Title Mermaid
Author Carolyn Turgeon
Published by Headline Review in 2011
Edition Kindle edition (also available in paperback)
(from the publishers website) One prince, two women: only one can win him. The other will die. While in hiding at a remote convent, a king's daughter sees a magical being dragging a shipwrecked man to the shore. The creature is a mermaid princess - the youngest daughter of the Sea Queen - but she shares more with her human counterpart than her royal blood.
By saving a young man's life, both women have sacrificed their hearts. In one moment, the lives of the princesses, mortal and mermaid, are transformed forever.
My Review
I've know about this book for a year and it's been on my to read list since. A couple of days ago I finally sat down to read it and became addicted. It was really hard to tear myself away from this book, grabbing every chance I could to read it, 5 minutes here 5 hours there. It was one of those books that, although I was excited about it, I was also a bit dubious. 'The Little Mermaid' is and has been since I was 4 one of my favorite childrens stories. In fact it is one of my favorite stories in general. I loved both the original by Hans Christian Anderson and Disneys more sugary version.
The most striking aspect of 'Mermaid' for me is the description of the mermaids and the merworld. Although I've always loved mermaids I guess I've never really thought about the logistics of their environment and how they would be adapted to survive underwater. Turgeon gives such a vivid description of the mermaids and their world. In her vision, the mermaids skin is hard and cold to the touch, they have gills for breathing, lay eggs and eat live fish. They are beautiful creatures with horrifying aspects. The description of the human world is also so real and detailed, Turgeon is so confident in her portrayals of both worlds that it makes it so easy to believe it all and get lost in her creation.
The three main characters of this story are Lenia the mermaid, prince Christopher and princess Margreathe. I found all three characters very likeable. The human princess hasn't been explored before. Here in 'Mermaid' the character comes to life and is actually an integral part of the story. Both the princess Margreathe and prince Christopher are flawed characters who grow through their experience with the mermaid. Both of the characters Royal status allows Turgeon to integrate politics, war and poverty into the story.
Lenia is still the same mermaid we know from 'The Little Mermaid', she's still fascinated by the human world, still falls in love with the human prince and the idea of eternal life through a soul. In 'Mermaid' we also get to see other sides of the character and her personality is explored more, she's strong, knows her own mind and has great determination. She also has a very childlike innocence in some parts. Turgeon cleverly uses this innocence as a way to clearly show the reader that this is an adult story, it's about worlds that are beautiful but that are also often cruel. When Lenia comes to the human world it's as if she is physically assaulted through new smells, sensations and emotions. Towards the end of the book there is a lovely surprise, an addition to the original story. Without giving too much away there is an event that really develops the character in a way the reader will have never seen before. Yes Lenia is a tragic character but she is by no means a weak character. She is very likeable and relateable.
The story is told in two parts, from the point of view of both the mermaid and the princess. The chapters alternate between the too, this helps move the story along as it can jump on a few days or weeks and you get a more rounded view. There were a couple of parts where I felt the story wasn't progressing quick enough but I think this was more to do with the fact that I couldn't read it fast enough, wanting to find out what happened next, rather than a fault on the authors part.
The ending was beautiful, one of the best parts of the story. In some ways for some characters it could be considered a happy ending but sticking to the original it's generally a sad ending ... with a surprise. 'Mermaid' is a lovely read, I think it would appeal to a new audience and for already established 'Little Mermaid' fans, it's well written and well thought out
The little mermaid is still one of my favourite stories, the Disney version is for the 4 year old me, Hans Christian Anderson is for the 10 year old me and 'Mermaid' is for the adult me. I'll be investing in a paperback copy and it will be a treasured addition to my bookcase.
