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Eliza Granville
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Gretel and the Dark Hardcover – 6 Feb. 2014

by Eliza Granville (Author)
4.0 out of 5 stars 159 ratings
on any 2 Qualifying items | Terms

Gretel and the Dark is Eliza Granville's dazzling novel of darkness, evil - and hope.

For fans of Markus Zusak's The Book Thief and Guillermo del Toro's Pan's Labyrinth.

Vienna, 1899. Josef Breuer - celebrated psychoanalyst - is about to encounter his strangest case yet. Found by the lunatic asylum, thin, head shaved, she claims to have no name, no feelings - to be, in fact, not even human. Intrigued, Breuer determines to fathom the roots of her disturbance.

Years later, in Germany, we meet Krysta. Krysta's Papa is busy working in the infirmary with the 'animal people', so little Krysta plays alone, lost in the stories of Hansel and Gretel, the Pied Piper, and more. And when everything changes and the real world around her becomes as frightening as any fairy tale, Krysta finds that her imagination holds powers beyond what she could have ever guessed . . .

Eliza Granville was born in Worcestershire and now lives in the Welsh Marches. She has had a life-long fascination with the enduring quality of fairytales and their symbolism, and the idea for Gretel and the Dark was sparked when she became interested in the emphasis placed on these stories during the Third Reich.

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  1. Print length
    368 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Hamish Hamilton
  4. Publication date
    6 Feb. 2014
  5. Dimensions
    14.4 x 3.3 x 20.4 cm
  6. ISBN-10
    0241146453
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0241146453
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Product description

Review

Powerful, heartbreaking, heart-racing, terrifying . . . It is impossible not to find yourself racing through the pages (The Times)

Atmospheric and beautifully written. Gretel and the Dark will be one of the best books of 2014 (The List)

Dark and intriguing . . . a highly clever, original book (Daily Mail)

Ambitious and enticing (Independent)

Truly beautiful writing. Read this book (Guardian)

A back-and-forth tale of secrets and imagination, a thoroughly engaging journey into the darkest corners of humanity (Publishers Weekly)

As dark and twisting as the Black Forest . . . forbidding, secretive, richly historical, this is a gripping novel that will leave you guessing until the end (Historical Novel Society)

This combination of history, mystery and fairy tale makes for engrossing and irresistible reading - right up to the ultimately redemptive final twist (Bookpage (U.S.))

Grips and shakes the reader from beginning to end. Like so many fairy tales, nothing is what it seems and attention must be paid for the greatest rewards (Gilmore Guide to Books (blog))

Extraordinary. Granville's writing and world building are beautiful. (The Mountains of Instead (blog))

About the Author

Eliza Granville was born in Worcestershire and now lives in the Welsh Marches. She has had a life-long fascination with the enduring quality of fairytales and their symbolism, and the idea for Gretel and the Dark was sparked when she became interested in the emphasis placed on these stories during the Third Reich.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Hamish Hamilton (6 Feb. 2014)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 368 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0241146453
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0241146453
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 14.4 x 3.3 x 20.4 cm
  • Customer reviews:
    4.0 out of 5 stars 159 ratings

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Eliza Granville

Eliza Granville

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Customer reviews

4 out of 5 stars
159 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the writing style lovely and enticing. They appreciate the clever storytelling that weaves history into fairy tales. However, some readers found the pacing hard to stick with and not as gripping as they had hoped.

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8 customers mention ‘Writing style’8 positive0 negative

Customers find the writing style atmospheric and enticing. They appreciate the author's clever storytelling and mention it's an excellent read. However, some felt the book was not as gripping as expected.

"...This is a beautifully crafted book - and very very dark without ever being gory or vulgar...." Read more

"Hard going but enjoyable in a perverse way." Read more

"...Though the style was atmospheric, it was not as gripping as I’d hoped, and I found myself having to push on and read it at times, as if it was a..." Read more

"...Nonetheless, an excellent read." Read more

4 customers mention ‘Storytelling’4 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the storytelling. They say the author weaves history into fairy tales with skill.

