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Zel Donna Jo Napoli Books

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Zel Donna Jo Napoli Books

The story of Rapunzel is perhaps one of the most psychologically intriguing of the Grimms Brothers fairy tales. A story of obsession, isolation, and the healing power of love, Rapunzel is my third favorite of the Grimms fairy tales; surpassed only by "Snow White" and "Hansel and Gretel."
Donna Jo Napoli has taken the story of Rapunzel and rewoven it into a psychological study that is both chilling and heartrending.

Zel lives with Mother in a remote cottage in Switzerland. She is a carefree young girl who loves her mother dearly. Mother has unusual abilities and talents when it comes to gardening, and she loves Zel with an unsurpassable desire. Zel cherishes the moments when she and Mother journey to town in order to buy supplies, but these visits are often mysterious. Often, Zel is unable to hear conversations of the villagers, and she is forbidden to socialize with people as well. One fateful day, Zel meets a young man in town, and her idyllic life drastically changes.

This novel is unforgettable as each chapter is told from a different perspective. The best chapters are the ones in which Mother gets to tell her own story. I felt great sympathy toward this character as well as repugnance at her actions. Napoli does a superb job of illustrating Zel's childhood innocence and awakening knowledge.

Katherine Byars reads this novel with vibrancy. Her depiction of Mother is wonderful! Please give this outstanding book a chance. God bless.

(Please look for my fantasy novel, Crimilia, which will be released on May 24, 2011. Thank you).


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Zel Donna Jo Napoli Books Reviews

This is one of my absolutely favorite books. It's such an interesting take on Rapunzel. I read it when I was about thirteen and absolutely loved it. It's got wonderful imagery and is just one of the most beautifully written books I've ever read.
A beautiful retelling of a classic. Full of symbolism that stays true to the fairy tells while adding new commentary
This is a sad little story about obsession in the name of "love." A lovely, beloved, and magically talented woman refuses to be happy because she does not have a child. She makes a bargain with devils and obtains a daughter, Zel. Mother, as she calls herself, raises Zel on a lonely mountain so that Zel will love Mother exclusively. When she is thirteen, Zel becomes interested in a young man, a prince, and Mother shuts her up in a tower where only Mother can visit. Lonely and bored, Zel goes almost mad. There is a harrowing chapter where Zel mutilates herself and kills or mutilates the small creatures that live in the tower with her. The prince eventually finds her and sets in motion the events that rescue Zel. He is blinded in the process.
The book is written in the first person present, so the reader learns all the nuances of Mother's selfish and self-justifying thoughts. Unfortunately, the book does not have the touches of humor and humanity that are found in, for example, Robin McKinley's novel of parental obsession in the name of "love," Deerskin. I enjoy retold fairy tales but would not recommend this one.
Zel is a retelling of the Rapunzel fairy tale. In this one Zel is actually placed in the tower by her mother, after she meets a young man in the market one day. Zel's mother is a witch, who loves Zel more than anything, and wants to keep Zel with her always and cannot bear the thought of sharing her with anyone.

I liked a lot of the touches in this book, especially the one that dealt with how Rapunzel dealt with being locked up alone in a tower with no company. I did find the storyline of the mother more than a little creepy; I guess I couldn't understand any mother doing such a terrible thing to her child. Overall it was a interesting take on a classic tale.
Zel is a retelling of the Rapunzel story. It shows the story from three alternating perspectives, a spoiled young prince, an enthusiastic peasant girl - Zel, and her aging foster-mother. Unlike the original story, we are brought to understand why the foster-mother keeps her captive in the tower - it is to keep her ever a child, and to save her from men. It is all mother's impulses taken to an extreme. Zel's ensuing madness acquired in captivity is disturbing, yet realistic for this fairytale situation. The mother-daughter relationship is something most women will be able to relate to, particularly the struggles for independence of young womanhood. In particular, I could recall my own desire for a boyfriend, my mother's protective urges that forbade me from dating.
While the book is written for a teen audience, I found some of the subject matter rather mature.
I started this book not realizing that this was a retelling of Rapunzel.

This book is told from the point of view of three characters. The first is the girl, Zel. She is named after her favorite lettuce, Rapunzel. The second character is simply known as mother. She who would sell her soul to be a mother. The third character is Konrad. He would give anything for the girl he meets in the market. The girl who captured his attention by her giving nature.

This book follows the tradition of a fairy tale, it has a dark quality. I was hooked by Napoli's writing. She knows how to enchant through the written word. She doesn't hold back on describing the anguish of the characters. Each of them fight inner demons that make the story more interesting.

Because of some of the subject matter, I would only recommend to readers 16+.
The story of Rapunzel is perhaps one of the most psychologically intriguing of the Grimms Brothers fairy tales. A story of obsession, isolation, and the healing power of love, Rapunzel is my third favorite of the Grimms fairy tales; surpassed only by "Snow White" and "Hansel and Gretel."
Donna Jo Napoli has taken the story of Rapunzel and rewoven it into a psychological study that is both chilling and heartrending.

Zel lives with Mother in a remote cottage in Switzerland. She is a carefree young girl who loves her mother dearly. Mother has unusual abilities and talents when it comes to gardening, and she loves Zel with an unsurpassable desire. Zel cherishes the moments when she and Mother journey to town in order to buy supplies, but these visits are often mysterious. Often, Zel is unable to hear conversations of the villagers, and she is forbidden to socialize with people as well. One fateful day, Zel meets a young man in town, and her idyllic life drastically changes.

This novel is unforgettable as each chapter is told from a different perspective. The best chapters are the ones in which Mother gets to tell her own story. I felt great sympathy toward this character as well as repugnance at her actions. Napoli does a superb job of illustrating Zel's childhood innocence and awakening knowledge.

Katherine Byars reads this novel with vibrancy. Her depiction of Mother is wonderful! Please give this outstanding book a chance. God bless.

(Please look for my fantasy novel, Crimilia, which will be released on May 24, 2011. Thank you).