Pan’s Labyrinth by Guillermo del Toro and Cornelia Funke
I have somehow managed to miss the film Pan’s Labyrinth and so I came to this novel unprepared for what I was going to encounter. I am familiar with the work of Cornelia Funke and imagined that this would be similar to her other book. It is an incredibly dark fantasy and is more suitable for adults than I had anticipated. I found some of the violence quite disturbing but was gripped and wanted to read on. I am not sure whether I would be able to manage to watch the film having read the book.
I loved the way fantasy, legend and magic are incorporated into war ravaged Spain and in some ways it reminded me of works by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. It is extremely well written and I am very pleased to have been given the opportunity of reading it. Many thanks to Net Galley and the Publishers for giving me c copy in return for an honest review.

Quality Rating: Three Stars
Enjoyment Rating: Three Stars

A literary adaptation of one of my favourite films by one of my favourite childhood authors? I literally couldn't wait. Guillermo del Toro and Cornelia Funke are both massive influences on me and have evolved the beloved fairytale genre into a contemporary and still vitally important sphere. I was hoping this book would uncover some of del Toro's other ideas that didn't make it into the film, and while you do get this in a few tiny little instances and through the beautiful fairytales Funke intersperses throughout the story, it's few and far between.

The main drag on my experience of this book was how much it spoon-fed you. I get that you can't lace the image with a million little hints to the overarching story like you can in a moving picture, but the problem with book-to-movie adaptations done backwards is that they spend far too much time trying to recreate the movie experience, rather than changing the story to fit with a literary format. As it is, the perspectives and locations are confusing because they jump about so rapidly in order to simulate editing that it's hard not to just let the original film play in your head instead of letting the book conjure up its own images.

There needs to be space for the writing to breath and expand itself. In adaptations, there's really three important things: character, meaning, and tone. Sure, the first two are there, but the make or break element of tone was lost because everything was so literal. It needed to be a retelling with a little creative license, not a written down version of a film. And that's not an easy task and with all due respect, these guys do a great job of recreating the movie on paper. But I don't think that was the goal - or shouldn't have been anyway.

Of course, the story is amazing. You can't get these two geniuses together and not make something good. But for me, it was the little fairytales - the one thing that was allowed to expand completely from the original film - that gave this 'retelling' strength. In traditional fashion, the folkloric tales parallel characters, events or lessons in the real world which gives the enhancement that you really need from a literary version.

If you're going to remake a story in another format, something needs to be added to it for it to be worth reliving in a different way. Do the illustrations and fairytales do that? Sure, why not. But it's not groundbreaking. I feel like the problem may have come from the target audience because while I was reading it really felt like it was made for younger readers - and in a way I love that, because Pan's Labyrinth does have darkness, and I think it's great something more real is made accessible for younger readers without being patronising. But at the same time, it really limits how far the novel could grow on its own, making it ultimately one in a long line of movie-to-book adaptations that make you wonder why you don't just watch the film.

I watched the film about 10 years ago and absolutely loved it. It was my first subtitled film and within minutes of it starting I was so engrossed in the story that I stopped noticing that I was reading subtitles. In fact, whenever I recall the film, in my mind it is always in English!! When I received an email from NetGalley advertising this book I knew I had to read it. I think I must have checked my emails a thousand times to see if I had been approved yet!! Finally it came through, I started reading it almost immediately and wasn't disappointed.

The novel's main storyline is very true to the film, which might make you wonder what is the point of reading the book. Well, Guillermo del Toro has provided little snippets of a backstory that helps weave the upper kingdom, the underground kingdom, present and past together. These snippets make it feel more like a fairytale than the film. However, don't let that, the beautiful illustrations and the fact the main character, Ofelia, is a little girl fool you into think this story is for children. It is not. Although magic, fairies and other mythical creatures appear throughout it is a dark, heartbreaking and brutal tale. It is set during the Spanish Civil War and this doesn't just provide a backdrop to Ofelia's adventures. The reader gets a glimpse of the brutality of war, one that would be wholly inappropriate for children.

So if you're an adult who likes a little bit of magic - a bit like a darker (and better in my opinion) Alice in Wonderland then this would be a great read for you. If you've recently watched the film I would give it a while before picking this up as the story is so similar. Allow yourself time to forget and then enjoy this beautifully written adaption.



