Saturday, October 12, 2013

Discussion Post: Fairytale Retellings


Today I want to talk about fairytale retellings. I'm not a huge fan of them. I tend to shy away from them actually. It's because I worry that it's going to be the same old Cinderella story and I'm going to bored. Truth be told, it's why I waited so long to read Cinder. I didn't want to read a story that had been told before. I want to read new, original, fresh ideas. But everyone was raving about Cinder and my library had it so I gave in and read it. And wow. I was blown away. Completely surprised by how good it was. Marissa Meyer utilized the basic elements of Cinderella and then weaved her own unique story from them.

But then it got me thinking. Am I missing out on all the wonderful fairytale retellings because I won't give them a chance? Or is Marissa Meyer just exceptionally talented? (She is, of course.) But if I hadn't given her a chance, I never would have known the wonder that is the Lunar Chronicles. I'm sure there are other super talented authors out there that I may be missing out on.

So I guess my question for your guys is do you like fairytale retellings? Are there any that I should try? Am I being unfair by overlooking this genre? Let me know in the comments below!
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4 comments:

  1. yaescapefromrealityOctober 12, 2013 at 9:05 AM

    I guess to me it depends on how close it is to the fairytale or if it's just inspired by it. If it's just inspired by it, very loosely, like Cinder, then I tend to like them more because then they're usually original. I would recommend Of Beast and Beauty by Stacey Jay. It was fantastic! ~Pam

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    1. Rebecca @ Unbound PagesOctober 12, 2013 at 12:18 PM

      Yeah, I agree. It has to just loosely follow the storyline for me to get into it. Thanks for the rec! I will definitely check it out!

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  2. Marianne @ Boricuan BookwormsOctober 14, 2013 at 4:24 PM

    I love fairy-tale retellings! Especially when they come with a twist :) You should try Fairest of Them All by Carolyn Turgeon (It's about how Rapunzel grows up to be Snow White's evil stepmother) and Golden by Cameron Dokey (It's also a Rapunzel retelling, except that in this story Rapunzel is completely bald!). There's a lot of retellings out there, and I love reading them if only for a mild read.

    -Marianne @ Boricuan Bookworms

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    1. Rebecca @ Unbound PagesOctober 14, 2013 at 5:38 PM

      Ooh Fairest of Them All sounds intriguing. Thanks for the recommendations! I will have to check them out!

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