Impossible by Nancy Werlin

Not a straight forward adaptation of a particular fairy tale, instead Nancy Werlin takes on an old folk melody, Scarborough Fair. Intrigued yet? Check out the book trailer:

I could hardly put this book down. I think the writing was fluid and beautiful, and the story and characters captured me from the first pages. It was intense and emotional, carefully crafted so that the price paid felt right and the ending seemed natural. Probably one of my favorite books that I've read all year.

Which led me to read a little bit more about the history of the ballad. (Yes, on wikipedia -- hey, this isn't a research paper! :D ) It's pretty fascinating and disturbing. If you watch this video you can hear the Simon and Garfunkel version, and if you click through to the youtube page, it's got the lyrics they used (also probably the most commonly known):

The Swan Maiden by Jules Watson

Last night I finished reading The Swan Maiden by Jules Watson. It took me a while to get into the book, maybe 100 pages before I felt like I was really invested in the characters and plot. Throughout the book there were passages that I skimmed and I think overall the book would have benefited from an editor determined to make it 75-100 pages shorter.

However, once I got into the story I really did enjoy it. The characters had enough depth to be believable as people, whereas reading the old myth you often just get the bare bones of the events. If you like Juliet Marillier, I think you'll find this comparable; although not as elegant as Marillier, Watson's story certainly falls into that same category of romantic mythology.

The book has 4.5 stars on Amazon.com customer reviews, but I think the most insightful comment I saw is from Publishers Weekly: "This modern retelling of a tragic Irish myth is rich in well-researched detail but moves too slowly and reverently."

I did find the last 100 pages or so to be stunning; whether Watson finally hit her stride or the pace of the story just picked up, I couldn't put it down for that last bit and found the ending to be compelling and well worth the read.