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Ella Enchanted
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From: Megan Schliesman <Schliesman>
Date: Wed, 11 Feb 1998 13:32:40 -0600
I agree with Janice Del Negro that it is very important to separate feelings about what one wants a book to be from what it is, and aknowledge that this was difficult for me to do with Ella Enchanted. Janice also poses the important question as to whether or not the author has done what she set out to do successfully in the case of Ella Enchanted--to retell the Cinderella story. I think that in so many ways the author has--for the reasons that a number of people have already pointed out. But if you are going to retell a story and fill in pieces with fuller background and characterization and create events and actions that didn't before exist, then certainly an author has the license to do whatever she wishes with the ending as well as any other part of the narrative. I have no problem with Ella and the prince ending up together--there IS nothing wrong with a happily ever after story if that is the goal. As I said before, I only wish that the Ella had been able to find her voice on her own behalf. For me--for who I am as a reader--this did detract from the success of the novel--and Janice's posting (below) has challenged me to figure out why. Ella had so much spirit and will--it was problematic for me that such a lively, challenging character who seemed to obviously blow apart any stereotypes one might have about a "Cinderella" type was not fully realized. It was as if the characterization stopped short in this one aspect of the action.
On the other hand, I do not disagree with anyone who states that this will undoubtedly be a popular book and that what I see as a failure of one aspect--a failure that was enough for me to walk away feeling disappointed--is not a failure to many others. This is where literary analysis and who we are as individual readers merges once again. It is also why I appreciate being challenged to think through my responses to a book, as I have here.
Not to put too fine a point on it, but- this is a novel length retelling of the Cinderella tale, not a takeoff, not a parody, not a feminist revision- and, as such, the ending was a foregone conclusion.
That being said, I thought the way Levine handled the ending was quite clever if somewhat predictable, and, speaking for myself, I was not disappointed at all. To take it just a step further, I think the ending will be highly satisfactory for those readers who pick up the book
*looking* for a Cinderella story (ie. a romance with a happy ending) in the first place.
Okay, if she had ridden off on horseback to seek her fortune, *maybe* I would have liked the ending more, but then it would not be a retelling of Cinderella, it would have been a different story altogether.
I think we have to be careful about criticizing a book because it's not the book we think the author should or could have written- we have to stay with *this* particular book, and decide whether or not it does what it
(apparently) sets out to do successfully or not.
It is interesting to note that a number of posters mentioned that they liked this book even though it isn't their kind of book- I think that's pretty telling in itself.
Janice Del Negro BCCB
Received on Wed 11 Feb 1998 01:32:40 PM CST
Date: Wed, 11 Feb 1998 13:32:40 -0600
I agree with Janice Del Negro that it is very important to separate feelings about what one wants a book to be from what it is, and aknowledge that this was difficult for me to do with Ella Enchanted. Janice also poses the important question as to whether or not the author has done what she set out to do successfully in the case of Ella Enchanted--to retell the Cinderella story. I think that in so many ways the author has--for the reasons that a number of people have already pointed out. But if you are going to retell a story and fill in pieces with fuller background and characterization and create events and actions that didn't before exist, then certainly an author has the license to do whatever she wishes with the ending as well as any other part of the narrative. I have no problem with Ella and the prince ending up together--there IS nothing wrong with a happily ever after story if that is the goal. As I said before, I only wish that the Ella had been able to find her voice on her own behalf. For me--for who I am as a reader--this did detract from the success of the novel--and Janice's posting (below) has challenged me to figure out why. Ella had so much spirit and will--it was problematic for me that such a lively, challenging character who seemed to obviously blow apart any stereotypes one might have about a "Cinderella" type was not fully realized. It was as if the characterization stopped short in this one aspect of the action.
On the other hand, I do not disagree with anyone who states that this will undoubtedly be a popular book and that what I see as a failure of one aspect--a failure that was enough for me to walk away feeling disappointed--is not a failure to many others. This is where literary analysis and who we are as individual readers merges once again. It is also why I appreciate being challenged to think through my responses to a book, as I have here.
Not to put too fine a point on it, but- this is a novel length retelling of the Cinderella tale, not a takeoff, not a parody, not a feminist revision- and, as such, the ending was a foregone conclusion.
That being said, I thought the way Levine handled the ending was quite clever if somewhat predictable, and, speaking for myself, I was not disappointed at all. To take it just a step further, I think the ending will be highly satisfactory for those readers who pick up the book
*looking* for a Cinderella story (ie. a romance with a happy ending) in the first place.
Okay, if she had ridden off on horseback to seek her fortune, *maybe* I would have liked the ending more, but then it would not be a retelling of Cinderella, it would have been a different story altogether.
I think we have to be careful about criticizing a book because it's not the book we think the author should or could have written- we have to stay with *this* particular book, and decide whether or not it does what it
(apparently) sets out to do successfully or not.
It is interesting to note that a number of posters mentioned that they liked this book even though it isn't their kind of book- I think that's pretty telling in itself.
Janice Del Negro BCCB
Received on Wed 11 Feb 1998 01:32:40 PM CST
