Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister
Gregory Maguire
Well, it has taken me about a week to get through book 1, but with my two literature-based classes I imagine the pace will very quickly pick up. I am, however, quite pleased with this first fully optional reading of the year. I have been intrigued by Maguire's work for some time, and I happened to pick up this volume on a whim during a sale at Border's. I'm glad I did; the book manages to retell a classic fairy tale in a completely original manner while being an interesting glimpse into the lives of small-town Dutch families in the 1600s. Maguire manages to blend fairy-tale elements with hard reality to create something that is new and exciting.
The main criticism I have of the book is that the prologue seems to be kind of unrelated to the book, and that the book itself takes a while to get into. When I first began it about a week ago, I was unsure whether I'd like it or not. After reflection, the epilogue is mostly unnecessary, only interesting when it considers the fates of the characters. Maguire's strength is in storytelling, not in moralizing. I sensed this early, but I gave the book a shot anyway. I quickly found myself roped in, waiting eagerly to see how the pieces of this historical novel would fit the fairy tale of Cinderella and, of course, her ugly stepsisters.
The creation of an original and plausible story based on a fanciful folk tale is Maguire's strength in this book, as his characters fit their roles in Cinderella legend but also in their own lives. It is never a given how the story will fit into our preconceptions, but after it does it all makes sense. Maguire definitely has the ability to prevent his familiar subject matter from becoming stagnant or predictable, right up until the climactic ball. Maguire has resisted the temptation to merely retell the legend and has instead created a plausible realistic basis for legend, with real people and their real faults. Iris, an ugly stepsister, is in fact kind and thoughtful, hardly the monster we come to expect. Clara, Cinderella in the making, is often harsh and snobbish, a recluse who submits herself to the fire willingly, though to the glee of her decidedly evil stepmother. The stepmother herself is only slightly exaggerated and is nonetheless completely believable as a ruthless woman bent only on her own desire to rise in the ranks of the world.
Maguire is a skilled novelist, quite capable of taking readers' expectations and fulfilling them in a way they cannot foresee but thoroughly enjoy. Confessions has left me hungry for more of Maguire's work, and if he can just restrain himself from confusing oversimplification and overt explanation of his symbolism, I imagine his other works will be as good, if not better, than this one.
Grade: A-
Gregory Maguire
Well, it has taken me about a week to get through book 1, but with my two literature-based classes I imagine the pace will very quickly pick up. I am, however, quite pleased with this first fully optional reading of the year. I have been intrigued by Maguire's work for some time, and I happened to pick up this volume on a whim during a sale at Border's. I'm glad I did; the book manages to retell a classic fairy tale in a completely original manner while being an interesting glimpse into the lives of small-town Dutch families in the 1600s. Maguire manages to blend fairy-tale elements with hard reality to create something that is new and exciting.
The main criticism I have of the book is that the prologue seems to be kind of unrelated to the book, and that the book itself takes a while to get into. When I first began it about a week ago, I was unsure whether I'd like it or not. After reflection, the epilogue is mostly unnecessary, only interesting when it considers the fates of the characters. Maguire's strength is in storytelling, not in moralizing. I sensed this early, but I gave the book a shot anyway. I quickly found myself roped in, waiting eagerly to see how the pieces of this historical novel would fit the fairy tale of Cinderella and, of course, her ugly stepsisters.
The creation of an original and plausible story based on a fanciful folk tale is Maguire's strength in this book, as his characters fit their roles in Cinderella legend but also in their own lives. It is never a given how the story will fit into our preconceptions, but after it does it all makes sense. Maguire definitely has the ability to prevent his familiar subject matter from becoming stagnant or predictable, right up until the climactic ball. Maguire has resisted the temptation to merely retell the legend and has instead created a plausible realistic basis for legend, with real people and their real faults. Iris, an ugly stepsister, is in fact kind and thoughtful, hardly the monster we come to expect. Clara, Cinderella in the making, is often harsh and snobbish, a recluse who submits herself to the fire willingly, though to the glee of her decidedly evil stepmother. The stepmother herself is only slightly exaggerated and is nonetheless completely believable as a ruthless woman bent only on her own desire to rise in the ranks of the world.
Maguire is a skilled novelist, quite capable of taking readers' expectations and fulfilling them in a way they cannot foresee but thoroughly enjoy. Confessions has left me hungry for more of Maguire's work, and if he can just restrain himself from confusing oversimplification and overt explanation of his symbolism, I imagine his other works will be as good, if not better, than this one.
Grade: A-
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