Pan’s Labyrinth: The Labyrinth of the Faun audiobook

4.5 stars. Read it in one sitting, I didn't think I would like it that much!I'm one of the few who were disappointed by the movie, but I still decided to try the book. I didn't remember the movie at all, so I can't compare, but I heard the book follows the same plot with some additional details. Why did I like the book so much in comparison of the movie? That's a mystery!The illustrations were amazing (I wish there would be more than that, actually), the writing was poetic and the eerie atmosphere was perfect. I loved the mix between magic and war, but at some point it focused too much on the war for me, and that's where it lost half a star. A dark and beautiful story!

"Su padre, El Rey no pensaba darse por vencido en su búsqueda. El sabia que el espíritu de Moanna era inmortal y tenia la esperanza de que algún día regresara a casa. En otro cuerpo. En otro tiempo. Quizás en otro lugar.Esperaría.Hasta el ultimo aliento.Hasta el final de los tiempos""El mal rara vez toma forma de inmediato. Al principio se parece mas a un suspiro.Un atisbo.Una traición. Pero luego crece y se enraíza, aun invisible, desapercibido. Solo los cuentos de Hadas le dan al mal una forma en toda regla. Los lobos feroces, los reyes despiadados, los demonios...Ofelia sabia que al hombre que pronto tendría que llamar Padre era malo. Tenia en su mirada oscura la crueldad de los monstruos, de la criaturas que había conocido en sus libros. Su madre, sin embargo no veía su forma verdadera. La gente tiende a enceguecerse a medida que crece"Lectura ampliamente recomendable para quien le haya gustado la película o quien quiera leer una buena historia que combina perfectamente la fantasía, el drama y un contexto sociopolítico.Posee el guion y la novelización ,con historias/capítulos que le aportan mas profundidad, la amplían y acrecientan "el cuento de hadas" que hace parte de la historia.

Wow! Dieses Buch hat mich wahnsinnig begeistert! Ein Horror-Märchen, dessen Grundlage ein Film ist (den ich vorher nicht gesehen habe - Pany Labyrinth) >> Das ist ja schon einmal sehr ungewöhnlich. Der Film ist wohl 1 zu 1 nacherzählt, allerdings schmückt Cornelia Funke das Ganz zum einen durch ihren unfassbar wunderschönen und tiefgründigen Schreibstil aus und zum anderen ergänzt sie die Geschichte um kleine Kurzgeschichten, die sie neu "erfindet". Herausgekommen ist eine düstere und trotzdem wunderschöne Geschichte, die märchenhaft aber nicht abgedroschen ist. Das Ende hat mich zufrieden zurück gelassen, auch wenn es viel Interpretationsspielraum lässt - Aber ich mag so etwas (...wenn es gut gelöst ist) unheimlich gerne. Das Video zum Buch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBSUP...PS: ...und am Wochenende wird der Film geschaut!

This was one of my most anticipated releases of the year, and I was NOT DISAPPOINTED. Cornelia Funke (+ Guillermo del Toro) did it again. This is dark, twisted, whimsical and I'd recommend it for Halloween, and definitely not for kids if they don't like scary stuff.So TGW: Abuse, war, gore, slaughter, torture, death and other.Eventhough in the synopsis, it says there are multiple stories (which there are), there are all connected and form one bigger story, and also, the main story is always in the main focus so you can't read this as a short story collection.I loved all the creatures in this book, especially because in one point I wasn't sure if some of them are the good guys or bad guys which made me love the book even more. From all the characters, I loved Mercedes most due to how courageous she is and her role in the book.P.S I did not see the movie yet

This is one of the prettiest books and one of the most hauntingly beautiful stories I own. Some of you might be familiar with Guillermo del Toro's movie of the same name and yes, it is that story.Ofelia is a young girl living in Spain during Franco's regime. Her father is dead and her mother has remarried so she is now living with the dreadful Capitán Vidal. Her mother is only 32 years old but already disillusioned and heartbroken and therefore not able to really connect and communicate with her daughter. Suffice it to say that Ofelia's relationship with her stepfather is even worse.Add to that the constant danger as this is a time of conflict in Spain and the strain of her mother being pregnant with Ofelia's half-brother, it being a difficult pregnancy too, and you know why the girl is so desperately seeking shelter in her fairy tales.One day, while exploring her new surroundings, she discovers actual fairies and goes on her very own quest full of giant toads, mysterious keys, magical cures and dangers beyond imagination.Yes, I've seen the movie (the first time was many years ago) so I already knew what would happen, but reading the novel version of the story was enchanting regardless. I always loved this story because it so well captures the spirit of the fairy tales of old that weren't as bright and happy as the Disney versions so many children are exposed to nowadays. No, fairy tales were dark and frightening just like the real world because they were supposed to teach children how to recognize the monsters in order to survive. And yet, despite the grimness, there was always also a certain comfort in them as clever and good children usually found a way to persevere.Anyway, what makes this version of Guillermo del Toro's fairy tale so special is that the art comes from my favourite German author: Cornelia Funke. Before she ever wrote a book, she was a book illustrator and her style is somewhere between charming and gorgeous. She herself loves fairy tales (the original kind) as much as I do and as much as Guillermo del Toro seems to so this team-up was perfect.All illustrations are black-and-white but that rather enhances the feel of this story to be honest (and CF's illustrations always are b/w).This is how the single pages are designed, with the text framed by the magic tree(s):And then we get a few full-page illustrations of key moments, some of which are easily recognizeable to people who've already seen the movie:My favourite one is probably this one:So yeah, a gorgeous book with a fantastic if heartbreaking story that I'm very proud of having on my shelf. I cannot recommend this enough to young and old (and everyone in between).

