The Snow Queen is a fairytale by Hans Christian Anderson and was first published in 1845. There have been many adaptations over the years but it is still written as a story about the struggle between good and evil. The Snow Queen remains to be one of my most favourite fairy stories. This wonderfully magical tale is about two children, Kai and Gerda who suffer at the hands of an evil Queen and is still one of the most highly acclaimed stories by both readers and critics alike.

For me, when I begin to think about the onset of Christmas, the story of ‘The Snow Queen’ always pops straight into my head. The thought of those wintry nights and the flutter of soft snowflakes conjure an illusion of exciting, mystical beings, lurking somewhat secretively under the lamplight, and so I have to rush over to my DVD player and get my fix of magic.

One of my all time favourite adaptations of this film starred Bridget Fonda. I thought she was the most captivating Snow Queen and the story enthralled both me and my children. The story originally aired on the Hallmark Channel as a two part-part mini series but has since been released on DVD. I think I enjoyed this film version the most because the opening and ending were set in a more modern and realistic setting which naturally made the tale more believable. Another difference to the story is that both Kai and Gerda have romantic links rather than being just good friends. The Snow Queen wants Kai all for herself and she is intentionally malicious to Gerda. However, refusing to let him go, Gerda sets out on a quest to reclaim her stolen love travelling through the four seasons – Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter in search for the one who has been named the “Snow Queen”. She must free Kai from the Snow Queen’s spell before he completes the task of re-building a mirror, created by the devil himself, to make it forever winter.

Another rather Christmassy novel is “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe”. I have noticed that in many books and films, the character of ‘The Snow Queen’ have been remodelled and I believe this most definitely happened to create the White Witch in the high fantasy novel, written for children by C. S. Lewis in 1950. Again, youngsters fight against good and evil and the wicked witch Jadis has cursed Narnia, wishing to rule it herself. I really enjoyed the Chronicles of Narnia and I personally feel that when you’re in the mood to snuggle down with a good book or film, this is yet another great classic that mustn’t be missed.

Best wishes,
Lynette

The Amazon UK Link: The Snow Queen in Hardback by Hans Christain Anderson & Christian Birmingham:
http://tinyurl.com/ln6vlka

The Amazon US Link: The Snow Queen in Hardback by Hans Christain Anderson & Christian Birmingham
http://tinyurl.com/owbezq7

The Amazon UK Link to the Kindle Version: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
http://tinyurl.com/lhapd59

The Amazon US Link to the Kindle Version: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
http://tinyurl.com/q5cuf84

The Amazon UK Link to the DVD: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
http://tinyurl.com/ktc5jmp

The Amazon US Link to the DVD: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
http://tinyurl.com/ouvblmp