Coming to my recent read, More Unfairy Tales, I think Carthick has coined a new word - Unfairy. Well, whether it will be added to the Oxford dictionary or not, only time will tell. For now, he has brought out characters to the forefront, who are either the antagonists or the side characters.
If On a Winter's night:
The POV is of the dwarves. Those cute little things we tend to ignore in our narration of Snow White. Carthik has brought their irritation, their love, and their protective nature for Snow in his unique style.
Lost love's labors:
One of the best in this series as the feelings of the witch is taken into consideration. Why she turned the young prince into a beast has some exciting twists. The ending for a romance lover like me, was disappointing, especially after all the tribulations mentioned.
The Jungle Tale:
Again a unique perspective, though complicated. A tinge of sadness too. A little girl, unloved, is sent out to the woods to meet her grandmother. A wolf follows her journey, but he is not the main villain in the story. How the huntsman comes and helps out, and why does he help out, forms the base of the story.
Daughters and Lovers
The story of Rapunzel. The most positive story in the lot where I liked the ending. Especially after reading the rest, I loved the fighting spirit of the girl. Here a special mention must be made on the character sketch of the witch. Carthik gave her a heart - which seems to be missing even in the original take.
Shoes and Man is a portrayal of human greed, which is never-ending and unrealistic. Societal norms of having more than others are often a measurement of our happiness. Even the elves are left bewildered at the demands of the humans.
Coming to the character portrayal, I have to say that the author loves to experiment. Even in his first book, Unfairy tales, he had brought out many shades of the characters. While the first book is perfect for children and adults, I am a bit concerned about the way this book is written. Satire at its best, but a tinge of cynicism can't be overlooked.
Every character is well defined. All the stories run smoothly except The Jungle Tale. While stories like Daughters and Lovers and Lost love's Labour took me to another world, The Jungle Tale confused me. It was after putting away the book did I realize that there were a few missing dots. I couldn't connect the two wolves. On the other hand, when I met the witches in Lost Love's Labour and Daughters and Lover, I could relate to the witches. Tells a lot about me. :D
What makes Carthick apart from other writers is his ability to twist things, the foundation of which was laid a long time ago. You need to keep your focus on the stories, or you will never know where the twist is coming from. Great language with a considerable dose of imagination - Carthik I hope is on his way to write Many More Unfairy Tales.
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Top reviews from other countries
Vipasha
Every story has two sides this will portray the often ignored one .
Reviewed in India on September 28, 2019
Aparna
A enjoyable read with a new twist to old fables
Reviewed in India on September 22, 2019
Sundari Venkatraman
Hats off to the author’s vivid imagination
Reviewed in India on September 22, 2019
