The Adventures of the Princess and Mr. Whiffle: The Thing Beneath the Bed - A Book Review
The Adventures of the Princess and Mr Whiffle: The Thing Beneath the Bed by Patrick Rothfuss PDF
Introduction
Have you ever read a book that surprised you, shocked you, or made you laugh out loud? A book that played with your expectations and twisted the conventions of storytelling? A book that looked like a children's book but was actually not for children at all? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you might have read The Adventures of the Princess and Mr Whiffle: The Thing Beneath the Bed by Patrick Rothfuss. If you haven't read it yet, then you are in for a treat.
The Adventures Of The Princess And Mr Whiffle The Thing Beneath The Bed By Patrick Rothfuss Pdf
What is the book about?
The Adventures of the Princess and Mr Whiffle: The Thing Beneath the Bed is a picture book that tells the story of a princess who lives in a marzipan castle with her stuffed animal, Mr Whiffle. She spends her days exploring the castle and its surroundings, playing games, having tea parties, and avoiding the thing that lurks beneath her bed. But what is the thing beneath the bed? And what does it want from the princess?
Who is Patrick Rothfuss?
Patrick Rothfuss is a bestselling fantasy author who is best known for his epic series The Kingkiller Chronicle, which consists of The Name of the Wind, The Wise Man's Fear, and the upcoming The Doors of Stone. He is also a podcaster, a gamer, a philanthropist, and a professor of creative writing. He has won several awards for his writing, including the Quill Award, the Alex Award, and the World Fantasy Award.
Why should you read this book?
You should read this book because it is unlike any other book you have ever read. It is a dark comedy that blends fairy tale elements with horror and satire. It is a clever and witty commentary on storytelling, genre conventions, and reader expectations. It is a book that will make you think, laugh, gasp, and maybe even scream. It is a book that will challenge your assumptions and surprise you with its twists and turns. It is a book that you will never forget.
The Plot
The Princess and Mr Whiffle
The book begins by introducing us to the princess and her companion, Mr Whiffle. The princess is a young girl who lives alone in a castle made of marzipan. She has everything she needs: food, clothes, toys, books, and a loyal friend. Mr Whiffle is a stuffed animal that looks like a cross between a cat and a bear. He is the princess's best friend and protector. He always accompanies her on her adventures and shares her secrets.
The Thing Beneath the Bed
However, there is one thing that the princess does not like: the thing that lives beneath her bed. She does not know what it is, but she knows it is big, hairy, and scary. She can hear it breathing and growling at night, and she can see its eyes glowing in the dark. She tries to ignore it, but sometimes it reaches out and grabs her ankles or pulls her hair. She is afraid of it, but she does not want to admit it. She pretends that it does not bother her, and that she is brave and strong.
The Three Endings
The book has three endings, each one more shocking and disturbing than the last. The first ending is called The Happy Ending. In this ending, the princess decides to face her fear and confront the thing beneath the bed. She grabs a sword and a torch and goes under the bed. She finds out that the thing is actually a friendly monster who just wants to play with her. They become friends and have fun together. The princess realizes that she was wrong to judge the thing by its appearance, and that she should not be afraid of things that are different from her.
The second ending is called The Dark Ending. In this ending, the princess decides to face her fear and confront the thing beneath the bed. She grabs a sword and a torch and goes under the bed. She finds out that the thing is actually a vicious monster who wants to eat her. They fight and the princess manages to kill the monster. She feels proud and triumphant. She thinks that she has solved her problem and that she can sleep peacefully now.
The third ending is called The Surprise Ending. In this ending, the princess decides to face her fear and confront the thing beneath the bed. She grabs a sword and a torch and goes under the bed. She finds out that the thing is actually a friendly monster who just wants to play with her. They become friends and have fun together. The princess realizes that she was wrong to judge the thing by its appearance, and that she should not be afraid of things that are different from her. However, as they are playing, the monster accidentally knocks over a pile of bones that reveals a horrifying truth: the princess is actually a cannibal who has been killing and eating people who visit her castle. She has been hiding their remains under her bed, along with other gruesome trophies. The monster is shocked and terrified by this revelation, and tries to escape. But it is too late: the princess grabs him and devours him as well.
The Characters
The Princess
The princess is the main character of the book. She is a young girl who lives alone in a marzipan castle with her stuffed animal, Mr Whiffle. She is curious, adventurous, playful, and imaginative. She likes to explore the castle and its surroundings, play games, have tea parties, and read books. She also likes to pretend that she is a hero who fights evil monsters and saves people in distress.
However, she also has a dark side. She is selfish, spoiled, cruel, and violent. She does not care about anyone but herself, and she does not respect anyone's feelings or rights. She treats people as toys or food, depending on her mood. She kills them without remorse or regret, and enjoys their suffering. She is a psychopath who hides behind a mask of innocence.
Mr Whiffle
Mr Whiffle is a stuffed animal that looks like a cross between a cat and a bear. He is the princess's best friend and protector. He always accompanies her on her adventures and shares her secrets. He is loyal, faithful, brave, and loving.
However, he also has a tragic fate. He is unaware of the princess's true nature, and he believes that she is good and kind. He trusts her completely, and he does not question her actions or motives. He follows her blindly, even when she leads him into danger or harm. He is a victim of the princess's manipulation and deception.
The Thing
The thing is a monster that lives beneath the princess's bed. It is big, hairy, and scary-looking. It has claws, teeth, horns, spikes, eyes, mouths, tentacles, wings, tails, scales, feathers, fur, skin, bones, blood, guts, slime, ooze, pus, maggots...and more.
