Mermaid: A Twist on the Classic Tale

In this fantasy tale Princess Margrethe is sent to a convent for her own safety and inadvertently meets the son of her father's enemy, Prince Christopher, when he is rescued from a sinking ship by the title character, Lenia, the Mermaid, and brought to the shores of the convent. Since Lenia cannot live on dry land, she has to leave Christopher's rescue to the human Princess. Princess Margrethe takes the Mermaid sighting as a sign from God: She was meant to meet and fall in love with Prince Christopher. She was meant to unite the Southern and Northern kingdoms with a marriage between the heirs of the two thrones. Unbeknownst to Margrethe, Lenia also fell in love with Prince Christopher. Now there are two 'women' vying for Christopher's affections since Lenia has found a way to become human thanks to the magic of the Sea Witch. Throw in jealousy, misunderstandings and ambition and you have a healthy mix of drama. Tragedy is a sure thing unless level heads prevail. This is definitely not a fairy tale for children.

I was extremely disappointed with this book. If it had been longer, if there had been more time establishing the politics of the surrounding worlds, if, if, if!!! So many, but the main crux is this: the ending was too deus ex machina. It felt contrived and forced, and all the beautiful building of the mermaid and her longing was just as bad as the ending. It was as if her world wasn't fully fleshed out or understood. I feel like the author was touching on the edges of a great story and then never bothered to delve in any deeper to really understand it.

Based on Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Mermaid, Carolyn Turgeon's latest book focuses on the mermaid princess, Lenia, and the human princess Margrethe. Margrethe is hiding in a convent, on her father's orders, when she spots a beautiful mermaid off the coast. Margrethe is fascinated by the creature's shimmering silver tail and ethereal beauty, but quickly realizes the mermaid has brought a dying man to the shore. The man is rushed to the convent infirmary and saved, and Margrethe falls for him. Meanwhile, Lenia has fallen in love with the man she rescued from the sea, and strikes a terrible bargain with the sea witch so that she can become a human and be with him.

It's hard to tell how much of Margrethe's feelings are for Christopher, the waterlogged prince, and how much of her attachment stems merely from the fact that he has been in contact with the mermaid. Margrethe is fascinated by Lenia. While not exactly friends, the two princesses do meet multiple times and talk about their two worlds. At times it seems like the only reason Margrethe loves the Prince is because he, too, has been with the mermaid and through him, she can be vicariously loved by Lenia and thus a part of the undersea world.

The best parts of the story were at the beginning, when Lenia was swimming around in the ocean with the fish. Here, vivid descriptions bring the cool, watery beauty of the undersea kingdom to life. OK, I did get tired of constant references to the strength of Lenia's tail - we're only reminded of it on practically every page - but overall, this section is quite strong. Unfortunately, compared to the rich imagining of the sea world, the lands above water suffer. Margrethe lives in a medieval kingdom admirable for its vague lack of identity. I mean, her kingdom's name is the Northern Kingdom, while Christopher comes from the Southern Kingdom. Yeah. Turgeon dug real deep to come up with those names. While it's nice to hear Margrethe's point of view - she only makes a cursory appearance in the original fairy tale - it's so poorly rendered that I'd almost rather the author hadn't tried.

(SPOILER ALERT...)

For a tale that claims to be a `twist' on the classic story, "Mermaid" follows Andersen's plot more faithfully than Disney's The Little Mermaid or the other variations on the tale that I can remember. The main plot rarely deviates, save at the end, when a big HAPPILY EVER AFTER comes charging in to save the original story's tragic ending.

Since mermaids don't have souls, Lenia is fascinated by them. She wants a soul, or at least to see one, more than anything. This desire to understand souls drives her to land almost as much as her love for Christopher. Unfortunately, her new happy ending robs her of the resolution she finds in the Andersen's tale, which I found to the detriment of the story.

The sexuality of the mermaid has been seriously amped up, too - once human, she becomes the Prince's mistress and even bears him a child. Even though it's emphatically stated several times that the mermaid became completely human when she drank the witch's potion, her accelerated pregnancy carries the child from conception to full term in a few short months.

Although a fairy tale, this is definitely not a novel for younger readers. There's a fairly graphic description of a man drowning, a gross and bloody tongue removal, with a couple of sex scenes tossed in to spice things up. It's really best for older teens and adult readers.

I looked forward to reading this book, as I believe mermaids did & still do exist. The story opens with a sunken ship, full of treasure, and the men who fell into the sea. One man shows a possibility of life. The mermaid in this story, Lenia, saved him. She falls deeply in love, and starts to bring him to shore.
On the shore is Woman, dressed as a religious. The mermaid & nun lock eyes. The nun hears the mermaid ask for help with this man. After saving the man, she handed him to the nun,as he needed the warmth of this woman.
The story continues, and we find out the idenification of the nun & the man saved. From there, the story takes twists and turns not so excepted. Love bloosoms between several characters. The result: you need to take the journey yourself.
A good book, especially for those who hope in a world that was once upon a time, and might still be there. If we hear the call of the sea.

