I vividly remember the first time my mom took me to see The Nutcracker. We dressed in our Sunday best and made our way to downtown San Antonio. I remember walking the streets of the city, weaving amidst the riverwalk as we made our way into the elegant theater. Once the show began, I was transported by Tchaikovsky's music, mesmerized by the sheer fantasy unfolding upon the stage. That year, I opened the gift of my very own nutcracker, a single emblem that would begin a collection that grew throughout my childhood. My brother and I would play with the toy soldiers, reenacting the story as it was told in the ballet. Years later I would find myself in the serendipitous position as a music teacher for the Houston Ballet Academy, a role that gave me the opportunity to work with students who performed in the very work that had enchanted me as a child. It is safe to say that the endearing story of The Nutcracker has been an ever-present part of my holiday traditions.
In Hiddensee: A Tale of the Once and Future Nutcracker, author Gregory Maguire attempts to capture the origins of the endearing classic. There's probably no author better suited in tackling such a monumental story. Maguire has delved into the worlds of Alice in Wonderland, Snow White, Cinderella, and most famously The Wizard of Oz. If you've heard of the hit musical Wicked, then you are at least tangentially aware of his work. This novel imagines the origins of the mysterious Drosselmeier, the eye-patched godfather of Klara, the girl transported to the land of the sugar plum fairies. As we first encounter the famed toymaker, he is but an orphaned boy, living in the woods with an elderly couple. He learns the art of storytelling from the old woman who tells fanciful tales of fantastic worlds. The old man is more practical, teaching the boy the value of hard work and living off of the land. A tragedy at the start of this tale sets into motion a coming-of-age journey twinged with ever-growing magic, one that sees the boy grow into the famed man of the classic Christmas narrative.
For a novel based in the same world as the spectacular Nutcracker, Hiddensee is a surprisingly subdued affair. Sure, there are glimmers of the same magic and wonder that permeate the classic story, but Maguire's take on the tale is much more firmly planted in reality. Much of the drama and action that takes up the pages of the book is built around a young man growing up without the benefit of someone guiding him through adolescence. His coming to terms with religion, art, and love would be perfectly fine if they were combined with the dazzling mystical elements of the original story. Absent these moments, the story reads as much more ordinary than it should. This combined with Maguire's penchant for classically formal language makes the short novel drag on endlessly. By the time the timeline of this origin story intersects with the tale we've come to know, it is simply too little too late. Simply put, Hiddensee is a valiant effort at an origin story that never truly lives up to the magic of the story it attempts to precede.
For more information visit the author's website, Amazon, and Goodreads.
(2021, 52)
I used to love going to see the Nutcracker every Christmas. I haven't been in years, but I still remember the music and the dances. It's too bad this book didn't manage to capture that magic!
ReplyDeleteI love the music so much! It has been a few years since I last saw the ballet, but I hope to do so next year.
DeleteI wanted to take Eleanor to finally see the Nutcracker this year, but still wasn't too comfortable because apparently here in Omaha COVID is done and people don't wear masks, so...Next year, hopefully.
ReplyDeleteYou're not going to believe this, but here in Texas we never even had COVID at all lol. JK of course. I totally understand the hesitation with going to see it this year. I've been sick with a cold at home all week, and even wore a mask to pick up some meds. You can't be too careful!
DeleteYou know, I may have heard something about how Covid managed to just by-pass Texas altogether...something to do with the governor and other such nonsense? lol, but also not because it's serious. Blech. Eleanor is fully vaccinated and I am + boosted, and we still wear masks in public. Why risk a break-through case, if it is easy to avoid?
DeleteAlso, hope you are feeling better now and your cold did not stop you from enjoying the holiday!
DeleteI've never seen the Nutcracker.
ReplyDeleteThere are some pretty good quality recordings of several prominent ballet companies performing the full work on Youtube. It is worth a watch if you've never seen it!
DeleteI always wanted to read Wicked (the play was incredible). You definitely have me curious to check out Maguire's work. There aren't too many Nutcracker retellings out there either.
ReplyDeleteI think there is definitely a place for the kind of writing he does, and many seem to really enjoy it. After reading two of his books, though, I'm not sure it is for me.
DeleteI had a similar experience! My birthday is the 22nd, so my mom took me to see The Nutcracker for the first time as a birthday present when I was around 10. Afterward, she presented me with my first nutcracker. I've been collecting them ever since. I haven't been to The Nutcracker in a few years, but I love it and am always transported by the music, scenery, and story. There's a reason it's a Christmas classic!
ReplyDeleteI love that! I stopped collecting them when we began to run out of room to display them all, but it is still a happy memory for me.
DeleteAlas, I have never seen the nutcracker, maybe one day!
ReplyDeleteSeeing it live is quite the experience, but I'd even recommend watching a recorded version too.
DeleteSo sad this book wasn't a hit since Nutcracker seems to have a big role in your life :)
ReplyDeleteI've never seen the Nutcracker, sadly. And I didn't go to Wicked when it was in The Netherlands and have been sorry every day...
You really must try to see Wicked if you ever get the chance again. It is one of my favorites!
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