
The Sleeper and the Spindle
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Narrated by:
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Julian Rhind-Tutt
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Lara Pulver
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Niamh Walsh
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By:
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Neil Gaiman
About this listen
A full cast audio production performed by Julian Rhind-Tutt, Lara Pulver, Niamh Walsh, Adjoa Andoh, Peter Forbes, John Sessions, Michael Maloney, Sean Baker, Jane Collingwood, Clare Corbett, Allan Corduner, Katherine Kingsley, and Daniel Weyman.
It was the closest kingdom to the queen's, as the crow flies, but not even the crows flew it.
You may think you know this story. There's a young queen about to be married. There are some good, brave, hardy dwarfs; a castle shrouded in thorns; and a princess cursed by a witch, so rumor has it, to sleep forever.
But no one is waiting for a noble prince to appear on his trusty steed here. This fairy tale is spun with a thread of dark magic, which twists and turns and glints and shines. A queen might just prove herself a hero if a princess needs rescuing....
©2013 Neil Gaiman (P)2015 HarperCollins PublishersListeners also enjoyed...
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Critic reviews

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What listeners say about The Sleeper and the Spindle
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- VMENDOZA
- 08-19-16
amazing with a dark twist
I love this take on this fairy tale and turned it into something new and some what dark
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- Qprince
- 03-22-18
wonderful performance of a beautiful story.
I've listened to it three times already. A wonderful new perspective of one of my favorite fairy tales.
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- jennys
- 10-26-19
Girl Power!
I purchased this book because the author said he, "Likes stories where the girls rescue themselves". curious, I listened and enjoyed a spin on an age old fairy tale! check it out! 💜
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- Terry and Sarah
- 08-17-24
Meh
It was a well read story, like an old radio show with a cast. That was great; the story itself was just okay.
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- Billye Kay
- 12-23-24
Things We Love...With a Twist
The Sleeper and the Spindle by Neil Gaiman met my high expectations. It is an imaginative blending and twisting of familiar fairy tales and archetypal characters. This audible audio selection is a full cast production of the highest quality. The narration performances by Julian Rhind-Tutt, Lara Pulver, Niamh Walsh are excellent and fully support and enhance the material. I would recommend this short, vivid production to fans of the author, readers who enjoy fairy tales with a modern twist, and anyone who would like an entertaining, thought provoking, high quality story.
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- vivian smith
- 10-20-17
What a wonderful tale
I think this is wonderful interpretation of the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale we were all told when we were little girls. It is fair to say that no one ever saw the beauty as a selfish , power hungry character . This is certainly not a story for very young children,but I will be sharing it with my older grand children very soon. Hopefully it will spark great discussion and interesting interpretations,,,,,,
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2 people found this helpful
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- bz
- 12-31-19
imaginative but ending is disappointing
A very creative take on Snow White and Sleeping Beauty
*spoilers*
Would have been better if it ended with a lesbian romance.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Jenna Ward
- 07-31-18
Fantastic choice of voice actors
Wow, I am quite impressed! Casting was great and it was a very enjoyable hour of my life spent listening to this twist on a fairytale! And oh is the twist wonderful. Honestly I cannot recommend this enough!
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- Alex
- 11-27-16
1 hour was simply not enough!
This was a delightful story!
The combination of old world stories framed in a new and enjoyable way makes one sad it does not go on for longer. it was truly and enjoyable adventure, and I could have listened to it for many more hours.
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Overall
- Amelia Tahaney
- 02-19-21
short and sweet
quick and nice book. I enjoyed it and would have enjoyed even more. worth a listen
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