Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister by Gregory Maguire
Shen’s Books carries a truly extensive collection of Cinderella stories from around the world. It amazes me that so many people are interested in variations on the Cinderella theme. I can understand that comparing and contrasting some of the versions from different countries might be useful in the classroom, so many of our educator customers love our selection. Then there are the ones that collect Cinderella books. That’s pretty hard core. I personally just can’t get worked up about it. The story doesn’t strike any particular nerve with me.I read Gregory Maguire’s Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister anyway. I told myself it was for work, to see if we should carry the book even though it is not intended to be a children’s book. Since it was another interpretation of the story, it’s possible that it might make a good addition to our collection. I had heard so many positive things about Gregory Maguire that it was a definite contender.
Trouble was, I thought the book was terrible. There was no real deviation from the basic plot of the Cinderella story we all know, and since I already knew what was going to happen, I had no interest in the outcome. I thought the characters were hateful, flat, and uninteresting. When I think about it now, I get short of breath and I feel like I’m walking through a barren field, knee-deep in mud.
Of course, after reading Confessions, I had no desire whatsoever to read any more Maguire, despite the fact that Wicked was so visible (I even saw the musical when it toured through San Francisco). My friend S, who was willing to hold her breath until the sequel to Wicked came out in paperback, tried to convince me that Wicked was much, much better than Confessions. Couldn’t even be compared to one another, she insisted. I don’t know. It’s possible that my aversion to the Wizard of Oz is even greater than my distaste for Cinderella. How could I possibly enjoy that? And there are so many other books that I want to read, I don’t see myself ever attempting to find out if Maguire’s other books are as good as everyone says, even though it would be nice to be surprised.
Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister by Gregory Maguire
posted by Renee at 7:44 PM
feed me
2 Comments:
OK, speaking as someone who'd never even seen the Wizard of Oz movie before reading Wicked, and someone who has read all of Maguire's novels since then, let me just say that Wicked is by far his best novel. It was such a great read and goes so far beyond the Wizard of Oz story that it really has very little to do with it. Don't be put off by Stepsister - I haven't really liked any of his other books, with the exception of 'Mirror Mirror' but even that pales in comparison to Wicked.
Yes, that's what I keep hearing! OK, if I ever happen to run across a copy in a used book store or library book sale, I'll pick it up. Then we'll see...
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