"...It seemed right up my street: dark, gritty, and of course full of the fairytales that I so love...." Read more

"History is artfully woven into fairy tales. It's very dark, and painful in parts, and I ended up sobbing on a packed commuter train toward the end...." Read more

"Granville's writing style is rather enticing, and her storytelling is superb...." Read more

"I loved this book, its never what it seems. Such an original tale" Read more

3 customers mention ‘Pacing’0 positive3 negative

Customers find the pacing of the book hard to follow. They say it's not as gripping as they had expected.

"Hard going but enjoyable in a perverse way." Read more

"...Though the style was atmospheric, it was not as gripping as I’d hoped, and I found myself having to push on and read it at times, as if it was a..." Read more

"Like some other readers I found this book really hard to stick with and had to make myself keep on reading...." Read more

Top reviews from United Kingdom

  • M. Faulkner
    5.0 out of 5 stars This is a beautifully crafted book - and very very dark without ever ...
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 6 April 2016
    Verified Purchase
    I was going to give this 4 stars but then couldn't think of a single criticism to account for the one star penalty. This is a beautifully crafted book - and very very dark without ever being gory or vulgar. It is also a quick read but you do need to pay attention as the jumping around between fantasy, reality and dreams can be a little puzzling if you aren't following closely.
    One person found this helpful
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  • charmaine watson
    4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 6 September 2014
    Verified Purchase
    Hard going but enjoyable in a perverse way.
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  • Lily C
    3.0 out of 5 stars and of course full of the fairytales that I so love. (And can we mention the cover
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 5 November 2016
    Verified Purchase
    I bought this after watching Jen Campbell’s recommendation in her Fairytales video. It seemed right up my street: dark, gritty, and of course full of the fairytales that I so love. (And can we mention the cover? So lovely. So beautiful.)

    And to an extent, I wasn’t disappointed. Granville’s writing is atmospheric and lovely. The characterisations of her characters – particularly little Krysta – are full and rich, with dialogue woven with hope and humour. And the ‘present’ setting in a psychiatric hospital was something that I particularly enjoyed, as well as Josef’s interaction with his ‘strange case’ patient, who claims to not even have a name, much less be of human origin.

    However, I felt that a lot of the storytelling became muddled, and not a lot was made clear to me. Though the style was atmospheric, it was not as gripping as I’d hoped, and I found myself having to push on and read it at times, as if it was a chore. It really didn’t grasp me, and I finished the book feeling somewhat cheated of what could have been a brilliant fairytale adaptation.

    If you enjoy fairytale retellings and fairytales set in more modern times, you might enjoy this. But it’s entirely up to your own tastes. Try it, and see what you think.
    One person found this helpful
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  • nat
    5.0 out of 5 stars Unexpected, brutal and beautiful
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 21 December 2014
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    History is artfully woven into fairy tales. It's very dark, and painful in parts, and I ended up sobbing on a packed commuter train toward the end. Nonetheless, an excellent read.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • MLG
    2.0 out of 5 stars A bit much
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 7 January 2019
    Verified Purchase
    Granville's writing style is rather enticing, and her storytelling is superb. That said, the frequent use of German phrases though sometimes seemingly gratuitous, sometimes rather heavy-handed, on reflection appeared deliberately pernicious, as though she were trying to weave a literary equivalent of the Sonderweg theory, otherwise known as the ineluctable connection between the existence of Germans and Germany, and the occurrence of the Holocaust. Plays on the all-too frequently instrumentalised topic of the Shoah and deals with stock-German-cum-Nazi figures, without actually drawing out and emphasising the larger lessons to be learned of the universality and banality of evil, and how it needs to be fought anytime and everywhere, not just in 1940s Europe. Disappointing really.
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  • Angela
    5.0 out of 5 stars A story we all think we know
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 2 August 2014
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    I loved this book, its never what it seems. Such an original tale
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  • jaffareadstoo
    4.0 out of 5 stars Compelling reading...
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 6 February 2014
    With a dual time setting the story takes us from fin-de-siècle Vienna in 1899 and follows the story of psychoanalyst, Josef Bruer’s quest to determine the identity of an extremely disturbed young woman who comes into his care. Years later, in Germany we meet Krysta, a little girl, who loses herself in the fairy tales of the Pied Piper and Hansel and Gretel, as the world around her goes mad.