Donna Swindells

Mermaid: A Twist on the Classic Tale is certainly a twist on the classic tale alright. It is like Disney's The Little Mermaid for adults, without all the little cutesy things. The story is actually very intriguing and fun to read, not at all what I had expected. The story sticks to it's main plot without taking the reader off on too many side-stories. Very well written, it keeps a decent reading pace and never becomes dull at any point. I look forward to reading more works from this author.

This was such a heartwarming amazing twist on The Little Mermaid fairytale. The Little Mermaid is one of my favorite fairytales as well as Disney movie. I loved how Carolyn Turgeon showed the point of view of the princess as well in this book. Even though the ending was bittersweet I enjoyed her take on this classic fairytale. The love triangle in this book was so sad. I found myself rooting for the mermaid yet feeling for the good heart of the princess as well. I enjoyed the way that the princess found to end the rivalry between her kingdom and the prince. I think that Carolyn Turgeon also did a good job with the twist in which the way the mermaid becomes a human. It is definitely a far cry from the magic of the Disney movie. All in all this was a great read and I think that those who enjoy fairytales and romance will definitely enjoy this.

I wont lie..... this book was better than I expected. I'm 27 years old and was looking for an adult style little mermaid and this was just the book I needed... kind of.. .I LOVE this book, I just wish it were 300 pages more!! I am now on the hunt for another adult mermaid book as this book only took me one day to read. Still a great read.

I was really taken with Carolyn Turgeon's prose. Her writing is detailed and yet poetic enough to conjure up a very strong visual picture of her settings. You really feel as if you are standing on a rocky, windswept beach with Margrethe, or gazing up at the ceiling of Lenia's amber palace.

Not only that, but the author managed to re-tell a well-known story with originality, grace and heart. I've always hated the Andersen original, but, while still keeping the basic framework, Turgeon has reworked the story beautifully. Actually, some other reviewers called this a much darker take on the original. Have they read the original?? It's a far cry from the Disney version. This novel didn't strike me as all that dark, unless you are comparing it to the Walt Disney movie, or some of the lighter teen mermaid fare like Forgive My Fins. To my mind it's far less twisted than Andersen's story.

The strongest praise I have for this novel is that the author has created not one but two likable female protagonists. Both were strong, interesting individuals with believable motivations for their actions (while both were in love with the prince despite only brief superficial meetings with him, their additional reasons for seeking a life with him carried the story beyond romantic drivel). I was on the edge of my seat waiting to find out which, if either of them, would make it to happily ever after.

[...]

As I've always loved the original story, I really looked forward to reading this book, and I was not disappointed in the least. Yes, there are differences in the story, but I could sense that early on, considering the split point of view between the princess and the mermaid. I loved the writing, how it read like a literary fairytale, and the characters, particularly the Lenia, were amazing. In short, the novel had a wonderful dream-like quality necessary for a fairytale to work, but it also had the very real emotional impact that makes readers want to return to that world. I loved it and would definitely recommend it.

The title of this novel pretty much describes what it is about. I didn't find it to be a particular deep, interesting, or inspired rendition of the classic fairy tale but it did pick up a bit towards the end. I had no motivation to keep reading in the beginning, but I started somewhat enjoying it later.

One of the few good things the novel has going for it is imagery. The author has a lot of good ideas about what things might look like in this world and that adds something to the story.

Someone who likes fairy tales and very light reading might enjoy this. I like fairy tales, but I was just a bit disappointed in this.

Quick & Dirty Review from Ink and Page

Mermaid: A Twist on the Classic Tale by Carolyn Turgeon
Genre: Fiction; Historical Fantasy Romance
Ages: Adult
Published March 1, 2011

I read (and reviewed) Ms. Turgeon's Godmother. I have to say I liked Mermaid even better. Such a great take on the original The Little Mermaid, Lenia, the mermaid, falls in love with the human she saves and is willing to give up everything for him. Her competition is a princess who nurses the human back to health and then discovers he is the son of her father's enemy.

I know the orginal Little Mermaid was not happy-happy, joy-joy, but I didn't expect to be depressed the entire time I was reading this book. The story was well written, but from the beginning I knew where the storyline was leading and I wanted to yell at the book and say, "Stay away from that human! He's just going to break your heart!" and, "Those sisters are just out to use you!" I kept reading and enjoyed the flowery, smooth writing prose, but ended the book with a heavy heart.

