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    The Sleeper and the Spindle
    The Sleeper and the Spindle
    The Sleeper and the Spindle
    Audiobook1 hour

    The Sleeper and the Spindle

    Written by Neil Gaiman

    Narrated by Julian Rhind-Tutt, Lara Pulver, Niamh Walsh and

    4/5

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    About this audiobook

    New York Times bestselling and Newbery and Carnegie Medal-winning author Neil Gaiman has created a thrillingly reimagined fairy tale, ""told in a way only Gaiman can"" (GeekInsider.com), that the Guardian calls ""a refreshing, much-needed twist on a classic story.""

    In this captivating and darkly funny tale, Neil Gaiman has twisted together the familiar and the new as well as the beautiful and the wicked to tell a brilliant version of Snow White's (sort of) and Sleeping Beauty's (almost) stories.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateSep 22, 2015
    ISBN9780062421432
    Author

    Neil Gaiman

    Neil Gaiman is the New York Times bestselling and multi-award winning author and creator of many beloved books, graphic novels, short stories, film, television and theatre for all ages. He is the recipient of the Newbery and Carnegie Medals, and many Hugo, Nebula, World Fantasy, and Will Eisner Awards. Neil has adapted many of his works to television series, including Good Omens (co-written with Terry Pratchett) and The Sandman. He is a Goodwill Ambassador for the UN Refugee Agency UNHCR and Professor in the Arts at Bard College. For a lot more about his work, please visit: https://www.neilgaiman.com/

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    Reviews for The Sleeper and the Spindle

    4/5

    82 ratings68 reviews

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    • 4/5
      I do so love dwarves. There aren’t enough stories about dwarves, but there ought to be. None of the three dwarves in this collection has a distinct personality, but that’s par for the course with dwarves; they act as one, for they live so long and are so connected with one another, and each connected to the earth through magic, that there are nigh always of a like mind. They surely have differences, but, like their names, they are reserved for their fellows. That concept comes through magnificently in this book.

      I listened to the audiobook as I read along the physical copy, and it was definitely the way to go. The cast was amazing and the music and ambiance was very atmospheric and enhanced the reading experience quite a bit. My only gripe is that the narrator never said who was talking; you get to know voices after a while, but it’s still not preferred. For that reason, I’m glad I read along with the physical copy because it does have dialogue markers.

      Spoilers beyond this section.

      The plot of this book was very much a fairytale, and it was very well-written. The plot twist was good an unexpected, and the ending was satisfying. The only gripe I have with this book was that it wasn’t queer. At all. The cover of the book and the actual kiss at the end would lead you to believe it is — and then the twist ruins it. As I said, the twist was good, but this was still pretty disappointing. Overall, this was a pretty good modern fairy tale!
    • 5/5
      What a great twist on a classic story! I love Gaiman's creepy story tellings. I also enjoy a princess/heroine who doesn't wait for the prince to save people but goes out and saves people herself!
    • 3/5
      I picked this up in the library on a whim. It was an enjoyable re-imagining of Sleeping Beauty. The characters were well done and the new twists were clever. The drawing were interesting, a very cool style.
    • 5/5
      Different, clever and subtle - I absolutely loved this. A thoughtful re-imagining of Sleeping Beauty accompanied by beautiful illustrations. Fantastic!
    • 3/5
      One can tell that this is a Neil Gaiman creation, but it lacks the level of detail that usually involves. That probably comes from its genesis as part of a larger collection. As a stand-alone it would have benefited from a reworking and expanded text. Nonetheless it is a quality product.
    • 3/5
      Ugh. Yet another re-telling of an over-told fairy tale that adds absolutely nothing intriguing. Snooze.
    • 4/5
      Echoing a lot of reviewers here, this is a 2.75-3 for the writing and a 5 for the illustrations. Was hoping for more here, but the edition is so lovely to hold and read that it ends up around a 4.
    • 4/5
      Fun quirky quick little typical Neil Gaiman read. A sort of a sequel to the story of Snow White or Sleeping Beauty without calling it that. Beautiful illustrations throughout the book.
    • 4/5
      Fairytale fans will enjoy this Sleeping Beauty/Snow White mashup that brings to mind the original tales but with plenty of new material to make this story innovative and fresh. Chris Riddell's illustrations are just gorgeous and add so much to this beautifully rendered book. His artwork perfectly balances the sweet and sinister side of this enchanted tale.

