Chris Colfer's debut children's novel hit bookstores this week
Golden Globe-winning actor, gay rights activist and "Glee" star Chris Colfer is adding one more job description to his resume this month: author.
Colfer, best known for portraying openly gay high school student Kurt Hummel on Fox's popular musical comedy, isn't new to the world of writing. The actor has been penning stories since childhood. Colfer's debut novel, "The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell," hit stores on July 17, but the idea for the book came to him 12 years ago.
In a recent interview with the Los Angeles Times, Colfer explained his decision to publish the book.
"People are wondering why I'm going from acting to writing a children's book, but to me it's all playing pretend," he said. "I was just born wanting to be a storyteller, so as long as I get to entertain someone, whether it's writing a book or screenplay or being in front of or behind a camera, I'm happy. That's where my bliss is."
The book, geared toward a pre-teen audience, tells the story of Alex and Conner, twin siblings coping with the recent death of their father. The twins and their mother are forced to move from their large house to a smaller rental home and they haven't seen their grandmother — who spends most of the year traveling around the world and spreading literacy to less fortunate children — very often since their father passed away.
Alex is the smartest girl in her class, but she seems to be lacking in the friend department. Conner, on the other hand, is at the height of middle school popularity but is faced with detention constantly because he can't seem to stay awake during class. When their grandmother arrives for a surprise visit on their 12th birthday the twins receive "The Land of Stories," a massive volume of fairy tales that also has magical powers to transport its readers right into the stories.
The book gets off to a slow start. The twins don't fall into the Land of Stories until the fifth chapter, and it takes over 100 pages for the real adventures to begin. But once the story gains momentum, it's hard to put it down.
Fairy tales have been the subject of books, movies, television shows and plays for decades, but Colfer manages to create a world that stands apart from the multitudes of magical lands fed to the world throughout the years. While his personality doesn't shine through as brightly as it does in live interviews or through his frequent hilarious tweets, Colfer's sense of humor is definitely present in his writing. In his fairy tale world, there are four men named King (formerly prince) Charming — and they're all brothers. Goldilocks is a wanted fugitive who is running from the law. Red Riding Hood has been elected queen of her own kingdom. Sleeping Beauty is a strong political leader — and she hasn't slept since waking from her hundred year slumber. The dialogue between the brother and sister pair isn't always believable, but the characters do have relatable traits and experience a wide range of emotions throughout their adventures.
While "The Land of Stories" may have been written with children in mind, readers of all ages will gain something from reading this book. Colfer chose a fitting C.S. Lewis quote as the book's epigraph that certainly rings true: "Some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again."