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Breath
Salz is a boy afflicted with cystic fibrosis -- though in the Middle Ages in Saxony no one can identify it as such. Instead he is an outcast, living with his unfeeling father and superstitious brothers in a hovel outside Hameln. His grandmother has kept Salz alive by having him avoid the mead and beer commonly drunk by all and by teaching him how to clear his lungs. When the townsfolk of Hameln are affected by a mold that grows on the hops -- poisoning their mead and beer -- Salz is one of the few who are unaffected. The mold's effect is hallucinogenic, and soon Hameln is in the grips of a plague of madness, followed by a plague of rats. It is only Salz who can proclaim the truth -- although it might cost him his life.
260 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2003
9 people are currently reading
1,040 people want to read
About the author
Donna Jo Napoli
126Ìýbooks1,101ÌýfollowersDonna Jo Napoli is both a linguist and a writer of children's and YA fiction. She loves to garden and bake bread, and even dreams of moving to the woods and becoming a naturalist.
At various times her house and yard have been filled with dogs, cats, birds, and rabbits. For thirteen years she had a cat named Taxi, and liked to go outside and call, "Taxi!" to make the neighbors wonder. But dear dear Taxi died in 2009.
She has five children, seven grandchildren, and currently lives outside Philadelphia. She received her BA in mathematics in 1970 and her Ph.D. in Romance Languages and Literatures in 1973, both from Harvard University, then did a postdoctoral year in Linguistics at MIT. She has since taught linguistics at Smith College, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Georgetown University, the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, and Swarthmore College. It was at UM that she earned tenure (in 1981) and became a full professor (in 1984). She has held visiting positions at the University of Queensland (Australia), the University of Geneva (Switzerland), Capital Normal University of Beijing (China), the University of Newcastle (UK), the University of Venice at Ca' Foscari (Italy), and the Siena School for the Liberal Arts (Italy) as well as lectured at the University of Sydney (Australia), Macquarie University (Australia), the University of the Witwatersrand (South Africa), and the University of Stellenbosch (South Africa) and held a fellowship at Trinity College Dublin. In the area of linguistics she has authored, coauthored, edited, or coedited 17 books, ranging from theoretical linguistics to practical matters in language structure and use, including matters of interest to d/Deaf people. She has held grants and fellowships from numerous sources, including the National Science Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Mellon Foundation, the Sloan Foundation.
At various times her house and yard have been filled with dogs, cats, birds, and rabbits. For thirteen years she had a cat named Taxi, and liked to go outside and call, "Taxi!" to make the neighbors wonder. But dear dear Taxi died in 2009.
She has five children, seven grandchildren, and currently lives outside Philadelphia. She received her BA in mathematics in 1970 and her Ph.D. in Romance Languages and Literatures in 1973, both from Harvard University, then did a postdoctoral year in Linguistics at MIT. She has since taught linguistics at Smith College, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Georgetown University, the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, and Swarthmore College. It was at UM that she earned tenure (in 1981) and became a full professor (in 1984). She has held visiting positions at the University of Queensland (Australia), the University of Geneva (Switzerland), Capital Normal University of Beijing (China), the University of Newcastle (UK), the University of Venice at Ca' Foscari (Italy), and the Siena School for the Liberal Arts (Italy) as well as lectured at the University of Sydney (Australia), Macquarie University (Australia), the University of the Witwatersrand (South Africa), and the University of Stellenbosch (South Africa) and held a fellowship at Trinity College Dublin. In the area of linguistics she has authored, coauthored, edited, or coedited 17 books, ranging from theoretical linguistics to practical matters in language structure and use, including matters of interest to d/Deaf people. She has held grants and fellowships from numerous sources, including the National Science Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Mellon Foundation, the Sloan Foundation.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 118 reviews
May 7, 2016
The story of the Pied Piper of Hamelin does not sound as though it would make a good novel, let alone one so beautiful as this one. But Donna Jo Napoli, with her characteristic attention to historical detail and emotional reality, creates a moving story about a character whom it is easy to care for. Brief and breathtaking.
