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A review by jennyp0208
Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister by Gregory Maguire
2.0
I think the idea is better than the execution in Maguire's interpretation of the ancient Cinderella tale.
First the good: The choice to set Cinderella in Holland during the tulip boom is smart. It's an interesting setting. The characters intrigue me - especially Iris. Margarethe is a study in the outworking of ambition. I appreciate Maguire's vision and concept and courage to experiment with the tale. I'm a sucker for retold fairy tales - I've read a shelf full over the years.
Then the bad: I just don't like this book. I'm left without hope. I feel like this novel shows the dirty side of humanity without any balance. With all the talk of beauty, I don't find it here. All the characters are conniving, selfish, and miserable. In addition, the frame story just doesn't make any sense with the bulk of what comes between - it doesn't fit at all with how this particular character is written (I can't say more without spoilers). And the present tense bugs me; while it serves its purpose particularly during the climax, it is clunky in the earlier chapters of rising action.
I won't be grabbing anything else by Maguire. I didn't like Wicked for similar reasons (so much ugliness, but told in a catching way) but wanted to give him one more shot. I'm done.
First the good: The choice to set Cinderella in Holland during the tulip boom is smart. It's an interesting setting. The characters intrigue me - especially Iris. Margarethe is a study in the outworking of ambition. I appreciate Maguire's vision and concept and courage to experiment with the tale. I'm a sucker for retold fairy tales - I've read a shelf full over the years.
Then the bad: I just don't like this book. I'm left without hope. I feel like this novel shows the dirty side of humanity without any balance. With all the talk of beauty, I don't find it here. All the characters are conniving, selfish, and miserable. In addition, the frame story just doesn't make any sense with the bulk of what comes between - it doesn't fit at all with how this particular character is written (I can't say more without spoilers). And the present tense bugs me; while it serves its purpose particularly during the climax, it is clunky in the earlier chapters of rising action.
I won't be grabbing anything else by Maguire. I didn't like Wicked for similar reasons (so much ugliness, but told in a catching way) but wanted to give him one more shot. I'm done.