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Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister
In the lives of children, pumpkins can turn into coaches, mice and rats into human beings. . . . When we grow up we learn that it's far more common for human beings to turn into rats.
We all have heard the story of Cinderella, the beautiful child cast out to slave among the ashes. But what of her stepsisters, the homely pair exiled into ignominy by the fame of their lovely...more
We all have heard the story of Cinderella, the beautiful child cast out to slave among the ashes. But what of her stepsisters, the homely pair exiled into ignominy by the fame of their lovely...more
Paperback, 384 pages
Published
September 28th 2010
by William Morrow Paperbacks
(first published October 6th 1999)
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Oct 14, 2007
Amanda
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Modern fairy tale lovers...sort of
I love books based on fairy tales, but it's taken me forever to really read any of Maguire's stuff. I still haven't read "Wicked." Years ago, I tried reading this book and just couldn't get into it. But with so many people telling me how great this guy is, I decided to give it another shot.
This book follows the story of Iris and Ruth, two little girls who, with their mother, flee from England after their father is murdered. Poor and begging, they have no choice but to first take a job as the ho...more
This book follows the story of Iris and Ruth, two little girls who, with their mother, flee from England after their father is murdered. Poor and begging, they have no choice but to first take a job as the ho...more
May 05, 2007
Mahina
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
feminists and fairy tale lovers
Shelves:
listenedto
I love fairy tale retellings...especially the ones that try to be the "True" version.
Set in 17th century Holland during the Tulip craze this version of Cinderella is by far my favorite. The central character is not Cinderella (who is a spoiled brat) but Iris, the youngest of the two step-sisters.
Margarethe returns to her homeland, Holland,with her two daughters - plain Iris and simple Ruth, afer her husband is murdered in England. She becomes the housekeeper for a painter. The traditional stor...more
Set in 17th century Holland during the Tulip craze this version of Cinderella is by far my favorite. The central character is not Cinderella (who is a spoiled brat) but Iris, the youngest of the two step-sisters.
Margarethe returns to her homeland, Holland,with her two daughters - plain Iris and simple Ruth, afer her husband is murdered in England. She becomes the housekeeper for a painter. The traditional stor...more
May 12, 2007
Laura Cavendish
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
EVERYONE
Shelves:
favorites
I remember when I read this book for the first time. I bought it the day after it came out, because I was already obsessed with Gregory Maguire despite the fact that he had only written one other adult book at that point.
I started the novel in the morning, the day I had to take my parents to the airport in Kalamazoo. We left that evening because their flight was an early morning one. I read and read in the car, getting fairly far. When we got to the hotel and had to go to bed, I COULD NOT sleep...more
I started the novel in the morning, the day I had to take my parents to the airport in Kalamazoo. We left that evening because their flight was an early morning one. I read and read in the car, getting fairly far. When we got to the hotel and had to go to bed, I COULD NOT sleep...more
Apr 22, 2012
♥Bella★✰
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
ebook,
library-book
This is the 7th novel written by Gregory Maguire that I have read. I have enjoyed them all. In this rendering of the "Cinderella" story, he has turned it into 'historical fiction', in the sense that there is no fairy godmother, pumpkins turned into coaches, etc. In this version we hear the "ugly step-mother's" (Margarethe) reasons for the actions she took, mainly to provide for her daughters, who were too plain to get husbands without a dowry.
It's easy to forget in this century, when a woman ca...more
It's easy to forget in this century, when a woman ca...more
2 likes · like · see review
This was an easy read and an interesting take on the "Cinderella" story, but it wasn't amazing. It felt like it gave a very long build-up to a climax that was vague and unexciting and a denouement that was pretty disappointing. Only as an epilogue do we discover what happened to Iris, the main character of the book, and even then, it is brief and without many details.
