The Wedding Ghost - Softcover

Grade 7 Up This very strange tale begins like a traditional ghost story. Gillian Goodman and Jack Best (Jack and Jill) are about to be married. At their wedding shower, a gift arrives addressed only to Jack: an ancient parchment map. Later that night, Jack becomes obsessed with locating the place on the map. After some adventures he arrives at the castle of Sleeping Beauty. He realizes that he is the prince who is to awaken her, and debates the awakening for several pages, finally kissing her. As they are about to be married, the cathedral dissolves into a little church. He is marrying Jill, but Sleeping Beauty is there too. Once awakened, ``she would always be haunting him, and filling his heart with restless uncertainty and desire.'' It's a strange allegory of uncertain meaning, although beautifully written. The illustrations are equally strange, haunting pen-and-ink sketches which fit the mood of the tale well. This book seems more appropriate for scholarly debate over meaning by doctoral students in literature than for any but the most intellectual of older young adults. Constance A. Mellon, Department of Library & Information Studies, East Carolina Univ . , Greenville, N.C.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Jack is marrying Jill, despite all the hectic preparations.A wedding present is addressed just to Jacka map, which leads him to"The-Bird-in-Hand" public house. There he meets an old man and his grandson who take him on a ghostly vessel to "journey's end" beyond the fog. He's left in a dark and damp place, full of grinning skeletons. Then he enters a dust-laden mansion and realizes that he has found a "Sleeping Beauty" to whom he must give the kiss of life. This is a charming tale of haunt and humor. But it is convoluted; the esoteric entanglements of the storyline will disaffect most readers. Jack's having two brides will require explanations from parents, as will Keeping's black-and-white illustrations. They are good abstractions of the unreal and daunting features of Jack's task, but harsh. Ages 11-up.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.