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The movie was such a visual masterpiece, so how do you get a novel, pages of black and white, to have the same impact on the reader as the film had on the viewer?
It doesn't seem possible, and yet The Labyrinth of the Faun manages with ease, the imagery of this dark and magical story being brought to life in the beautiful writing.
The novel adds a new layer to the dark fairytale of Pan's Labyrinth, with its insight into more of the characters and the several folk tales that send a chill down the readers spine.
I love the movie and I love this book. It's a tale that lingers even once the final page is read.

Thank you NetGalley and Bloomsbury publishing for providing an ARC of Pan's Labyrinth one exchange for an honest review.

I have not see the film version of this story however, I did have preconceptions about it possibly being creepy/scary in nature I felt that the world building was well done and very atmospheric. It was written at a much more young adult level than I was expecting and so the scarier/creepier scenes were completely OK and not too dark for me. It felt like a modern-eque fairytale and had a nice twist at the end that I wasn't expecting. The book had gorgeous illustrations with most chapters which really added to the experience. I would recommend this as something a little different to while away a few hours.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bloomsbury Publishing (UK), for the review copy. This is an unbiased review of the author's work and style. If you want spoilers please see the publishers blurb and other reviewers' reports and also see the film. If you want the full impact read the book then see the film.
Guillermo del Toro & Cornelia Funke have brought the film to the page and with it comes the magic, atmosphere and the feeling of dread threat. Surprisingly, in this day and age of technical wizardry it is not a graphic novel (apart for some illustrations) so the reader is mostly left to picture the characters in his or her minds eye. Of course those of us who have seen the film do not get this wonderful opportunity - sigh.
Five stars all the way from the prologue to epilogue a glosious tale with a smattering of modern history as a back drop.
A modern adult fairy story to bring back the child in all of us.

As a huge fan of the film, I was very excited to see what could be done with a novel version, and boy was I not disappointed! This really fleshes out the magical world with folklore, new stories and the chance to experience this fantastical tale in a new way. Set in 1940's Spain, fatherless child Ofelia discovers a beautiful labyrinth near her new home and is soon drawn in to a mesmerising world of tricky fauns, child-devouring monstrosities, rebellion and courage. A film that is very special to me, now in a gorgeous book form!

I’ve never seen the film but after reading this I really want to watch it! I didn’t realise that the story is quite brutal. I really enjoyed the way the stories intertwined.

A very interesting read, but one that perhaps will prove both as flawed and as highly over-rated as the source movie. Yes, it's sacrilege to say, I know, but the "Pan's Labyrinth" film just washed over me, with its awkward mix of fairy tale and Spanish Axis soldiers stuck in a forest with weird stone places, trying to flush out the Maquis. Here, however, I actually found the balance to be better – the flashbacks to the origin stories of all the elements in the young girl's quest built up to a commentary on fairy tale as well as an example of it, in quite an Angela Carter fashion. It's clearer that our nasty, Vidal, is an archetype, and the scenes played out before us are timeless events waiting centuries for their turn to unfold, and not just tacked onto a screenplay because the director had a great friend who could be both the Fawn on some stilts and the Pale Man with his eyes in his palms.

As a result of reading this I think I'd actually like to revisit the film, although I am sure that now – as then – I would see a bloke in costume, and not a character, and the Pale Man as being a very weak link in the story. The fairy critters and the flipping watch symbols that del Toro cannot refrain from using will possibly rankle too. But I think this book, even though it reads at times like a straight translation from the screen to the page, will have added some more connection with all the ideas present here. Yet I still don't think the book is completely wonderful – it is very much a set of binaries, where this character is angelic and that horrid, and the Faun is definitely duty-bound to be one or the other. Also, while it reads very much on a par with del Toro's first, family-friendly fantasy novel "Trollhunters", it never shies away from the gore and body damage when it comes to it, meaning this is actually a bit too much for the PG-13 readership it might get. This book, then, doesn't have a perfectly clear picture on what it wants to be and to do, which makes it a prime companion to the movie. I think this is better, and will grudgingly round up to give it four stars, but it's not great.