February 10, 2010
In the year 1284, the German town of Hameln was overcome by a mysterious illness. Legend goes that the town hired a magical piper, who got rid of all the rats. When the piper was refused a fair pay, he led all the young children away with music.
Sounds familiar, right? "Breath" challenges the classic story of the Pied Piper. It is told from the point of view by a boy named Salz, who was the lame boy that couldn't keep up with the Piper's parade.
Salz is very unique in the story. He has cystic fibrosis-- a genetic condition where mucus builds up in the lungs. Most children who had this at this time did not live that long. Salz seems to beat all the odds against "salty" children, seeing that his age is twelve. Living that long would have been almost impossible in the dark ages, but the author makes this issue work throughout the story.
Donna Jo Napoli is at her best in this book. The historical parts were described flawlessly. She also managed to make this book into somewhat of a mystery-- a big step from her other books, such as "Daughter of Venice" and "Bound". There is enough in this book to keep anyone who reads it interested.
I would recommend this book to everyone, mainly those who love Historical Fiction. The topic tackled in this book, ergot posioning, was really fascinating. I would love to see more like this from Donna Jo Napoli.
Sounds familiar, right? "Breath" challenges the classic story of the Pied Piper. It is told from the point of view by a boy named Salz, who was the lame boy that couldn't keep up with the Piper's parade.
Salz is very unique in the story. He has cystic fibrosis-- a genetic condition where mucus builds up in the lungs. Most children who had this at this time did not live that long. Salz seems to beat all the odds against "salty" children, seeing that his age is twelve. Living that long would have been almost impossible in the dark ages, but the author makes this issue work throughout the story.
Donna Jo Napoli is at her best in this book. The historical parts were described flawlessly. She also managed to make this book into somewhat of a mystery-- a big step from her other books, such as "Daughter of Venice" and "Bound". There is enough in this book to keep anyone who reads it interested.
I would recommend this book to everyone, mainly those who love Historical Fiction. The topic tackled in this book, ergot posioning, was really fascinating. I would love to see more like this from Donna Jo Napoli.
September 27, 2019
This author knows how to frustrate and excite a reader at the same time.
Breath is the retelling of the Pied Piper. I'm not familiar with the details of this tale, but I do know the gist of it: the piper is promised something but the people go back on their promise. In retaliation, he leads their children away, never to be seen again.
Now, because I'm not well acquainted with this story, my objections may be invalid. But if that's all it's about than I don't see how this book 'retold' it? The going back on promise and leading children away bit happen exactly like this and at the very end at that. So what this book did was essentially fill in the blanks. That was great and all but not what I wanted to know.
I wanted to know how the Piper could play like that, where the children went, what he did with them, things the original tale does not tell, I assume. But again, if it doesn't and ends there then I guess this book did 'retell' it. Why am I blathering again?
The book itself was miserable. Terrible things were happening to people. The 12-year-old narrator with a debilitating illness made a weird protagonist. It was just a super odd book that didn't tell me things I was eager to know but was engaging nonetheless.
September 14, 2007
What can I say? I simply love this author's fairy tale retellings. I especially enjoy the elements of paganism that permeate the stories. This one, Breath, is based on The Pied Piper of Hamelin. Salz suffers from cystic fibrosis at a time in history when no one survived this disease for long. Thanks to his grandmother's care, Salz is still alive and kicking at the ripe old age of 12. When a mysterious disease sickens the farm animals, and later the people of Hameln, Salz, along with many of the younger children stay healthy. Salz finally convinces the town leaders to hire a piper to draw the rats away from the city because he believes that the rats caused the sickness. When the town leaders do not as promised, even more trouble ensues. While the ending is not a particularly happy one, it is hopeful.
December 7, 2019
Again, I can't help but say, Napoli's re-imaginings of fairy tales always have more depth than the originals, and this one was no exception.
July 14, 2018
I picked this up at random and absolutely love it! This is a retelling of the Pied Piper story from the perspective of the only child who wasn't led away. Slaz has always been sickly. Instead of working the farm fields with his father and brothers, he helps his grandmother, learning her magic arts and even joining her coven. He's also able to go study to be a cleric. After a rainy spring, the rat infestation in the area leads to the spread of disease that slowly eats away at the livestock and people-- everyone except Slaz and a few of the younger kids.
