Well that was… different.

I know the basic story of the bride who can be perfectly happy, but can never look at her husband goes way back, at least to Cupid and Psyche. However, Welty told this one really well.

She wrapped in the theme of the moral duality within every person, which was a nice touch. It added depth and complexity to the story.

Yes, the characters are outrageous and capricious, but that's what happens in fairy tales! They often have larger-than-life qualities that make them both fascinating and entertaining.

Welty's version of this classic tale manages to capture the essence of the original while also adding her own unique spin. It's a story that will stay with you long after you've finished reading it.

Overall, I really enjoyed this retelling and would highly recommend it to anyone who loves fairy tales or is interested in exploring the theme of moral duality.

I understand what it was trying to do.

However, that was slightly too problematic for me.

It seems that the intention was clear, yet the execution presented some difficulties.

Perhaps there were certain aspects that needed more refinement or a different approach.

Nonetheless, I appreciate the effort that went into it.

It is important to note that even though it didn't fully meet my expectations, there may still be value in it.

Maybe with some adjustments and improvements, it could become a more satisfactory solution.

I will continue to evaluate it and see if there are any ways to make it work better for my needs.

Overall, while it had its challenges, I remain open to exploring further possibilities.

This wasn't the best book I've ever read.

However, I guess it wasn't the worst either.

The book was short, which made it an easy read.

It was only slightly confusing, not to the point where it became a major hindrance.

The ending was just okay, not particularly outstanding or memorable.

I'm still not sure I really understand the point of the book.

Maybe I'm just not getting it, or perhaps the author's message was a bit too subtle.

But I wanted to give literature a chance, so I persevered through it.

Despite its flaws, there were still some aspects of the book that I found interesting.

It made me think about certain things in a different way.

Overall, it was an average reading experience, but at least it wasn't a complete waste of time.

I'll continue to explore different books and see if I can find something that really blows me away.

An Early American Struggle For Innocence

I was deeply moved to read further in Eudora Welty (1909 -- 2001) after perusing her newly published correspondence with her friend, the novelist and editor William Maxwell, as edited by Suzanne Marrs, titled What There Is to Say We Have Said: The Correspondence of Eudora Welty and William Maxwell. I commenced with Welty's short first novella, "The Robber Bridegroom" (1942), a work that was entirely new to me. Many of the reader reviews of this book were unusually perceptive and greatly assisted me with a book I initially found rather enigmatic.

Welty writes with exuberance, in a style brimming with brio, fantasy, long descriptive passages, strings of adjectives, and sudden shifts in mood and in written tempo. Despite being an early book, it showcases an author passionately in love with language and with word painting. The book is an amalgamation of diverse forms. Most prominently, it employs fairy and folk tales and mythology. Stories by the Brothers Grimm, the Cinderella fairy tale, and the Greek myth of Cupid and Psyche (where the god Cupid carries off a human woman to marry her and tells her she cannot see his face. When Psyche takes a peek, Cupid leaves her) are transposed into a story set at an indeterminate time in the 18th Century along the Natchez trail in the deep South. Welty also utilizes myth in a later work I have read: the 1949 collection of Mississippi stories called "The Golden Apples". She aims to demonstrate how these primal tales of human behavior and motivation carry forward into an American setting.
Besides using myth, Welty's book incorporates American folk-figures such as the riverboat man Mike Fink (celebrated by Disney many years ago) and the notorious "Harpe" brothers, a pair of robbers and murderers. Alongside the bravura, the myth, and the folk history, "The Robber Bridegroom" is characterized by gimlet-eyed toughness in a story replete with greed, violence, rape, and ignorance.
The main protagonist of the novel, Jamie Lockhart, is a double-sided figure, a dashing New Orleans businessman on one hand and a thief and killer in the woods on the other. He can be remorseless in this latter role yet he has a tender streak. The story centers upon Lockhart's rape of and subsequent marriage to a beautiful girl named Rosamond, a pathological liar. Rosamond is the daughter of Clement Musgrove, who has become a wealthy planter. Clement and Rosamond escaped when Clement's first wife and young boy were killed by Indians. Clement then remarries the shrewish Salome, who pressures Clement to work, to become wealthy, and to adopt an extravagant mode of life. Salome is jealous of Rosamond and attempts to do her in. Her efforts ultimately result in Rosamond's dishonoring by Lockhart. But Rosamond has fallen in love with her assailant and joins him with his gang of thieves in the woods. Much of the story turns on mistaken identity as Clement, whose life has earlier been saved by Lockhart, asks him to kill his daughter's rapist and promises him the daughter's hand as a reward.
Many American books are about the loss of an alleged innocence and frequently tie this loss to one or another historical event. In Welty's book, the innocent person is Clement. The first sentence of the book describes Clement as "an innocent planter, with a bag of gold and many presents." Clement has difficulty discerning the evil and greed in people, including Lockhart, his daughter, and his wife Salome. He endeavors to live simply and with contentment and remarks of himself at one point: "I know I am not a seeker after anything, and ambition in this world never stirred my heart once. Yet it seemed as if I was caught up by what came over the others, and they were the same. There was a great tug at the whole world, to go down over the edge, and one and all we were changed into pioneers, and our hearts and our own lonely wills may have had nothing to do with it."
In the course of her tale, Welty contrasts Clement's innocence with Lockhart and with Lockhart's relationship to Rosamond. Lockhart is a criminal but seems from the outset to possess some sense of restraint and decency. He refrains from killing Clement early in the novel when he could have done so and he later refrains from killing "Harp", who merits being killed. Although he violates Rosamond, he later treats her with apparent love and tenderness. After numerous melodramatic tribulations, Lockhart and Rosamond marry and have twins, including a daughter, Clementine. Rosamond almost ceases lying. Lockhart becomes a prosperous New Orleans trader. Welty remarks of him at the conclusion of the story: "Jamie knew he was a hero and had always been one, only with the power to look both ways and to see a thing from all sides."
Clement retains his innocence. When he visits New Orleans to sell his tobacco, he ignores both the beauty and the vice that surrounds him everywhere. As Welty states, "he was an innocent of the wilderness, and a planter of Rodney's Landing, and this was his good." Clement reconciles with Rosamond and Lockhart, but (Salome gets killed in the course of the story) he declines their invitation to stay in New Orleans with them. He returns to his plantation for the simple, innocent life of his dreams. It is the tension between Lockhart and Rosamond, their sophistication, ruthlessness, and success, and Clement and his struggle to retain his innocence that lies at the heart of "The Robber Bridegroom" and of Welty's portrayal of early America.
There is a tendency to view "The Robber Bridegroom" as simpler than it actually is. Without attempting to overemphasize it, I believe it is a challenging book.