Many of the ideas introduced into the storyline also felt as though they were left hanging at the end of the book. Clara, the Cind...more
Many of the ideas introduced into the storyline also felt as though they were left hanging at the end of the book. Clara, the Cind...more
12 likes · like · see review
In the lives of children, pumpkins can turn into coaches, mice and rats into human beings. When we grow up, we learn that it’s far more common for human beings to turn into rats.
If magic was present, it moved under the skin of the world, beneath the ability of human eyes to catch sight of it.
Immortality is a chancy thing; it cannot be promised or earned. Perhaps it cannot even be identified for what it is.
It’s the place of the story, beginning here, in the meadow of late summer flowers, thriving...more
If magic was present, it moved under the skin of the world, beneath the ability of human eyes to catch sight of it.
Immortality is a chancy thing; it cannot be promised or earned. Perhaps it cannot even be identified for what it is.
It’s the place of the story, beginning here, in the meadow of late summer flowers, thriving...more
Maguire's ability to come up with an interesting story is far better than his ability to tell the story. His writing is often a bit too labored, his symbolism too transparent, and his literary devices a bit clunky.
Like 'Wicked', 'Confessions' offers the reader a variation on a well-known story. Also like 'Wicked', 'Confessions' is not really all that much to write home about. A somewhat creative variation, but one in which many of the characters are incredibly hard to like, and the story just fa...more
Like 'Wicked', 'Confessions' offers the reader a variation on a well-known story. Also like 'Wicked', 'Confessions' is not really all that much to write home about. A somewhat creative variation, but one in which many of the characters are incredibly hard to like, and the story just fa...more
13 likes · like · see review
Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister is way better than Wicked, not least because the characters have consistent personalities and the plot is coherent. I appreciated the sensory details and descriptions, and the various characters are original. There's a nice twist near the end which gave me a little brain jolt, and I always like that.
6 likes · like · see review
A Cinderella retelling in the perspective of an ugly stepsister, from the author of Wicked. Hmm. Okay, this book is just "not quite." Which I need to put in the proper scale -- the set-up is brilliant, as Maguire's generally are, and the follow-through is good, and the denouement is fine. But I didn't want fine. I wanted this book to walk up to me and knock me on my ass with a right hook to the gut. Instead it came up, dazzled me with some fancy footwork, and then asked me for a sedate waltz. Pa...more
Part fairy tale, part historical fiction, Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister is Maguire's creative interpretation of "Cinderella". The story takes us to seventeenth-century Holland where a plain and physically-unremarkable Iris, the protagonist, along with her conniving mother and mentally-challenged sister find themselves at the whim of the townsfolk's generosity and eventually at the mercy of their mother's bartering skills.
Similar to the original fairy tale, the villains are at times more int...more
Similar to the original fairy tale, the villains are at times more int...more
*Two and a Half Stars*
Having already read Gregory Maguire's Wicked I was something less than thrilled when I got roped into reading Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister for a decidedly informal book discussion group. It wasn't that I found Wicked a bad read, I actually rather enjoyed it, but the blurb on the back of "Confessions" lead me to think that Mr. Maguire had essentially repeated the same formula with a different fairy tale. (Actually, 'Wicked' was written after 'Confessions' but I read...more
Having already read Gregory Maguire's Wicked I was something less than thrilled when I got roped into reading Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister for a decidedly informal book discussion group. It wasn't that I found Wicked a bad read, I actually rather enjoyed it, but the blurb on the back of "Confessions" lead me to think that Mr. Maguire had essentially repeated the same formula with a different fairy tale. (Actually, 'Wicked' was written after 'Confessions' but I read...more
The story is alright but I wish Maguire elaborated Iris and Caspar's/Clara and Prince's happy ending more. It lacks the romantic feeling at the ending.
But the prologue shocked me. It contains all of the 'confessions' of this ugly stepsister. Some of my questions are answered but there are some that are left hanging.
Update: Complete review HERE
But the prologue shocked me. It contains all of the 'confessions' of this ugly stepsister. Some of my questions are answered but there are some that are left hanging.
