The Little Mermaid

A Romantic Retelling of the Classic Fairy Tale

By: Cecilia Tan

Narrated by: Eliza Floss

An erotic retelling of the classic fairy tale in which the mermaid sacrifices everything for passion.

This story was selected for the new anthology, Aqua Erotica, edited by Mary Ann Mohanraj.Executive Producer: Karen DiMattia
©2000 by Melcher Media, Inc.
(P)2001 Random House, Inc.

An Underwhelming Great Idea

First and foremost I would like to praise the author for giving expression to a new yet familiar colouring of the story we all know. The author has managed to successfully harness all the undertones and suggestive symbolism of the original story and accentuate them in this story.
As I listened to this re-interpretation (if it can truly be called “re”) I felt a distinct familiarity, as if the author was able to convert the unconscious symbolism of the story into conscious imagery. The Little Mermaid is indeed a story about a girl learning how to experience and utilise her sensuality and this story represents that.
However, I must say that I was slightly dissatisfied on some points. Firstly, this is not a romantic retelling of the story, but rather, an erotic one. This is an erotic book. In addition, the book is a short-story, it is not lengthy, profound, and deep. If you combine these two things, it reduces it down to erotic and solely erotic literature. It removes the emotional and sensible elements and only leaves the exciting and provocative ones.
I opine that I would’ve been better for the author to expand on this story and include its mature elements while adding more substance to it. The author in some occasions jumps from scene to scene, requiring the reader to use former knowledge in order to piece them together.
Nonetheless, it is a great retell and an exciting and pensive adventure for everyone.

Sweet, sensual, magical.

Cecelia Tan reinterprets Anderson's classic in a sweet and romantic manner full of passionate imagery. Foss' breathy narration shapes it into an experience as teasing and sensual to the ear as a soft breeze on a warm day is to the skin.