Absolutely brilliant. Interleaved stories of cruel warfare, past cruelties and mythical adventures. Ofelia, after the death of her father moves with her mother to live with her stepfather, a fascist officer in a deep forest outpost in the Spanish Civil War. Its absolutely compelling, if you've seen the film you'll love it and want to see the film again.

I thoroughly enjoyed this tale. Been a long time since I read of fairies and all things enchanted. There appeared to be a more modern story running through this tale as well. A story of war and domination; of death and destruction but good will always triumph - as every fairy tale will tell you.
Very well written; very cleverly crafted.

I am probably one of few people who picked up this book without having seen the film. I've heard of it. I knew bits of the plot and had seen images of the characters but I hadn't ever sat down to watch it. Sacrilege I know. But when I heard of the book adaptation I leapt at the concept. True many film to book adaptations are cheesy and have little in the way of character or plot development. The authors that they pick aren't the best so I would normally be a bit cautious. However, I then saw Cornelia Funke's name linked to it and knew that we would be in good hands.

The 'Inkheart' books were a huge part of my childhood, primarily through her effortless wordcraft. That is something that has stuck with me since then. The beautiful lyricalness of her writing has stayed with me all these years later.

This book was no different. Her use of imagery, linking with the vision of Guillermo Del Toro, created a spine chilling world that was both fantastical and chilling. Though I can't link to its relationship with the film of the same name I can say that it effortlessly linked myth with reality. Showing that children can view the world so truthfully despite the wonder they feel.

I cannot wait to watch the film and see exactly how these stories relate. But as a product by itself, it was brilliant1

Having loved the film I couldn’t wait to get my hands on Cornelia Funke’s adaptation.

It sticks faithfully to the film and it has these wonderful folklore tales in between chapters which intertwine with Ofelia’s story.

A dark and beautiful fairytale, it was a joy to read.

Thanks to Bloomsbury & Netgalley for an ARC.

A faithful retelling of a cult classic film by the legendary writer and director Guillermo del Toro, perfect for both fans of the original and as a starting point for anyone unfamiliar with his work.
A well written deep dive into Spanish History and the political instability of the 1940s with a fantastical twist. It does not shy away from the dark tone of the film but instead, Del Toro's imagery and superb world-building skills match the original productions ingenious costume and set design.
Overall, this is a superb adaptation of a fantastic film.

Thanks to Bloomsbury Publishing Plc for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Admittedly, I started this book with a great deal of trepidation since I loved the film so much and still remains one of my favourites to this day. I honestly didn't need to worry too much at all. The novelisation is absolutely wonderful. Written in the style of a dark fairytale, the text compliments and adds a lot of meat to the original story, particularly Ofelia's relationship with the adults of the tale.

Perhaps the highlight, however, is the faun's expanded role which was a genuine delight to read.

Highly recommended. Will post reviews to Goodreads and Amazon.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Pan’s Labyrinth: The Labyrinth of the Faun was an excellent book and I will definitely be buying it. I hadn’t ever watched the film, so I went in totally blind which is how I liked it.

“It is said that a long, long time ago, there lived a princess in an underground realm, when neither lies nor pain exist, who dreamt of the human world. Princess Moanna dreamt of a perfect blue sky and an infinite sun of clouds, she dreamt of the sun and the grass and the taste of rain…So, one day the princess escaped her guards and came to our world.

Soon the sun erased all her memories and she forgot who she was or where she came from. She wandered the earth, suffering cold, sickness, and pain. And finally, she died.”

Her father, King of the Underworld, never gave up his search for her and was convinced she would return to him one day in another form.

Pan’s Labyrinth is written in a fantastic way. It is like one massive fairy tale with a series of fairy tales within it. There is the overarching story of Ofelia with the tales of other characters and things central to the story sandwiched in between. I haven’t done a particularly good job of describing it, but I loved how it was written.

The main story begins in 1944 in the North of Spain whilst the country is still under the grips of Franco. In a forest so old it could tell stories long past and forgotten by men. A young girl named Ofelia is travelling with her mother to the home of her mother’s new husband.

“Her name was Ofelia and she knew everything about the pain of loss, although she was only thirteen years old.”

Ofelia’s father, an excellent tailor has not long died, and Ofelia is still in the throws of grief.