This is a great retelling. Disease and superstition play the part of villain, meaning the plot has a slow build that encourages readers to figure it out on their own. The family dynamics are complex and interesting. You feel bad for Slaz and little Ava. And to add to the interest, the piper spends very little time on the scene, making the story less about him and more about the townspeople.
I read this in one sitting and was craving a sequel as soon as I finished.
Napoli also includes a little history on the story at the end of the book to clarify any final questions you might have.
This is a great retelling. Disease and superstition play the part of villain, meaning the plot has a slow build that encourages readers to figure it out on their own. The family dynamics are complex and interesting. You feel bad for Slaz and little Ava. And to add to the interest, the piper spends very little time on the scene, making the story less about him and more about the townspeople.
I read this in one sitting and was craving a sequel as soon as I finished.
Napoli also includes a little history on the story at the end of the book to clarify any final questions you might have.
August 29, 2014
Absolutely beautiful! This is honestly one of my favorite retellings of the Pied Piper. I love how it follows the POV of an ill boy named Salz, whose life is... pretty much a nightmare. After reading this, I'm glad I live in a time period where these sicknesses are treatable and preventable. I can't imagine the horror these people must have gone through back in the day when this happened, and this book really shows those horrors well.
All of the characters were really good too! They felt real and believable, even in their madness. Gosh, the way how everyone went bonkers was horrifyingly creepy. Family killing family, random people having sex with each other in the streets, (YES, YOU HEARD ME) and other crazy things... Despite all these mature subjects, the author manages to keep the morbid scenes at a PG 13 level, by not going into huge details about them. :) I love how she did that!
I definitely recommend this. The ending is a bit sad though. (More like bittersweet I guess. IT'S STILL GOOD, OK?!)
All of the characters were really good too! They felt real and believable, even in their madness. Gosh, the way how everyone went bonkers was horrifyingly creepy. Family killing family, random people having sex with each other in the streets, (YES, YOU HEARD ME) and other crazy things... Despite all these mature subjects, the author manages to keep the morbid scenes at a PG 13 level, by not going into huge details about them. :) I love how she did that!
I definitely recommend this. The ending is a bit sad though. (More like bittersweet I guess. IT'S STILL GOOD, OK?!)
August 30, 2007
This is a story of the Pied Piper only told from the point of view of the lame boy (Salz) who could not keep up when all the other children were charmed out of town. Most of the story is the build up to the Pied Piper’s visit, and concern Salz’s struggle to stay alive despite his many physical afflictions, and an abusive older brother. While Salz’s life is a struggle he does not wallow in self-pity, instead he struggles to learn all he can about nature, God, and life in general. Then nature seems to turn against the farmers and townspeople. The grazing animals become sick and begin to die off, then the people become stricken with a strange sort of madness. Then rats invaded in large numbers; more rats than anyone can remember seeing.
This is a really good story, and I finished it in two days. Although classified as a young adult novel, I think anyone who enjoys medieval fiction will enjoy this book.
This is a really good story, and I finished it in two days. Although classified as a young adult novel, I think anyone who enjoys medieval fiction will enjoy this book.
November 26, 2021
This might be one of the best books I’ve ever read. It’s a retelling of the Pied Piper of Hamelin story, from the point of view of the lame boy who can’t follow the piper as fast as the rest of the children. The whole tale takes place in the Germanic Middle Ages. Salz is afflicted with cystic fibrosis but manages to survive with the help of his grandmother. Unfortunately his town falls ill with plague, which is blamed on the rats, hence the townspeople’s request for the piper to send the rats away. Napoli does an excellent job created a believable main character. He doesn’t understand what’s happening but he tries to figure it all out in a way that seems true to his level of education. The town itself is a wretched place and the people, especially his family, are horrible, but Napoli somehow doesn’t dwell perversely on the ugliness. Again, she managed to tell a compelling, emotional, raw story without excess or florid prose. I absolutely loved it.