      Helpful dwarves notwithstanding, I enjoyed this very feminist version without a prince in sight--except off pouting when his wedding to the queen is postponed!
    • 4/5
      This is a retelling of a fairy tale (could you tell from the title?) that could be entirely familiar... but of course, with Neil Gaiman it has a new twist on it.I can't really say more without giving away the story. I often enjoy reading Neil Gaiman's stories because he always starts out with such an interesting premise and spin on storytelling, but he can be a little hit or miss for me in how I react to how everything plays out. I feel like in some ways his short stories are stronger, and this was a great example of that. The illustrations by Chris Riddell are fantastic, atmospheric, and dark; the story wouldn't be the same without them.
    • 4/5
      A beautifully told and gorgeously illustrated fairy-tale mashup of Snow White (after her story) and Sleeping Beauty (in a somewhat sideways version of hers). A new-to-me take though not unpredictable.[Spoilers: The very ending leaves me a bit dissatisfied. She wasn't happy with her life, sure, but she recognised her responsibilities, and it's really unclear why those responsibilities would stop figuring in the equation. Simply a matter of momentum?]
    • 4/5
      The Sleeper and the Spindle is a gorgeous book: the illustrations are all in black and gold, and there are some really beautiful pages. Riddell was just the right illustrator to bring the story to life, I think. The copy I have is really great: the dust cover is transparent, with the pattern of roses on it; the cover of the book itself is the sleeping woman.

      If you know Neil Gaiman's work, the rest of this is perhaps not surprising. It takes both Snow White and Sleeping Beauty, and puts them in a unified world that is a little darker, a little different, a little more mature than the sanitised stories we see so much of now. This ain't Disney. It's still a fairytale, but it's something different, too -- something a little bit creepy, even.

      The LGBT representation that I have seen this book being lauded for is... not exactly. There's one kiss which appears to be so if you see the illustration on its own -- and it's a gorgeous illustration -- but it doesn't mean what it seems to mean, in context. Which is a little bit of a cop-out, really, since there's excitement around this book on the back of it.

