Castle Waiting is a graphic novel by Linda Medley.
Plot: Lady Jain escapes her home; sentries have agreed to look the other way as she leaves. She has plenty of money and it soon becomes apparent that she is pregnant. She is going to the fabled "Castle Waiting," a "children's story" about a "mythical refuge." On her way, she encounters various people and creatures from fairy tales.
The good: the illustrations are black and white, in a wood-cut style. Many fairy and folk tales are included, and its fun to try to figure out all the references. It's a world where everyone is accepting of a talking pig; it's also a world that includes the Wizard of Oz books in its library.
Castle Waiting is sophisticated; it doesn't show or tell everything. There is a long wait to the mystery behind Jain's leaving her home, and even when you do find out, questions remain. This GN asks, "what happens after 'happily ever after,'" but it doesn't answer the question. It just takes you along the journey.
1 comment:
I liked this book too, and look forward to the next volume.
I think of it more as what happens before "once upon a time" than the happily ever after. But I guess it's both.
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