Finally Back in Print in Over a Decade, the Lavishly Illustrated Book of Into the Woods, One of the Most-Performed Musicals, by Pulitzer Prize- and Tony Award-winning Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine Based on the Grimm Brothers’ most popular folktales, Into the Woods is a reimagining of what can happen when beloved fairytale characters are thrown together in increasingly dramatic and humorous ways. The Pulitzer Prize- and Tony Award-winning team of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine bring their cherished musical off the stage and onto the page with the help of Hudson Talbott’s enchanting illustrations. Published for Stephen Sondheim’s ninetieth birthday, join Cinderella, Jack (of beanstalk-climbing fame), Little Red Riding Hood, the Baker and his Wife, and more on their quest to find “happily ever after.” Along the way they meet Rapunzel, the Big Bad Wolf, terrifying giants, lusty princes, and their own destinies. But after their journeys are done, the real question remains: what comes after “happily ever after” and will the prices paid for it be worth it in the end?

本作は、安易な「めでたしめでたし」の裏に潜む残酷な代償と、善悪の彼岸にある倫理の揺らぎを鋭く抉り出します。森は迷いと成長、そして喪失を経験する人生そのものの暗喩。ソンドハイムの緻密な言葉遊びが、慣れ親しんだ童話を、現代を生きる大人のための深遠な哲学へと変貌させています。 舞台の熱狂を紙葉に定着させた本書は、音楽を排したからこそ言葉の重みが際立ちます。ハドソン・タルボットの挿絵との相乗効果により、読者はキャラクターの孤独な内面にまで深く沈潜できるのです。演劇の躍動感と読書の思索が共鳴し、幸福の真価を問い直す、あまりにも贅沢な体験がここにあります。