This is an incredibly beautiful take on the classic tale of The Little Mermaid. You get to understand this story from both the eyes of the Princess AND the Mermaid. Being able to see this story from both perspectives brought a whole new depth to it that no other version has ever mastered. My heart broke for both of these women in different ways. Definitely worth reading. As a real life Mermaid myself, I will treasure and read this book many more times.

OK, so, yes, the complainers have valid points with plot holes, feminism, the prince being a sex-crazed jerk and the woman being content with being less than classy.

But, but! There are few books that hook me, and keep me reading late into the night, as this one did. Both the voices were compelling, both the princesses were interesting and smart and you wanted both of them to win.

If you're looking for smart fiction, read something else. But if you want something fun and
quick and highly entertaining, read this. I'll be looking for this author.

This is written like a classic fairytale but has some graphic details about menses, birth, and sex that wouldn't be appropriate for children. The story kept my interest in a "who will end up with the prince" sort of way but I did find the characters lacking depth and detail (much like a fairytale)so I really wouldn't have given it 4 stars if not for the ending. It was a nice light read not requiring contemplation, so was perfect for reading while waiting for a bus or at a doctor's office. I wouldn't go out of my way to recommend this but would not discourage anyone who had their eye caught by the story either. Overall, better than average, so 4 stars.

I highly recomend that anyone that has ever read or knows anything about Hans Christian Anderson's "The Little Mermaid" reads this book. I could have read it all in one sitting. It is magical, enchanting and sad. Not much at all like Disney's version. If you are looking for a version close to Disney's, you might be disappointed. I will pass this book along to others to enjoy and I hope that you love it as much as I do.

This was a very interesting spin on the Little Mermaid. It was definitely darker than I was expecting and had me on edge a few times! I thought the story was great until the middle where it began to take some strange turns. The character development was poor in some areas and there were a lot of questions left unanswered. I was however impressed with the ending. It was very unexpected! All in all, this was a fun read, the writing and characterization just could have been a lot stronger.

Pace a little slow at the beginning but stick with it because once you are in, it's very satisfying. Has the wonderful feel of a fairy tale, descriptive and the author clearly did her research. Characters are well developed and conflicts are great. Found the ending to be just right.

An intelligent book with multi-dimensional characters that get under your skin and make you think about life long after the last page is read. A writer that is raw and honest with depths that fall from the ocean floor into the secret abyss at the core of every human soul. Finally, an educated writer that inspires readers to go for what is in their hearts...no matter how much it hurts. Deeply empathic.

POSSIBLE SPOILERS

The "Mermaid" by Carolyn Turge is a retelling of The Little Mermaid. Not the Disney version, the real version. It follows a mermaid who saves the Prince and a Princess who was there when the mermaid brought the Prince up. Both the Mermaid and the Princess try to win the heart of the Prince. It's supposedly a "darker" retelling of it, but I'm not seeing how dark it would be. (At least, that's what the review says of the book. That it's darker. It's really not darker. It's very tame.)

I was really hoping to love this book or even enjoy it. I love mermaids and when I saw this at Target, I was sure I was going to enjoy it. However, things quickly turned bad once I actually started reading it. There are so many plot holes and so many things wrong with this story, it was just messed up.

It does start out the usual way where the mermaid, Lenia, saves the Prince, Christopher from death from drowning. Margrethe, the human Princess, sees Lenia save Christopher and bring him to land, where Margrethe is. And Christopher thinks it's Margrethe who is the one who saved him. And Christopher and Margrethe happen to be on opposite sides and their countries have been at war for so long, even though now it's peaceful. (A bit of Romeo and Juliet there.)

What I really don't like is how the very first moment Lenia sees Christopher, she's in love and she claims she's so deep in love she has to do whatever she can to be with him. All right, fine, the guy isn't bad looking, got it. But to just randomly see a guy and be madly in love with him to the point that you'd do anything to be with him. Yeah... that's not plausible. It's based on looks alone and looks don't get you very far. It's the same way with Margrethe. It's all looks first, think he's hot and fall madly in love with them because of that. There's no depth to it. There's no real meaning. It's just looks.

Not only that, but because the guy is so hot Lenia instantly feels she's in love with him, she's willing to leave her family behind, go through this torturous procedure in order to get legs, lose her voice-all to be with him and hopes he loves her as well. Even the sea witch asks Lenia if she's sure she wants to do this because it is a big decision. It's not to be taken lightly. But, Lenia is sure of her decision because she thinks Christopher is hot and he's sure to love her as well, so she does it. Now, if there was a logical reason for this, or more depth shown, then I'd be okay with it. Maybe, you know, Lenia spends some time with him, sees him, they talk or something to show it's not just because a person is hot that you love them. But it's not. It's all based on looks. It's just very frustrating.

