The Glass Mountain - Hardcover

Jacob Grimm; Wilhelm Grimm

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0394867246 ISBN 13: 9780394867243

Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf, 1985

Synopsis

A man wins the hand of a princess after releasing her from the enchantment that has changed her into a raven.

About this title

From School Library Journal:

PreSchool-Grade 3 Hogrogian's gorgeous, complex illustrations decorate a retelling of the Grimms' story, "The Raven." The content is not nearly as lavish, though, as the illustrations. The story is a mysterious and wonderful one, and Hogrogian just isn't careful enough with the details that bring an important sense of wholeness to the tale: she omits the second giant's suckling child and the hero's behavior while he is invisible once he finally reaches the castle on the glass mountain. Without this kind of unity, the story becomes too disjunctive. One wishes for a more harmonious interplay of text and illustration, because the design is indeed seductive and overpowers the story in the final analysis. Instead, it is easy to ignore the story and delight in the extravagance of Hogrogian artistry. Each spread is a uniquely marbled paper border with text and illustrations inset. The marbled paper designs are splendid. And they are so splendid that one could be tempted to junk all critical response toward the text and delight solely in them. Christina Olson, Beverly Hills Public Library
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Publishers Weekly:

A book designer and prize-winning artist, Hogrogian has created an unusual setting for the beautiful paintings illustrating her smooth, rhythmic text. They are framed by her hand-marbleized papers in singing pastels, each in a pattern harmonizing with the action at each development in the Grimm Brothers' magic tale. In the beginning, a queen impatient with her restless daughter wishes the baby were a raven who would fly away and leave the mother in peace. (The faces of the ladies-in-waiting and the palace cat show their shocked reaction to such unmaternal sentiments, thanks to Hogrogian's great imagination.) The princess instantly changes into a raven and is transported to the peak of a glass mountain. The plot concerns the young man who rescues the spellbound maiden, years later. After conquering the traditional odds, he receives the traditional reward, a radiant princess for his wife.
Copyright 1985 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf
• Publication date: 1985
• ISBN 10: 0394867246
• ISBN 13: 9780394867243
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 32
• Illustrator: Nonny Hogrogian