I don’t know what it is about the surname “Moore”, but writers who have it seem to do pretty well. First you’ve got Alan Moore, writer of some of the greatest comic book stories ever and believed by some to be a comic book deity. Next is Terry Moore, creator, writer, and artist of “Strangers in Paradise,” one of the most critically acclaimed comics out there: everyone who’s read it loves it. Then there’s Richard Moore, writer, artist, and creator of one of my favorite comics: “Boneyard”, an action/drama/humor comic about a normal guy who inherits a spooky old house and its residents (including a vampire, skeleton, werewolf, cadaverous amalgamation, witch, and a female creature from the black lagoon).
Finally, this brings me to John Moore, the author of this novel. He’s only written a few novels (and I mean that literally. Besides this one, he’s got two others), but he’s got a distinctive tone and mood to his writing. Heck, the title of his first novel (“Heroics for Beginners”) sold me on it upon first glance, and I bought the other two novels before I even looked at the titles.
How does his prose sound? Have you ever watched “Gilmore Girls”?
*Crickets chirp in the distance*
Ok, have you ever watched “The Tall Man”?
*A lone cricket chirps in the distance*
What about “His Girl Friday”?
*Dead silence*
Oh, come on people! Give me something to work with! Essentially, Moore writes witty, fast paced dialogue that wouldn’t have felt out of place in the films and TV series at I mentioned above. Yet all the while, his characters talk about princesses and knights and magic spells, while making references to fairy tales like you or I would talk about the last movie we watched.
So what exactly is “The Unhandsome Prince” about? Remember “The Frog Prince”? Remember how that tale ends with the princess kissing the frog and turning him into a prince? Well, this story begins with the prince (Hal) having just returned to human form, but the maiden who kissed him (Caroline) finds him “unhandsome” and wants to see if she can trade him in for one of his much more attractive brothers. So she, along with her friend (Emily, a sorcerer’s apprentice, whose late mother turned Prince Hal into a frog in the first place) set off for the capital city to get this mess sorted out. Hijinks ensue, but as one would figure, it all ends happily ever after.
Moore not only has a gift for dialogue, but his characters also feel real. They have their foibles and their strengths, and as a result the reader becomes totally invested in the story (which has more than a few serious moments in addition to the comedic bits). In addition to this, his stories aren’t just segues for the jokes, nor are they parodies of other fairy tales -oh, they’re definitely satirical in nature, but they’re wholly original.
In terms of length, it’s a fairly short book (about 270 pages), and I know some people who will be able to blast through it in a day, while I took a little over a week to finish. So if you’re looking for another “War and Peace,” (both in terms of content and length) look elsewhere. In fact, its brevity is the only problem that I had with it. Towards the end of the story, the pace gets a little too fast, but it’s not as abrupt as a typical Roald Dahl ending is by any means. It’s just that the events get a little condensed until they thankfully return to normal pace in time for the conclusion. All in all, “The Unhandsome Prince” is simply a fun adventure/comedy that never takes itself too seriously; it gives readers an enjoyable and entertaining take on a classic tale and makes for an excellent summer read.