Her mother was a character I felt great contempt for throughout the book, but I will get to that a minute. First, I want to talk about how much I loved some of the references to books. In particular, the following quote:

“The only piece of home Ofelia had been able to take with her were some books…When she opened the book, the white pages were so bright against the shadows that filled the forest and the words they offered granted shelter and comfort.”

Whilst travelling in the forest Ofelia comes across an unusual object and a fairy but is called away from exploring further by her mother, Carmen.

Carmen was a broken woman who was fearful of everything and looked to a man to save her and her child from the situation.

“This world was ruled by men – her child didn’t understand that yet – and only a man would be able to keep them both safe. Ofelia’s mother didn’t know it but she also believed in a fairy tale. Carmen Cardoso believed the most dangerous tale of all: the one of the prince who would save her.”

Ofelia knew Carmen’s new husband was evil, she had read enough books to see the signs but her heavily pregnant mother was oblivious.

“Books could have told her so much about this world and about places far away, about animals and plants, about the stars! They could be windows and doors, paper wings to help her fly away. Maybe her mother had just forgotten how to fly. Or maybe she learned.”

Ofelia knows Vidal is a wolf even if her mother isn’t yet aware.

In her new home she meets a servant named Mercedes who is harbouring a secret, a secret Ofelia keeps for her. Mercedes brother Pedro is one of the resistance fighters hiding in the hills and Mercedes is secretly helping him and his friends.

All of this is going on in the background whilst the story of Ofelia and the labyrinth is unfolding. I don’t really want to say anymore for fear of spoilers, but I adored this book and its beautiful illustrations.

Pan’s Labyrinth has the best closing lines I have read in a book for a long time.

“It’s always just a few who know where to look and how to listen, that is true. But for the best stories, a few are just enough.”

I loved the film and loved the book even more. I was gripped by the complex plot and spellbound by the fairy tales that were woven through it. Wonderful!

Having never seen the film, I wasn’t 100% sure what to expect. What I got was a fairytale fantasy, full of dark imagery and enchanting story telling.

Pan’s Labyrinth is a combination of seemingly unrelated fairy stories, intermingled with chapters from multiple POVs. I say seemingly unrelated because as the story progresses, it’s clear these are all linked to the story being told by our main character, a young girl called Ofelia.

Ofelia has moved with her heavily pregnant mother to live with her stepfather, Vidal, a vicious captain in the Spanish army. As the civil war brews on and the resistance continues to challenge the captain, Ofelia meets Pan, the faun, who tells her she is the missing Princess Moanna and that to return to the Underground Kingdom she needs to complete three challenges.

As the challenges get progressively harder, Ofelia faces the devastating loss of her mother and the constant fear of her stepfather. Can she complete the challenges before it’s too late?

A great read with well written characters and an elaborate plot line. The short and snappy chapters allowed for quick reading and switching between different times and POVs.

4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher (Bloomsbury Publishing Plc) for providing a copy. All opinions are my own and provided willingly.

How was I ever supposed to pass this novel by? Below I will go into a little bit more detail about why a novelization of Pan’s Labyrinth would have drawn me in straight away, but let’s just say that I adore it wholeheartedly. This actually meant that I went into the reading of it almost fearfully. What if it didn’t live up to my expectations? How would this affect the way I saw the film? Would it at all? So many questions, and yet del Toro and Funke were safe hands to place myself in. Thanks to Bloomsbury Publishing Plc and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book.

Pan’s Labyrinth was one of the first movies I discovered on my own and for myself. I read about it in an article in, I believe, The Spiegel, and then convinced my German granddad to buy the DVD when I visited him shortly after. So there we were, both lovers of literature and fairy tales, and we were utterly swept away by the sheer beauty of del Toro’s film. We were also shocked by the violence of the Capitan, oddly fascinated yet disgusted by the Pale Man, and heartbroken at the end. Pan’s Labyrinth is a film I have never stopped loving and have found new appreciation for again and again. Meanwhile Cornelia Funke was a big part of my childhood from the moment Inkheart landed in my lap. My father read it to me as I was young in what became a very meta experience. As he read to me of character being read to life, Funke’s story came to life for me. It was perhaps the first novel to make me think of books and characters as things that were real and that could affect your life. Together, del Toro and Funke’s works have played major roles in shaping how I look at stories, so the coming together of the two in this adaptation of Pan’s Labyrinth is simply too much.

