes beautiful art and fairy tales. It is a great gift and could be given to people who don’t have the patience to read long books. I rate it by 10 out of 10 as it made me very happy and I will definitely flick through it every time I move the books on my bookshelf.
Ella's Nest 