Mahina's review
Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister: A Novel
by Gregory Maguire
Mahina's review
Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister: A Novel by Gregory Maguire
Mahina's review
rating:
bookshelves:
listenedto
recommended for: feminists and fairy tale lovers
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 story of Cinderella is started on its course when a wealthy tulip merchant commissions the painter to paint his beautiful daughter, Clara, with an equally beautiful new tulip (for marketing purposes). Then through a series of events (change of job, miscarriage and death) Margarethe ends up married to the tulip merchant.
Though I was not impressed by this story's Cinderella (Clara), a character I have always adored, Iris more than makes up for her as a strong and likeable heroi...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 story of Cinderella is started on its course when a wealthy tulip merchant commissions the painter to paint his beautiful daughter, Clara, with an equally beautiful new tulip (for marketing purposes). Then through a series of events (change of job, miscarriage and death) Margarethe ends up married to the tulip merchant.
Though I was not impressed by this story's Cinderella (Clara), a character I have always adored, Iris more than makes up for her as a strong and likeable heroi...more
