Snow, Glass, Apples

Last updated

"Snow, Glass, Apples" is a 1994 short story written by Neil Gaiman. It was originally released as a benefit book for the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund and was reprinted in the anthology Love in Vein II, edited by Poppy Z. Brite. [1] It is a retelling of the Brothers Grimm fairy tale Snow White, but from her stepmother's point of view.

Contents

Plot

The short story begins with a magical woman telling the reader that had she been wise, she would have killed herself instead of meeting her husband and stepdaughter, who killed her own mother during childbirth.

Eight years prior, the narrator meets the widowed king of the land after sixteen years of dreaming of their first encounter. The king and the narrator fall in love, with him visiting her regularly until he takes her to his palace and marries her. The king has a six-year-old white-skinned, black-haired, and red-lipped daughter the queen becomes stepmother to. The queen, however, is scared of her husband's child, who never dines with them.

One night in winter, the queen is sewing in her chambers when the princess enters asking for some food. The queen gives the princess an apple, observing her bite into the fruit with unusually sharp teeth. Briefly losing her fear, the queen caresses the princess's cheek with her right hand, only for the child to bite into her stepmother's thumb and drink the blood. The queen is horrified by her stepdaughter's actions, and when the girl has finished, her stepmother's wound instantly heals and scars. Fearing for her life, the queen has the blacksmith forge iron bars for her windows and nightly locks herself in her chambers.

As time passes, the king himself also falls prey to his own daughter. Every night, the princess bites her father and drinks his blood, leaving his entire body covered in scars similar to his wife's. The king eventually succumbs to his daughter's vampirism, leaving his widow to rule the kingdom as queen. After her husband's funeral and her own coronation, the queen has her huntsmen take the princess to the forest and cut out her heart, which continues to beat even days after being removed. The queen ties her stepdaughter's heart with rowan berries and garlic bulbs before hanging it in her private chambers and having the iron bars removed from her windows.

For six years, the queen's reign over her kingdom is mostly peaceful, with the people respecting her authority and looking forward to the annual spring fair. With each succeeding spring fair, however, a number of travelers and merchants disappear, depriving the people of their livelihood and driving them into poverty. To solve the mystery, the queen looks into her mirror and sees the culprit: the undead princess killing a pedophilic monk before feasting on his blood. To save the kingdom from her monstrous stepdaughter, the queen uses magic and her own blood to create three enchanted apples which she brings to the princess, who has been living in a cave with dwarfs.

The queen flees but knows that the princess has eaten one of the apples when the girl's heart finally stops beating. Come the next spring fair, the people are able to trade in business again. Although the queen is displeased to see the dwarfs buying pieces of glass, she does not respond due to her stepdaughter's heart being silent, thus ensuring the safety of the kingdom.

Two years after poisoning her stepdaughter, the queen is visited by a prince and she plans to marry him and unite their kingdoms. However, the queen is unable to sexually satisfy the prince, who is clearly a necrophiliac, and he leaves. On his way home, he encounters the princess's corpse encased in glass and being guarded by the dwarfs. Indulging his necrophilia, the prince rapes the princess and unwittingly dislodges the piece of apple stuck in her throat, resurrecting her.

Back in her chambers, the queen awakes to her scarred right thumb aching and to blood dripping from her stepdaughter's heart which has begun to beat again. The prince and the princess barge into the queen's chambers and have her arrested on the charge of witchcraft. The princess then reinserts her heart into her chest, and she and the prince announce their plans to marry and unite the kingdoms.

The prince and the princess have the queen imprisoned throughout the autumn, turning the people against her by vilifying her with lies that would morph into the famous fairy tale of Snow White.

Come midwinter, the prince and the princess have their wedding, the queen is incinerated in a kiln, and the story is revealed to be her final thoughts as she begins to burn to death.

Publication

Snow, Glass, Apples was written in 1994, and was first published by Dreamhaven Press as benefit book for the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. [2] It was included in Gaiman's short story collection Smoke and Mirrors (1998).