February 13, 2018
3.5 stars
December 31, 2024
It was a good read but I think some of the first person exposition got me annoyed. Still very cool story and loved the imagery
June 17, 2013
Full Review:
A good book makes me feel the whole gamut of emotions: joy, sorrow, anger, frustration, and shock. A great book does all that, but it also keeps me thinking long after I’ve turned the last past. Breath didn’t have the most engaging plotline or amazing characters, but it had some fascinating things to say about health and illness, disability and heroism, faith and hypocrisy.
I know Donna Jo Napoli for her fairytale re-tellings. I really liked Beast and I’ve got Sirena waiting on my to-read shelf. I’m a huge sucker for fairytales, so when I realized Breath was a retelling of The Pied Piper of Hamelin (one of the more chilling fairytales) and might possibly have something to do with the plague (a subject I find morbidly riveting), I grabbed it without a second thought. Then I realized I had a disability topic in my hands.
Salz suffered from Cystic Fibrosis, something that should have killed him long before, but among the medieval remedies his grandmother dosed him with were some potent pieces of wisdom which kept him alive. Someone suffering from Cystic Fibrosis today wouldn’t necessarily do a hand stand every time they start coughing, but the acrobatics helped Salz clear his lungs and breathe easier.
I loved how intertwined the perceptions of health and illness were in this book. Salz is sick. Really sick. Sick enough that everyone’s surprised he’s still alive and Salz himself hesitates to make plans for his future. His illness is met with derogatory reactions not unexpected in this time period. His family thinks he’s useless, his grandmother is the only one who shows any affection toward him, and when it comes down to a choice between Salz’s life or his older brother’s, his family chooses to throw him under the metaphorical bus without a second thought.
But in the end the Cystic Fibrosis protects him from the disease that ravages the rest of the town. It saves his life even as it threatens to kill him. And of course, being “healthy� puts him at risk again when the townspeople accuse him of being the source of the disease through witchcraft.
There was such an interesting give and take between being healthy and being sick. Salz’s weakness is what keeps him from leaving with the children when the piper demands his due, but it is what leaves him healthy enough to go after them. So the invalid becomes the hero. The line between disabled and enabled blurs.
I read this with the disability and illness themes in mind, but already, I know that it deserves a re-read. I want to go back and look at how Napoli handled faith and hypocrisy as well. I caught a glimpse of them out of the corner of my eye as I barreled through and I can’t wait to revisit them.
A good book makes me feel the whole gamut of emotions: joy, sorrow, anger, frustration, and shock. A great book does all that, but it also keeps me thinking long after I’ve turned the last past. Breath didn’t have the most engaging plotline or amazing characters, but it had some fascinating things to say about health and illness, disability and heroism, faith and hypocrisy.
I know Donna Jo Napoli for her fairytale re-tellings. I really liked Beast and I’ve got Sirena waiting on my to-read shelf. I’m a huge sucker for fairytales, so when I realized Breath was a retelling of The Pied Piper of Hamelin (one of the more chilling fairytales) and might possibly have something to do with the plague (a subject I find morbidly riveting), I grabbed it without a second thought. Then I realized I had a disability topic in my hands.
Salz suffered from Cystic Fibrosis, something that should have killed him long before, but among the medieval remedies his grandmother dosed him with were some potent pieces of wisdom which kept him alive. Someone suffering from Cystic Fibrosis today wouldn’t necessarily do a hand stand every time they start coughing, but the acrobatics helped Salz clear his lungs and breathe easier.
I loved how intertwined the perceptions of health and illness were in this book. Salz is sick. Really sick. Sick enough that everyone’s surprised he’s still alive and Salz himself hesitates to make plans for his future. His illness is met with derogatory reactions not unexpected in this time period. His family thinks he’s useless, his grandmother is the only one who shows any affection toward him, and when it comes down to a choice between Salz’s life or his older brother’s, his family chooses to throw him under the metaphorical bus without a second thought.