However, it also has a gentle heart. It is friendly, playful, and harmless. It does not want to hurt or scare the princess, but to befriend her and have fun with her. It is lonely and misunderstood, and it hopes that the princess will accept it and love it.
However, it also has a terrible luck. It is rejected and attacked by the princess, who sees it as a threat and an enemy. It is betrayed and killed by the princess, who uses it as a toy and a snack. It is a martyr of the princess's cruelty and madness.
The Illustrations
Who is Nate Taylor?
Nate Taylor is an illustrator who is best known for his work on The Adventures of the Princess and Mr Whiffle: The Thing Beneath the Bed by Patrick Rothfuss. He is also a graphic designer, a comic artist, a storyteller, and a musician. He has worked on other projects with Patrick Rothfuss, such as The Slow Regard of Silent Things and The Lightning Tree. He has also illustrated books by other authors, such as The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente and The Dinosaur Princess by Victor Milan.
How did he collaborate with Patrick Rothfuss?
Nate Taylor and Patrick Rothfuss met at a convention in 2007, where they became friends and discovered their mutual love for storytelling and art. They decided to work together on a picture book that would subvert the expectations of the readers and challenge the boundaries of the genre. They came up with the idea of The Adventures of the Princess and Mr Whiffle: The Thing Beneath the Bed, which they wrote and illustrated over several years. They had a lot of fun and creative freedom in creating the book, which they self-published in 2010.
What makes his illustrations unique and captivating?
Nate Taylor's illustrations are unique and captivating because they complement and contrast with Patrick Rothfuss's words in a brilliant way. They create a visual narrative that enhances the story and reveals new layers of meaning. They use a simple and cute style that mimics the classic children's books, but also hides subtle clues and hints that foreshadow the dark twists and turns of the plot. They use colors, shapes, shadows, perspectives, expressions, details, symbols, and references that convey the mood, tone, theme, and message of the story. They invite the readers to look closer, to pay attention, to think deeper, and to be surprised.
The Themes
Fairy tales and subversion
One of the main themes of the book is fairy tales and subversion. The book plays with the conventions and tropes of fairy tales, such as princesses, castles, monsters, heroes, villains, magic, quests, morals, etc. However, it also subverts them by twisting them in unexpected and shocking ways. It shows that fairy tales are not always what they seem, that they can have multiple interpretations and meanings, that they can reflect different aspects of reality and human nature.
Childhood and innocence
Another theme of the book is childhood and innocence. The book explores the concept of childhood and innocence from different perspectives and angles. It shows that childhood and innocence are not always synonymous with goodness and purity, that they can also be associated with selfishness and evil. It shows that childhood and innocence are not always permanent or stable, . It shows that childhood and innocence are not always universal or objective, but that they can vary depending on the culture, context, and perspective.
Horror and humor
A third theme of the book is horror and humor. The book combines horror and humor in a clever and effective way. It uses horror and humor to create tension, suspense, contrast, irony, and surprise. It uses horror and humor to elicit different emotions and reactions from the readers, such as fear, laughter, disgust, shock, etc. It uses horror and humor to make a point, to criticize, to parody, to entertain, and to challenge.
Conclusion
Summary of the main points
In conclusion, The Adventures of the Princess and Mr Whiffle: The Thing Beneath the Bed by Patrick Rothfuss is a picture book that tells the story of a princess who lives in a marzipan castle with her stuffed animal, Mr Whiffle. She spends her days exploring the castle and its surroundings, playing games, having tea parties, and avoiding the thing that lurks beneath her bed. But what is the thing beneath the bed? And what does it want from the princess? The book has three endings, each one more shocking and disturbing than the last. The book is a dark comedy that blends fairy tale elements with horror and satire. It is a clever and witty commentary on storytelling, genre conventions, and reader expectations. It is a book that will make you think, laugh, gasp, and maybe even scream. It is a book that will challenge your assumptions and surprise you with its twists and turns. It is a book that you will never forget.
Recommendation and rating
I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading books that are original, creative, funny, scary, and smart. I think this book is suitable for adults who have a sense of humor and an open mind. I think this book is not suitable for children who might be confused or traumatized by the content. I give this book 5 out of 5 stars for its amazing writing and illustrations.
FAQs
Here are some frequently asked questions about the book:
Where can I get the PDF version of the book?
You can get the PDF version of the book from various online sources, such as Amazon Kindle Store or Google Play Books. However, I suggest that you buy the physical copy of the book instead, because it has better quality and design.
Is this book part of a series?
Yes, this book is part of a series called The Adventures of the Princess and Mr Whiffle. There are two other books in the series: The Dark of Deep Below and The Thing Beneath the Bed: The Deluxe Edition. They are also written by Patrick Rothfuss and illustrated by Nate Taylor. They continue the story of the princess and Mr Whiffle in different settings and scenarios.
What inspired Patrick Rothfuss to write this book?
Patrick Rothfuss was inspired to write this book by his love for storytelling and art. He wanted to create a book that would subvert the expectations of the readers and challenge the boundaries of the genre. He also wanted to have fun and express his creativity.
What are some other books similar to this book?
Some other books similar to this book are The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith, The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy & Other Stories by Tim Burton, Grimm's Fairy Tales for Adults by Brothers Grimm, and The Gashlycrumb Tinies by Edward Gorey.
How can I contact Patrick Rothfuss or Nate Taylor?
You can contact Patrick Rothfuss or Nate Taylor through their websites or social media accounts. Here are some links:
Patrick Rothfuss's website
Patrick Rothfuss's Twitter
Patrick Rothfuss's Facebook
Nate Taylor's website
Nate Taylor's Twitter
Nate Taylor's Instagram
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