Robin Friedman

I didn't really want to rate this because I read it for UGS 303: Fairy Tales in America.

This course has been an interesting exploration into the world of American fairy tales. The readings assigned, including this one, have provided valuable insights into the cultural, social, and historical aspects of these tales.

However, when it comes to rating the piece specifically, I find myself a bit hesitant. While it may have met the requirements of the course and offered some interesting perspectives, it didn't necessarily stand out as an outstanding work.

Perhaps it lacked the depth and complexity that I was hoping for, or maybe it didn't engage me on an emotional level. Nevertheless, I appreciate the effort that went into creating it and the knowledge that I gained from reading it.

In conclusion, although I didn't feel compelled to give it a high rating, I do recognize its value within the context of the course. It has contributed to my understanding of American fairy tales and has sparked further思考 and discussion.

I am an extremely huge fan of Welty. After reading the in-depth historical analysis of this novella, my appreciation for this so-called "fairytale" has increased even more significantly.

It is truly remarkable how Welty weaves together elements of history, culture, and human nature within the pages of this work. The historical context provides a rich backdrop that enhances the overall narrative and gives a deeper understanding of the characters and their actions.

Through this analysis, I have come to realize the hidden layers and meanings that might have otherwise gone unnoticed. It is as if a new world has opened up before my eyes, revealing the true genius of Welty's storytelling.

I now look forward to delving further into her other works, eager to uncover more of the treasures that lie within.

This book has been sitting on my bookshelf for a long time.

I have tried to read it many times, but I always gave up after just one or two pages because of its strange style and language.

However, I'm really glad that I never put it in the donation bag.

It turns out to be a very exciting story, which is a combination of a tall tale and a fairytale.

The language used in the book is very colorful, and the descriptions of the scenery are so vivid that it feels like you are right there.

The characters in the book are also very eccentric and interesting.

Although I finished reading it quickly, I'm sure I missed a lot of the symbolism and deeper meaning in the story.

Nevertheless, it was still a great read and I would definitely recommend it to others.

Based on a Brothers Grimm fairy tale of the same name, this novella showcases a masterful use of narrative compression, endowing it with the essence of a parable. Set prior to the American Revolution, Clement, a prosperous Southern planter, returns home after selling his tobacco to the British. He has to spend a night in town before journeying to his rural farm the next day. Sharing a bed with two other men, Clement discovers himself indebted to one of them, Jamie Lockhart - a bandit unbeknownst to Clement - for saving his life from the third man who drunkenly attempts to rob their bedmates during the night.

