Neil Gaiman's Snow, Glass, Apples

Neil Gaiman’s Snow, Glass, Apples

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Description

Winner of the 2020 Bram Stoker Award® for Superior Achievement in a Graphic Novel! A chilling fantasy retelling of the Snow White fairy tale by New York Times bestselling creators Neil Gaiman and Colleen Doran! A not-so-evil queen is terrified of her monstrous stepdaughter and determined to repel this creature and save her kingdom from a world where happy endings aren’t so happily ever after. From the Hugo, Bram Stoker, Locus, World Fantasy, Nebula award-winning, and New York Times bestselling writer Neil Gaiman (American Gods) comes this graphic novel adaptation by Colleen Doran (Troll Bridge)!

  • Author: Neil Gaiman
  • Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
  • Published: 2019-08-20
  • Pages: 72
  • ISBN-13: 9781506709796

Additional information

Author

Neil Gaiman

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Summary

What the internet says

Aggregated insights from reviews and discussions across the web.

Overall reception: Mixed reception

Neil Gaiman's 'Snow, Glass, Apples' receives polarized reception online, with critics praising it as a masterful dark retelling while some readers express strong discomfort with its mature content. Professional reviewers consistently award it high marks, with Library Journal calling it 'an excellent choice for adult horror collections' and Comic Book RoundUp showing a 9.4 critic rating. Colleen Doran's artwork receives near-universal acclaim, with reviewers describing the illustrations as 'jaw-dropping,' 'gorgeously rendered,' and reminiscent of stained glass panels inspired by art nouveau and Irish illustrator Harry Clarke. The adaptation is praised for enriching Gaiman's original short story without adding text, using lush, fully painted layouts that complement the lyrical narration.

However, reader reception on Goodreads is more divided. While many award it 5 stars for its creepy, twisted subversion of the Snow White tale told from the Queen's perspective, others express significant concerns about the graphic sexual content, including themes of vampirism, necrophilia, and disturbing descriptions involving a child character. Multiple reviewers note the story's extreme darkness goes beyond typical fairy tale retellings. Some readers question the internal logic of the supernatural elements and feel the horror aspects are exaggerated without sufficient thematic depth. A notable controversy emerged regarding library shelving, with at least one parent reporting distress after children were accidentally exposed to the content when it was misplaced in the children's section rather than adult horror.

The adaptation appears most successful among readers who appreciate dark fantasy and horror genres and approach it with appropriate content expectations. Fans of Gaiman's work and those interested in subversive fairy tale retellings tend to rate it highly, particularly praising how the visual medium enhances the story's ambiguity and otherworldly atmosphere. The included behind-the-scenes material showing Doran's creative process is highlighted as a valuable addition that demonstrates the careful collaboration between author and illustrator.

What readers loved

  • Colleen Doran's artwork is consistently described as stunning, gorgeous, and jaw-dropping, with lush fully painted illustrations inspired by art nouveau and stained glass
  • Successfully enriches and adapts the original short story to visual medium without adding text, making implicit elements more clear while retaining ambiguity
  • Brilliant subversion of the Snow White fairy tale from the Queen's perspective, presenting her as sympathetic and Snow White as the monster
  • Effective horror atmosphere that is genuinely creepy and disturbing, with the final pages described as haunting and memorable
  • Free-flowing layouts without conventional panel grids that complement the lyrical narrative and allow illustrations to spill into one another seamlessly
  • Behind-the-scenes material provides fascinating insight into Doran's creative process and the collaboration between author and illustrator
  • Works better as a graphic novel than the original short story for some readers, giving the narrative more room to breathe in visual form

Common critiques

  • Extremely graphic sexual content including necrophilia, descriptions of a child vampire character biting her father's genitals, and other disturbing mature themes that go beyond typical dark fairy tales
  • Some readers feel the horror and perversion are exaggerated without sufficient thematic depth or character development to justify the extreme content
  • Internal logic issues and unanswered questions about the supernatural elements (how Snow White lives without a heart, how she was born vampiric, etc.) weaken the narrative
  • Misclassified or misshelved in some libraries as children's or young adult material when it should be strictly adult horror, causing distress to families
  • The focus on shocking sexual content overshadows potential character dynamics and plot development between Queen and Snow White

Based on reviews from

  • Library Journal
  • AIPT Comics
  • Comic Book RoundUp
  • Goodreads (Short Story)
  • Goodreads (Graphic Novel)
Last updated May 18, 2026 Summary based on publicly available reviews. May not reflect every reader's experience.

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