There are so many plot holes as well it's not even funny. >.> Margrethe is supposed to have a child that will change the future of their country and it's never mentioned again. Margrethe plans this whole marriage with Christopher so that their countries are united now (and so she can marry the hot Prince she fell in love with because he's hot) but her father knows nothing of it. Um... you do realize that the King would need his say in this before it happened? Especially in marriage? But I guess, this world has its own rules.

Speaking of worlds, there is absolutely NO world building in here. There's nothing described, no details, nothing. It's not a very long book, so it didn't need to have a lot. Just something. But, there's nothing. All we know of the mermaids is that their skin is harder and thicker and they can swim underwater. Got it. How about what it looks like? What everything is? Even in Margrethe's world, there's nothing. It's just lack of proper planning on the author's part.

Of course, everyone seems to think it's okay for a new girl to go off and have sex with the Prince the first night they see her. In fact, the fact that they willingly allow some random stranger they have no idea who she is but her jewels "look rich", she must be important and therefore, it's okay for her to come in. O_o Say what now? So... you look rich and you're in. Good to know. Glad she's not some assassin trying to kill everyone. But that's okay, cause she looks rich. :\

Still, the Prince is addicted to sex and it's okay with everyone that it happens. He says "hi" and Lenia's willing to have sex and he's willing to do it. And his family just doesn't care. Then, of course, she's saying how much he loves her as they're having sex. Um... just because you're having sex doesn't mean you love each other. Even more when you're that easy. Even more when all he has to do is say "hi" and you'll let him get with you. Yeah, that's love all right. But apparently, they have such a deep relationship even though they never talk and all they do is have sex. I'm still wondering how this is a deep relationship...

But anyways, a month goes by and Lenia is not only pregnant, but she has the baby like a month later. And NO ONE says ANYTHING about the fact that she has rapid birth! AT. ALL. Okay, the woman nurse mentions it's strange to be that fast, but that's it. There's no, what's going on? Why is it so fast? NOTHING. It's just, oh, it's okay, it's just fast she has a baby. Must be her.

And then, to save the mermaid, Margrethe cuts her own leg and lets the blood fall on Lenia because now that Margrethe and Christopher are married, their blood is the same. Um... I know the whole souls joined and all that, but the same blood? Really? Um... unless you do some transfusion, your blood is still your blood. Just saying.

Honestly, this is just a crappy horrible book with so many flaws and not enough of anything in it. It's not all that exciting. It's a big disappointment. I'm just glad I waited and got it from the library than actually waste money on this. Will I recommend? No. Not a chance. Will I read anything else from this author? Not a chance. This book sucked. Ruined mermaids for me. >.>

Fantastic...kept my interest the whole time. A new twist based on Hans Christian Anderson's book "the little mermaid" mixed with a few new characters. The book is exciting, dark, and sexy! Well written and an easy/fast read. Highly recommended for adults with a love for dark fairy tales! looking forward to more!! 4.5/5 stars :)

"The Little Mermaid" has never been my favorite fairy tale, and just about everything I disliked about it is magnified in this retelling: the clueless prince, the lovesick mermaid, and the weird sentimentality of it all. I keep hoping for a retelling that will make the fairy tale more palatable, but Carolyn Turgeon's Mermaid: A Twist on the Classic Tale isn't it.

The premise is interesting enough. Turgeon shifts the focus away from the prince (here a faceless womanizer whose appeal is a complete mystery) to the two princesses, one human, one mermaid. The story starts when Princess Margrethe sees a beautiful mermaid haul an unconscious man to the shore, kiss him, and silently beg Margrethe to help him. She does, and the prince mistakes her as the woman who saved him from drowning.

Stop me if this is sounding familiar. Shifting perspectives between Margrethe and the mermaid Lenia, the plot follows Andersen's story faithfully for most of the book, so there are few real surprises. Margrethe's fascination with both Lenia and the prince leads to a lopsided love triangle, complete with flowery but non-graphic sex, an incredibly vague war in an equally vague setting, and the inevitable awkwardness of French kissing a girl without a tongue. The scenes set in the underwater world have the potential to be interesting, but the most we really get out of them is an explanation of why mermaids don't go wrinkly from being in the water all the time (thicker, harder skin). Good to know.

The main problem isn't the flimsy plot that reunites the three characters, or even the stilted dialogue. It's the flatness of both central characters. Margrethe is your average mildly spirited princess, and Lenia is so bland that losing her ability to speak doesn't make much difference. It's hard to care what happens to either of them.

At about 250 pages, Mermaid is a quick read with occasionally pretty descriptions, but not a memorable one.