The story was adapted by the author into an audio drama, which was produced by Seeing Ear Theatre in 2001, starring Bebe Neuwirth. This was the second of two collaborations between Gaiman and Seeing Ear Theatre, following Murder Mysteries , and the two adaptations have been released together on CD under the title Two Plays for Voices . In 2012 it was adapted into a play by the Edinburgh University Theatre Company. [3]

In 2019 it was adapted by Colleen Doran into a graphic novel published by Dark Horse Comics. [4] The adaptation won the 2020 Eisner Award for Best Adaptation from Another Medium. [5] [6] The Horror Writers Association also presented the "Snow, Glass, Apples" graphic novel with the Bram Stoker Superior Achievement in a Graphic Novel Award. [7]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Snow White</span> German fairy tale

"Snow White" is a German fairy tale, first written down in the early 19th century. The Brothers Grimm published it in 1812 in the first edition of their collection Grimms' Fairy Tales, numbered as Tale 53. The original German title was Sneewittchen; the modern spelling is Schneewittchen. The Grimms completed their final revision of the story in 1854, which can be found in the 1857 version of Grimms' Fairy Tales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colleen Doran</span> American writer-artist and cartoonist

Colleen Doran is an American writer-artist and cartoonist. She illustrated hundreds of comics, graphic novels, books and magazines, including the autobiographical graphic novel of Marvel Comics editor and writer Stan Lee entitled Amazing Fantastic Incredible Stan Lee, which became a New York Times bestseller. She adapted and did the art for the short story "Troll Bridge" by Neil Gaiman, which also became a New York Times bestseller. Her books have received Eisner, Harvey, Bram Stoker, Locus, and International Horror Guild Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Evil Queen</span> Character in Snow White fairy tale by Brothers Grimm

The Evil Queen, also called the Wicked Queen or the Queen, is a fictional character and the main antagonist of "Snow White," a German fairy tale recorded by the Brothers Grimm; similar stories exist worldwide. Other versions of the Queen appear in subsequent adaptations and continuations of the fairy tale, including novels and films. One particularly notable version is Disney's depiction, sometimes known as Queen Grimhilde. The character has also become an archetype that inspired unrelated works.

<i>The 10th Kingdom</i> American fantasy television miniseries

The 10th Kingdom is an American fairytale fantasy miniseries written by Simon Moore and produced by Britain's Carnival Films, Germany's Babelsberg Film und Fernsehen, and the US's Hallmark Entertainment. It depicts the adventures of a young woman and her father after they are transported from New York City, through a magical mirror, into a parallel world of fairy tales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Tale of the Dead Princess and the Seven Knights</span> 1833 fairy tale poem by Pushkin

The Tale of the Dead Princess and the Seven Knights is an 1833 poem by Aleksandr Pushkin telling a fairy tale of Prince Yelisei's search for his love, the Tsarevna (princess), who has been cast out by her stepmother.

The Charmings is an American fantasy sitcom that follows Snow White and Prince Charming, awakened from a thousand-year spell, as they adjust from their familiar life in the enchanted forest to the modern ways of 20th century Los Angeles suburbs. The series originally aired from March 20, 1987, to February 11, 1988, on ABC.

<i>The Legend of Snow White</i>

The Legend of Snow White is an Italian-Japanese anime series produced by Tatsunoko Productions and Mondo TV based on the 1812 European fairy tale. Directed by Kunitoshi Okajima, the series premiered on NHK on 6 April 1994 and ran for 52 episodes until its conclusion on 29 March 1995.

<i>Snow White: The Fairest of Them All</i> 2001 film directed by Caroline Thompson

Snow White: The Fairest of Them All is a 2001 fantasy adventure television film co-written and directed by Caroline Thompson and produced by Hallmark Entertainment. The film was first released theatrically in Europe, and subsequently aired in the United States on ABC as part of their series on The Wonderful World of Disney on March 17, 2002.

<i>Snow White</i> (1987 film) 1987 American musical film directed by Michael Berz

Snow White is a 1987 American musical fantasy film based on the classic 1812 fairytale and released as part of the "Cannon Movie Tales" series. The film was released straight to video. In August 2005 it was released on Region 1 DVD by MGM.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Snow White (Disney character)</span> Title character from Disneys 1937 animated film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

Snow White is a fictional character and a main character from Walt Disney Productions' first animated feature film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937). She was originally voiced by Adriana Caselotti. The character of Snow White was derived from a fairy tale known from many countries in Europe with the best-known version being the 1812 tale collected by the Brothers Grimm.

<i>Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs</i> (1955 film) 1955 film

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is a 1955 West German film, directed by Erich Kobler, based on the 1812 story of Schneewittchen by the Brothers Grimm.

