Friday, November 8, 2013

Discussion Question: Do You Like Modern Retellings of Classic Fairytales?



Pam and I work at a university and we often have conversations with people in other fields of study.  Thinking back on these conversations two comments have stuck with me.  First, some of my friends in the English department have said there are only so many good plots and this is why contemporary authors engage in retelling stories.  I've also heard talks by psychologists who argue that fairy tales told to us when we are children play a particularly profound role in development of the psyche.  As a scholar of gender studies, I am particularly fascinated when young adult authors engage in the modern retelling of class fairy tales. 

Recently, I have personally enjoyed the Lunar Chronicles by Marisa Meyer who engages in a retelling of Cinderella in Cinder and of Little Red Riding Hood in Scarlet.  What I loved most about the retells were the modern twists on the classic stories.  So rather than a fairy godmother we have a fairy android (Iko). 

Pam also recently reviewed the book, Of Beast and Beauty by Stacey Jay, and also loved it.  She loved it because although it was inspired by Beauty and Beast, it was still so different and unique that the story felt fresh.

Do you have a favorite modern retelling of a classic fairy tale and if so why do you love it?  Or if you don't like them, why not?

Posted by:  Sheri

14 comments:

  1. I just did a discussion post on this not to long ago! I never used to like fairytale retellings, but have found several recently that I liked so I may be changing my tune. I LOVE Cinder! That series is so amazing, and I'm going to try Of Beast and Beauty because Pam recommended it to me. She also told me about on called Fairest of Them All that I got from Netgalley and everyone raves over Alice in Zombieland so I'll probably be checking that series out too. So I guess I used to not like them, but I've found some super original ones lately and I think I'm becoming more open to the genre. :)

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    1. I will have to go read your discussion post also! I agree the more recent retellings seem to have found a way to remind us of the original stories but still provide something new and fresh! Sheri

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  2. I LOVE Of Beast and Beauty and have been meaning to read Cinder for ages (I even have a copy waiting on my nightstand). I can see what the psychologists are saying because fairy tales definitely grab us in some way, since they've lasted for so long.

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    1. I haven't read Of Beast and Beauty yet but it is close to the top of my to be read shelf! ~Sheri

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  3. Hi! I nominated you for the Liebster award! Congrats, and here's the post for your questions! :D http://qaisracetusbookblog.blogspot.com/2013/11/liebster-award.html

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  4. I love original fairy tale stories and retellings both. I would say that my recent favorites are the Lunar Chronicles too. There is another Beauty and the Beast inspired book being released next year that I'm really looking forward to reading called Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge. What works for me about these retellings is that they might be inspired by the original fairy tale, but they are really their own story.

    Tressa @ Tressa's Wishful Endings

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    1. I just added Cruel Beauty to my want to read shelf on goodreads. thank you for the recommendation! ~Sheri

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  5. I haven't read a ton of modern retellings but I enjoyed the few that I have. I think it can be really great revisiting a story that you love but with a fresh new take on things.

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    1. I agree the difference between an okay retelling and a great retelling is how original the new story really is! ~Sheri

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  6. I love fairy tale retellings! As with any type of book, there are fantastic retellings and ones that are not remotely original, but in general I am willing to give any new one a try. My favorites so far include Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine, Cinder by Marissa Meyer, and Nameless by Lili St. Crow.

    I believe part of the appeal of retellings is that original fairy tales tend to be short and lacking in detail. There are a lot of questions that can be answered in a retelling. Also, turning a short story into a novel allows authors to focus more on parts they like and expand them--for example, building a more intricate romance instead of relying on instalove.

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    1. I completely agree that the appeal in retellings is an opportunity to explore in greater detail relationships between characters or the characters themselves. Thank you for the additional recommendations! ~Sheri

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  7. I love modern retellings! They are some of my favorite books. I like Cinder as well and one of my new favorite retellings is For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund. It’s a retelling of Jane Austen’s Persuasion and it was gorgeous. I think fairy tales have such amazing stories, characters and conflicts but the settings can feel really dated. I love it when authors do a great job updating them - The Lunar Chronicles is an awesome example of an author doing that well.

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  8. I LOVE modern fairy-tale retellings. When Wicked and the rest of Gregory Macguire books came out, I gobbled them up. There are several, even though most people only know about the Wicked series. Then Once Upon a Time came to ABC and I got giddy. NOW with the recent boom in retellings in YA lit, I'm just exciting.

    It is really neat to see how someone takes a classic tale and spins it from their own POV. We hear the stories and the versions get twisted and changed, so the stories are literally a changing piece of work, even when we still have books like Grimm's fairy tales. I know I don't read out of that book when I'm telling my kids the stories. So, seeing the different facets of it and how another person interprets is a really cool thing. There is so much potential.

    Okay, now I'm rambling, haha! And btw, I work at a University as well. High five!

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