He tells his stories with the same louche, ominous disdain of the M.C. in Cabaret...It’s positively delectable. I had no idea Mr. Cunningham had it in him.
Tart humor has always been the antidote to Cunningham’s occasional over-investment in his gorgeous prose, and his wicked wit is particularly welcome when directed at those who usually get off scot-free in fairy tales.
A good adaptation makes the reader want to go back and revisit the original, something Cunningham's A Wild Swan fails to do...That Cunningham strips these stories of their magic seems, to me, unforgivable. If I am inclined to go back to the originals after reading Cunningham it is only because I feel compelled to rescue them from this fundamental violation.
