Task 15: A Book That Is a Re-Telling of A Classic Story

[Book Riot]

This thread is for dropping ideas, questions, resources, comments, and discussion about Task 15: A Book That Is a Re-Telling of A Classic Story ((fairytale, Shakespearian play, classic novel, etc.)

http://bookriot.com/2013/03/04/new-ta...

http://bookriot.com/2014/06/24/riffin...

[Jenny]

Planning on Cinder and The Sleeper and the Spindle.

[Malvina]

Winter by Marissa Meyer!! Is it November 2015 yet?

Percy Jackson series

Edited: I decided to use books already on my tbr shelf so no Winter for me (for this category anyway) but Percy Jackson still applies.

Actually there are quite a few interesting retelling a that I want to read so this one will be easy.

[Donna]

The Ugly Stepsister by Gregory Maguire.

[Melissa]

Boy, Snow, Bird by Helen Oyeyemo - a retelling on Snow White set in 1950s Massachusetts.

[Kathryn]

Cress by Marissa Meyer, as I hadn't gotten around to reading it yet.

[Shelldon (Aspiring Ninja)]

I'm thinking on Beastkeeper, been looking forward to it for ages!

[Lauren Henderson]

I bought The Historian (re-telling of Dracula) at a thrift shop forever ago. I'm looking forward to reading it for this challenge.

[Michelle]

I planning to order The Sleeper and the Spindle by Neil Gaiman. I ordered it for two family members for Christmas and now I want it!!!!

[Karin]

I'll be doing this challenge this month because my book club pick for January is A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley, a retelling of King Lear.

[Malvina]

Karin wrote: "I'll be doing this challenge this month because my book club pick for January is A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley, a retelling of King Lear."

I might read that one as my retelling too

[Knitlbun]

I was thinking Bethany Griffin's The Fall, for this challenge. It's a retelling of The Fall of the House of Usher and also qualifies as a YA.

[Knitlbun]

Lauren wrote: "I bought The Historian (re-telling of Dracula) at a thrift shop forever ago. I'm looking forward to reading it for this challenge."

I loved that book!

[Bobby]

I'm already in the middle of reading Winterspell, a YA novel that retells The Nutcracker. I should be done with it before Christmas, though, so maybe I'll also read Grendel, which retells Beowulf from the monster's point of view.

[Kelli]

Thanks for the suggestion, Karin. I will also plan to read A Thousand Acres for this category.

[Ahtims]

either of the two
A Thousand Acres
My Name Is Rapunzel

[Kelly]

I already read it but Fool and Serpent of Venice by Christopher Moore make Shakespeare kind of livable. They are hilarious!

[Rainey]

I think I will read Macbeth: A Novel by AJ Hartley for this challenge.

[[deleted user]]

I'm excited for this category! I have dozens of retellings on my shelves at home, this should be the easiest one for me!

[☕Laura]

The True Story of Hansel and Gretel is incredible and would fit into this category, if anyone is looking for ideas.

[Lisa]

Laura wrote: "The True Story of Hansel and Gretel is incredible and would fit into this category, if anyone is looking for ideas."

Agreed!

[Becky]

Lauren wrote: "I bought The Historian (re-telling of Dracula) at a thrift shop forever ago. I'm looking forward to reading it for this challenge."

Great book!

[Ana-Maria]

Would Phillip Pullman's Fairy Tales from the Brothers Grimm: A New English Version count for this task?

[Britany]

Laura wrote: "The True Story of Hansel and Gretel is incredible and would fit into this category, if anyone is looking for ideas."

this has been on my TBR forever!!

[Nancy]

Kelli wrote: "Thanks for the suggestion, Karin. I will also plan to read A Thousand Acres for this category.

"

Me, too. It's been on my TBR list forever!

[Miss Jones]

Wide Sargasso Sea

[Suzanne]

Book Riot wrote: "This thread is for dropping ideas, questions, resources, comments, and discussion about Task 15: A Book That Is a Re-Telling of A Classic Story ((fairytale, Shakespearian play, classic novel, etc.)..."

Thinking The Sleeper and the Spindlewill be mine for this category.

[☕Laura]

Britany wrote: "Laura wrote: "The True Story of Hansel and Gretel is incredible and would fit into this category, if anyone is looking for ideas."

this has been on my TBR forever!!"

I think you would like it!

[Karena]

I'm reading The Once and Future King

[Bea]

I found one on my TBR! Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister

[Maureen]

Lauren wrote: "I bought The Historian (re-telling of Dracula) at a thrift shop forever ago. I'm looking forward to reading it for this challenge."

I enjoyed that one.

[Maureen]

I'm going to go with
I hope that counts?

[Marie]

Maureen wrote: "I'm going to go with
I hope that counts?"

It definitely does!

