Spinning Silver isn't so much a retelling of Rumplestiltskin, but as if Novik unspun the fairytale and rewove its themes and tropes into three new story threads. Since I haven't been paying attention, the most unexpected part of the book for me was that it involved Jewish characters--which I don't think I've ever seen in a fantasy novel before (I am aware there are some; I just haven't read them). Ironically, after I read this, I've been on a streak of Jewish/fairytale/winter reads, including
The Sisters of the Winter Wood, released in September.
Spinning Silver has a strong message about paying debts, and comments on what it would really mean to sell your unborn child. I love fairytale retellings in general, but this one had extra gravitas in light of the commentary for Jewish characters, and furthermore, it's a strong and funny story. I will definitely be reading Novik's other books. The last line made me laugh aloud, but I won't tell you what it was.
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