A New York Times Bestseller!Fans of dark fairy-tales like The Hazel Wood and The Cruel Prince will relish this atmospheric and absorbing book based on Guillermo del Toro’s critically acclaimed movie.Oscar winning writer-director Guillermo del Toro and bestselling author Cornelia Funke have come together to transform del Toro’s hit movie Pan’s Labyrinth into an epic and dark fantasy novel for … Toro’s hit movie Pan’s Labyrinth into an epic and dark fantasy novel for readers of all ages, complete with haunting illustrations and enchanting short stories that flesh out the folklore of this fascinating world.
This spellbinding tale takes readers to a sinister, magical, and war-torn world filled with richly drawn characters like trickster fauns, murderous soldiers, child-eating monsters, courageous rebels, and a long-lost princess hoping to be reunited with her family.
A brilliant collaboration between masterful storytellers that’s not to be missed.
“Perfectly unsettling and deeply felt, this reminded me of the best kind of fairytales wherein each chapter is a jewel that, when held up to the light, reframes how we see the world around us.” —Roshani Chokshi, New York Times bestselling author of The Star-Touched Queen and Aru Shah and the End of Time
“A fearless and moving adaption of the film, and a gorgeously written, emotional, frightening parable about the courage of young women amid the brutality of war.” —Michael Grant, New York Times bestselling author of Gone
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Perfectly unsettling and deeply felt, this reminded me of the best kind of fairytales wherein each chapter is a jewel that, when held up to the light, reframes how we see the world around us.
A fearless and moving adaption of the film, and a gorgeously-written, emotional, frightening parable about the courage of young women amid the brutality of war.
A dark and beautiful fairy tale. The book adds backstory hidden in the movie, making the story even more tragic and inevitable — but oddly less emotional. Shifting points of view provide the internal life of almost every character but reveal nothing surprising or unexpected. Filled with symbols and archetypes, Pan’s Labyrinth is an atmospheric dream. Beautiful both inside and out (the dustcover’s art is different from the cover art – equally gorgeous & delightful).
loved the movie and love the book even more!
Pan’s Labyrinth is what one expects it to be a novelization of Guillermo Del Toro’s fantastic movie of the same name. Except there is so much more to it. Following Ofelia, the novel follows the same path as the film, with minor differences.
The vivid imagination here embodies Del Toro’s visual aesthetic beautifully. By translating his work into a novel, with the teamwork and style of Funke’s storytelling, there is a much needed in-depth analysis of the characters, giving them new dimensions, as well as providing their history and the respective narratives a stronger voice. The reader can understand the characters a little more and see them in a different light. Funke and Del Toro came together to provide each character and the story as a whole, with a haunting atmosphere that is both enigmatic and fearful at the same time. It is a wonderfully dangerous beauty what this novel is, capturing the pain, fear, and heartbreak in the film and translating it with such vivid wonder into the novel. By giving each character a voice in the scenes, together, the authors create a balanced and thoughtful representation of the story, highlighting the haunting illustration of the traits and insecurities behind each of the characters.
Del Toro and Funke also added more to the story that breaks up the overall plot and yet influences it so heavily. The small inserts of the magic and history of the novel. They are unique to the novel but have an incredible bearing on the smallest of elements of the film. It provides the novel with this powerful, vibrant intensity, highlighting the magical realism of the novel. The added illustrations also give the novel a feel of the fairy tale magic. They are done in style similar to those of Grimm Fairy Tales, and gives the story an eerie feeling to it, allowing the magic and mysticism to bleed off the pages.
This novel gives readers and fans a new appreciation of the film as a whole as it adds dimensions to the story as a whole.
This book is not for the faint of heart or weak in spirit. It’s not for skeptics who don’t believe in fairy tales and the powerful forces of good. It’s only for brave and intrepid souls like you, who will stare down evil in all its forms.
Inspired by the critically acclaimed film written and directed by Oscar winner Guillermo del Toro and reimagined by New York Times bestselling author Cornelia Funke, this haunting tale takes readers to a darkly magical and war-torn world filled with richly drawn characters like trickster fauns, murderous men, child-eating monsters, courageous rebels, and a long-lost princess hoping to be reunited with her family.- Goodreads
I didn’t know I needed this book until I saw that it was coming. This is my first arc approved through Edelweiss + and to say that I didn’t boot my kindle up the moment that I received that approval email would be a lie.
This books is almost exactly like the movie. However, there is a lot of context that isn’t in the movie. For instance, you find out more details about what happened for prior to Ofelia entering the picture. Also each task that Ofelia has to complete has a very specific story that is connected to the lost princess and her family.
I loved it and I loved it not because the movie is completely embedded in my heart but because this is a fairy tale in every aspect. Each word offers a lightness that even when you know (well that is if you saw the movie) what is about to happen, you don’t feel overwhelmed with heaviness. There is hope but also an unforgettable sadness that sticks with you throughout the book.
Each “side” story brings you closer to understanding the role of each character; because you already know about Ofelia, you are, for a lack of better term, living her story. What this book gives you is the details. What happened when Ofelia left the underground? How did those that love her deal? Was Ofelia the only Ofelia? These are questions that weren’t answered in the movie but was answered with more than what you initially thought you wanted in the book.
From beginning to end, I was sucked back into the story and although I have watched the movie so many times, it felt new and I credit that to add the additional stories and not making this book just a play by play of the movie.
I have every intention of purchasing the physical book when it releases in July.
5 Pickles