    The enduring symbolism of fairy tales forms the basis for this very dark story which takes us from the bleak awareness of mental incapacity, through to the terrors associated with Nazi Germany and yet it does so with a lightness of touch which belies the strength of its narrative. There is no doubt that the book gets its message across, those readers who are have read The Book Thief and The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, will already be aware of innocuous terminology hiding something deeper and ultimately far more sinister. To dig any deeper into the overriding message of the book would be to give away far too much of the whole premise of the story and to discuss more of plot and malice would be to do the book and the author a complete disservice.

    The book is complex, the author’s use of imagery and her ability to weave together two seemingly unrelated plots is commendable and quite enthralling, although it does take a while to get used to the style of writing and I can imagine that some people may want to give up early on. My advice is to stick at it and as the story starts to be revealed and the strands that weave the story together become entangled, it really does become compelling reading.
    5 people found this helpful
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  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 20 December 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Exactly as expected
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Dianne Melville
    2.0 out of 5 stars Think twice
    Reviewed in Australia on 12 April 2014
    Verified Purchase
    I was abit disappointed in this book...the review from the mail on Sunday promised much.....which was why I got it
    It was long and a bit laboured , I just look forward to picking this up
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  • David Christopher Hadfield
    5.0 out of 5 stars Gretel and the Dark
    Reviewed in the United States on 20 March 2014
    Verified Purchase
    This book is very well written although very confusing as it has several stories woven into one. It starts off as a fairy tale but you soon realise that it is a much darker story which is buried beneath the telling.

    It seemed it was going to be hard work but it becomes impossible to put down. I think most people with a rudimentary grasp of history will quickly realise what is really happening and some of the book is quite poignant.

    Again a great read and will definitely be looking for other books from this author
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  • Amazon Customer
    2.0 out of 5 stars Still frowning .
    Reviewed in India on 11 April 2019
    Verified Purchase
    Packaging was alright.
    The book was old and discoloured. I'm not happy with it.
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  • Buechermonster
    5.0 out of 5 stars Düsteres und sehr atmosphärisches Märchen für Erwachsene vor dem Hintergrund des Nationalsozialismus
    Reviewed in Germany on 19 March 2014
    Verified Purchase
    Wien im Jahr 1899: Der Psychoanalytiker Josef Breuer bekommt es mit seinem bisher wohl schwierigsten Fall zu tun. Im Wald nahe einer psychiatrischen Anstalt wurde eine junge Frau leblos aufgefunden und in die Obhut Breuers gebracht. Die Patientin ist in einem erschreckenden Zustand: abgemagert, die Haare abrasiert und anscheinend ohne jede Erinnerung an ihre Vergangenheit. Stattdessen gibt die offenbar geistig verwirrte Frau an, eine Maschine zu sein, die von ihrem Schöpfer zu einem ganz bestimmten Zweck erschaffen wurde: Sie müsse das Monster töten, bevor dieses zu seinem vollen Schrecken auswachsen und für eine Katastrophe sorgen kann. Josef Breuer ist von der mysteriösen Patientin fasziniert und setzt alles daran, hinter den Sinn ihrer geheimnisvollen Äußerungen zu kommen…

    Eliza Granvilles “Gretel and the Dark” erzählt gleich zwei düstere Geschichten in einem Buch. Erstere dreht sich wie oben erwähnt um die namenlose Frau, die von dem Wiener Psychoanalytiker therapiert wird. Der zweite Handlungsstrang spielt einige Jahre später zur Zeit des Zweiten Weltkrieges und hat ein kleines Mädchen als Hauptfigur: Krysta lebt nach dem Tod ihrer Mutter alleine mit ihrem Vater – einem Arzt im benachbarten Krankenhaus – und ihrem Kindermädchen Greet, die für den viel beschäftigten Vater die Erziehung Krystas übernimmt. Dabei versorgt Greet das Mädchen mit unzähligen Geschichten und den Märchen über Hänsel und Gretel, den Rattenfänger von Hameln oder Dornröschen, um dem meist bockigen Kind gutes Benehmen beizubringen.