But in the end the Cystic Fibrosis protects him from the disease that ravages the rest of the town. It saves his life even as it threatens to kill him. And of course, being “healthy� puts him at risk again when the townspeople accuse him of being the source of the disease through witchcraft.
There was such an interesting give and take between being healthy and being sick. Salz’s weakness is what keeps him from leaving with the children when the piper demands his due, but it is what leaves him healthy enough to go after them. So the invalid becomes the hero. The line between disabled and enabled blurs.
I read this with the disability and illness themes in mind, but already, I know that it deserves a re-read. I want to go back and look at how Napoli handled faith and hypocrisy as well. I caught a glimpse of them out of the corner of my eye as I barreled through and I can’t wait to revisit them.
May 14, 2013
I wanted to read this because I've always been fascinated with the concept of a hero that is physically limited--protagonists in modern stories so often have tragic flaws that are mental or emotional, but rarely does an author explore a physical handicap. Maybe because we're all too uncomfortable with deformity.
I absolutely loved her voice. The first-person present tense is one of my favorite narrative styles, and it really gives the story a here-ness, a "this is happening" atmosphere. Salz is such a perfectly good person that it's a little bit frustrating sometimes, and you hate to see him just let stuff happen to him. The frustration is part of the beauty of the story, of being inside a character that is fighting a pair of losing battles--one against the ignorant culture of the time, and the other against a disease with no name and no cure--but fights anyway because he knows the truth, and knows that God knows it.
There are a few scenes of fairly graphic violence, and detailed descriptions of disease and plague throughout. Napoli definitely doesn't shy away from her visuals--and they are stunningly written.
I'd recommend this to fans of historical fiction and anyone who's into that whole "fairy tale with a twist" genre. Also, anyone who watches Once Upon A Time, so they can see it done well.
Warning:
Language: German (heh. none.)
Sex: ugh, I totally forgot about this. One scene. 2 pages. Pretty gross, doesn't lend anything to the plot. Made me drop a star. Avoid.
Drugs: same scene as before, peace-pipe stuff. And a lot of beer, which in Germany is staying hydrated.
Rock n Roll: Wanton acts of fluting. Overabundant pipery. Does that count?
Violence: Yes. Very yes.
June 8, 2016
This was a really interesting book. I thought it was very well written, considering it was taking place from a child's perspective during a long ago period in history.
I will admit spending a lot of time angry at the townspeople for not figuring out what was going on, though I will admit that they didn't have the background science knowledge to necessarily figure it out back then (I don't want to include spoilers, so I won't say what exactly was going on, though I did figure it out very early on in the book).
I thought the inclusion of the piper was a bit odd, though the author does make it flow naturally into the storyline. Also, it took me a LONG time to figure out what was going to happen with that, so I got a kick out of it when I realized what was happening. I do enjoy a good plot twist, even an odd one. ;) (Update: After checking out other reviews, I guess this was supposed to be a reimagining of the Pied Piper fairytale, so I guess that part makes WAY more sense now. Oops!)
All in all, a good read. A bit graphic for youngsters, so I'd recommend it for high school and up.
I will admit spending a lot of time angry at the townspeople for not figuring out what was going on, though I will admit that they didn't have the background science knowledge to necessarily figure it out back then (I don't want to include spoilers, so I won't say what exactly was going on, though I did figure it out very early on in the book).
I thought the inclusion of the piper was a bit odd, though the author does make it flow naturally into the storyline. Also, it took me a LONG time to figure out what was going to happen with that, so I got a kick out of it when I realized what was happening. I do enjoy a good plot twist, even an odd one. ;) (Update: After checking out other reviews, I guess this was supposed to be a reimagining of the Pied Piper fairytale, so I guess that part makes WAY more sense now. Oops!)
All in all, a good read. A bit graphic for youngsters, so I'd recommend it for high school and up.
February 1, 2011
J Napoli
You may feel more empathy for this book's main character, Salz, as you continue into the relentless plot and writing style and story revelations take your breath away. Salz suffers from cystic fibrosis in a time when there was no such diagnosis, and certainly no hope for treatment. Living simply on a farm with his grandmother, father, and brothers, Salz stumbles upon a piper in the woods one day, drawn to him along with forest creatures, by the music he plays on his pipe. The piper will return to play his part, but the rest of the story marches forward, focusing on a mysterious illness afflicting livestock and then people, thought to be borne by the hideous rats, which find their way into all of a barn's spaces, and infiltrate the homes.
