The Top 10 of Adrian Winkels

Dear Readers, 

  Today we celebrate the 90th birthday of Adrian Winkels. He is famous for retelling beloved fairy tales and giving them a new setting and a more detailed narrative arc. His stories would seem well-known and nostalgic and yet entirely new at the same time. 

  Unfortunately, he passed away three years ago, but his memory and legacy will be carried on by his readers.  

  Some would argue, that his work is only a collection of forgeries of other writers' works and he didn't make anything original. While we see why would see it that way, we can only, but disagree. 

  During the last month, we asked you to vote for your favorite story written (or should it be rewritten?) by Winkels. Today we publish the list of his most beloved works in memory of him. Why eight, you ask? Well, Winkels has eight children (Hans, Jacob, Wilhelm, Oscar, Jane, Arthur, Mary, and Charlotte) and said that's his favorite number since his birthday is the 8th of August? How could we choose any other number? Now let's see his most beloved stories!

8. The Ice Dutchess

The Ice Dutchess retells the story of Hans Christian Andersen's The Snow Queen. Despite the similarity between the two titles, the stories are highly different aside from some key points. The Ice Dutchess takes place in the 1900s in Russia and centers around the titular character, Alyona Vasilieva, who is the Czar's daughter. One day her brother is gone missing and just as Gerda goes on a journey to save Kai from a sinister influence, Alyona does the same thing. The only difference is, that the Ice Dutchess isn't playing the same part as her original counterpart did... 

7. The Blonde and the Three Outlaws

When you first heard about the story of Goldilocks, you probably couldn't imagine it as a crime tale set in the 1920s of America. Fortunately for you, Winkels could. In this rewritten version of Robert Southey's Goldilocks and the Three Bears, the main character is Beatrice who is a young (and you guessed it, blonde) thief who while running from the police finds shelter in an old house near the woods. She doesn't know, that the house is inhabited by three criminals on the run as well. When facing them, Beatrice has to make a deal with them to save herself from being given out to the authorities. 

6. The Black-Hooded Girl

You could say Little Red Riding Hood has grown up and is ready to fight her own battles. In Paris during the 1970s, a murderer is on the loose and the authorities can't find a way to catch him. While on the run, numerous murders and rapes have been done by the criminal, to whom the reports only refer to as "The Wolf". When Diane D'Aboville finds her grandmother on the edge of death after The Wolf attacked her, she decides to go after him herself.  

5. The Soldier and the Dancer

I wouldn't believe you if you were to told me that you never heard Andersen's The Steadfast Tin Soldier. This is among his most well-known and most beloved stories and now you can experience it again, but this time through the story of Jonathan Bergman, who just returned from World War II, which cost him one of his legs. When he returns home, he sees his childhood love, Elizabeth, who taught him how to dance back then. Before he could approach her, the shop she works in is getting seized by two armed men. Even away from the frontlines, Jonathan still needs to do one last mission since no one else can help the hostages. 

4. The Madam's New Collection

Have you ever wondered how the lovechild of Andersen's The Emperor's New Clothes and The Devil Wears Prada would look like? Well, stop looking, because here it is. The inspired fashionist Isabelle is signed to make the new collection of the egoist and cruel model, Madam Margaret. Balancing between doing her best and impress everyone on Madam's upcoming show and getting revenge on her, Isabelle sees behind the scenes how the world of fashion works and the perfect plan quickly formed in her head. 

3. The Stolen Daughter

After Richard Rontvell cheats on her wife and then he divorces her, he marries again to another woman only a month later. Not much later the couple has a child, and when Richard's ex-wife, Samantha hears about she is devastated, since he never wanted a child from her. One night he kidnaps the baby from her parents and decides to raise it herself as an act of revenge. As the child goes it keeps harder to keep her in the dark and her golden hair which resembles her true mother isn't helping much. A stolen child, with beautiful golden-hair... Rings any bells? 

2.The Party and Everything it Caused

To celebrate the release of his new movie, Shaun Verburry, throws a party at his penthouse in Hollywood. Everyone is invited, who counts, as the saying goes except for one. The homeless street artist Ashley is invited by one of Shaun's friends as a joke, but the two get an interest in each other. Ashley leaves early, but Shaun makes his quest to find her again, but his only clue is the paint-sprayer she accidentally dropped. Their different worlds and lifestyles only make it harder for them to find each other and fulfill their love. (Did you get it? CINDERella and ASHley? Winkels was smart, wasn't he?)

1. Seen and Loved

And here is our winner, and I must say, I am not surprised. After suffering from a car accident, Thomas's face and body suffered from such an extreme burn, that some scars and disfigures will remain forever. Devastated by his appearance, he moves to the countryside, far from everyone. There he meets Chloe, the only one, who isn't disgusted by his looks - because she is blind. The two fall in love and Thomas starts to regain some hope for a happy life when they learn that there is a chance to give back Chloe's sight. Thomas is being torn by the fear of being left alone when she sees him and the will to help her heal and regain her sight. 

I hope you all enjoyed our top 8 list. If you are already familiar with Winkels's work, the best day to celebrate is to choose your favorite (or perhaps all of them, why not?) story and reread it in the company of some exquisite coffee or tea. And if that's your favorite time hearing about our favorite story reteller, well, it's your time to rediscover your favorite childhood stories in all-new shape.