<i>Snow White and the Three Stooges</i> 1961 film by Walter Lang

Snow White and the Three Stooges is a 1961 American comedy fantasy film. It is the second feature film to star the Three Stooges after their 1959 resurgence in popularity. By this time, the trio consisted of Moe Howard, Larry Fine, and "Curly Joe" DeRita. Released by 20th Century Fox, this was the trio's take on the classic fairy tale Snow White. The film was retitled Snow White and the Three Clowns in the United Kingdom. This was Walter Lang‘s final directing film before his retirement.

<i>Märchen</i> (album) 2010 studio album by Sound Horizon

Märchen is the seventh story CD, released by the fantasy symphonic rock band Sound Horizon on December 15, 2010, through King Records. The normal edition debuted No. 3 and peaked No. 2 on the Oricon weekly albums chart. A limited edition sold over 40,000 copies in its first two days, 24,816 copies on the first day and 15,833 copies on the next.

<i>Mirror Mirror</i> (film) 2012 comedy fantasy film by Tarsem Singh

Mirror Mirror is a 2012 American fantasy comedy film based on the fairy tale, "Snow White", collected by the Brothers Grimm. The film follows a young princess named Snow White, who uses the help of a band of seven thieves as well as a prince, to reclaim her throne from her wicked stepmother, the enchantress Clementianna.

<i>Snow White and the Huntsman</i> 2012 film by Rupert Sanders

Snow White & the Huntsman is a 2012 American fantasy film based on the German fairy tale "Snow White" compiled by the Brothers Grimm. The directorial debut of Rupert Sanders, it was written by Evan Daugherty, John Lee Hancock and Hossein Amini, from a screen story by Daugherty. The cast includes Kristen Stewart, Charlize Theron, Chris Hemsworth, Sam Claflin, and Bob Hoskins in his final film performance. In the film's retelling of the tale, Snow White grows up imprisoned by her evil stepmother, Queen Ravenna, a powerful sorceress. After Snow White escapes into the forest, Ravenna enlists Eric the Huntsman to capture her, but he becomes her companion in a quest to overthrow Ravenna.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Evil Queen (Disney)</span> Fictional character by Disney

The Evil Queen, also known as the Wicked Queen, Queen Grimhilde, or just the Queen, is a fictional character who appears in Walt Disney Productions' first animated feature film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) and remains a villain character in their extended Snow White franchise. She is based on the Evil Queen character from the 1812 German fairy tale "Snow White".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Magic Mirror (Snow White)</span> Mystical object in the story of Snow White

The Magic Mirror is a mystical object that is featured in the story of Snow White, depicted as either a hand mirror or a wall-mounted mirror.

Snow White is a Disney media franchise that began in 1937 with the theatrical release of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. It is based on the 1812 fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm.

<i>Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs</i> (book) 1938 picture book

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is a 1938 picture book written and illustrated by Wanda Gág and published by Coward-McCann. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was a Caldecott Medal Honor Book in 1939. The book is a twist on the classic tale of Snow White by the Brothers Grimm. Since then it has been republished several times, including in 1999, 2004, and 2013.

<i>Red Shoes and the Seven Dwarfs</i> 2019 film by Sung-ho Hong

Red Shoes and the Seven Dwarfs, known in Korean as simply Red Shoes, is a 2019 English-language South Korean animated fantasy film produced by Locus Corporation. It is based on the 1812 German-language fairy tale "Snow White" by the Brothers Grimm, and its name is derived from the 1845 Danish fairy tale The Red Shoes by Hans Christian Andersen. The film features the voices of Chloë Grace Moretz, Sam Claflin, Gina Gershon, Patrick Warburton, and Jim Rash.

References

  1. ↑ Gaiman, Neil (1999). Smoke and Mirrors. London: Headline Book Publishing. p. 32. ISBN   978-0-7553-2283-1.
  2. ↑ Gaiman, Neil (1998). Smoke and Mirrors: Short Fictions and Illusions. p. 43. Retrieved 19 October 2019.
  3. ↑ "Snow, Glass, Apples - Bedlam Theatre".
  4. ↑ "Snow, Glass, Apples HC :: Profile :: Dark Horse Comics". www.darkhorse.com. Dark Horse Comics. Retrieved 19 October 2019.
  5. ↑ "Eisner Awards Current Info". Comic-Con International: San Diego. San Diego Comic Convention. 24 July 2020. Archived from the original on 7 June 2017. Retrieved 31 July 2020.
  6. ↑ "32nd Annual Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards". YouTube. San Diego Comic Convention. 24 July 2020. Retrieved 31 July 2020.
  7. ↑ "2019 Bram Stoker Awards Winners". Bram Stoker Awards . Retrieved 5 June 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.