[Stacey]

Juliet Marillier writes wonderful fairy tale retellings. Daughter of the Forest retells the Six Swans fairy tale, Wildwood Dancing retells The Twelve Dancing Princesses, and Heart's Blood retells Beauty and the Beast, among others.

If you like YA fairy tale retellings in the fantasy genre, I highly recommend Robin McKinley.

[Janice]

I read Boy,Snow,Bird by Helen Oyeyemi. Although, it isn't a strict retelling of Snow White - the books uses beauty, mirrors, stepmothers etc. to explore race and gender roles. It is FANTASTIC! I read it in two sittings. Oyeyemi's writing style is hard to explain - she isn't afraid to bring some deep "grit" to her fairy tale. I highly recommend this author!

[Teresa]

I discovered author Donna Jo Napoli years ago and binge read her YA retellings of some famous and not so famous fairy tales if you need a recommendation. She retells Rapunzel, Beauty and the Beast, Hansel & Gretel and some not as famous folk tales from different countries (Ireland/China.)

[Patricia]

Christopher Marlowe's Doctor Faustus

[Ruchika]

I'm thinking that my current book "The Snow Child" by Eowyn Ivey would be a perfect fit here!

[Angie]

I would highly recommend The Snow Child! That book "stayed with me" for days after finishing it. It was magical.

[Ruchika]

Thanks Angie! I've been feeling something similar ever since I started reading it. I wish I had the time to read it in one sitting. :-)

[Sally]

I went for "The Big Over Easy" by Japser Fforde it is a "re-telling" of various nursery rhymes all rolled up into a nursery crime.

I have read all Fforde's Thursday Next series (to date) and had started Shades of Gray (which I am having trouble getting in to) but saw someone had mentioned in one of the threads here The Big Over Easy and thought it's time I started it. It is now my favourite Fforde book.

I may have to find some of the other books suggested in here as a lot of them sound like good books

[Tamara]

Maureen wrote: "I'm going to go with
I hope that counts?"

I loved this book. I had to stop reading it in public I kept laughing out loud.

[Karin]

Janice wrote: "I read Boy,Snow,Bird by Helen Oyeyemi. Although, it isn't a strict retelling of Snow White - the books uses beauty, mirrors, stepmothers etc. to explore race and gender roles. It is FANTASTIC! I ..."
I read that book this past spring too. Oyeyemi has such a unique writing style. I felt mixed on the ending, but to me, I can still really like a book even if I didn't love how it ended. It's a great selection for this category!

[Katie]

I'm working on "Darcy's Tale" by Stanley Michael Hurd. It's a three volume series that depicts Pride and Prejudice from Mr. Darcy's point of view.

[Ruchika]

Katie wrote: "I'm working on "Darcy's Tale" by Stanley Michael Hurd. It's a three volume series that depicts Pride and Prejudice from Mr. Darcy's point of view."

Oh I am so excited by this!!! You have made my week. I'm a huuuuuge Mr. Darcy fan. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

[Katie]

Ruchika wrote: "Katie wrote: "I'm working on "Darcy's Tale" by Stanley Michael Hurd. It's a three volume series that depicts Pride and Prejudice from Mr. Darcy's point of view."

Oh I am so excited by this!!! You ..."

Glad to help! It really is a nice read.

[Laura]

Karin -- thanks for mentioning A Thousand Acres. I have never read that one either, and this challenge is an excellent time to!

[Laura]

Karin -- thanks for mentioning A Thousand Acres. I have never read that one either, and this challenge is an excellent time to!

[Brandyn]

Malvina wrote: "Winter by Marissa Meyer!! Is it November 2015 yet?

Percy Jackson series

Edited: I decided to use books already on my tbr shelf so no Winter for me (for this category anyway) but Percy Jackson st..."

Winter is still my plan for this category, but I have a bad feeling it's release is going to get pushed back til January 2016.

[Ana-Maria]

Ana-Maria wrote: "Would Phillip Pullman's Fairy Tales from the Brothers Grimm: A New English Version count for this task?"

I was sick with the flu when I posted this, and am now feeling better enough to realize that I didn't clarify my question well enough to yield answers (or at least, I think that's the reason why).

I wasn't sure if Phillip Pullman was re-telling the Grimm tales as his own take on them (such as Angela Carter's absolutely wonderful The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories - Wolf-Alice, anyone??) or as a kind of No-Fear Shakespeare sort of thing.

I received the Pullman as a Christmas gift, and intend to read it (and quite happily, too, as I love fairy tales), but for this challenge, I would prefer to read something that's more of a re-invention than a re-hashing (for lack of a better term). Skimming through the book now, it seems to be the latter, with a short essay following the stories on his opinion of them.

Looking at the posts above, I might go with Boy, Snow, Bird, The Snow Child, or The Once and Future King.