Weird. Was this supposed to make sense? This was such a weird book. I know the movie is a classic? Or at least pretty popular, but I have not seen it, so when I saw this book was available on audio I thought I'd give it a go. It didn't make me want to see the movie at all. It was so weird, and kind of hard to follow. Like, I get it...but also I don't really get the point. Also, it's called Pan's Labyrinth but we hardly saw the actual Labrynth?? Like I get she had tasks to do but that was it??? It just seemed like the story was hardly about that. I think I had no idea what this was about and had other ideas in my head of what it was and it was totally not anything like I thought.

Actual rating: 4.5 stars, rounded up. I’ve never watched Pan’s Labyrinth. I remember borrowing the DVD from the library about a decade ago, but Chris vetoed it about 10 minutes in because it was subtitled and our tv was small. While I always intended to go back to it one day, I just never got around to it. That’s going to have to change, because I absolutely loved this novelization of the story. I feel like “novelization” is almost an insult, actually. Because, while I’ve never seen the movie, I know that the care with which this book was written and illustrated demands more respect that such nomenclature usually provides. Pan’s Labyrinth: The Labyrinth of the Faun, is gorgeous in the same way poisonous mushrooms are: lush, inviting, but deadly. “In our choices lie our fate.” Pan’s Labyrinth is the story of Ofelia, a girl in 1940s Spain whose widowed young mother has remarried a hateful military man. Ofelia’s mother is pregnant, and the two of them are called to come live in the rundown mill when Ofelia’s new stepfather is stationed, in the midst of a forbidding forest. At least, that is the story on the surface. Deeper within, this is the story of a lost princess, a hidden kingdom, a calculating Faun, and the wars waging within and between and for the hearts of the Spanish people. I love the fairy tale vibe, and I adored the little fables tucked within the central plot, and how those ended up being such a vital piece of the narrative. “Sometimes the objects we hold dear give away who we are even more than the people we love.” Ofelia is a lovely character, brave and reckless and loving and everything you would wish for in a daughter. Her mother is blinded by her muddled love for, and fear of, Vidal, the new stepfather Ofelia has dubbed the Wolf. She loves her daughter, but is always scared for her. She’s also scared for herself and for the unborn son wreaking havoc on her health. Mercedes, the secondary heroine of the novel, was wonderful, and I loved her affection for Ofelia. She also has plenty to fear, but does her best to live bravely, anyway. “Evil seldom takes shape immediately. It is often little more than a whisper at first. A glance. A betrayal. But then it grows and takes root, still invisible, unnoticed. Only fairy tales give evil a proper shape. The big bad wolves, the evil kings, the demons, and devils . . .” The more fantastical entities of the story, the Faun and the Fairies and the Pale Man, were fascinating. Even those portrayed as good, the Faun and the Fairies, had an underlying cruelty to them. But the Pale Man is one of the most disturbing characters I’ve ever come across. He’s one of those rare beings whose exteriors match their spirits. His wickedness is writ large in the eyes that would no longer stay in his head. Just thinking about him is creeping me out. “Although we may wish for it, true magic is a scary thing.” This novel felt pretty dark for a middle grade novel, until I remembered some of the darker children’s books I read when I was younger. Kids seem to be drawn to darkness. I’m not a psychologist, but I think this might be in part because it makes them feel safer in their reality, or lets them know they’re not alone in their struggles. I would say that this particular book is a bit more mature that most middle grade books, and parents or teachers might should offer a couple of content warnings to children before pressing it into their hands. The content might ride the line between middle grade and young adult but, in spite of the darkness, the tone and style of this book falls firmly in middle grade territory, in my opinion. “Mortals don't understand life is not a book you close only after you read the last page. There is no last page in the Book of Life, for the last one is always the first page of another story.” The writing is lovely, and often philosophical in a way that would make any reader no matter their age pause to think, but without pulling them from the story in any way. I found myself thankful that I had bought the Kindle book years ago, so that I could annotate without marking up the lovely copy my aunt bought me for my birthday. There was just a ton of food for thought here, made even more impactful by the beautiful prose. “Libraries don't keep secrets; they reveal them.” After having read the book, I know that I must watch the movie as soon as I can get my hands on it. Unfortunately I couldn’t find it streaming anywhere, or I would have watched it as soon as I finished the novel. But the DVD is on the way and, in the meantime, I’m going to continue ruminating on Ofelia’s story, her tragedy and her triumph. If the movie is anywhere near as good as the book it inspired, I’m incredibly excited to watch it. You can find this review and more at Novel Notions.

I just finished this book and, let me tell you, tears have been shed! This novelization is identical to the movie and I very much enjoyed visualizing the scenes in the movie as I read the story. The little side stories are a BIG plus as they give you a further glimpse into the Labyrinth's lore and the origins of the underworld kingdom's inhabitants. This was such a great read!!

My favourite book for a looooong time now, although a bit dark and cruel sometimes a super deep story I highly recommend.

Nach "Shape of Water" nun schon die zweite Buchadaption eines Guillermo-del-Toro-Filmes, erneut geschrieben von Guillermo del Toro höchstpersönlich, diesmal mit Hilfe der deutschen Kinder- und Jugendbuchautorin Cornelia Funke. Die Hauptgeschichte ist sehr nahe an der Filmvorlage und bietet, mit Ausnahme der ausformulierten Gedanken mehrerer Figuren, kaum neue Erkenntnisse. Die Hauptfigur Ofelia reist mit ihrer hochschwangeren Mutter zum verhassten Stiefvater und erbitterten Soldaten Capitan Vidal. Schließlich kommt der Faun ins Spiel und stellt Ofelia drei Aufgaben, nach deren Erfüllung sie ihren Platz als Prinzessin im Underground Kingdom wieder einnehmen würde. Der Mehrwert kommt durch die zahlreichen Hintergrundgeschichten im Märchenstil, die meist zu Beginn der Kapitel Personen der Geschichte mit etwas Leben füllen, die Entstehung einzelner Figuren (der Faun, der Pale Man, die Kröte) darlegen und vor allem das Underground Kingdom näher beschreiben. Die knapp 300 Seiten sind schnell weggelesen und lassen einen wunderbar in die fantastische und doch martialische Märchengeschichte eintauchen und mit Ofelia mitfiebern.

Like the movie, I loved this. The imagery is fantastic, and, since I’ve seen the movie so many times, it played in my head as I was reading. Not only was the story amazing, but the book itself is GORGEOUS, from the dust cover, to the hardback, to even the pages. It gave an air of the fairy tales that are so central to the story as you read along. I think my favourite part of this was the intercalary chapters. It gave more background and insight into things that happen in the movie, and even told more about characters you wouldn’t think would have a background. For example, the toad. I won’t say anything else so as not to spoil anything, but it’s fascinating how every event wound up connected to each other in ways you wouldn’t know just from watching the film. Read for the POPSUGAR challenge prompt: A book that passes the Bechdel test and Around the Year in 52 Books 2020 prompt #9 - A book that can be read in a day

TW: gore, death of a parent(s) This has my favorite writing style where you have the main storyline and then these excerpts of random things. BUT THEN it all comes together so flawlessly. Plus the fairy tale writing style???? God tier. I do think that reading Pan's Labyrinth after watching the movie makes this 100 times better because you get all the little extra and juicy details. Listen, it's fucking god tier.

cried my eyes out !!!!!!!! i love the film sm & this was just as good

In consiliis nostris fatum nostrum est, the words read. In our choices lies our fate. Masterpieces, both this and the movie. Dark, exquisite, creative, emotional and philosophical...just perfect.

This was a lot darker than I expected but still a quick and enjoyable read