‘Only books talked about all the things adults didn’t want you to ask about - Life. Death. Good and Evil. And what else truly mattered in life.’~Pan’s Labyrinth was originally a Spanish fantasy/horror film written and directed by Guillermo del Toro, that I believe was released in 2006. To say that I enjoyed the film would be such an understatement because to tell the truth, I absolutely adored it and still do. In my opinion it is one of the best fantasy films there is, and will always be special to me.Therefore, when I saw that Guillermo del Toro and Cornelia Funke (author of Inkheart) were collaborating and releasing a novelisation of Pan’s Labyrinth my excitement for this was through the roof! I’m delighted to say I wasn’t disappointed either, because this book was as enchanting, surreal and as captivating as I hoped it would be. I’d like to note that you do not need to have watched the film before reading this novel, in fact I’d personally suggest reading this one first. The story is set in a remote village in Spain, in 1944 after Franco's ascension to power and his dictatorship. A young girl called Ofelia is moving with her pregnant mother, after the death of her father, to live with her mother’s new husband - Vidal, who is a captain in Franco’s fascist army. What follows from there is the journey of Ofelia as she discovers a mysterious Labyrinth in the woods near her new home. Its a beautiful, luring place, but not without its dark side. She meets and a ghastly yet seemingly kindly faun called, Pan. However, the quests the faun sets her on are dangerous and filled with horror, and Ofelia soon questions whether she should trust Pan’s guidance. This book isn’t just a fairytale-esque adventure. Far from it actually, as the dark magical plot with Ofelia is set against the backdrop of a war torn Spain. Vidal, the Capitan, is as disturbing and dangerous as the fantastical creatures Ofelia meets. He is quick to temper, cruel, and has a rather sadistic side. There are resistance fighters hiding in the woods that are intent on liberating the rationed food and medicines they need. Vidal’s sole mission is to eradicate each one of them, which he relishes in doing. There are some quite violent scenes from him, that realistically show his psychopathic nature. He was one of those villains you could truly hate and wish for his comeuppance. Pan’s Labyrinth is most definitely multi layered and shows a stark and poignant portrayal of the horrors of warfare.I feel here that Del Toro and Funke both effectively illustrate to the reader that monsters come in all shapes and sizes. There are outright nightmarish monsters such as The Pale Man who eats children, then there are cruel, monstrous humans like Capitan Vidal, and there are also more subtle, manipulative beings like the Faun, who are just as perilous. I’m utterly awed by the amount of themes this beautiful short novel managed to pack in, and it just showed how perfect the fantasy genre is to reflect on so much.~‘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 fairytales give evil a proper shape. The big bad wolves, the evil kings, the demons and devils...’~The narrative also alternates between the past and the present, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Predominantly we follow Ofelia’s quest, and another main character, Mercedes, as she tries to protect her brother - a rebel resistance fighter. Then there were also many chapters that were seemingly separate short fairytales. These told stories of a princess who disappeared, a witch and a curse, a watchmaker, and so on, but these actually extremely cleverly intertwined with the main narrative. It was really gratifying picking up clues and discovering how all these narratives connected. The illustrations that accompanied the beginning of each of these tales were such a welcomed addition too as it truly enhanced the experience by seeing the visual representation of some scenes.I honestly feel that Pan’s Labyrinth is a ‘modern’ classic tale that pays homage to the style of the Brothers Grimm. Del Toro and Funke’s beautiful lyrical prose brings to life a story of loss, hardship, and ultimately of sacrifice. This is one novel I hope many will fall in love with, like I did. A huge thank you to Bloomsbury publishers for sending me a proof copy of Pan’s Labyrinth. This book is released on 2nd July 2019.All quotes used in this review are taken from an uncorrected proof and are subject to change upon publication.

Many thanks to HarperTeen for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest reviewI enjoyed the story but the truly amazing part of this book was its gorgeous design.| Goodreads | Blog | Pinterest | LinkedIn | YouTube | Instagram