Cinderella Liberator

by Rebecca Solnit

Other authorsArthur Rackham (Illustrator)
Hardcover, 2019

Status

Available

Publication

Haymarket Books (2019), Edition: Later Printing, 32 pages

Description

In this modern twist on the classic story, Cinderella, who would rather just be Ella, meets her fairy godmother, goes to a ball, and makes friends with a prince. But that is where the familiar story ends. Instead of waiting to be rescued, Cinderella learns that she can save herself and those around her by being true to herself and standing up for what she believes.

User reviews

LibraryThing member pomo58
I was first drawn to Cinderella Liberator because of the author, Rebecca Solnit. I have found her other books to be very informative while also being enjoyable reads. In this case, I was not disappointed.

Like any retelling this will have pluses and minuses for each reader. Partly because fairy
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tales fall into that middle ground, in spite of the whitewashing and "cleaning up" that has culminated with Disney being most associated with them. They were never meant strictly for children, they were meant for both children and adults (the ones who have to repeat them ad nauseam) and, since children weren't quite so coddled when fairy tales were first being told, they weren't all sweetness and bubble gum. So as contemporary readers we tend to lament that they are either to much for the children and don't serve whatever purpose we think they should, or they are too much for the adults and again don't serve the purpose we think they should. Given that, most readers will easily find something to complain about, that is the easy part. Complaining and pointing out flaws has become second nature in contemporary society and often confused for intelligent discourse. So, yes, this book, in places, appeals more to the children (repetition and basic tropes adults grow tired of) and appeals more to adults (clear lessons we might think are important, certain humorous asides). The funny thing is, even those generalizations don't hold because we want lessons there FOR the children whether they notice or enjoy that part, and the repetition, for an adult reading a fairy tale as a fairy tale, the repetition should, for an active reader, take them back to when they were young and enjoyed that aspect of fairy tales. It is part of why we still enjoy reading them to our children.

Having gotten by all the obvious and easy targets for "critique" I really just want to say that if you want a retelling of the Cinderella story that serves as both a bedtime story for small children (this can't realistically be compared, favorably or not, with retellings meant for middle school or older) and a story that gives lessons that are more pertinent to this period in history, this will be a wonderful option for you. If, however, you just want to compare and contrast with real or imagined retellings that aren't even aimed at the same demographic, well, this might make you feel pretty smart, though not likely in the eyes of those you whine to.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via Edelweiss.
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LibraryThing member lisapeet
Great contemporary retelling of the Cinderella story by Solnit, kind of a Stories for Free Children (dating myself here) for the new century. If I had youngsters I would definitely read them this... guess I'll just hold out for grandchildren someday. In the meantime it was fun, though, and I love
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her use of Arthur Rackham's original--and totally timeless--illustrations.
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LibraryThing member jennybeast
In which I am deeply amused -- just the right touches for me, in this modern retelling --they pronoun townsfolk and the rat coachwoman and the mice deciding whether they will stay horses, and all the spoiled and wealthy folk embracing an active lifestyle and satisfying work. Most of all, I like the
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theme of abundance -- that there is enough for everyone if it is shared properly, and agency -- that things can change if you ask for help or make decisions for yourself. There will be people who dislike this book, but I am not one of them.
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LibraryThing member Bodagirl
I appreciated this retelling in that it didn't really change the story as much as modernize it and give the characters more agency to find what they want to do with their lives. Solnit's short afterward/explanation at the end of the book was very informative. I also loved her choice to bring
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Rackham's watercolor silhouettes to a modern book.
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Language

Original language

English

Original publication date

2019-05-07

Physical description

32 p.; 8.25 inches

ISBN

1608465969 / 9781608465965

Local notes

young readers

Other editions

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