The Nutcracker: A Perfect Christmas Fairy Tale

So when I was a little kid, every year the Disney Channel would run an animated Nutcracker movie. And I loved it! And still now, I will think back to that movie and remember Marie and the mouse king and Toyland. It is such a wonderful tale, that I can’t believe a good newer adaption hasn't been made. But this year around the holidays, I decided to read the book and see what the source material really is. So here is my review on The Nutcracker by Alexander Dumas.

The story begins on Christmas and two children, Marie and Fitz, rush to get their gifts under the tree. Among the gifts, Marie finds this hideous wooden nutcracker and immediately feel sorry for it when it breaks easily. So she claims it as her own says she will make him better and bandages him up. But when night falls, mice begin to flood into her room led by a seven headed mouse king and the nutcracker comes alive to lead the toys into battle. The next day no one believes her but she knows she’s not losing her mind. She looks into the history of the nutcracker and tries her best to keep the dreaded mouse king at bay.

The good? This is an incredibly charming Christmas fairy tale. I love it. It’s so simple, yet it’s a great story. The imagination is wonderful. And this does keep the reader guessing. Remember, I never read the book before. I’ve only seen movies so a lot of this was new to me. But as the book goes along, you wonder if she has an over overactive imagination or if it’s all real. And the ending reveals the fact that magic is real.

The bad? This is an old book. So it is written in a fashion that is quite different than most say, young adult novels written today. It’s not as dense as Jane Eyre. It just has a different style and pacing than some readers are used to. And that may turn some readers away.

Overall, this literary classic and I can see why it is such a classic. It’s imaginative, charming, and enchanting. Its such a great tale, I am shocked that A Christmas Carol overshadows it so much. It is the perfect book to read around Christmas.

4 Smoothies out of Four.

Overall Rating: A Perfect Christmas Fairy Tale