Update: Complete review HERE
There's absolutely nothing wrong with the idea of taking a fairy tale and adding a modern spin to it. Most authors who've done this have emphasised the fantastic and erotic elements, or the mythic character of the tale, or they've taken a political/feminist approach. Angela Carter, Tanith Lee, Neil Gaiman and China Miéville have used such approaches with great success. Gregory Maguire, however, has adopted a very different approach. He's taken the story of Cinderella and removed all the fantasti...more
Feb 03, 2009
Bunny
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Lovers of adult fairy tales
Shelves:
read-in-09
I really, really enjoyed this book. If you allow yourself to forget that it's a take on Cinderella, it is still a fabulous book. Once you get to the parts where you sort of snap to remembering, "Oh, right...wicked stepmother...", you're already entrapped in the world of Iris.
This is a truly wonderful take on the story. Margarethe, the wicked stepmother, is an evil evil cow. I was more than a little horrified when she told the clothier that she could offer him something in the future as payment,...more
This is a truly wonderful take on the story. Margarethe, the wicked stepmother, is an evil evil cow. I was more than a little horrified when she told the clothier that she could offer him something in the future as payment,...more
2 likes · like · see review
This book gives a whole new view on the Cinderella, one that is completely believable. It offers a real setting(not just a land far, far away or a long time ago) and speaks of real people. It makes you think. Is beauty a gift or a curse? It offers a brave, out-of-the-ordinary heroine, one of the ugly stepsisters herself. The narrator shows you a new perspective on the Cinderella story. Perhaps the wicked stepsisters were not so wicked. Perhaps they had lives too. Perhaps their lives were actuall...more
5 likes · like · see review
I expected this to be more of a twisted version of Cinderella. Using the same facts but putting a spin on them to a different viewpoint. So I was disappointed when I first started to read. I was also did not like how it switched to another person for the final chapter of the book. When you are invested in a character it becomes very discombobulating.
Having said that, once I let go of my preconceived notions I did enjoy the book and I enjoyed the realism. It also left me pondering different ideas...more
Having said that, once I let go of my preconceived notions I did enjoy the book and I enjoyed the realism. It also left me pondering different ideas...more
1 like · like · see review
The retelling of Cinderella during the Dutch tulip boom.
Nearly all the action in this book is precipitated by Margarethe; the other characters react to her, but they rarely make choices on their own. And Margarethe was almost too villainous to be believed.
My bad opinion didn't really harden, though, until the epilogue, with which I had two problems:
1. It wasn't so much a twist as a cheat, rather like finishing a mystery and learning that the gunman was a year-old baby.
2. It's a bad sign when y...more
Nearly all the action in this book is precipitated by Margarethe; the other characters react to her, but they rarely make choices on their own. And Margarethe was almost too villainous to be believed.
My bad opinion didn't really harden, though, until the epilogue, with which I had two problems:
1. It wasn't so much a twist as a cheat, rather like finishing a mystery and learning that the gunman was a year-old baby.
2. It's a bad sign when y...more
1 like · like · see review
I love this prequel to the age old story, Cinderella. IMO this was WAY better that the popular book, Wicked, by this author. I should also add that there's an interesting interview with the author on the final disc. It's always fascinating, to me, to get inside an author's brain.
2 likes · like · see review
Cinderella as a character who makes her own choices.
I like adult fairy tales, or rather, adult reworkings of fairy tales. This was particularly well-done, with plenty of Dutch history (tulips and commericialism and all), lots of art information, and an engaging story with just a bit of a twist at the end. An enjoyable read.
Heads Up: This is *nothing* like "Wicked". Different style, different type of story, different points to be made. So, don't let your opinion of "Wicked", either way, hold you...more
I like adult fairy tales, or rather, adult reworkings of fairy tales. This was particularly well-done, with plenty of Dutch history (tulips and commericialism and all), lots of art information, and an engaging story with just a bit of a twist at the end. An enjoyable read.
