REVIEW | Hiddensee by Gregory Maguire

 

“Drosselmeier’s more delicate and individualized figures were reserved as gifts for Klara. A Russian princess in a painted wooden cloak. A Cleopatra in Egyptian blue. A charming family of pigs in graduated heights that stood on hind legs and wore nothing but pince-nezs, all of them, except the very smallest, who with a potbelly and a sour expression stood looking down and sucking her cloven hoof.”

 

Themes:

• Creation, in so many forms
• The influence dreams can have on real life
• What we lose and/or forget the further we get from childhood

This “tale of the once and future nutcracker” is fantastic! Much darker than I expected, Hiddensee actually focuses on the life of Drosselmeier, not the nutcracker. However, I loved this. Exploring the story of the legendary toymaker, known throughout this novel as simply Dirk, was a joy for this lifelong nutcracker fan.

I’ve never read something by Maguire before, so his style of writing—quite formal, somewhat blunt—took me a few chapters to get used to. I’ll admit that as I started this, I wasn’t sure if it would live up to my hopes and expectations. Once I grew accustomed to the voice, I found myself immersed in the world Maguire so masterfully builds and enjoying the language.

One element of this novel that I enjoyed overall was the variety of settings and cultures. We spend time in a little cabin in the woods, in a small parish, at a family’s summer manor, in the home of a somewhat eccentric family headed by a paper merchant and his beautiful Persian love, in a toy shop, at a seaside castle, and in the elegant residence of a well-off young family. The variety of lives Dirk leads and cast of unique characters reminded me of the many cultures displayed in the ballet, when they are performing for Clara. It entwined my understanding of the nutcracker’s story with this new retelling, and I loved the subtlety of it.

I also adored the inclusion of mythology! I am a Greek myth lover, so the moment I spot a reference in any book, I become quite excited. The use of Pan and Pythia throughout was a fascinating element that managed at once to be a background story line and the main plot. Their own curse and conflict is interesting, and the idea that the island of Hiddensee becomes the home for which they’ve spent so long searching is beautiful. I loved how Dirk as a creator is reinforced not only through his magical figures and toys, but through his finding of a home for these gods he became connected to in childhood.

I want to touch on Felix as a character, because I found him so endearing, dynamic, and essential to Dirk’s growth in a variety of ways.

A part that brought on a feeling of nostalgia for me was when Dirk is able to deliver a response from the Roman Catholic Bishop to Pfrarrer Johannes, after all that time. I liked how Dirk refused to abandon the events of his childhood, from becoming connected to Pan and Pythia, to this return to the Pfrarrer, who spent some time raising him, and finding some truth about his original parents.

Which brings me to my next point—Hansel and Gretel?! I loved the incorporation of this classic fairy tale into the larger one this novel focuses on. As both have dark, German origins, it felt right.

This intricate story captured me early on, and continued to intrigue and delight! I certainly recommend it.