The next day, after a brief conversation with Jamie over breakfast, the men part ways. Clement returns home to his shrewish second wife, Salome, and his daughter, Rosamond, who is extremely beautiful and was born to his first wife. Rosamond spends most of her days singing romantic ballads when not being harassed by Salome. The wicked stepmother archetype is vividly portrayed in The Robber Bridegroom - and she is not only ugly but also plots to kill her stepdaughter for being too beautiful and too dear to her husband's affections.

Also present in the story is the old chestnut of mistaken identities, which is well-known to me from Elizabethan drama. One day, Rosamond returns home naked after being sent on a dangerous herb-picking expedition by Salome. She has just been robbed - yes, by Jaime Lockhart in disguise - of a new dress and petticoats purchased by her father on his recent business trip. Meanwhile, Clement invites Jamie Lockhart (without a mask) to dinner to ask him if he can track down the bandit who has molested Rosamond. In exchange, of course, for her hand in marriage. Rosamond then wanders off and discovers the bandits' hideout, where she begins to cook, clean for them, and sleep with Jaime.

If the above doesn't pique your interest, then this is not the book for you. Throughout, the style is, as I have mentioned, compressed and vivid. Welty has a remarkable talent for the elliptical soliloquy. It is a quick and enjoyable read, and a must for enthusiasts of the Southern novel.

A Mixture of Several Fairy Tales Tossed Together and Morons

This so-called work seems to be a haphazard combination of several fairy tales, all jumbled up without any real coherence or skill. It's as if someone took a bunch of well-known stories and randomly threw them together, hoping for some kind of magical result. But instead, what we get is a mess.

And then there are the morons in the story. Their actions and decisions are so absurd and illogical that it's hard to take the whole thing seriously. It's like the author was trying to be funny or edgy, but instead just came across as amateurish.

I have to admit that I may have liked this better if I hadn't read so many other properly written stories. Those other tales had engaging plots, well-developed characters, and beautiful language. They transported me to different worlds and made me feel a range of emotions. In comparison, this one just falls flat. It's a disappointment, really.

This was an extremely strange and crazy ride of a story.

Eudora Welty truly has a vivid and fertile imagination in her retelling of the Brother's Grimm fairy tale of the same name.

Welty gives her novella a distinct southern gothic twist by adding additional characters who are plucked straight from the annals of Mississippi history.

Fans of this style of tall tale will not be let down with the expected stock characters: a wicked stepmother, a beautiful damsel in distress, a doting father, a so-called "village idiot" (aptly named Goat), a dashing yet cunning suitor, and a band of thieves.

Welty's inclusions of Indians and the local (Mississippi) southern lore characters of Mike Fink and the Harp Brothers endow the tale with a dark quality and, at times, comical interactions.

I was thoroughly impressed by how rapidly the story evolved, and to be honest, it was incredibly hard to put down.

There were moments when I found myself wondering, "Really? Oh, remember you're reading a fairy tale."

I would not recommend this for a younger crowd as it may contain elements that could be too intense or inappropriate. However, adults will surely find this a fun, fast-paced escapade that offers a unique and engaging reading experience.

My motivation for reading The Robber Bridegroom was quite simple. It was because my GoodsReads group was engaged in a discussion about this particular book.

However, as I delved into it, I found that I didn't really warm to it. Throughout the entire reading experience, it seemed to me that Ms. Welty was more or less experimenting to see if she could successfully pen a folk tale. The book, in my opinion, resembled an exercise, as if she had assigned herself a class project.

Towards the end, I got the distinct impression that she had perhaps forgotten to incorporate Native Americans into the story. So, almost as an afterthought, she threw in a tribe for good measure.

All in all, this was definitely not my favorite book. It lacked the depth and charm that I usually look for in a literary work.

I have to admit - I enjoyed this novel more than I thought I would!

It's a slim volume, with very easy to read prose, witty asides and interesting turns of phrases. It reads like a fairy tale, tall tale and parable all rolled up in one.

The plot this story follows is very fanciful, full of mis-communications, unlikely coincidences, and meaningful imagery. While the story is inspired by The Robber Bridegroom, I feel there are also influences of the Greek myth Psyche and Eros and Beauty and the Beast. Which adds a lot of dimensions to the original fairy tales.

There are many references to stories and characters I did not pick up on - Mike Fink and the Harp brothers are mentioned in the plot summary - but probably more frontier legends and stories that I am not familiar with. In this case, this story seemed rich with lore, and I thought it very interesting how the author wove all these elements together.

The story moves quickly, and in very unconventional ways. The things that happen are sometimes nonsensical, but very in the tradition of fairy tales. I thought it was a lovely, well-written, unusual story with very broad characterizations and an interesting twist on The Robber Bridegroom fairy tale. It takes a fairly dark tale, and makes it brighter and more hopeful.

Overall, it was a pleasant surprise to discover this little gem of a book. I would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys fairy tales, or just a good, light-hearted read.