Review - Shrek!

Shrek!
by William Steig
Date: 1990
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 32
Format: e-book
Source: library

Shrek, a horrid little ogre, goes out into the world to find adventure and along the way encounters a witch, a knight in armor, a dragon, and, finally, a hideous princess, who's even uglier than he is!

(synopsis from Goodreads)

Huh.

I've been wanting to read this book for years, ever since I found out that the movie was based on some original source material. The library just got a whole dump of new e-books, and this was among them, so I thought I'd better check it out.

You know how they always say the book was better? Well, in this case, it wasn't.

It's not bad. It's different. The illustrations, tone, and language are all quite removed from the lovable ogre we saw on the screen. This Shrek is not lovable at all. He's repulsive. He has absolutely no redeeming qualities.

What's funny is that it kind of works.

I guess the book and the movie are just so different that it's sort of impossible to compare the two. Pretty much the only thing they have in common is that two physically ugly ogres find each other and fall in love. And I guess finding your people is a cool theme.

The movie was better, though.

Premise: 3/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 4/5
Illustrations: 2/5
Originality: 3/5

Enjoyment: 3/5

Overall: 3 out of 5