Once upon a time in midwinter, when snowflakes fell from the sky like feathers, a Queen sat sewing at a window with an ebony frame . . .
Snow White’s theme is the eternal struggle between inner virtue and outward beauty, characterized by the young girl and the aging Stepmother.
A breathtakingly enigmatic and powerful woman beyond her years, the Stepmother feels so threatened in her grip on life by innocent, beautiful Snow White, that she is ready to do anything within her power to destroy the rightful heir and remain Queen.
The King (Snow White’s father), the Dark Count (the Stepmother’s evil counselor), the Hunter (seeking to please the Stepmother and become one of her numerous lovers), and the Seven Dwarves, each guiding Snow White into learning an important lesson in life, are merely the cornerstones of the dramatic action through which the woman and the woman to become are driven in their intense struggle to establish who truly is “the fairest of all”.
In the quest to secure her reign, the Stepmother draws on everything physical and of this world: flashing colors, sweet perfumes and fragrances, stunning dresses, sparkling gems and strong, handsome men.
But Snow White, in all her innocence and what little she deems within her power, begins to reach out for her inner qualities, finally surpassing the evil queen like a shooting star and restoring love and life to a dark and troubled world.
Of course, the Seven Dwarves also play a major part in the enchantment of the story. Snow White spends a long time with them before she is ready to face and conquer the Stepmother.
Though they love to sing and dance and eat and celebrate, and however small those shrewd and funny characters may be, the Dwarves are very wise and very old. And though they grow very fond of Snow White and dearly love her, they are not always easy on Snow White learning what she needs to know to become Queen. But they have their own, charming way of bringing that across.
In this ultimately genuine version of Snow White, there will be plenty of historical truth, giving it the kind of credibility as if it really happened some two hundred years ago somewhere in the German Forests.
There will be romance and sex appeal through the contest of the young girl and the aging woman, not to forget the handsome men around the Stepmother and, of course, the Prince who finally takes Snow White to his kingdom.
We witness the black magic of the Stepmother, supported by the Dark Count, and even attempted murder to be executed by the compliant Hunter.
And there will be the all transcending wisdom of the mysterious Dwarves, clearly delivering the message that everything may be overcome by seeking to discover the inner forces we have all been given.
And through their prudent use, each of us one day will be king or queen and come into our rightful inheritance.
Don’t search outside, but look within.
The Seven Dwarves are living proof
That all of us can win.
Mind you, The True Snow White wasn’t written to please everyone. For those who reject it, there will be enough stories in this world to keep them entertained for the rest of their lives.
But those who love it are in need of every bit of encouragement they can find to reclaim their rightful inheritance and guide them safely home.
And so I proceed with the strictly limited Premiere Edition of twelve hundred English language copies of The True Snow White, chiefly designed and handcrafted by myself with the tireless assistance of Snow White, the Prince, and the Seven Dwarves, to venture all over the world.
You will be wise to order one, both for yourself and any of your loved ones, personally signed by the author and dedicated to each new owner, for they will be collectors’ items soon, and once they are gone, you will be waiting along with everybody else for a future, general release.
Yet this is only the beginning of a marvelous dream come true. I extend my heart-felt invitation to come and regularly see us at www.thetruesnowwhite.wordpress.com. You will be surprised about the many exciting opportunities we have for you to join us on our journey. And chances are, you’ll be forever glad you did.
The greatest gift
We can give each other
Is the truth . . .
Snow White concludes. It’s not our entire self that has to die, just some of our old attitudes, so we can truly live! And if we are wise and serious about the truth, we’ll change our minds until we are right.
To every fellow traveler on our wondrous journey through the universe, with great respect and love, I dedicate this book.
Harald Walter Azmann
August 31, 2007
_____
Harald Walter Azmann, born on Sunday, March 13, 1960 in Klagenfurt, Austria is yet alive and well, and lives with his lovely wife of nearly 25 years and their six children near the mountains, lakes and forests of their beautiful land.
The True Snow White is more engaging than you’d think a retelling could be, yet still retains the atmosphere of an old-fashioned fairy tale.