Told in unwavering fascinating prose, this tale details a way of life difficult to read about, much less live. An intricate, engaging story with historical and fairytale underpinnings is not to be missed.
Recommended for grade 8 and older.
You may feel more empathy for this book's main character, Salz, as you continue into the relentless plot and writing style and story revelations take your breath away. Salz suffers from cystic fibrosis in a time when there was no such diagnosis, and certainly no hope for treatment. Living simply on a farm with his grandmother, father, and brothers, Salz stumbles upon a piper in the woods one day, drawn to him along with forest creatures, by the music he plays on his pipe. The piper will return to play his part, but the rest of the story marches forward, focusing on a mysterious illness afflicting livestock and then people, thought to be borne by the hideous rats, which find their way into all of a barn's spaces, and infiltrate the homes.
Told in unwavering fascinating prose, this tale details a way of life difficult to read about, much less live. An intricate, engaging story with historical and fairytale underpinnings is not to be missed.
Recommended for grade 8 and older.
January 23, 2016
Lexile : 620
Historical topic & time period book focuses on: The 13th and the 14th hundreds. It is based on the black plague
Your reading: (1-5) 4
What did you like best of your book? I like most of all the things of the book because it is very interesting how the story of the young boy is told with very interesting events that happened during the plague
What did you dislike of your book? There is nothing that I didn 19t like about the book because most everything was very interesting for me.
Summarize: this story takes place in a small village of Germany. This book is mainly about a young boy who got sick and it was the first one in the hole village that infected with the disease. People back in the old times was very ignorant and thought that people who got sick was possessed by a witch and it was very hard to get treaded or get some medicine. This situation of people getting sick often time lid the countries to a war.
Historical topic & time period book focuses on: The 13th and the 14th hundreds. It is based on the black plague
Your reading: (1-5) 4
What did you like best of your book? I like most of all the things of the book because it is very interesting how the story of the young boy is told with very interesting events that happened during the plague
What did you dislike of your book? There is nothing that I didn 19t like about the book because most everything was very interesting for me.
Summarize: this story takes place in a small village of Germany. This book is mainly about a young boy who got sick and it was the first one in the hole village that infected with the disease. People back in the old times was very ignorant and thought that people who got sick was possessed by a witch and it was very hard to get treaded or get some medicine. This situation of people getting sick often time lid the countries to a war.
November 17, 2022
I read this book for the same 7th grade Honors English class as the one I read "Catherin Called Birdy" for. That class was fantastic and so was this book. It's about a boy with a respiratory disease (the same disease from 5 feet apart if I can remember correctly) and how having that disease protected him from.. other.. things (trying not to spoil even though that wouldn't have been that big of a spoiler). Another old English written, old England set book that is beyond captivating. I read this book faster than I was supposed to for the class because it was so interesting. I told my entire family about it because it was so interesting. The main character is so well developed and the characters around him, though they are also quite well developed, support his personality and struggles so well. Amazing amazing amazing book.
February 4, 2008
I stumbled across this book trying to find another. The tale takes place in the Middle Ages and centers on Salz, a young boy plagued by horrible coughing spells. The only way he can clear his lungs and breathe is to stand on his head. But Salz also is one of the few to not sucuumb to a mysterious illness that strikes the townspeople and, later, the farmers in and near Hamilyn. What has caused the illness? And can a mysterious and colorful piper whom Salz encounters truly help? A take on the Pied Piper tale, with some Medeival history and folklore thrown in. The author explains all in notes at the end. I read a thorough synopsis on the book and kind of knew what was happening. Modern readers will probably piece much of it together, as Salz almost does. Still a neat read, though.
December 5, 2014
Unlike "Zel," this book was weird from the get go. The only reason I kept reading it was because it was a fairly easy read and I had already invested some time in reading it.
