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3.37 AVERAGE
3.37 AVERAGE
ehhh honestly most of the short stories were, confusing, not fleshed out or just mean for the sake of being mean. absolutley adored the world building and otherness of the little mermaid but everything else just. ehhh. as someone who loves playing with gender and roles, that part wassssss, fine, nothing explained or handwaved just starkly started, i can respect that. 5/5 for the first story. rest. bleh.
Very good! There were some folktales that I wasn't familiar with but all the tales the stories are based on are listed in the back of the book, so I think I'll read them and then re-read this book.
If you're looking for some original, smarmy, laugh-out-loud feminism infused into the princess fairytales of old, look no further than Ortberg's Merry Spinster. This was a super fun read and one that I hope to share with my princess-obsessed niece when she's a little older.
This book reminds me of the time recently when I tried a cloud macchiato instead of my usual coconut milk mocha macchiato. Not something I’d read every day, but interesting and kept me awake all the same. I liked The Daughter Cells and The Rabbit the best. I think if I were more familiar with the original works that they were inspired by, I would have appreciated the retellings more.
I recognized some elements (Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella, and some Bible fables) but some were lost on me. Ortberg seamlessly wove modern day references/phrases in with seemingly old-fashioned scenarios (“system overload” and “help desk” in Fear Not: An Incident Log and “Yiiiiiiikes” in The Frog’s Princess, to name a couple).
It was a quick, quirky and unique book. I think I’d like to read Texts from Jane Eyre by Ortberg.
I recognized some elements (Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella, and some Bible fables) but some were lost on me. Ortberg seamlessly wove modern day references/phrases in with seemingly old-fashioned scenarios (“system overload” and “help desk” in Fear Not: An Incident Log and “Yiiiiiiikes” in The Frog’s Princess, to name a couple).
It was a quick, quirky and unique book. I think I’d like to read Texts from Jane Eyre by Ortberg.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
dark
emotional
funny
fast-paced
dark
"The Daughter Cells" and "The Rabbit" are 100% worth the price of admission. There are perhaps 2 or 3 more stories here than there really need to be, but honestly, I would read and entire book that was just those two stories over and over and over again.
This compilation of retellings, like any compilation, is a mixed bag. There are some definite hits and more misses. While I absolutely loved the creepy twist on these stories, I’d say that about half failed to make much of an impact for me personally. I loved the familiarity of a lot of these vignettes, and the unsettling nature to them. But, to be honest, there were quite a few that I just didn’t seem to “get.” So, I’d definitely say, many of these stories are more intellectual in nature or geared toward a particular brand of wit (not one that I possess).
I really enjoyed: The Daughter Cell’s, Fear Not: An Incident Log, The Six Boy-Coffins, Cast Your Bread Upon the Waters, but my absolute fav was The Rabbit. That one really sticks with you.
I really enjoyed: The Daughter Cell’s, Fear Not: An Incident Log, The Six Boy-Coffins, Cast Your Bread Upon the Waters, but my absolute fav was The Rabbit. That one really sticks with you.