While clearly based in the Grimm Brothers’ version, it takes the reader deeper into the story - and into the mind and heart of Snow White - than any version I have read before.
This leads to, for me, the most refreshing aspect: how human Snow White becomes. No longer is she an idealized, stereotypical Disney princess. She has her good days and her bad, her positive attributes and her negative.
Finally, her story is not about a girl waiting to be rescued from a glass box, but about the coming of age of a young woman. This, not the omnipresent cartoon version, is the sort of Snow White I want my daughter to care about!
Abigail Mieko Vargus, Editor
I truly enjoyed the positive message in The True Snow White - it’s a refreshing spin on the traditional tale that most of us are so familiar with.
In particular, Snow White’s time with the Seven Dwarves is elaborated on in an interesting - and undoubtedly more profound - manner, melding lessons from traditional Christianity, Buddhism and other meaningful new age genres.
The lessons Snow White learns from her seven friends are timeless ones, and certainly hold a message that any reader will be moved to contemplate further and ultimately benefit from.
In a day and age when children, as well as adults, can stand to learn some valuable life principles from such a beloved and time-honored tale, The True Snow White brings a unique twist to a classic with solidly written and masterfully flowing prose.
The writing manages to paint a vivid and lively picture for the reader while still maintaining the integrity of the story line. The life lessons that Snow White learns are delivered in compelling, subtle scenarios - without cramming holier-than-thou religious dogmas down the reader’s throat in a preachy tone.
Rather, the simple but significant teachings of the Seven Dwarves are universal in language as well as truth, ultimately concluding that to find happiness, one must seek and find their true self - and to that self, be true.
The True Snow White is a must-read for young and old alike, showcasing a beloved tale with valuable wisdom about setting oneself on the path of right knowledge. I highly recommend this book to anyone who seeks an enjoyable, as well as insightful, read of a classic fairy tale.
Dawne Brooks, Editor
The True Snow White is an excellent story, and unlike many translations and so-called retellings, this fresh approach to the Grimm Brothers’ familiar tale presents a story that today’s audience can appreciate and characters that will appeal to readers of all ages.
Tackling a highly beloved and popular tale such as this is no quick and easy task. In fact, most English language versions of the Grimm Brothers’ stories are simply unreadable, and looking at some of the German originals, one realizes how much of their natural flow and language has been lost.
Past experience has shown that it’s far from easy for contemporary Anglo-American writers to move safely in the classic fairy tale world without sliding into weird and artificial fantasy, partly because they have little reference, if any at all, to undistorted fairy tale renditions from their early childhood.
Indeed, most of them seem to find it impossible to resist twisting the tone and voice of any historic source material to suit their own, spur-of-the moment idea, rather than taking a classic theme and structure that has already been laid out and truly getting it to shine.
Part of the challenge here is in understanding that the fairy tales collected and published by the Grimm Brothers were never intended to be written compositions, but a record of ancient, oral tradition. Consequently, in adapting them one has to entirely refrain from applying any kind of modern writing style and simply record them as they would have been recounted around some long gone, family evening fireplace.
Clear enough, but it took The True Snow White years of trial and error to finally arrive at the proper way of expanding from a 12-page story into one that ran slightly more than 250 pages while maintaining that elusive fairy tale feeling.
But who would think that the original Snow White as first recorded by Jakob and Wilhelm Grimm and reworked countless times in the last two centuries, would be the kind of fairy tale in need of yet another retelling? There certainly doesn’t seem to be anything left to learn from it: a girl who is too good and beautiful to be true, and her completely improbable rescue from a stepmother who is too villainous to be believed.
The rescuers, first a band of helpful dwarves and then the standard handsome prince, don’t have anything else to do but get Snow White out of the trouble that her goodness and beauty got her into. When I was a child, I had no use for Snow White. She was pretty without trying, well behaved without being prodded, and loved by just about everyone.
I had a sister like that, and didn’t blame Snow White’s stepmother one bit for wanting to get rid of her. And whenever I read the fairy tale or watched the Disney movie, I lost interest as soon as Snow White was in the glass coffin. As far as I was concerned, that was the happy ending.