Heads Up: This is *nothing* like "Wicked". Different style, different type of story, different points to be made. So, don't let your opinion of "Wicked", either way, hold you...more
After the relative disappointments of Lost and Mirror, Mirror, I thought I'd give Gregory Maguire another chance, and pick up the earlier Confessions.
I must say I'm glad I did. First I was intrigued, then gripped and finally deeply moved. Part of the thrill of these revisionist fairy tales is of course to see how the author embroiders on the original story, and alters our perception without deviating too much from the familiar plot. Usually, this is done by having the traditional villain present...more
I must say I'm glad I did. First I was intrigued, then gripped and finally deeply moved. Part of the thrill of these revisionist fairy tales is of course to see how the author embroiders on the original story, and alters our perception without deviating too much from the familiar plot. Usually, this is done by having the traditional villain present...more
Maguire creatively reinvents another popular children� s story in Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister. Maguire� s technique is somewhat different than in Wicked. He doesn� t simply build on the story; he demythologizes it, showing how true stories become legends. Iris, her mute sister Ruth, and Clara exist in our world, not in fantasy-land, and whatever magic they encounter is the magic of this world. I enjoyed his clever retelling of a well-known story.[return][return]The novel is not an unqualif...more
I like this version of the Cinderella story much better than the one we all know.
synopsis:
"Confessions" is set in Holland of the 17th century, and begins with Margarethe Fisher & her daughters Iris who is plain and Ruth who has been referred to her mother as an ox who can't speak well arriving in Haarlem seeking the home of Margarethe's father. Margarethe's husband has died back in England, and the three have to flee to Holland. They are poorer than poor; no one will take them in after Mar...more
synopsis:
"Confessions" is set in Holland of the 17th century, and begins with Margarethe Fisher & her daughters Iris who is plain and Ruth who has been referred to her mother as an ox who can't speak well arriving in Haarlem seeking the home of Margarethe's father. Margarethe's husband has died back in England, and the three have to flee to Holland. They are poorer than poor; no one will take them in after Mar...more
First, I liked this WAY better than Wicked! It was so much easier to read, to follow, to keep reading and not put down ... Of course it had some darkness to it, like Wicked, but nothing on that scale! Talk about your fractured fairy tale, huh? One of the previous people who read this book said they still weren't sure if they liked it, which is kind of how I feel too. But I think I liked it!
I loved Caspar and the Master. I wanted them both to be happier, but I guess that wasn't the point. And Iri...more
I loved Caspar and the Master. I wanted them both to be happier, but I guess that wasn't the point. And Iri...more
You may not be aware Disney made a movie of this. Hunt it down and watch, not great but not bad...it does improve certain elements, though doesn't fully appreciate the cleverness of the lead character.
Most of this book was wonderful, but it would have been a thousand times better if Maguire had not attempted to tie it to Cinderella. I'm a bit of a Cinderella buff (enjoyed lots of versions including the Grimm's, which is pretty dark) and it felt like he was abusing a classic rather than exploring...more
Most of this book was wonderful, but it would have been a thousand times better if Maguire had not attempted to tie it to Cinderella. I'm a bit of a Cinderella buff (enjoyed lots of versions including the Grimm's, which is pretty dark) and it felt like he was abusing a classic rather than exploring...more
Oct 18, 2012
Laura
rated it
2 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Laura by:
book club
Cute and clever. Having the main POV character named “Iris” was hilarious. Having so much of this retelling of Cinderella turn on two paintings where the images of Cinderella and one of her ugly stepsisters used in glorious paintings as means to someone else’s ends was nicely meta. Instead of the Dark Wood, this story was set in the shadow of the Netherland’s Tulip crisis, which did a nice of contemporizing the problem of scarcity and appropriation in the modern world.