Some spoilers below:
In no particular order, here are the things I found a problem with in the book. I never really identified with any of the characters. Napoli "explained" the psychotropic LSD effects but not really. Instead, the characters affected acted in creepy, disturbing ways that did not really make sense. The grandmother's death was also extremely creepy.
I did not enjoy this book at all and definitely cannot recommend it.
Some spoilers below:
In no particular order, here are the things I found a problem with in the book. I never really identified with any of the characters. Napoli "explained" the psychotropic LSD effects but not really. Instead, the characters affected acted in creepy, disturbing ways that did not really make sense. The grandmother's death was also extremely creepy.
I did not enjoy this book at all and definitely cannot recommend it.
July 6, 2008
Once again, a book I read in one sitting, I couldn't stop reading it. the pieces of the puzzle all come together byt the end of the book through the words of a skilled author who more than paints a picture of another view of a classic fairy tale. This bokk takes pieces of history and incorporatesthem into a work of fiction making the story more real than ever, unless i'm mistaken and its just the possibility of it seeming real that came alive for me.
I did enjoy this book and hope others will as well.
I did enjoy this book and hope others will as well.
June 24, 2008
Not for K. It's a dark fairytale to start with and the whole book has a rather dark tone/disturbing events. Descriptions of medieval witchcraft/rituals including a drug-induced orgy. I've only read 2 by Napoli, but between the two of them I don't think anything by her would be good for K. Definitely geared toward an older (15+?) group. They're well-written, but just dark and definitely some unnecessary things in there... I wouldn't recommend them for you, either, D.
March 7, 2009
Clunkily narrated retelling of The Pied Piper of Hamilin set in medieval Germany. Salz is a 12 year old boy with cystic fibrosis, and the townspeople are maddened, not by rats so much as by a grain fungus (ergot) that gives them horrific physical ailments and LSD halluncinations. So this is making a magical story into a naturalistic one. No fair. She goes way too far. The end note pedantically explains the grain fungus.
September 14, 2012
Absolutely amazing! Donna Jo Napoli has woven a beautiful and terrifying story of facts and fable. Retelling the tale of the Pied Piper was an interesting choice. Most frequently, the fairy tales chosen for retelling are the princess tales. Though Breath is a short novel, the reader will be completely submerged in 13th century Germany. I really enjoyed this and would recommend it to anyone.
January 22, 2016
This was a marvelous book. This book tells of a story of a Boy named Salz is infected with Cystic Fibrosis living in the middle ages. The town Salz lives in is under attack by mold infecting the hops which is poising the beer and the town is getting an infestation of rats. Salz is part of the Christian coven and they try to stop this. Initially this book was outstanding book and this book has taken the play of my favorite book.
February 22, 2018
This is probably one of my absolute favorite books I've ever read. It's brilliant and the thing about Donna Jo Napoli's writing is that you think you know what's going on through the whole book and then BOOM! The end comes and ties everything together perfectly and you realize how blaringly obvious it was through the whole book yet you didn't see it. She does this with her other books too. This book is just perfection in my eyes =) I'll read it again one day
November 3, 2018
This book really isn’t about the Pied Piper, although he is in it. This is a book about Salz, who loves his grandmother, the only person who truly loves him. Salz has struggled his entire life with coughing and weakness and being hated by his family.
The most interesting thing about this book is the glimpse into the terrible life these characters have.
The most interesting thing about this book is the glimpse into the terrible life these characters have.
January 2, 2009
A classic retelling of the Piper who steals away the villages children in retaliation for a lack fo pay. The story is told from the point of view of the crippled boy who falls behind, and leaves you with an ache in your heart.
August 6, 2010
I have read many of Donna Jo Napoli's books and love them all but I love Breath the most. Not only is it based off of one of the best fairy tales kown to man but it also realisticly shows German cultre of that time. I deffently recamend this book to anyone looking for something good to read.
November 11, 2009
this book is sorda weird i didnt like it very much. I wouldent really recomend it. it was really boring
August 6, 2020
Another excellent fairy tale retelling.
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