Erstwhile

Resource type: graphic novel

Cover (Biggs, Roy, Skinner, Grimm and Grimm, 2012)

How does a young naked woman, who has wrapped herself in a fishing net and tied herself to the back of a donkey, marry the prince and upset the social status of the lords and ladies of the kingdom?

This tale, along with seven more, is told in "Erstwhile": a collection of eight obscure Grimm Brother's fairytales retold in comic form. The book has been created by a group of three artists: Gina Biggs, Louisa Roy and Elle Skinner, who collaborate on web comics of the same name: Erstwhile: Untold tales from the Brothers Grimm.

The three main stories: "Maid Maleen", "The Farmer's Clever Daughter" and "All Fur", all follow the plot of the original fairytales, as documented by the Grimm Brothers, and don't always have a happy ending. There are gory deaths, haunting dead children, and plots to poison husbands. One story even includes a sausage that cooks a tasty stew for the household and seasons it by having a bath in it.

And while there is the stereotypical blonde-haired and blue-eyed beauty who marries the prince in one story, other characters come from different backgrounds and represent a broad spectrum of beauty, body types and romance.

If you are looking for a quick and fun read, with lighthearted stories that follow the well-known fairytale format of "young beautiful girl aims to marry the prince" - but with a twist, along with some interesting tales that value cleverness, diversity, old age AND youth, Erstwhile may be the book for you.