But the afterword pissed m...more
But the afterword pissed m...more
A book that is the "truth" behind the Cinderella story piqued my interest. I stuck out the slow beginning. I wanted to see when and how the alternate fairy tale unfolded. A mystical Stockholm Syndrome plays into the story hinting mystery that is explained instead of discovered. Bummer.
Though well executed the journey didn't suit the theme. The characters were all interesting and developed, the ideology undercooked, because everyone was ugly in many ways. Possibly that was the point? The story c...more
Though well executed the journey didn't suit the theme. The characters were all interesting and developed, the ideology undercooked, because everyone was ugly in many ways. Possibly that was the point? The story c...more
Ooh, what terrible rumors are started! Gossips can take the most simple stories and spin such tales that true events are shrouded completely in fantasy. Take, for instance, the simple story of Cinderella, certainly a favorite among childhood girls -- who wouldn’t like to be the pretty little cindermaid destined to be rescued by her prince from the hard life of servitude?
But this is precisely what I’m talking about - “rescued” indeed. Don’t be fooled by the yarns of exaggerating storytellers! Gre...more
But this is precisely what I’m talking about - “rescued” indeed. Don’t be fooled by the yarns of exaggerating storytellers! Gre...more
Once again, the Formula Works!
Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister, plays upon a formula already used by Maguire in previous works, but it demonstrates the success and effectiveness of it. Cinderella is a fairy tale at once familiar and deeply ingrained into our western culture. As such, Maguire's retelling of the story from the perspective of one of the former "villains," presents opportunities to work with the story in such a way that most readers will pick up on the contrast with the original ar...more
Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister, plays upon a formula already used by Maguire in previous works, but it demonstrates the success and effectiveness of it. Cinderella is a fairy tale at once familiar and deeply ingrained into our western culture. As such, Maguire's retelling of the story from the perspective of one of the former "villains," presents opportunities to work with the story in such a way that most readers will pick up on the contrast with the original ar...more
I have read and seen many different interpretations of the story of Cinderella and her ugly stepsisters. This book, by far, is my favourite of all of them. Nothing can beat the original, but this comes in at a close second. Gregory Maguire is a master at taking beloved children's tales and turning them completely on their heads, making them great reads for adults and teens alike.
Set in Haarlem, Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister, takes a tale of magic and wonder and turns into a story that could...more
Set in Haarlem, Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister, takes a tale of magic and wonder and turns into a story that could...more
Katie Young
Traditional Literature
This book is a retelling of Cinderella. However, Clara (Cinderella) is nothing like the Cinderella we knew as children. She was not forced into chores. Rather, she chose them and preferred to hide out in the kitchen. She was a recluse and preferred to stay home. She was spoiled and bratty. Her stepsisters, Ruth and Iris were not as evil as portrayed in Cinderella. The stepmother was still rather ruthless but it is understood that she would do anything for the wel...more
Traditional Literature
This book is a retelling of Cinderella. However, Clara (Cinderella) is nothing like the Cinderella we knew as children. She was not forced into chores. Rather, she chose them and preferred to hide out in the kitchen. She was a recluse and preferred to stay home. She was spoiled and bratty. Her stepsisters, Ruth and Iris were not as evil as portrayed in Cinderella. The stepmother was still rather ruthless but it is understood that she would do anything for the wel...more
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| All Things Fairytale: Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister | 2 | 5 | Mar 30, 2012 07:03pm |
Gregory Maguire is an American author, whose novels are revisionist retellings of children's stories (such as L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz into Wicked). He received his Ph.D. in English and American Literature from Tufts University, and his B.A. from the State University of New York at Albany. He was a professor and co-director at the Simmons College Center for the Study of Children'...more
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“In the lives of children, pumpkins turn into coaches, mice and rats turn into men. When we grow up, we realize it is far more common for men to turn into rats.”
—
206 people liked it
“If magic was present, it moved under the skin of the world, beneath the ability of human eyes to catch sight of it.”
—
48 people liked it
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Aug 21, 2012 06:46pm