It sets in Holland during the 17th century. I feel like a much better job could’ve been done with turning the fairy tale into something realistic and having all the ends meet and with great foreshadowing.. Almostevery character is likeable to an extent (with some exceptions), and their flaws are understandable. Is this new land a place where magics really happen? She actually kept up the pretense of not being able to speak but to utter indistinguishable noises right up to adulthood, played with toys, cried and wailed and let her little sister lead her around and look after her. I wouldn’t describe it like that personally. You know the story and although the shoes are not glass, this rendition runs very close to the original. Cinemark While I think Gregory Maguire is brilliant to tackle these twisty fairy tales, and show us the "other" side, for me, I think that his writing is to wordy and feels too crowded, or overkill to actually tell the story he is looking to tell. (With the exception of Hermione’s romantic prospects.) Copyright © Fandango. I read this and liked it okay, but was a bit disappointed. So far, not entirely adapted from the Cinderella story that most of us know and love. I read the author's other book, Wicked, several years ago and really enjoyed it, so I had been considering reading this book for a while. A liked the idea of a different take on the 'fairytale' stories. However, as I said, it is well written, so I’m sure many people do enjoy it. 3). Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 3, 2015. This one was rife for Maguirizing—a story about girls where beauty is good and pure and being anything except a conventional beauty is evil and disgusting. This seems to be a gift of Gregory Maguire's, to take old, well-known fairy tales, and make you question them. When the family ends up on the verge of bankruptcy, Margarethe devises a plan to introduce her daughters to the Prince of Marsillac at a ball being held in his honor. I definitely lost sleep over this book! Please try again. --"Detroit Free Press?There was a time, long ago, when Cinderella was simply a children's tale in which good triumphed over bad, pretty over ugly, pumpkins and mice over carriages and footmen....Now, the story has much more depth. When the merchant’s wife dies, Margarethe seizes the moment, and a wicked stepmother is born. Prebound-Other - 372 pages - 978-0-613-62136-6, Paperback - 400 pages - 978-0-06-098752-7, Peanut Press/Palm Reader - 384 pages - 978-0-06-051739-7, Analog Audio Cassette - 978-0-06-056773-6, Paperback - 368 pages - 978-0-06-196055-0, Prebound-Other - 1502 pages - 978-0-606-28820-0, Open Ebook - 384 pages - 978-0-06-051741-0, BEA 2014: Gregory Maguire Delivers Another Wicked Fairy Tale, LEAPING BEAUTY: And Other Animal Fairy Tales, Clouds of Glory: Legends and Stories about Bible Times, WICKED: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, Making Mischief: A Maurice Sendak Appreciation, A Lion Among Men: Volume Three in the Wicked Years, What-the-Dickens: The Story of a Rogue Tooth Fairy. This was an all right story. Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister is a novel by Gregory Maguire, retelling the tale of Cinderella through the eyes of one of her "ugly stepsisters." There was a problem loading your book clubs. I was told this was akin to Wicked! ©1999 Gregory Maguire (P)2000 Recorded Books. I'm looking for opinions on this novel before I dive into it, so that I have a more critical way of analyzing the novel as opposed to just gushing over the author. There was a problem loading your book clubs. This book could’ve been SO MUCH BETTER. It was hard to get my head out of the world of this book. Okay, this book is just "not quite." Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister is a retelling of Perrault's classic "Cinderella". Instead it came up, dazzled me with some fancy footwork, and then asked me for a sedate waltz. Coming Soon. Prime members enjoy FREE Delivery and exclusive access to music, movies, TV shows, original audio series, and Kindle books. I read the author's other book, Wicked, several years ago and really enjoyed it, so I had been considering reading this book for a while. Please enter your email address and we will email you a new password. Everyone seems to have their own theory on this, but i don't find any to be redeeming of this shocking twist which makes light of severe disability. Far more than a mere fairy-tale, Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister is a novel of beauty and betrayal, illusion and understanding, reminding us that deception can be unearthed--and love unveiled--in the most unexpected of places. I like complicated or misunderstood characters. This Cinderella story has the same characters as the original, but the perspective is reversed. I should also add that there's an interesting interview with the author on the final disc. There are a few gems in here that I did like, but for the most part this was a struggle for me to finish and a depressing story all around. Enter your mobile number or email address below and we'll send you a link to download the free Kindle App. Perhaps the wicked stepsisters were not so wicked. The narrator shows you a new perspective on the Cinderella story. It also analyzes reviews to verify trustworthiness. They could be so much more engaging! Slow but interesting retelling of the Cinderella tale, Reviewed in the United States on January 1, 2017. Get Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister from Amazon.com. Gregory Maguire proves himself to be “one of contemporary fiction’s most assured myth-makers” (Kirkus Reviews) with Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister, his ingenious and provocative retelling of the timeless Cinderella fairy tale. Through out the novel This dark folktale, a reworking of the Cinderella fable, is as exotic a vision...as mysterious as life itself.? What fate befell those untouched by beauty ... and what curses accompanied Cinderella's looks? I know that’s not gonna sell it well, but if you’re honest, you CAN’T sell this well. I read Wicked a few years ago—more like I devoured it! I like Maguire’s feminist focus. Iris and Ruth Fisher are the daughters of Margarethe. Clara was the prettiest child, but was her life the prettiest tale? But what of her stepsisters, the homely pair exiled into ignominy by the fame of their lovely sibling? Iris is a strange and cunning child. --"Fort Worth Morning Star-Telegram. I wanted this book to walk up to me and knock me on my ass with a right hook to the gut. There are no fairy godmothers, or magic, and the story is told from the point of view of one of the stepsisters. So I was pleasantly surprised to find that I really enjoyed this retelling of the Cinderella story. Cancel online anytime. The 3 of them have left England, after their husband and father died, to save their lives. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 20, 2020. As a retelling of Cinderella, the story feels familiar but is totally reworked. I suspect that some of the disappointment expressed in reviews arises from an expectation of magic or at least magical realism that does not exist in the novel. Sign up here. Reviewed in the United States on April 23, 2008. Have you ever read a well written book that you just couldn’t like? But I didn't want fine. They won't be able to see your review if you only submit your rating. Don't have an account? COAUS totally blew me away. help you understand the book. The novel is set in seventeenth-century Holland, where two homely-looking sisters, Iris and Ruth, have fled from England with their mother, Margarethe. Read this book using Google Play Books app on your PC, android, iOS devices. Ruth is a large, hulking girl who doesn't talk and Iris, although plain, is cunning and resourceful. They end up in the home of a master painter, before Iris finds a job as a servant to a wealthy family with a beautiful young daughter named Clara. The main conceit of this book is pretty similar to Wicked where it's telling the origin of a classic villain, this one being the ugly stepsister from Cinderella. February 2, 2018 So far, not entirely adapted from the Cinderella story that most of us know and love. We want to hear what you have to say but need to verify your account. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 20, 2020. Anti-climactic is the only way I can describe this book. I read it for school and had no idea who the author was at first, until I read the author bio on the back. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of, Published She dances with the prince and falls in love and then disappears. Your recently viewed items and featured recommendations, Select the department you want to search in. Hmm. From Gregory Maguire, the acclaimed author of Wicked, comes his much-anticipated second novel, a brilliant and provocative retelling of the timeless Cinderella tale. Iris is a plain but intelligent young girl.

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