      But really, romance isn't at the heart of this fairytale. A search for autonomy is really what's going on; a shrugging away from the familiar fairytale 'happy ever after'.
    • 4/5
      As it says in the summary, this was a fairy tale reimagining that weaved together the stories of Snow White and Sleeping Beauty. The illustrations in this book were fantastic. They were done in black and white with some added spots of metallic gold ink. The character based on Snow White was a definitely a strong queen who has no doubts about running off to rescue the princess in distress in the neighboring sleeping kingdom. I loved how it portrayed that women don’t need men to get them out of tricky situations. We are equally as capable. I really enjoyed this quick read.
    • 5/5
      Only an inventive and astute mind can create a new fairytale out of two very much loved fairytales; combined with a magical artisan, the story is sure to take on a life all on its own...THE SLEEPER AND THE SPINDLE is an enchanting retelling of both Snow White and Sleeping Beauty. The author took the most memorable, pivotal and historical parts of each story and weaved a new one full of magic, wonder and intriguing new characters.Our Snow White is a warrior who is being forced to marry in order to keep her Queen status. However, news of a curse gone awry forces the Queen to skip her nuptials and go on a long journey to find what the curse is and how to stop it. Flanked by some not-so-merry men, the Queen encounters zombie-like obstacles before making a few discoveries and reaching her destination. There, she finds an elderly woman with a tragic tale. And a Sleeping Beauty who is full of cunning surprises and shocking revelations.And in the end, the Queen makes the most startling choices... and will she go back to her kingdom and remain their queen?Neil Gaiman does not disappoint, he continues to enchant me with his creepy style and unsettling twists. Chris Riddell's illustrations only enhances the eeriness and heightened my imagination, bringing the characters to life in a way that made me stare at the pictures to be sure that they weren't real, or moving... I wish to say more, but I fear two things: one, it may be spoilery; and two, that those things will come to haunt me in my sleep.As you can see by the book's stunning cover, the illustrations are fascinating and, like I mentioned, they will capture your attention and you will have a hard time looking away. You will be forced to stare and study them, they are gorgeous, it will be hard to look away.THE SLEEPER AND THE SPINDLE is simply beautiful - swift, grim and mesmerizing. Both the author and the illustrator will leave you in a stupor wanting more. I highly recommend this not only to those who are enthralled with fairytales, but for those who are looking for something different to escape into for a little while... unless you find yourself enchanted by their spell.You have been warned.
    • 4/5
      A very interesting reimagining of two classic tales: Sleeping Beauty and Snow White. It ties together the obvious similarities of the two tales seamlessly and is well done, though the climax is rather short and uneventful. Overall, it was an engaging and intriguing short story that I really enjoyed. The illustrations by Chris Riddell are very well done and integrated with the text very well.
    • 4/5
      What a clever retelling of a classic story! Two thumbs up. :)
    • 5/5
      Gaiman does a fairy-tale retelling and the illustrations are amazing. A perfect combo.
    • 4/5
      I listened to the dramatized version of this short story. I loved the interaction of two famous fairy tale princesses. Mr. Gaiman turns the audience expectations on their head - the villain of the piece is not who you would expect.
    • 5/5
      Neilgaiman has crafted shear perfection and Riddel illustrated it life. This short story is a fairytale reimagining where the princess is a queen and is the savior and none of the characters are what you expect them to be. It is left up to the reader to determine who is who as titles are the only names used. The queen, once a sleeper herself is to be married but she is not excited. But a sleeping sickness is spreading across her land, and she has been told the only way to stop it is to wake the princess in the neighboring kingdom. This is a job for a Queen, not a knight, and one that will surprise the reader not just for who everyone turns out to be, but for the happy ending that goes against all other fairy tales.#LitsyAtoZYA#PopSugar#beatthebacklist
    • 3/5
      A large illustrated story that's a mash-up between Snow White, Sleepy Beauty and maybe The Hobbit.A young queen, who is very unhappy about her impending marriage, jumps at the chance to join three dwarves in seeking the source of a spell that has put a whole kingdom to sleep for 80 years.I thought that I pretty much kept up with Gaiman's doings, but I'd never heard of this book before.
    • 5/5
      The retelling is clever and funny and the art is engaging and a little old-fashioned feeling, but in a good way. Loved it.

      Library copy
    • 2/5
      SPOILERS!!!!!I had the same problem with this book that I have with every Gaiman book I've read: it's more a series of scenes with intricate details with almost no linking transitions, which makes for an unbalanced book. The idea behind the book: Snow White is a queen who rescues Sleeping Beauty and then turns her back on her destiny of marriage and ruling a kingdom to go adventuring with her three dwarfish companions.
    • 5/5
      This book is absolutely beautiful. The story, the illustrations, all of it is gorgeous. I have seen this book around the blog-o-sphere in its pre-release from, really just as an unbound stack of papers and even then it looked amazing. My library just acquired it and I was happy to finally see it and hold it in person.

      Gaiman does a wonderful job interweaving the two classic tales of Snow White and Sleeping Beauty with a dark twist and it made for a wonderful story. Adding to that was the spectacular art throughout. I really loved the illustrations and they really added to the tale.