    Beide Handlungsstränge haben auf den ersten Blick nicht viel miteinander zu tun, strahlen aber von Anfang an die gleiche düstere Atmosphäre aus. Das liegt mitunter auch am Setting, denn beide Zeitebenen stehen unter dem Einfluss des Nationalsozialismus, auch wenn Eliza Granville die politische und gesellschaftliche Situation Österreichs und Deutschlands nur sehr dezent einfließen lässt. Vieles wird nur angedeutet, doch die Anspielungen der Autorin sind auch ohne ausgeprägte Geschichtskenntnisse recht leicht erkennbar. Während im Jahr 1899 der Antisemitismus noch in seinen Anfängen steckt und man in dem abgelegenen Breuer-Haus nur vereinzelt von Ausschreitungen und Übergriffen auf Juden etwas mitbekommt, wird der Nationalsozialismus auf der Krysta-Ebene noch etwas mehr versteckt – eben auch weil man die Geschehnisse aus der Sicht eines kleinen Kindes erlebt, für die das Nazi-Krankenhaus des Vaters eben nur ein harmloser Zoo mit geheimnisvollen “animal people” ist.

    Nicht zuletzt dank Eliza Granvilles blumigem Schreibstil fühlt sich “Gretel and the Dark” (wie der Titel schon andeutet) an vielen Stellen an, als hätte man es hier selbst mit einem Märchen zu tun – allerdings ist dieses Märchen wohl eher für ein erwachseneres Publikum geeignet, da jüngere Leser den Bezug zum Nationalsozialismus kaum erkennen und verstehen dürften. Hier sollte man sich auch von den vielen erwähnten Märchen und vermeintlichen Kindergeschichten nicht in die Irre führen lassen, mit denen Krysta aufwächst. Dafür ist es aber sehr interessant, die versteckte Symbolik dieser klassischen Erzählungen zu entdecken und in den historischen Zusammenhang einzuordnen.

    Erstaunlicherweise funktioniert “Gretel and the Dark” ohne wirkliche Sympathieträger. Sowohl Josef Breuer als auch die kleine Krysta werden wohl nicht gerade viele Leserherzen für sich gewinnen – der eine wegen seiner zunehmend egoistischen Absichten, die andere wegen ihrer penetranten Sturheit und ihres ungezogenen Auftretens gegenüber jeglichen Autoritätspersonen. Erwähnenswert ist ebenfalls, dass der von Granville dargestellte Josef Breuer tatsächlich existiert hat und gemeinsam mit Sigmund Freud (der ebenfalls am Rande im Buch erwähnt wird) als Mitbegründer der Psychoanalyse gilt. Davon sollte man sich aber nicht abschrecken lassen, denn “Gretel and the Dark” ist keine trockene psychologische Abhandlung, sondern vielmehr eine düstere Version von Markus Zusaks “The Book Thief”. Der Erzählstil fühlt sich ähnlich an, es wird ebenfalls recht viel mit deutschen Sätzen gearbeitet und auch die Beschreibung des Krieges aus der Sicht eines Kindes ist durchaus vergleichbar. Statt der bewegenden und tragischen Momente gibt es hier aber eben menschliche Abgründe, die man sich aus den vielen Andeutungen jedoch häufig selbst erschließen muss. Gerade daraus bezieht die Geschichte aber einen großen Reiz und es ist einfach faszinierend, wie die Autorin die beiden Handlungsstränge immer mehr zusammenfließen lässt, bis der Leser schließlich mit dem großartigen und überraschenden Ende aufgeklärt wird.
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  • Tessa
    1.0 out of 5 stars Awful
    Reviewed in Germany on 29 November 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Dnf at 140/358 pages.

    There is no storyline whatsoever and you'd think that at 140 pages it would be at least guessable, but no.

    The characters are so incredibly awful that I am literally already rooting for the antagonist- whoever that may be because this *** book is so damn slow (okay not really because I'd never root for Nazis but you get my point). I wanted to keep reading until I get to the point where it becomes a book about the Holocaust but honestly? Life is too damn short to waste it on books this bad.

    The writing is pretty nice at the beginning and then it just gets lost in the overall awfulness that is the characters and the missing storyline and the changing viewpoint which are so uninteresting, it really reminds me of Arcadia by Iain Pears (one of the worst books I have ever read but at least it taught me to finally just put a book down if I start thinking of throwing it out the window).

    I'm baffled by how many people think this book is amazing. Some said that it picks up in the late 200 pages but my question is: how to you get this far?!

    The cover is gorgeous though so that's the one star for you.
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