Pan's Labyrinth is a story about magic and childhood, about loss and pain, about love and hate. Ofelia is cast adrift in a new surrounding, a mill engulfed by a forest. Her father has died and her mother has married the Capitán, a fear-inspiring and cruel man. Ofelia's only escapes are fairy tales, until a fairy takes her to a labyrinth, where a faun explains to her she is a princess and must complete three tasks to regain her place in the Underworld. Magic and reality begin to collide, as everything around Ofelia unravels. This novel is not just a retelling of the film, it is a broadening of the whole experience. del Toro's film is focused largely on Ofelia, although we do get some insight into the inner lives of the adult characters. This novel delves into their personalities much more, showing us the fragility of Carmen, Ofelia's mother, the steel that runs through Mercedes, and the mercilessness of the Capitán. It also provides the labyrinth and Ofelia's origin with more background and I loved discovering this new aspect of the story. In the end, both on its own and in addition to the film, Pan's Labyrinth is a great read.

Pan's Labyrinth is a retelling that celebrates its new medium and invites new readers to its story. Although the film is definitely R-Rated, the novel leans more towards the YA genre. Its writing is generally simple but evocative, with the dialogue kept to a minimum and relying mostly on showing rather than telling. Part of the reason why Pan's Labyrinth is such a beautiful and meaningful story is that it is very fantastical and yet incredibly grounded. del Toro and Funke find a great balance between highlighting the magic of the natural world, the precociousness of a child, and the horror of the human world. It all comes together into a story that transports the reader. At times Pan's Labyrinth feels a bit like a fable, as del Toro and Funke don't shy away from putting the moral right there on the page. However, it doesn't overwhelm the novel and rather adds to its almost legendary feel. There are also some beautiful phrases in this novel, many in relation to magic, love and storytelling. One that stood out to me early on is below:
'The letters were like footprints in the snow, a wide white landscape untouched by pain, unharmed by memories too dark to keep, too sweet to let go of.'
Stories such as these transport the reader, showing them a path that may lead through pain and hardship but also leads to the sweet things. I simply adored del Toro and Funke's Pan's Labyrinth.

It should have come as no surprise that I would love the novelization of Pan's Labyrinth since I adored the movie. del Toro and Funke expand beautifully upon the existing story, adding new layers to both the characters and the narrative itself. Anyone who has loved the film or is looking for an enchanting and engrossing fantasy novel, this is the read for you!

Ok, I have always been and will always be a fan of Guillermo Del Toro's Pan's Labyrinth. Every new friend I have made since it's 2006 release has been made to sit on my lounge and watch it in utter silence while I make eyes at my tv screen - it's a write of passage and it will continue until I die or media becomes outlawed. When I saw it was being immortalised in a novel, I made grabby hands and frantically sent a message to my like minded bestie (she's to blame for my addiction tbh) who proceeded to message me every few hours to see if I had managed to score a copy.

Let me tell you right now, I really REALLY don't like most books made into movies and vice versa. Five Feet Apart was so emotionally gripping on film but made me feel just a had like the most horrible person alive when I couldn't connect with the novelization. But this was different. Usually there is creative license taken and I stare angrily at the screen/book cursing the second recreation's existence. But this was so freaking close, I could literally see the movie playing as I read the words. It was beautiful *insert ugly crying here*.

So for those who have never seen the movie, it is a tale set in Spain in 1944 whereby the main character Ofelia is forced to move in with pregnant mother's new husband after he moves to a new posting. Over the course of the novel she tells her unborn brother a series of stories about fairies and tricksters so as to pass the time as her mother gets sicker. It's a gut wrencher with a poetic ending and it gets me in the feels every time.

Going in I was definitely worried it wouldn't live up to the movie but it turned out to be just as beautiful as the film. The characterizations were spot on, the occasional perspective of the fairy was interwoven seamlessly and the ending? Well it killed me again. Basically what I'm saying is congratulations to Cornelia Funke and Guillermo del Toro for taking my heart, ripping it out and stomping all over it with your beautiful words and haunting prose. Excuse me while I sob uncontrollably and read it again.