      I very much enjoyed this dark and creative twist on the classics. I highly recommend for those that like illustrated books as well as those who enjoy fairy tale retellings.
    • 4/5
      Summary: Three dwarves, on their way to the queen's wedding, discover that there's a plague spreading throughout the land - a plague of sleeping, rumored to be spreading from an enchanted castle in a neighboring kingdom. The Queen, realizing the danger to her own people, and being a survivor of an enchanted sleep herself, puts the wedding plans on hold and heads out with the dwarves towards the enchanted castle, and the sleeper waiting within. But what they find is not quite what they had expected…Review: Oh, we know I'm a sucker for fairy tale retellings, and so if you toss two of them in together, and provide a good twist at the end, and couch it in this strong of a "princesses saving themselves!" vibe, of course I'm going to love it. (Seriously, the Queen's fiancé, the Prince, is in this so briefly and doesn't get any lines of his own and the Queen "chucked him beneath his pretty chin and kissed him until he smiled" and I grinned so broadly my face hurt.) The story is exactly the right length; long enough to develop some interesting threads but short enough that it moves along at a good clip (although maybe it was a smidgen too short; I was never really clear on why the castle had been cursed for 70 years but the sleeping sickness had only now started to spread). The writing style is… very Gaiman-ish, is the best way I can describe it. It's also fairly dark - not inappropriate for children dark, although there is a definite whiff of zombie-like horror when the sleeping townspeople start coming after the Queen and the dwarves. But it's dark in the way that most fairy tales are dark - and in ways that will make you re-evaluate your favorite fairy tales, to see if everything really is what it seems to be. I've now encountered this story in three forms - first in the audio version, then in print as part of the collection Trigger Warning, and then as a standalone storybook illustrated by Chris Riddell that I got from the library. The audio is a full-cast audio, with background production noises (glasses clinking in the taproom of an inn, zombie sleepwalkers shuffling up a flight of stairs, etc.) The storybook is filled with gorgeous black and white illustration with touches of metallic gold picked out here and there. They both add something to the bare-bones text version of the story. Full-cast audiobooks are a tricky sell for me, although I've certainly liked them in the past, but in this case, while the full-cast-ness of it was fine, I found the production noises mostly distracting rather than atmospheric (as was also the case in in Swordspoint). The illustrated version is absolutely lovely, the drawings beautiful and slightly dark but often with a bit of a sense of humor, perfectly in keeping with the tone of the story. 3.5 out of 5 stars for the audio, 4 out of 5 for the storybook.Recommendation: Good for fairy tale fans of (almost) all ages - probably not for the wee littles, but anyone who can handle the length should be fine with the content of the story.
    • 5/5
      A remarkable re-spun tale! Beautiful, inspiring! Exquisitely illustrated! I can't wait to read this to my little ones when I do decide to bring them into the world.

      Neil, this is why you are my hero.
    • 4/5
      This is a retelling; a dark, twisted take on "Sleeping Beauty," and , as we slowly learn, "Snow White." Not a damsel in distress to be found, all the princes are off being heroes somewhere else, and there are even zombies. The illustrations are fabulous. I enjoyed this illustrated book very much indeed. Recommended for people who like fairy tale retellings, people who like fairy tales with kickass females, and people who appreciate illustrated books. Some readers were disappointed that 1) there wasn't much character development. Hello! It's a fairy tale -- flat characters are one of the hallmarks. That's sort of like faulting Charles Dickens for his lack of car chases. And 2) some readers are upset that this isn't a lesbian retelling, which they expected because of one of the pictures int he book. Sometimes a kiss is just a kiss.
    • 2/5
      Not what I expected. Too short to get a feel for what was really happening or to gain a feeling for the characters. Also kind of creepy!
    • 5/5
      A great short story enhanced with Dore-esque art.
    • 5/5
      The story itself is 4 stars. But the audiobook is 5 stars. I wish every audiobook was like this. It adds so much to the story!
    • 5/5
      You could say that Neil Gaiman has twisted the story of the Sleeping Beauty and wrested this dark little tale out of it. But that's not quite the truth. It's more as if, with the expert assistance of Chris Riddell, he has given it a good shake and caught what came out. The Sleeper and The Spindle is surprising - Gaiman has managed to look through the cobwebs that gather on well-known folk tales and find the real story. In fairy tales, witches delude themselves that they are beautiful, and youth is innocent and lovely, but look deeper, and it's all a bit more complicated. It's not for me to tell you what he saw, but as usual, Gaiman has found the 'deeper magic', and it's curious and very satisfying.