Kissing the Witch is a collection of thirteen interconnected stories written by Emma Donoghue. This book was first published in 1997 and has since become a popular piece of feminist literature. Each story reimagines and modernizes various fairy tales, exploring themes such as gender identity, sexuality, and power dynamics. The stories in Kissing the Witch are written in a unique narrative style that blurs the lines between traditional fairy tales and contemporary storytelling. Characters from different stories appear in multiple tales, often taking on different roles and perspectives. This narrative structure allows for an exploration of common fairy tale themes in a fresh and thought-provoking manner.
GameSpot Expert Reviews
Drawcia uses the brush to turn all of Dream Land into paint at the beginning of the game and then uses it to turn Kirby into a ball, feats that such powerful foes such as Nightmare, Marx, and even Magolor were incapable of doing. In Kirby Super Star Ultra , the Magical Paintbrush makes a cameo appearance in The Great Cave Offensive as a piece of treasure under the name Power Paintbrush , replacing the Summertime treasure in Kirby Super Star.
This narrative structure allows for an exploration of common fairy tale themes in a fresh and thought-provoking manner. One of the central themes of Kissing the Witch is the concept of female agency and empowerment. The collection challenges traditional fairy tale tropes, presenting female characters who are not passive victims awaiting rescue but active participants in their own narratives.
Touch! Kirby's Magic Paintbrush
A DS game you'll want to stroke, or will you give it the brush-off?
Preview by Kristan Reed Contributor Updated on 31 Jan 2005Up to now, as impressed as we've been with a lot of the DS output, there are only so many remakes and updates that we can reasonably be expected to get excited about. The last thing we want the DS to turn into is Nintendo's next shovelware system, with a check list of N64 games making an inexorable march into the 'games we've bought twice' category. And with that in mind we made an immediate beeline for the games being shown off at Nintendo's Parisian DS event that were new to us. Of which Kirby certainly looks one of the most promising.
As you may have read before, or gathered from the various screenshots released in recent months, this is another one of those DS titles that tasks you with hastily constructing temporary platforms underneath the central character in order to guide the little pink blob to a level exit, negotiating various deadly enemies and traps along the way. For the purposes of Touch! Kirby, though, we're asked to suspend our growing disbelief and imagine that our DS stylus is, in fact, a paintbrush, the platforms we create are made of paint, and we have a somewhat limited (but constantly regenerating) supply of the multi-coloured stuff with which to Paint To Victory, or whatever cunning slogan the chaps at Nintendo will eventually settle upon. Puntastic suggestions, as ever, are welcome here.
Presented, refreshingly, in an old school two dimensional style (as with a lot of DS-related titles, we're pleased to note), it initially looks a lot like an old school platformer, with a familiar side-on layout largely constructed of blocks to work your way up to, patrolling enemies that bob merrily from right to left and back again, and of course various bottomless pits, spike traps and the like to steer your way over. By drawing a line anywhere underneath or around Kirby, he will traverse the paint in whatever direction he's currently facing, and keep going along in such a fashion until the gradient becomes too steep (in which case he'll start rolling back the other way at increasing velocity until he meets some other obstacle).
But merely moving him around is only half the battle, with your energy gradually depleting every time you make contact with any of the various hazards or nasties populating the side scrolling level. Drain your energy to zero and - guess what? - it's back to the start of the level, or the last checkpoint if you've reached it. A far better idea is to use the various attacks available to Mr Blobby, which involve tapping Kirby himself. A quick stab at the wee fellow and he'll perform his basic spin attack, but collect one of the upgrades lying around and you'll be granted access to other, more powerful attacks. In this somewhat short-lived two level demo (selectable as 'Beginner' and 'Intermediate') we only managed to come across a sort of rotating dual arm of flaming death, which basically takes out anything in its path.
As a sort of instantly addictive and unusual take on the platform genre it completely won us over with controls that were both simple and intuitive, yet with a gameplay dynamic that was fresh and challenging enough to make it feel very different from the generic side scrolling platform fodder we've long since grown weary of. Visually as well, the return to a crisp 2D viewpoint has been handled with the usual amount of finesse you expect from a Nintendo first-party title.
Although it's still very much early days for this title, there's enough of a glimpse of the promise to come from Kirby to warrant keeping this in mind when the game emerges blinking into the daylight later this year.
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Although it's still very much early days for this title, there's enough of a glimpse of the promise to come from Kirby to warrant keeping this in mind when the game emerges blinking into the daylight later this year.
The stories often subvert expected outcomes and offer alternative, empowering endings for their heroines. Donoghue also explores the complexities of human relationships, particularly those involving women. The stories intertwine themes of desire, longing, and love in various forms, including romantic, familial, and platonic relationships. Through these relationships, Donoghue examines the ways in which power dynamics shape and influence our connections with others. Another prominent aspect of Kissing the Witch is its exploration of gender identity and sexuality. The collection includes queer characters and relationships, challenging the heteronormative assumptions often associated with traditional fairy tales. Donoghue presents a diverse range of experiences and desires, offering a more inclusive and realistic depiction of human experiences. Overall, Kissing the Witch is a captivating and thought-provoking collection of stories that deconstructs and reinvents fairy tale narratives. Emma Donoghue's skilled storytelling and feminist perspective create a rich and engaging reading experience. This book is a testament to the enduring power of fairy tales and the ongoing relevance of their themes in contemporary society..
Reviews for "The Empowering Messages of Kissing the Witch"
- Sarah - 2 stars - I found "Kissing the Witch" to be confusing and difficult to follow. The narratives in each story seemed disjointed and the connections between the characters were unclear. Additionally, I felt that the language used in the book was overly flowery and overly descriptive, which made it hard for me to fully grasp the plot and meaning of each story. Overall, I was left feeling frustrated and unsatisfied with this collection of fairy tale retellings.
- Mike - 2 stars - I was disappointed with "Kissing the Witch" as I found the stories to be overly simplistic and lacking depth. The characters felt one-dimensional and the plotlines were predictable. Furthermore, I didn't feel a strong emotional connection to any of the stories, which left me feeling indifferent towards the book as a whole. I was hoping for a more thought-provoking and engaging read, but unfortunately, this book didn't meet my expectations.
- Emily - 1 star - "Kissing the Witch" was not what I anticipated at all. I found the writing style to be convoluted and pretentious, making it difficult for me to stay engaged with the stories. The plotlines were often hard to follow, and I struggled to understand the deeper meaning behind each tale. Overall, I felt disconnected from the book and couldn't wait to finish it, as it simply didn't resonate with me.