The Sleeper and the Spindle ~ Neil Gaiman and Chris Riddell

The Sleeper and the Spindle was my Christmas present from Millie, in our blind book swap. As our theme for June is LGBTQ+, I thought now was the perfect time to read it (also I needed a pick-me-up read). A short fairytale retelling by Neil Gaiman with illustrations by Chris Riddell is exactly what I needed right now.

The Sleeper and the Spindle is a retelling of Sleeping Beauty from a completely different angle. The graphic novel starts with Snow White’s dwarfs passing through the mountain to obtain a gift for their Queen. The three dwarfs discover that the town just the other side of the mountain is packed full of people trying to outrun a sleeping plague. They take back the story of a princess cursed to sleep and their Queen decides to postpone her wedding to solve the sleeping plague and rescue the princess.

If anyone knows me, they know I love a fairytale retelling and this one was no different. Unlike a lot of retellings, The Sleeper and the Spindle was purposefully vague on the characters’ backstories. None of the characters had names as if even writing or reading them would be dangerous. And, like Gaiman’s other children’s stories, it was slightly creepy. Riddell’s illustrations, done in black and white and red, were hauntingly beautiful and fit the tone perfectly.

I will admit that I did Neil Gaiman a disservice by thinking this was just an LGBTQ+ retelling of Sleeping Beauty, but it is so much more than that. It was not something completely new to me, I have seen an adaptation with a similar plot before, but it was so much better and more satisfying in Gaiman’s voice. 

Despite being a quick read, The Sleeper and the Spindle was a brilliant read with beautiful pictures. It took me out of my head for about an hour and that was what I really needed at that moment. Once again, Neil Gaiman has failed to disappoint. I give The Sleeper and the Spindle four stars.

C🌙