Spinning Gold by C. Margery Kempe

[reviews_and_ramblings]

This is the retelling of an old fairy tale with the added spicy that the poor girl who is able to spin gold from draw is a boy. There is a bit of magic in this story, obviously, but not the reason why Freawyne lives in the clothes of a girl: when he was born there was the war and his mother didn’t want to lose her son to the army, and so she dressed him as a girl, and for everyone else he was a girl. Now the mother of the boy is dead, and he is living, not quite happily, with a drunken father. The war is ended, and also the prince is back home, handsome and young, and without wife.

During one of the drunken stupor of his father, the man boasts that his daughter can spin gold, and the prince dares him; now Freawyne is on an isolated room in a tower with a lot of draw and no idea how to convert it into gold. Plus there is the little problem of his real identity.

This is only a short story, less than 25 pages, and obviously it can’t be so much developed, but nevertheless it’s a nice tale. Here obviously it can’t be arisen the old question of the chick in boy dress, since it’s clear that Freawyine is a boy who behaves like a girl: he was raised in that way, he is aware to be a boy, he is even well aware of his body desires, and not at all ashamed to satisfy them all alone in his bed, but for all the other side of his personality he is a girl. He likes boys, he thinks and behaves as a girl, he is not daring or strong, and he is fragile and delicate.

Another interesting thing is the prince’s character. There is a secret in his past, something that, in only 23 pages, it’s not fully explained, but that would make him an interesting character for a longer story.

If I had to choose one particular thing of this short story would be the “naughty” behaviour of Freawyne when he is alone. It’s quite funny to see how he worries night after night, how he is absolutely unable to find a solution by himself for his troubles, but nevertheless, how he is almost depending from his body. Even when he is presented with a safe and nice solution, something he should grab without asking, he let it go for the passing relief of sex. It’s a combination of innocence and naughtiness that is irresistible.

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Comments

Thanks!

[cmkempe.wordpress.com (from livejournal.com)]

My publisher sent me a link to your review and I have to say I'm delighted :-) Not just because you liked my story, but because you really offered an insightful analysis. It's a challenge to squeeze so much into a short story, I'm glad it came off well enough (so to speak!). I think these characters have potential for more adventures...

Thanks again for taking the time to write a review.

[angelabenedetti.livejournal.com]

I can't help it -- the author's pseud makes me laugh. :D The original Margery Kempe was a major whack-job; I wonder if this writer chose that name deliberately?

Angie