In refreshing contrast, the title character in The True Snow White is much easier to identify with.
Despite her kindness, Snow White can be stubborn, whiny, and a real brat. She disobeys her father, who is too self-absorbed to pay her much attention, and talks back to her stepmother, who isn’t so much evil as insecure and narcissistic. It’s Stepmother’s formidable command of the forces of darkness that makes her so dangerous.
Snow White complains about being lonely and amuses herself by sneaking off to visit the poor people in the village, or by playing by herself in her tower castle on the royal estate.
She doesn’t act much better when she has taken refuge with the dwarves. They tell her time and time again not to let strangers in when she is home alone. But does she listen? Of course not. Even though she comes to grief each time, Snow White, like most of us, doesn’t always do as she is told, even when it is for her own good.
These are the kind of characters that readers can understand. And this is where The True Snow White departs the most from earlier tellings of the story: she really doesn’t have anything to learn, but under the tutelage of the dwarves Snow White is brought to a realization of what she already knows in her heart, to trust it, and to act accordingly.
In this way The True Snow White gently conveys life lessons in a way that isn’t preachy or condescending. It’s charming tone preserves the melody and cadence of the original, the main characters are realistic, and the attention to detail is flawless.
Indeed, this is a Snow White for the twenty-first century!
Jena M. Gaines, Editor
PH.D. in History, B.A. in Anthropology
Limited Premiere Edition Image
To some, The True Snow White is simply a fascinating story, while for others, it may well be one of the most unusual and rewarding investments in the world today.
But whatever your view, this is your once in a lifetime chance at a bibliophile rarity sure to instantly soar in collector’s value and appreciation: the strictly limited, English language version of The True Snow White - Limited Premiere Edition.
These fine, leather-bound jewels, chiefly designed and handcrafted by the author and his ingenious helpers, are individually numbered, signed and personally dedicated to each new owner.
Price
The price is USD 80.00 plus worldwide courier shipping. And there will be only 1,200 English language copies worldwide, ever! Looking at more than 380 million native speakers - and this vast audience, when combined with second language speakers, rising to more than a billion - you can imagine they’ll be gone very quickly. So hurry!
Numbering
All copies of The True Snow White - Limited Premiere Edition will be numbered and personalized in the order of receipt of payment. While we cannot guarantee a certain number, you are welcome to include a preference in your PayPal payment’s comments section, which if already taken will be matched with the nearest available number up or down. And for those who for reasons of their own wish to avoid a certain number, you can also state which one you DO NOT want to have.
Dedication
With your payment, please clearly state the recipient’s name, and in which of these two formats you want his or her copy to be personalized.
Style A: Prince Christoffer
Style B: Prince Christoffer Azmann
The time is right
You see, the time is right and always has been for stories of this depth and quality. For whoever and wherever you are, the Seven Dwarves will assist and guide you if you’ll just be honest with yourself.
Allow yourself to be fascinated and enchanted by one of the world’s greatest stories, presented in an equally great and timeless way.
The True Snow White - Limited Premiere Edition is most likely one of the most
Concerning orders, please send all inquiries and comments here.
Enjoy The True Snow White growing entirely interactive, and discover a world of surprises at www.thetruesnowwhite.wordpress.com, where you can keep abreast of our daily progress, exciting news and developments, find free downloads, and read what the world has to say -
Jaclyn Haydamacha, Los Angeles: I think The True Snow White, if done the right way, could literally blow people away... / Martie Ashworth, California: This is so much fun that I wonder why it hasn’t been done already. Very creative... / Tommy Dickie, New York: Fantasy provides us with a world of opportunity, and we can collaborate to create the rules of that world, which supplies endless opportunities to how far we can go in any given direction... / Mickey Corporon, New York: I love characters who we think we know, but on closer inspection realize they have some explaining to do. Like why doesn’t Snow White just tell her father what’s going on? Why stay in a house with seven little men and be their slave? Exploring that would be really interesting... Read more comments »
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