Hiddensee

by Gregory Maguire
283 pgs

Those who see the Broadway musical "Wicked," and then go out and read Gregory Maguire's book, which it was based on, are usually confused and disappointed. The tones and feel of the two are polar opposites. The musical is funny and engaging, while the book feels like a chore you have to complete, hoping for some sort of reward by the end. Maguire's books tend to sound like great ideas when you hear high-level summaries of then, e.g. "it's a retelling of "The Wizard of Oz/Snow White/Cinderella/Alice in Wonderland," but I recommend people perform a little more initial due diligence before reading one, to make sure they know what to expect.

Hiddensee is no exception. The high-level summary is it's the backstory of "The Nutcracker." Based on that, one might think it's a great alternative to having to sit through a three-hour ballet, but it's not a story about the magical soldier who battles the Mouse King to protect Clara on Christmas Eve. Instead, it's a dark and often dreary tale of a foundling boy named Dirk, who lives an isolated life in the woods with an old woman and an old woodcutter. An accident in the woods one day knocks him out and he sees a vision. The vision consists of a talking bird, a gnome, and a forest sprite, characters who leave an indelible mark on the rest of his life. When he wakes up, he runs away, out into the world he knows nothing about.

The story follows Dirk's life as he travels throughout Germany. He lives with a small village pastor for a time, running errands and helping clean and maintain the church and rectory. Eventually he becomes a successful toymaker, carving toys from wood, one of which is the nutcracker.

Hiddensee, like almost all of Maguire's books I've read, is a good book. It's highly creative and for some reason, I feel like I'm smarter and more cultured for having read it. But it's not a page turner, nor is it a book Disney is likely to ever adapt into a movie. But it's intriguing and entertaining enough to keep me reading his books when they come out.

★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